Having Fun with The N ozoe Autograph Books. A Bit of Exploration and an Unexpected Learning Experience

Abstract

In the history of science, there is likely no more extensive and diverse single document that records and displays the personalities, interactions and travels of thousands of chemists as the Nozoe Autograph Books. 11 Of course, likely no other autograph book in the history of science is more impressive than the Royal Society Charter Book, created in 1663. This book has recorded the signatures of all Fellows and Foreign Members of the Royal Society, beginning with Sir Isaac Newton. A reproduction of this book is available from Portland Press Ltd, Colchester, England: Fellows of the Royal Society, The Royal Society Charter Book Signatures, Royal Society Publishing, London, England, 2009. From 1953 until 1994, less than 18 months from his passing at age 94, Tetsuo Nozoe (born May 16, 1902—died April 4, 1996; Figure 1) accumulated almost 1200 pages of autographs, messages, drawings, cartoons, poems, and all sorts of written memorabilia from fellow scientists and sometimes their spouses and even families.1 These pages filled a total of nine autograph books. (A) Tetsuo Nozoe in the early 1950s. (B) Tetsuo Nozoe, several decades later. This issue of The Chemical Record presents the third installment of the Nozoe Autograph Books. Beginning in October 2012, the Nozoe Autograph Books are being published in their entirety in approximately 80-page installments in 15 consecutive issues of both the print and electronic editions of The Chemical Record. Of particular note is that the autograph pages themselves as well as the accompanying website (www.tcr.wiley-vch.de/nozoe) are open access, i.e., are available for free to all for at least for three years following their publication.2 The website is specially designed to allow both viewing and data entry. Each autograph book page is accompanied with a second page in which users can add and edit content including the names of the signees. In fact, user-provided information forms the basis of a signee index which is searchable. That is, with this index of user-supplied information—an ever-increasing supply of information—the readers are able to locate easily and quickly the page(s) on which specific individuals have signed. Collectively, the Nozoe Autograph Books serve as a wonderful heritage of friendship and collegiality. Individually, they offer insights into the humanness of so many thousands of people. Even an amateur handwriting enthusiast would discover many insights about the signees though a reading of these autograph books. These books are also fun and entertaining to peruse. But in perusing, one may well find oneself asking certain questions. Who are these people? What did they do? And in asking such questions, one becomes inspired to delve more deeply into the history of chemistry. In this article, I will take the reader on a “tour” of Nozoe's last stop on his four month European tour: Hawaii. I was curious: who did Nozoe see in Hawaii, and what were their stories? In sharing my discoveries, I hope to reveal to you how these books can be addictive as well! Thus, the Nozoe Autographs books can serve many purposes. You may simply enjoy scanning the pages and connecting with friends, colleagues and heroes. You may be able to locate your own autographs and those of your academic ancestors. You can also see and feel the progress of chemistry through the various inscriptions, chemical structures and comments. These books can be of sociological value, providing data and insights into the nature of personal interactions and connections within the scientific community. Beware! Yes, the Nozoe Autograph Books can be rather addictive. What I didn't anticipate was how much entertainment the books could be, perhaps as addictive as playing with one's iPad! The following section documents one of my explorations within the Nozoe books—with, admittedly, time for further historical side trips. I simply could not put the pages down and disconnect from my chemistry and people tour. In preparation for the publication of the Nozoe Autograph Books in The Chemical Record, I was identifying many of the autographs in the first hundred pages of the books. A number of pages caught my attention. In 1953, Nozoe experienced a four-month international tour of 120 chemistry laboratories, not all academic institutions, in Europe, continental United States, and the Territory of Hawaii. Nozoe also presented 26 lectures on his troponoid research.3 From July 19, 1953 to November 25, 1953, Nozoe obtained autographs and greetings from hundreds of chemists covering 63 pages of his autograph book. This was the beginning of his collection—his hobby—as described more fully in his autobiography3 and in the essay1 this author has written that accompanies the first installment of this entire collection. I was amused to note that the last “stop” of Nozoe's four month trip was in Hawaii. I decided to peruse his Hawaiian adventures. Nozoe received happy greetings and many “Alohas” in Hawaii. These autographs in particular drew my attention for several reasons. When we think of Hawaii, we think of beaches and volcanos and cool beverages, not chemistry. Furthermore, the memories of Pearl Harbor were likely quite vivid in 1953. Yet, the greetings were warm and inviting. The first signee I noticed was Howard J. Lucas (page 59; November 22, 1953) (Figure 2). What was Lucas, 68 years old at the time, a heavy hitter on Caltech's faculty, author of the widely regarded text Organic Chemistry4 published in 1935, a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the Ph.D. advisor of many eminent chemists including Bill Young and Saul Winstein, doing in quiet Hawaii in 1953? According to his biography, he was a visiting professor at the University of Hawaii in 1953 and a visiting professor at Ohio State University in 1954–1955, becoming emeritus professor at Caltech in 1955.5 Perhaps Lucas was enjoying life in Hawaii! Autographs of Howard J. Lucas and Paul J. Scheuer (from page 59 of the Nozoe Autograph books). Just below Lucas's autograph on page 59 is Paul J. Scheuer's entry (Figure 2). Born in Heilbronn, Germany, in 1915, Scheuer was unable to attend university due to the Nazi's racial policies and became a tannery apprentice.6 This pioneer and eventual leader in marine natural products—a rather reasonable occupation for a Hawaiian chemist—immigrated to the United States in 1938 from Nazi Germany, another reasonable move given his Jewish heritage. Several years later, after a B.S. degree from Northeastern University, he began graduate studies at Harvard. However, he was drafted into the U.S. Army. After the war, he returned to Harvard, studied under R. B. Woodward, and received his Ph.D. in 1950. It was Hawaii immediately thereafter. Scheuer passed at the age of 87 in 2003, the author of nearly 300 publications. On page 60, the next autograph is that of Paul Scheuer's widow, Alice Scheuer, who today, must be in her 90s. The next entry on page 60 is that of Marie C[atharine] Neal, born in 1889. Neal was a botanist at the Bernice P. Bishop Museum in Honolulu. A quick Google search revealed that the Bishop Museum is still going strong, and that Marie Neal wrote several books including In Gardens of Hawaii and In Honolulu Gardens and Hawaiian Helicindae, likely among other titles. One internet source reports that she was curator of the herbarium at the Bishop Museum. Then comes, in big, bold and very clear handwriting, “Leonora N. Bilger, Chairman” of the University of Hawaii (Figure 3A) and recipient of the American Chemical Society's Garven Award in 1953. Under her signature, in much smaller size, is her husband Earl M. Bilger. Handwriting analysts would likely comment on the relationship of the size of one's handwriting to personality qualities. Note, in Figure 3B, the famous pronouncement by John Hancock based on the size of his signature on the American Declaration of Independence. (A) Signatures of Alice Scheuer, Marie C. Neal, Leonora Bilger, Earl M. Bilger, Howard J. Lucas, Judson L. Ihrig and John E. Cavelti (from page 60 of the Nozoe Autograph Books). Note the difference in size between Leonora Bilger's signature and that of her husband Earl Bilger. Interestingly, both Paul Scheuer (Figure 1) and his wife Alice wrote with very small, even tiny letters. (B) John Hancock's bold and stylish signature on the American Declaration of Independence towers over the other American patriots. In the United States, the term “one's John Hancock” is a synonym for one's signature. After the Bilger's autographs, we find a second autograph of Howard J. Lucas, then Judson L. Ihrig (who is still alive though in poor health)7 and John E. Cavelti. According to the March 5, 1953 issue of The Campus newspaper of Allegheny College (Medville, PA), Cavelti was on sabbatical at the University of Hawaii during the 1953–1954 academic year.8 “she was indeed the principal mover in getting the chemistry building, the first three-story building on campus (actually named after her husband [also a professor of chemistry at UH]). The picture you have is that of the remodeled Bilger Hall, after 1990. (I actually played a role in the remodeling project.)”7 A portion of the University of Hawaii Manoa campus map showing Bilger Hall, Bilger Addition and Bilger Annexes. “a Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati. She taught at Sweet Briar College, Virginia, and from 1918–1924 at the University of Cincinnati. There she established a reputation for her work in molecular structures and cancer chemotherapy … As dean of women [at the University of Hawaii], Leonora was known as ‘Ma’ to several generations of UH coeds. She is remembered for her frequent lectures on lady-like proprieties. “She had a contentious relationship with UH president Crawford, and later, when she was removed as dean of women and returned to the chemistry department, played an active role in forcing the resignation of Crawford. This came about through the ‘special friendship’ (in Crawford's words) of Leonora and Board of Regents member Samuel N. Castle, who lived with the Bilger couple in a large Manoa home. Leonora was charged by Crawford as having passed along malicious information about Crawford to the Board. (When Castle died in 1959, he left an estate valued at 3.5 million dollars to Leonora.)”9 “Bilger Hall is named in honor of both Leonora and her husband Earl, as a UH chemistry professor.”9 The name “Samuel N. Castle” is an eminent name in Hawaii. The first Samuel N. Castle, apparently grandfather of the Samuel N. Castle mentioned immediately above, was a businessman, politician, and patriarch of a very large prominent Hawaiian family. The Samuel N. and Mary Castle Foundation is a philanthropic organization existent still today in Hawaii.10 Nozoe attended a meeting of the Hawaiian Section of the American Chemical Society (page 61 of the Nozoe Autograph Books, not shown herein). Vernon E. Hargrave signed and noted that he was Chairman of that ACS local section. A Google search found an obituary of Hargrave in the March 23, 2003 issue of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Hargrave had passed on March 10, 2003 at the age of 85. He was described as “a retired Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard head chemist.” Page 62 lists various employees of the Hawaiian Sugar Planter's Association and of the Pineapple Research Institute of Hawaii. I shall omit details but note that several of the signees were well published in various areas of agricultural science. One page 63, the Bilgers appear once again (and take up the entire page). Here there is a long “very warm Hawaiian Aloha” message from Leonora Bilger. “Earl M. Bilger” has signed again, though in this instance, his “signature” was actually written in his wife Leonora's hand (Figure 5). For my own autograph book experience, I have also observed that some individuals insist on signing for their spouses. In this case, the relative sizes of Leonora's signature and Earl's signature plus Leonora's subsequent input of her husband's signature is suggestive of personality qualities. Signature of Leonora Neuffer Bilger and, apparently, her husband name, Earl M. Bilger, written in her hand (from page 63 of the Nozoe Autograph Books). Compare these “signatures” with those in Figure 3 (from page 60 of the Nozoe Autograph Books). On page 64, the Nozoe Autograph Books skip to five months later: May 15, 1954 (Figure 6). Nozoe is no longer in Hawaii, his four month adventure has long since come to an end. I would have, and could have, stopped my detailed review of these pages at this point but … but I am mesmerized by the first signature on the top of page 64. It is Riko Majima. Note the signatures of Riko Majima, the Farrington Daniels family, Y. Asahina, and Linus and Ava Pauling (from page 64 of the Nozoe Autograph Books). See text for more discussion. Riko Majima! My goodness. One of my heroes. “Once, five years ago [in 1935], Professor Masaji Tomita of Taihoku Imperial University in Formosa came to visit me. When I inquired how my former pupil, the greatly esteemed Professor Riko Majima at Sendai was, he answered, ‘Very, very old.’ I asked, ‘How old?’ ‘Fifty-seven years.’ ‘Well,’ I remarked, ‘ I am sixty-three.’ Professor Tomita bowed and replied, ‘Very, very young.’ ”14 Professor Riko Majima on his 88th (Beiju or “yone-no-iwai”) birthday, Jurakuso, Takarazuka, 1961. “Olive Miriam Bell and Farrington had been acquainted since childhood, but they had moved in different circles until Farrington met Olive on the street car in Minneapolis while on a trip home from Worcester Poly. They were married September 15, 1917, in Minneapolis, and as Olive said in her biography of Farrington, ‘The marriage was to give mutual appreciation and devotion for nearly fifty-five years. They lived truly happily ever after.’ They had four children: Farrington, Jr., Florence Mary (Mrs. J. D. Drury), Miriam Olive (Mrs. M. D. Ludwig) and Dorin Slater.”15 My examination of page 64 (Figure 6) of Nozoe's autograph book reveals Farrington Daniels autograph as well as that of Olive Bell Daniels (wife), J. W. Drury (son-in-law), Florence Daniels Drury (daughter), “JON” (perhaps a grandson), and “X (Jane)”, perhaps a much younger granddaughter. Comparison of the family members named in the National Academy's memoir helps identify the signatures in Nozoe's book. Just below the Daniels's family appears Y. Asahina (Figure 8). Obituaries of Yasuhiko Asahina appear in the journals The Lichenologist17 and in The Bryologist.18 Asahina was the co-author with Shoji Shibata of the book Chemistry of Lichen Substances (1954) and founder of the Journal of Japanese Botany. The photograph of Asahina accompanying his obituary contains Asahina's autograph, identical to that in Nozoe's book (Figure 6). On page 400 of Nozoe's autograph book is a poem written in Asahina's hand, composed by Ceng Duanbai, a poet and a well known painter, along with a translation by Dr. Haruko Kazama (reproduced in Figure 9). Asahina was not the only person to pen a poem in the Nozoe Autograph Books. I can recall seeing poems by Paul Bartlett and a limerick by John Cornforth about Arthur Birch and proudly reproduced by Birch in Nozoe's autograph book. Yasuhiko Asahina, 1881–1975. Photo from Asahina's obituary.16 A poem by Ceng Duanbai was written by the eminent botanist Yasuhiko Asahina on page 400 of the Nozoe Autograph Books, late spring, 1971. The first character in the column to the far right is “Sung Dynasty.” In the Sung Dynasty, there were at least 160,000 poets. The next three characters are the name of the poet/painter. The next five characters include the title of the poem. The remaining characters in the first column and in the subsequent three columns are the poem itself. The fifth column is Asahina's question to Nozoe. The sixth column is Asahina's autograph and to the left, the location with Asahina's age. The date is to the farthest left. The translation was provided by Dr. Haruko Kazama, Professor Emeritus, International Christian University, Tokyo. It is fully appropriate that a botanist would choose a poem involving plants as metaphors to the various types of friends. Reproduced in Figure 6, page 64 ends with a special highlight. On February 23, 1955, double-Nobelist (Chemistry in 1954, Peace in 1962) Linus Pauling and his wife Ava Helen Pauling signed the book. Interestingly, according to the Linus Pauling website Day-by-Day on the Oregon State University website, the Paulings were in Kamakura, Japan on February 23, 1955.19 Indeed, the photograph in Figure 10 was taken on that day and appears on the Oregon State University's website for the 1955 year summary.19 Another picture taken on that same day appears in Nozoe's autobiography3 with a caption citing Kamakura. This latter photograph is reproduced in Figure 11. Together, the in 10 and 11 the and of when and and Nozoe the special his autograph book that all of including Linus and Ava Pauling with Professor in of the of and Kamakura, taken on February 23, 1953, the same day that the Paulings signed Nozoe's autograph book Figure 6). Ava Helen and Linus Pauling Oregon State University a to honor Professor and Linus visit to February 23, 1955, Kamakura, Nozoe is at the far In between the Paulings is who Nozoe with can be found in Nozoe's autograph page I could not but I had to The next signature was at least at was a from the message and from the and of the autograph to the size and of the message (Figure This may be another of personality from one's autograph Figure in the of my I identify was the autograph of in Google was of no But on was a for also shown in Figure (A) The autograph of in Nozoe's page (B) A on of signature. signature is a entry by who had a long and at was known to during my graduate studies at the University of He appears several other in the Nozoe Autograph Books. I to page appears a message from L. from he was a and (Figure may well have been one of the or perhaps scientists of the note three of (A) L. with Dr. University, of (B) A message from who was, according to N. the first to the of (from page of the Nozoe Autograph Books). to that the to my of in the of what has known as the The was first by Dr. M. L. and was also by and from page of the by and on this page to the work of L. is given that the and is on the of and that all these and then at the University of and the a different of this For various publication has been but in a months a in some is to of this a of the may not be of of in L. in though the term was not by Compare these structures to those of and from their in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (Figure is to his in the Journal of which has the same title as the and have received for the to some to the to must be that other may have and have been with the first of the of the in in their of the of In a of this term over a pages in the Journal of Organic and in a much longer review in in so his work be was a famous so perhaps this is an of the the famous more than those or perhaps ever more but less well is a very famous I my own as a graduate at University of was in to that the of will be to a of the nature and of such as and other and basis for the of of in size … in the of the of I have the to names in the his first publication by a month or with the in may have been more in certain of those years was the of the famous or for the of of was obtained by L. in the United States and by J. in On the other hand, perhaps the more attention and of the reputation of For the for and for And in a of in Chemical in which a can be with on In his review of to the that was a to Linus of the can be by his early on and the of which he was my name, he was born not very long after the of the and a of people still about such I that his very that the family had been to the I then moved to page 68 and came the from Alice N. and her husband that he not a is at least married to (Figure I recall seeing a signature of a Alice N. some pages on page 26 (Figure t

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