Why I Give to Chemistry
I recall my arrival at Carolina as if it were only a few years ago , rather than decades . An initial fascination with math and physics faded a bit as I learned that my mind worked differently than the minds of those destined for those fields .
My first general chemistry course was intriguing but did not inspire . But courses in analytical chemistry with Tom Meyer , and organic chemistry with Robert McKee , sold me on the subject . Guidance and inspiration , in courses and in the lab , from Slayton Evans , Tom Baer , Ernest Eliel , and many others led to a desire to understand the workings of things .
Slayton in particular taught me that hard work and depth of understanding were more important than being smart . Slayton was also an avid fisherman and we used to wade the Eno River , fishing from bridge to bridge . So he provided education , inspiration , and recreation . Out of gratitude for his influence I have been pleased to contribute to the lectureship in his honor .
The Chemistry Department was uniquely collegial . I remember nights in the lab or at the NMR machine , very primitive by today ’ s standards , seeing professors wandering through the labs during the night , going to bluegrass night at a local bar with the chemistry graduate students and many of the faculty , enjoying a community that was very supportive .
With excellent teachers and with the opportunities provided by the Morehead Foundation , I was privileged to have a truly liberal education in the old sense of the phrase . Courses in history , music and literature , concerts and plays , and visiting artists enhanced the quality of life and caused me to explore how the various disciplines and arts fit together . These experiences enrich life even today .
I was prepared for graduate school in Chemistry , but for reasons that are still a bit mysterious I ended up in medical school . The training at Carolina was good preparation for 20 years in academic hematology and oncology , and subsequently 20 years in clinical trials and clinical care . Though I ’ ve strayed from Chemistry , it all started in the Department .
For several decades I have donated specifically to Chemistry . I am now honored , although probably unqualified to be on the Chemistry Advisory Board . I give to Carolina to honor excellent teachers and role models . I give to help support an institution facing public funding hurdles and adverse political winds . I also give because the future of our country depends on educated , resourceful , and creative young people . As we are about to celebrate the Bicentennial of Chemistry at Carolina we need to build on the past : “ What ’ s past is prologue , what to come . in yours and my discharge .”
Spence McCachren , MD