William J. Hale and the Farm Chemurgic Movement
{'Code': '08080301', 'Directorate': {'Abbreviation': 'BIO', 'LongName': 'Direct For Biological Sciences'}, 'Division': {'Abbreviation': 'DBI', 'LongName': 'Div Of Biological Infrastructure'}}
{'SignBlockName': 'Ronald J. Overmann', 'PO_EMAI': None, 'PO_PHON': None}
From the 19th century on, farmers have turned to science to try                 to resolve many of their more intractable problems.  Dr. Wright                 is examining one of the efforts on the part of chemists in the                  United States to help extricate farmers from the effects of the                 Great Depression of the 1930's.  These "Chemurgists" (a term                    combining the Greek root for work with "chemistry"), led by Dow                 Chemical's William J. Hale, claimed that "economic recovery                     would be achieved in the laboratory, not the legislature," or,                  put more starkly, that internal developments in chemistry                       dictated technological and economic policy.  Backed by the                      powerful Chemical Foundation, the Chemurgists promoted their                    ideas in the technical literature and in the political arena as                 an alternative to the New Deal's efforts at agricultural                        assistance. As their central demonstration project, the                         Chemurgists produced and marketed power alcohol (or "agrol") in                 the late 1930's setting off political and chemical                              controversies.                                                                  In his study, Dr. Wright will examine four questions:  1. What                  did Hale believe he discovered about the relation of chemical                   research to national agricultural policy that caused him to                     abandon a highly successful career as a chemist and research                    administrator to become a Chemurgic proselytizer?  2. Should                    Chemurgy be considered a successful applied research program?                   3.  Why was there such protracted expert disagreement over the                  technical and economic adequacy of Chemurgy's alcohol fuels                     given their simple chemical structure?  4. Was Chemurgy                         successful as a political movement?  In addressing these                        questions, Dr. Wright will examine the ways both Chemurgists                    and their antagonists constructed narrative histories of                        science to justify or criticize Chemurgy's research and                         political claims.  This study promises to enhance our                           understanding of the role of science in agriculture in the 20th                 century and, more generally, the social and political                           implications inherent in applied research.
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{'Code': '1353', 'Text': 'Hist & Philosophy of SET'}
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