. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...

To mark the centennial of the discovery of oxygen by Joseph Priestley (1733-1804) on August 1, 1774, H. Carrington Bolton of the Columbia College School of Mines suggested a gathering of American chemists be held to celebrate this event. A suggestion was made by Rachel Bodley of the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania that an appropriate place would be Northumberland, Pennsylvania, where Pr...