| THE PRESIDENT OF THE NINTH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF APPLIED CHEMISTRY |
By Dr. GEORGE FREDERICK KUNZ
NEW YORK CITY
THE newly elected president of the Ninth International Congress of Applied Chemistry, Professor Paul Walden, was born near Riga in the Russian province Livonia July 27, 1863. Hence, although of German blood, he is by birth a Russian. He first attended the Real School in Riga, and then the Polytechnicum there, where he was one of the most apt and brilliant pupils of the great Ostwald. In Riga, he was assistant in the department of physics in 1885, and in 1888 in that of chemistry; in 1892 he became Privat-docent, and in 1894 professor of analytical and physical chemistry. Since 1896 he is assistant professor of inorganic and physical chemistry, and at the same time director of the Polytechnicum.
When Ostwald resigned his professorship of chemistry at the Polytechnicum, Walden became his successor, and the latter still holds this position at the present time. He received his degree of doctor of philosophy at Leipzig in 1891, that of master of chemistry at Odessa in 1893, that of doctor of chemistry at St. Petersburg in 1899 and that of doctor of engineering at Riga. The remarkable work performed by Professor Walden has been officially recognized by the bestowal of many important Russian orders; he is a commander of the Order of Vladimir and also of those of St. Anne and of Stanislaus. He is a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences at St. Petersburg, and has laboratories both in Riga and in St. Petersburg. He is an honorary member of the London Chemical Society and of many other societies, and was selected as the Imperial Russian delegate to the Eighth International Congress of Applied Chemistry.
Professor Walden speaks Russian, Livonian, French and German fluently, and is familiar with English and Italian as well. In manner he is quiet, dignified and gentle, but alert and quick in his movements. He is about five feet eight inches in height and weighs some 175 pounds. His brown hair is brushed high on his forehead; he has light blue-gray eyes and fine teeth. He is a very fluent and ready speaker, and his delivery is at once easy and impressive. Always speaking directly to the point, his words are so well chosen and effective that invariably he holds the attention of his audience; there never can be any doubt as
