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The article examines the contribution of laboratory experiments in the development of ability to do critical thinking of high school students in the U.S. The National Science Foundation has been engaged in an on-going program to improve science education. In view of the findings of the Manufacturing Chemists' Association (MCA) survey and the fact that many science educators have been advocating laboratory experiments that promote problem-solving experiences not previously encountered by students, the MCA developed thirty-one open-ended, directed, observation-type experiments for the secondary school in an attempt to foster more meaningful laboratory practices. the two assumptions of the study are: (1) that experimentation is a unique characteristic of the scientific enterprise and (2) that experimentation is an essential process in learning science at all grade levels.

The article explores the method of laboratory teaching. Science educators have advocated the use of the inductive technique in the laboratory since the 1930's, the open-ended experiments produced by the Manufacturing Chemists' Association (MCA) has been used in 1957. The author has presented a study to compare the relative effectiveness versus traditional high school chemistry experiments. The data used in the study consisted of 268 students in twelve intact classes in three high schools. One of the criteria used to compare the two laboratory techniques was the development of scientific attitudes. The result of the study shows that 63 percent of the total number of student's preferred MCA experiments and that MCA experiments provide more challenge, interests and stimulation.

The article attempts to determine the educational origin of productive research chemists. The definition of the productive research chemist is presented. The author index to "Chemical Abstracts" for 1957 and 1958 were selected as a list of currently productive research chemists. The article provides socio-economic data and the highest educational attainment of the productive research chemist. The article also presents a list of the top twenty-five schools, according to their Research Productivity Index.

The article presents chemists and educators in chemistry that were elected as presidents of their universities. It shows a table that gives out names of thirty-three men and one woman, their academic fields, and the educational institutions of which they were presidents, including the dates when they were presidents. Also, in addition to the thirty-four presidents, there are also chemists that served as acting presidents, including Paschal C. Gaines, Richard H. Jesse, William Mcpherson, and Arthur F. Scott.