American chemist and educator (1866–1936) who, along with Willis Rodney Whitney, formulated the Noyes–Whitney equation in 1897, an important equation in pharmaceutical science; Noyes served as the acting president of MIT between 1907 and 1909, and then served as Professor of Chemistry at the California Institute of Technology from 1919 to 1936. Fascinating TLS signed “Arthur A. Noyes,” three pages, 8 x 10.5, Office of the President of MIT letterhead, February 1, 1908. Letter to Dr. Willis R. Whitney, a renowned American chemist and the founder of the research laboratory of the General Electric Company, in part: “With respect to yourself, I think, first of all you should give great weight to the fact that in your present position you are ‘the right man in the right place.’ It isn’t jollying when I say that I don’t believe there is a man in the country who has so fully the combination of qualities as you have, for the direction of a technical research laboratory. On the other hand, I do sometimes wish that your talents could serve the interests of humanity directly, rather than through the agency of a corporation, which necessarily reserves for itself a large share of the benefit. Thus if you could be in charge of a similar laboratory, devoted to investigation in some branch of applied science, under the government or some educational institution with adequate funds for the purpose, I think it would be better. I only wish such an idea might be realized at the Institute; and perhaps it can, sometime. I do not think you should follow up your idea of becoming a surgeon,—tho I appreciate your sympathetic desire to alleviate human suffering. For, in the first place, you would sacrifice three of more years of the very best period of your life that ought to be devoted to service to preparation for a new form of service. Secondly, it would be a form of service which would benefit a few individuals, instead of humanity as a whole, as is the case with a discovery in pure or applied science. Thirdly, it is a pursuit involving unusual manipulative skill, in addition to much experience, rather than the qualities of originality, practical execution, and effective dealing with men which you possess in so high a degree. In other words, you would be deserting a career for which you have unusual aptitude for one which your aptitude is questionable and in which the previous experience of your life would be little utilized.” In fine condition. Pre-certified PSA/DNA.
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