Frederick John Bates - Biography
Frederick J. Bates was born in Marysville, Kansas, January 2, 1877. His early education was obtained in the town schools. He then attended the University of Kansas, receiving the degree of Bachelor of Science in 1900. He entered the graduate school of the University of Nebraska, receiving his Master's Degree in 1902. In his undergraduate days, Mr. Bates majored in chemistry, but in his graduate work, he turned his attention to the field of optics. His special interest was in the phases related to optical rotations of various materials such as the sugars and sugar products. His final year at Nebraska was devoted to this field in collaboration with Dr. D.B. Brace. Mr. Bates reported for duty at the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) in 1903. Dr. Samuel W. Stratton, Director of the newly established National Bureau of Standards, chose Frederick Bates to head a section on Polarimetry.
In recording the details of Mr. Bates' professional career, it seems desirable to turn back to the early days of NBS. The Congress enacted legislation establishing a national laboratory in March 1901, the Act to take effect on July 1 of that year. Within a week of the passage of the Act, President William McKinley appointed Dr. Stratton as NBS Director. Dr. Stratton lost no time in formulating plans for the organization of the Bureau, the selection of a suitable site, and the recruiting of a staff of scientists and technicians to carry out his plans. As a base of operations, temporary quarters were set up in a large residence located in downtown Washington not far from the Capitol Building. It was here that Mr. Bates joined the small group that pooled their talents under Dr. Stratton's leadership to lay the foundation of the institution that was destined to join the other national laboratories already in existence in other countries.
During this period, Dr. Stratton selected a permanent location for NBS. He chose a wooded hilltop in suburban northwest Washington. It was located some fifty meters west of Connecticut Avenue, adjacent to a remnant of the old Pierce Mill Road. This narrow dirt road served as the entrance to the site. The preparation of the site and the design and construction of the three original buildings consumed the next few years. By 1905 most of the staff were already established in the new quarters.
A description of NBS as it appeared in 1905 is found in the autobiography of a staff member, Dr. William W. Coblentz. He stated, "I found the National Bureau of Standards to consist of the then two-story North Building (housing the power plant, instrument shop, etc.), a smaller Cryogenic Laboratory, and the recently completed four-story Physics building (South Building). The buildings were situated around a quadrangle of high ground in a distant uninhabited suburb of Washington."
Mr. Bates was assigned two rooms in the South Building. In one room he installed a large precision polarimeter with monochromatic light sources. Here the quartz control plates were tested and certified as standards for use in the testing of imported sugars and molasses, and for other optical rotation measurements. The other room contained equipment and apparatus for the control testing of sugars and sugar products for the Customs Service of the Treasury Department. This room also contained the apparatus for the preparations of sucrose and dextrose of high purity for use in research projects and for possible use as a standard sample for issue to other laboratories. When the West building was completed, the Polarimetry Section moved into a suite of four specially designed laboratories.
At the request of the Customs Service, a survey was made of the whole operation of weighing, taring, sampling, and testing of imported sugars and molasses jointly by Dr. W.A. Noyes, then Chief of the Chemistry Division, and Mr. Bates. Some years later a similar request was received from the Treasury Department for a more detailed survey performed by Mr. Bates acting as a Special Agent of the Customs Service. Upon its completion, Mr. Bates drew up a set of regulations which were published under the title, "Regulations Governing the Weighing, Taring, Sampling, Classification, and Polarization of Imported Sugars and Molasses."
Realizing the necessity of having uniform and standardized apparatus, Mr. Bates designed a number of items including the sugar flask, polariscope tubes, sugar balance, polariscope lamp, etc., all of which bear his name. In 1907 he perfected the design of an adjustable-sensitivity double-quartz wedge saccharimeter, which was manufactured by the firm of J&J Fric of Prague, Czechoslovakia.[1] This instrument has been used by the Customs Service and in laboratories throughout the world.
International recognition was accorded with work of Mr. Bates and his colleague, Dr. R. F. Jackson, in the redetermination of the 100° S point of the saccharimeter scale (100° S correseponds to 34.62° angular rotation under sodium D light). They found that the Ventzke scale, then in world-wide use, was in error by about 0.10° S. The results were reported at the 1912 session of the International Commission for Uniform Methods of Sugar Analysis (ICUMSA) held in New York City.
Another great contribution to the field of sugar analysis was made by Mr. Bates in reviving the International Commission which had been allowed to lapse after World War I. He arranged a reorganization meeting in Amsterdam in 1932 at which time he was elected President of the International Commission on Uniform Methods of Sugar Analysis (ICUMSA). He was reelected to the office at the London meeting in 1936 and again in Brussels in 1949. He was unable to attend the Paris session in 1954 but was awarded a scroll of honor and elected Honorary Life President of ICUMSA.
Although he had retired, he retained his interest in the affairs of the Commission. He attended the Washington session in 1958 and was accorded a standing ovation for his work in behalf of the Commission. The published proceedings of this meeting were dedicated to Mr. Bates and contained a short biography and his photograph.
Mr. Bates and his staff at NBS prepared a number of circulars on polarimetry and its application to sugar analysis. The last of the series was Circular C440 entitled, "Polarimetry, Saccharimetry and the Sugars." This publication contained contributions by the various staff members; much of it was not published elsewhere.[2]
During Mr. Bates' long service as Chief of the Polarimetry Section and Chief of the Optics Division many other lines of endeavor were carried out under his supervision, including the testing of a large quantity of crystal quartz for the U.S. Army; extensive research on the properties of sugars and their derivatives; the production of crystalline levulose from the Jerusalem artichoke; and collaborative work with the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists.
As these new projects were undertaken additional space and additional personnel were taken on. During this period the Polarimetry Section became one of the largest in the Bureau.
Frederick Bates passed away at his residence in Washington, D.C. on November 1, 1958. He was mourned by all who knew him as colleague and friend.
Frederick J. Bates was born in Marysville, Kansas, January 2, 1877. His early education was obtained in the town schools. He then attended the University of Kansas, receiving the degree of Bachelor of Science in 1900. He entered the graduate school of the University of Nebraska, receiving his Master's Degree in 1902. In his undergraduate days, Mr. Bates majored in chemistry, but in his graduate work, he turned his attention to the field of optics. His special interest was in the phases related to optical rotations of various materials such as the sugars and sugar products. His final year at Nebraska was devoted to this field in collaboration with Dr. D.B. Brace. Mr. Bates reported for duty at the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) in 1903. Dr. Samuel W. Stratton, Director of the newly established National Bureau of Standards, chose Frederick Bates to head a section on Polarimetry.
In recording the details of Mr. Bates' professional career, it seems desirable to turn back to the early days of NBS. The Congress enacted legislation establishing a national laboratory in March 1901, the Act to take effect on July 1 of that year. Within a week of the passage of the Act, President William McKinley appointed Dr. Stratton as NBS Director. Dr. Stratton lost no time in formulating plans for the organization of the Bureau, the selection of a suitable site, and the recruiting of a staff of scientists and technicians to carry out his plans. As a base of operations, temporary quarters were set up in a large residence located in downtown Washington not far from the Capitol Building. It was here that Mr. Bates joined the small group that pooled their talents under Dr. Stratton's leadership to lay the foundation of the institution that was destined to join the other national laboratories already in existence in other countries.
During this period, Dr. Stratton selected a permanent location for NBS. He chose a wooded hilltop in suburban northwest Washington. It was located some fifty meters west of Connecticut Avenue, adjacent to a remnant of the old Pierce Mill Road. This narrow dirt road served as the entrance to the site. The preparation of the site and the design and construction of the three original buildings consumed the next few years. By 1905 most of the staff were already established in the new quarters.
A description of NBS as it appeared in 1905 is found in the autobiography of a staff member, Dr. William W. Coblentz. He stated, "I found the National Bureau of Standards to consist of the then two-story North Building (housing the power plant, instrument shop, etc.), a smaller Cryogenic Laboratory, and the recently completed four-story Physics building (South Building). The buildings were situated around a quadrangle of high ground in a distant uninhabited suburb of Washington."
Mr. Bates was assigned two rooms in the South Building. In one room he installed a large precision polarimeter with monochromatic light sources. Here the quartz control plates were tested and certified as standards for use in the testing of imported sugars and molasses, and for other optical rotation measurements. The other room contained equipment and apparatus for the control testing of sugars and sugar products for the Customs Service of the Treasury Department. This room also contained the apparatus for the preparations of sucrose and dextrose of high purity for use in research projects and for possible use as a standard sample for issue to other laboratories. When the West building was completed, the Polarimetry Section moved into a suite of four specially designed laboratories.
At the request of the Customs Service, a survey was made of the whole operation of weighing, taring, sampling, and testing of imported sugars and molasses jointly by Dr. W.A. Noyes, then Chief of the Chemistry Division, and Mr. Bates. Some years later a similar request was received from the Treasury Department for a more detailed survey performed by Mr. Bates acting as a Special Agent of the Customs Service. Upon its completion, Mr. Bates drew up a set of regulations which were published under the title, "Regulations Governing the Weighing, Taring, Sampling, Classification, and Polarization of Imported Sugars and Molasses."
Realizing the necessity of having uniform and standardized apparatus, Mr. Bates designed a number of items including the sugar flask, polariscope tubes, sugar balance, polariscope lamp, etc., all of which bear his name. In 1907 he perfected the design of an adjustable-sensitivity double-quartz wedge saccharimeter, which was manufactured by the firm of J&J Fric of Prague, Czechoslovakia.[1] This instrument has been used by the Customs Service and in laboratories throughout the world.
International recognition was accorded with work of Mr. Bates and his colleague, Dr. R. F. Jackson, in the redetermination of the 100° S point of the saccharimeter scale (100° S correseponds to 34.62° angular rotation under sodium D light). They found that the Ventzke scale, then in world-wide use, was in error by about 0.10° S. The results were reported at the 1912 session of the International Commission for Uniform Methods of Sugar Analysis (ICUMSA) held in New York City.
Another great contribution to the field of sugar analysis was made by Mr. Bates in reviving the International Commission which had been allowed to lapse after World War I. He arranged a reorganization meeting in Amsterdam in 1932 at which time he was elected President of the International Commission on Uniform Methods of Sugar Analysis (ICUMSA). He was reelected to the office at the London meeting in 1936 and again in Brussels in 1949. He was unable to attend the Paris session in 1954 but was awarded a scroll of honor and elected Honorary Life President of ICUMSA.
Although he had retired, he retained his interest in the affairs of the Commission. He attended the Washington session in 1958 and was accorded a standing ovation for his work in behalf of the Commission. The published proceedings of this meeting were dedicated to Mr. Bates and contained a short biography and his photograph.
Mr. Bates and his staff at NBS prepared a number of circulars on polarimetry and its application to sugar analysis. The last of the series was Circular C440 entitled, "Polarimetry, Saccharimetry and the Sugars." This publication contained contributions by the various staff members; much of it was not published elsewhere.[2]
During Mr. Bates' long service as Chief of the Polarimetry Section and Chief of the Optics Division many other lines of endeavor were carried out under his supervision, including the testing of a large quantity of crystal quartz for the U.S. Army; extensive research on the properties of sugars and their derivatives; the production of crystalline levulose from the Jerusalem artichoke; and collaborative work with the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists.
As these new projects were undertaken additional space and additional personnel were taken on. During this period the Polarimetry Section became one of the largest in the Bureau.
Frederick Bates passed away at his residence in Washington, D.C. on November 1, 1958. He was mourned by all who knew him as colleague and friend.
Frederick John Bates - Biography
Frederick J. Bates was born in Marysville, Kansas, January 2, 1877. His early education was obtained in the town schools. He then attended the University of Kansas, receiving the degree of Bachelor of Science in 1900. He entered the graduate school of the University of Nebraska, receiving his Master's Degree in 1902. In his undergraduate days, Mr. Bates majored in chemistry, but in his graduate work, he turned his attention to the field of optics. His special interest was in the phases related to optical rotations of various materials such as the sugars and sugar products. His final year at Nebraska was devoted to this field in collaboration with Dr. D.B. Brace. Mr. Bates reported for duty at the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) in 1903. Dr. Samuel W. Stratton, Director of the newly established National Bureau of Standards, chose Frederick Bates to head a section on Polarimetry.
In recording the details of Mr. Bates' professional career, it seems desirable to turn back to the early days of NBS. The Congress enacted legislation establishing a national laboratory in March 1901, the Act to take effect on July 1 of that year. Within a week of the passage of the Act, President William McKinley appointed Dr. Stratton as NBS Director. Dr. Stratton lost no time in formulating plans for the organization of the Bureau, the selection of a suitable site, and the recruiting of a staff of scientists and technicians to carry out his plans. As a base of operations, temporary quarters were set up in a large residence located in downtown Washington not far from the Capitol Building. It was here that Mr. Bates joined the small group that pooled their talents under Dr. Stratton's leadership to lay the foundation of the institution that was destined to join the other national laboratories already in existence in other countries.
During this period, Dr. Stratton selected a permanent location for NBS. He chose a wooded hilltop in suburban northwest Washington. It was located some fifty meters west of Connecticut Avenue, adjacent to a remnant of the old Pierce Mill Road. This narrow dirt road served as the entrance to the site. The preparation of the site and the design and construction of the three original buildings consumed the next few years. By 1905 most of the staff were already established in the new quarters.
A description of NBS as it appeared in 1905 is found in the autobiography of a staff member, Dr. William W. Coblentz. He stated, "I found the National Bureau of Standards to consist of the then two-story North Building (housing the power plant, instrument shop, etc.), a smaller Cryogenic Laboratory, and the recently completed four-story Physics building (South Building). The buildings were situated around a quadrangle of high ground in a distant uninhabited suburb of Washington."
Mr. Bates was assigned two rooms in the South Building. In one room he installed a large precision polarimeter with monochromatic light sources. Here the quartz control plates were tested and certified as standards for use in the testing of imported sugars and molasses, and for other optical rotation measurements. The other room contained equipment and apparatus for the control testing of sugars and sugar products for the Customs Service of the Treasury Department. This room also contained the apparatus for the preparations of sucrose and dextrose of high purity for use in research projects and for possible use as a standard sample for issue to other laboratories. When the West building was completed, the Polarimetry Section moved into a suite of four specially designed laboratories.
At the request of the Customs Service, a survey was made of the whole operation of weighing, taring, sampling, and testing of imported sugars and molasses jointly by Dr. W.A. Noyes, then Chief of the Chemistry Division, and Mr. Bates. Some years later a similar request was received from the Treasury Department for a more detailed survey performed by Mr. Bates acting as a Special Agent of the Customs Service. Upon its completion, Mr. Bates drew up a set of regulations which were published under the title, "Regulations Governing the Weighing, Taring, Sampling, Classification, and Polarization of Imported Sugars and Molasses."
Realizing the necessity of having uniform and standardized apparatus, Mr. Bates designed a number of items including the sugar flask, polariscope tubes, sugar balance, polariscope lamp, etc., all of which bear his name. In 1907 he perfected the design of an adjustable-sensitivity double-quartz wedge saccharimeter, which was manufactured by the firm of J&J Fric of Prague, Czechoslovakia.[1] This instrument has been used by the Customs Service and in laboratories throughout the world.
International recognition was accorded with work of Mr. Bates and his colleague, Dr. R. F. Jackson, in the redetermination of the 100° S point of the saccharimeter scale (100° S correseponds to 34.62° angular rotation under sodium D light). They found that the Ventzke scale, then in world-wide use, was in error by about 0.10° S. The results were reported at the 1912 session of the International Commission for Uniform Methods of Sugar Analysis (ICUMSA) held in New York City.
Another great contribution to the field of sugar analysis was made by Mr. Bates in reviving the International Commission which had been allowed to lapse after World War I. He arranged a reorganization meeting in Amsterdam in 1932 at which time he was elected President of the International Commission on Uniform Methods of Sugar Analysis (ICUMSA). He was reelected to the office at the London meeting in 1936 and again in Brussels in 1949. He was unable to attend the Paris session in 1954 but was awarded a scroll of honor and elected Honorary Life President of ICUMSA.
Although he had retired, he retained his interest in the affairs of the Commission. He attended the Washington session in 1958 and was accorded a standing ovation for his work in behalf of the Commission. The published proceedings of this meeting were dedicated to Mr. Bates and contained a short biography and his photograph.
Mr. Bates and his staff at NBS prepared a number of circulars on polarimetry and its application to sugar analysis. The last of the series was Circular C440 entitled, "Polarimetry, Saccharimetry and the Sugars." This publication contained contributions by the various staff members; much of it was not published elsewhere.[2]
During Mr. Bates' long service as Chief of the Polarimetry Section and Chief of the Optics Division many other lines of endeavor were carried out under his supervision, including the testing of a large quantity of crystal quartz for the U.S. Army; extensive research on the properties of sugars and their derivatives; the production of crystalline levulose from the Jerusalem artichoke; and collaborative work with the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists.
As these new projects were undertaken additional space and additional personnel were taken on. During this period the Polarimetry Section became one of the largest in the Bureau.
Frederick Bates passed away at his residence in Washington, D.C. on November 1, 1958. He was mourned by all who knew him as colleague and friend.
Frederick J. Bates was born in Marysville, Kansas, January 2, 1877. His early education was obtained in the town schools. He then attended the University of Kansas, receiving the degree of Bachelor of Science in 1900. He entered the graduate school of the University of Nebraska, receiving his Master's Degree in 1902. In his undergraduate days, Mr. Bates majored in chemistry, but in his graduate work, he turned his attention to the field of optics. His special interest was in the phases related to optical rotations of various materials such as the sugars and sugar products. His final year at Nebraska was devoted to this field in collaboration with Dr. D.B. Brace. Mr. Bates reported for duty at the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) in 1903. Dr. Samuel W. Stratton, Director of the newly established National Bureau of Standards, chose Frederick Bates to head a section on Polarimetry.
In recording the details of Mr. Bates' professional career, it seems desirable to turn back to the early days of NBS. The Congress enacted legislation establishing a national laboratory in March 1901, the Act to take effect on July 1 of that year. Within a week of the passage of the Act, President William McKinley appointed Dr. Stratton as NBS Director. Dr. Stratton lost no time in formulating plans for the organization of the Bureau, the selection of a suitable site, and the recruiting of a staff of scientists and technicians to carry out his plans. As a base of operations, temporary quarters were set up in a large residence located in downtown Washington not far from the Capitol Building. It was here that Mr. Bates joined the small group that pooled their talents under Dr. Stratton's leadership to lay the foundation of the institution that was destined to join the other national laboratories already in existence in other countries.
During this period, Dr. Stratton selected a permanent location for NBS. He chose a wooded hilltop in suburban northwest Washington. It was located some fifty meters west of Connecticut Avenue, adjacent to a remnant of the old Pierce Mill Road. This narrow dirt road served as the entrance to the site. The preparation of the site and the design and construction of the three original buildings consumed the next few years. By 1905 most of the staff were already established in the new quarters.
A description of NBS as it appeared in 1905 is found in the autobiography of a staff member, Dr. William W. Coblentz. He stated, "I found the National Bureau of Standards to consist of the then two-story North Building (housing the power plant, instrument shop, etc.), a smaller Cryogenic Laboratory, and the recently completed four-story Physics building (South Building). The buildings were situated around a quadrangle of high ground in a distant uninhabited suburb of Washington."
Mr. Bates was assigned two rooms in the South Building. In one room he installed a large precision polarimeter with monochromatic light sources. Here the quartz control plates were tested and certified as standards for use in the testing of imported sugars and molasses, and for other optical rotation measurements. The other room contained equipment and apparatus for the control testing of sugars and sugar products for the Customs Service of the Treasury Department. This room also contained the apparatus for the preparations of sucrose and dextrose of high purity for use in research projects and for possible use as a standard sample for issue to other laboratories. When the West building was completed, the Polarimetry Section moved into a suite of four specially designed laboratories.
At the request of the Customs Service, a survey was made of the whole operation of weighing, taring, sampling, and testing of imported sugars and molasses jointly by Dr. W.A. Noyes, then Chief of the Chemistry Division, and Mr. Bates. Some years later a similar request was received from the Treasury Department for a more detailed survey performed by Mr. Bates acting as a Special Agent of the Customs Service. Upon its completion, Mr. Bates drew up a set of regulations which were published under the title, "Regulations Governing the Weighing, Taring, Sampling, Classification, and Polarization of Imported Sugars and Molasses."
Realizing the necessity of having uniform and standardized apparatus, Mr. Bates designed a number of items including the sugar flask, polariscope tubes, sugar balance, polariscope lamp, etc., all of which bear his name. In 1907 he perfected the design of an adjustable-sensitivity double-quartz wedge saccharimeter, which was manufactured by the firm of J&J Fric of Prague, Czechoslovakia.[1] This instrument has been used by the Customs Service and in laboratories throughout the world.
International recognition was accorded with work of Mr. Bates and his colleague, Dr. R. F. Jackson, in the redetermination of the 100° S point of the saccharimeter scale (100° S correseponds to 34.62° angular rotation under sodium D light). They found that the Ventzke scale, then in world-wide use, was in error by about 0.10° S. The results were reported at the 1912 session of the International Commission for Uniform Methods of Sugar Analysis (ICUMSA) held in New York City.
Another great contribution to the field of sugar analysis was made by Mr. Bates in reviving the International Commission which had been allowed to lapse after World War I. He arranged a reorganization meeting in Amsterdam in 1932 at which time he was elected President of the International Commission on Uniform Methods of Sugar Analysis (ICUMSA). He was reelected to the office at the London meeting in 1936 and again in Brussels in 1949. He was unable to attend the Paris session in 1954 but was awarded a scroll of honor and elected Honorary Life President of ICUMSA.
Although he had retired, he retained his interest in the affairs of the Commission. He attended the Washington session in 1958 and was accorded a standing ovation for his work in behalf of the Commission. The published proceedings of this meeting were dedicated to Mr. Bates and contained a short biography and his photograph.
Mr. Bates and his staff at NBS prepared a number of circulars on polarimetry and its application to sugar analysis. The last of the series was Circular C440 entitled, "Polarimetry, Saccharimetry and the Sugars." This publication contained contributions by the various staff members; much of it was not published elsewhere.[2]
During Mr. Bates' long service as Chief of the Polarimetry Section and Chief of the Optics Division many other lines of endeavor were carried out under his supervision, including the testing of a large quantity of crystal quartz for the U.S. Army; extensive research on the properties of sugars and their derivatives; the production of crystalline levulose from the Jerusalem artichoke; and collaborative work with the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists.
As these new projects were undertaken additional space and additional personnel were taken on. During this period the Polarimetry Section became one of the largest in the Bureau.
Frederick Bates passed away at his residence in Washington, D.C. on November 1, 1958. He was mourned by all who knew him as colleague and friend.
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