Abstract

On August 25, John T. Stock, an emeritus professor of chemistry at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, was presented with the Dexter Award for Outstanding Achievement in the History of Chemistry. The award was given out at the national American Chemical Society meeting in Washington, D.C. The award was presented by the Dexter Corp. of Windsor Locks, Conn., a company focusing on advanced aerospace and electronics technology. Stock was honored for his longtime professional interest in the history of industrial and laboratory instruments. Although at the age of 81--after 23 years on the University of Connecticut faculty--Stock has slowed down his work, he says he finds it impossible to give it up. A native of Margate, Kent, in England, Stock moved to the United States in January 1956 after accepting a job offer from the University of Connecticut to teach chemistry. Currently, he says, he dabbles in analytical chemistry consulting, but he spends the bulk of his efforts at the lab bench building simple instruments and machines that could be useful in the classroom. "Most of my time is devoted to the study of the history of scientific instruments," he says, "as well as instrument development designed