The Chair of Physical Chemistry

WE understand that the question of appointing a professor of Physical Chemistry for Punjab University is likely to come up for consideration at an early meeting of the Syndicate. The chair of Physical Chemistry was created four or five years ago and two committees of selection were appointed, one in India, the other in England, to help the university in getting the right sort of man for it. The salary of Rs 1,500-Rs 2,000 was fixed on the express condition that a chemist of the standing of an FRS (Fellowship of the Royal Society) was to be appointed. No such man applied, but several good chemists who had done a great deal of first-rate research work were among the applicants. Three of these, all of them Indians, were selected for the post, but as the salary offered in the first instance was even less than Rs 1,200, two of them immediately declined the offer. The third was consequently offered Rs 1,200 straightway, but as he was in the IES (Indian Engineering Services) he wanted to have his services transferred for five years, which request not being complied with, he, too, declined the offer. Applications were consequently invited again, and of those who applied for the chair on this occasion, the Indian Committee of selection, comprising Sir PC Ray, Professor CV Raman, Dr Simson (Research Institute, Dehradun) and Dr Fowler (Research Institute, Bangalore), recommended Dr SS Bhatnagar, while the Committee in England recommended Mr Wilsdon. It is worthy of note, in this connection, that Mr Wilsdon was also among the candidates on the last occasion, but he was not selected by the Indian Committee and subsequently withdrew his application.