Concentrators in Biology are required to take four full biology courses which must include Biology 1 and a half-course in each of the areas of botanical, zoological, and physiological biology. In addition, concentrators must take a full course in physics and one in chemistry.

The requirements for honors in Biology add a half course in biology and two half-courses in either biology or a related field. Since the department has no large opus such as a thesis on which to judge honors candidates, the impressions conjured up by an old Biology I section man and grades play the major parts in determining the type of honors awarded. The department sets a minimum of a "B" average for honors.

Many students enter the field expecting little more than formaldehyde and dead cat-fish. But the distinguished lecturers and friendly atmosphere of the department usually gain the respect of concentrators.

Chemistry

Number of Concentrators: 131.

1952 Commencement Honors: 3 summa; 6 magna; 4 cum laude.

Leonard K. Nash, maestro-lecturer in Chemistry 2, always prefaces his advice to prospective Chemistry concentrators with: "Do you want to spend your afternoons shielded from the harmful rays of the sun? Do you want to enjoy the temperature of a Florida summer the year round? If so...."

And so the average students shudders and chooses a more relaxing field. But Chemistry concentration at Harvard has many advantages. There is not a bad lecturer in the whole department; it is easily apparent that staff members are chosen for teaching ability as well as scientific brilliance, a fact that is frequently not so apparent in other departments of the University. And there is no thesis required for honors candidates.

Little Freedom

Unlike biologists and physicists, chemistry concentrators do not have a large degree of freedom in choosing courses in their field, at least in the first three years, of chemists must necessarily have a firm foundation in the four main areas of chemistry: inorganic, analytical, organic, and physical. After these requirements have been met, students may choose any courses they want, including research for credit.

Eugene Rochow and Nash complete in the indoctrination of neophytes to the field. Rochow teaches the somewhat staid Chemistry 1, offered to those whose secondary school preparation is not sufficient to take Nash's whirlwind Chemistry 2.

Chemistry 2 is a half course introduction to the more theoretical side of inorganic chemistry. Legends say that the course is monstrously difficult, but in many respects it is easier than Chemistry 1. Nash imposes a bare minimum of memory work on the class: the short time of the course does not allow him to languish valuable time on such "hand-book chemistry." True, the theory is presented at a clip so fast that Nash is usually limp after a lecture, but students with ability spend no more time than those in Chem. 1.

Rochow is also a fine lecturer (he was on leave of absence this year) and there are those who swear by him.

Louis Fieser's Chemistry 20 is probably the most difficult introduction to organic chemistry in the country. The pre-med competition is fierce and the hour exams are frequent (every other week). Fieser is also a fine lecturer, and students find the two afternoons of lab work per week interesting.

Chemistry 40 is the best reason for majoring in English that the department has to offer. The lab work in both 40a and 40b is tedious, but James J. Lingane, instructor in the course, has pared away all the material that is not essential to the learning of proper analytical technique, even going so far as time-saving centrifugation instead of ordinary filtration in 40b. The ground covered by the course used to take three semesters instead of the two now used. Biggest advantage to the course is the unique approach used. Instead of the one semester of qualitative and one semester of quantitative analysis offered at most schools, Chemistry 40 begins with quantitative work and for the spring term introduces the student to actual on-the-job type qual-quant analysis. But some students spend fifteen hours per week in the lab.