UpDate - Vol. 11, No. 5, Page 3
October 3, 1991
Breaking ground; Two degrees conferred at 'Celebration of Science'

     Conferral of two honorary degrees and the ceremonial beginning
of a new state-of-the-art laboratory marked the "Celebration of
Science" in Newark Hall auditorium on Friday, Sept. 27.
     University President David P. Roselle welcomed the 450 invited
guests, administrators, faculty and students to the ceremony, which
celebrated "the growth and development of science programs and the
broad successes of the sciences at the University of Delaware."
     He noted that the "exemplary support, the interest, the
dedication of our teachers, our students and our benefactors and
the state of Delaware have made the University already a strong
institution and an institution with potential to achieve....The
University is committed to achieving the very best in scientific
education and research."
     Roselle cited a few reasons for the pride in the sciences at
the University, among them the Departments of Chemistry and
Biochemistry and of Physics and Astronomy, the College of Marine
Studies, the Center for Composite Materials and the Institute for
Energy Conversion.
     "As full and varied as that list sounds, those specifics are
only just a few of examples of the places where excellent teaching
meets excellent students with excellent support at the University
of Delaware," he said.
     "The University of Delaware is a research institution, but it
is and it will be a research institution which intermingles
undergraduate and graduate students with professors to assist their
research," Roselle said.
     Andrew B. Kirkpatrick, chairman of the University's Board of
Trustees, conferred honorary doctor of science degrees upon "two
outstanding leaders in science": Edward G. Jefferson, former
chairman and chief executive officer of the Du Pont Co. and
currently vice chairman of the University's Board of Trustees, and
Walter E. Massey, director of the National Science Foundation.
     In the presentation to Jefferson, Kirkpatrick cited his
leadership of the Du Pont Co., his service to the business
community and his support of higher education.
     "I salute all who are working successfully to build the
stature of teaching and research at Delaware," Jefferson said, "and
especially those engaged in science and engineering who are much in
our thoughts today.
     "It's exciting to see our University pushing to enhance the
scope and quality of research and of teaching at the University
with the new lab facilities and the proposed augmented means for
faculty and student support. Improvements in science and
engineering education here and elsewhere are crucial in our
national efforts towards fully competitive businesses, fully
competitive in global markets. And these efforts deserve our
strongest support."
     Jefferson also noted that "To obtain informed public
understanding and debate of technical initiatives, a good general
education in science is an essential element in preparation for
responsible citizenship. We also need better understanding of the
historical place of science and engineering in society and how many
of the benefits we take for granted today were won in the first
place."
     In presenting the honorary degree to Massey, Kirkpatrick cited
his "long and illustrious career," which "includes service as vice
president for research at the University of Chicago and at the
Argonne National Laboratory." The National Science Foundation,
which he now directs, has an annual budget exceeding $2.3 billion
and annually awards 13,000 to 15,000 grants.
     "Dr. Massey, your career epitomizes the highest standards of
teaching, research and service, of commitment, dedication and
action, and the University of Delaware salutes you," Kirkpatrick
said.
     In his remarks, Massey noted, "It is fitting that the focus of
the celebration of science today is the field of chemistry and its
related sciences and engineering disciplines. Because of all the
natural science fields, chemistry can probably be singled out as
the one in which the link between basic research and the
application of research to solving problems is most richly
developed. Although it is true that not all research in any field
and even in chemistry is driven by potential applications, there is
a much fuller appreciation by chemists, I believe, that basic
research conducted today will, perhaps even within their lifetimes,
show up in applications."
     Discussing the setting of priorities for the nation, Massey
said, "For me personally, one of our highest priorities should be
preparing our youth, our children, for their turn in running this
nation. The dedication of this new chemistry building today is a
reflection, I believe, of that priority. As a place where science
is conducted, as well as taught, it is also a reflection of the
fact that we cannot have good science education if we do not have
good science."
     In recognition of the construction of the new chemistry
laboratory, Roselle announced that the Board of Trustees named the
$20 million facility for Lammot du Pont (1831-1884), who was a
grandson of the founder of the Du Pont Co.
     "Mr. Lammot du Pont's commitment to chemical research, his
involvement with environmental issues and his ability to adapt to
and to guide the rapidly changing technologies of his day make him
an example and a model for excellence today," Roselle said.
     The new building will provide "badly needed state-of-the-art
research space for the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and
for marine biochemistry. We should make particular note of the fact
that those departments will be together- chemistry, biochemistry,
marine sciences. It provides only the latest example of the this
institution's desire to foster interdisciplinary research efforts,"
he added.
     Roselle introduced Delaware Gov. Michael Castle by noting that
his presence was especially appropriate, "for even when he's been
faced by needs that have exceeded available state resources, he has
remained steadfast in his insistence that the state complete its
portion of the funding for the Lammot du Pont Laboratory."
     Gov. Castle discussed recent initiatives in science education
in the state, including Delaware 2000, which is designed "to
dramatically restructure how and what Delaware students are going
to learn so they are ready for the workplace and ready for society
in this day and age." The plan calls for "Delaware students to be
first in the world in science and mathematics achievement by the
year 2000," he said.
     "We have an interest here at the University of Delaware in
making absolutely sure that our students-who by the year 2000, in
my judgment, must be the best science and math students in this
country-will have the opportunity to come here to complete their
education so they can be the best math and science students any
place in the entire world...
     "I cannot imagine a more rewarding and fitting ceremony in
this entire country than a celebration of science at this time....
I congratulate the entire University of Delaware for its
involvement in this, and I wish us all the best as we reach toward
that goal," Castle said.
     The formal ceremony concluded with an unveiling of the date
stone for the Lammot du Pont Laboratory. The date stone will hold
a time capsule containing, among other things, copies of the
citations for the two honorary degree recipients, a biography of
Lammot du Pont, a copy of the Board of Trustees resolution naming
the building and a copy of Sept. 27 issue of The Review, which
included an article about the "Celebration of Science" ceremony.
     After the ceremony, the platform group proceeded to the
construction site of the new laboratory for the official
groundbreaking.
     The Lammot du Pont Laboratory, located just east of Memorial
Hall, will have its main entrance on the south Mall between
Memorial and Alison halls. The 66,500-square-foot building will
house 15 laboratories and offices.
     One of the most modern laboratories for chemical research in
the United States, the Lammot du Pont Laboratory will accommodate
approximately one-third of the faculty and students in the
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and all students in the
department will have some exposure to the work going on in the new
facility. Completion is expected for fall 1993.