About MACTLAC

As a part of the centennial celebration of Monmouth College in 1952, the chemistry department, under the leadership of Professor W.S. Haldeman, invited the faculties of a large number of neighboring institutions to the campus for a conference on the teaching of chemistry. In issuing the call for this conference, Professor Haldeman stated, "it is ironical that many of us have labored so long in the same geographical area and during this time have gotten to know so little of one another. If this conferences serves to widen and deepen our acquaintance and to give us insights with respect to our work, it will have been a worthy feature during Monmouth's anniversary year."

Ninety representatives from 53 colleges attended the meeting, which included challenging addresses by well-known chemists as well as six small discussion groups organized around common teaching and administrative problems. The response to this kind of meeting was so great that steps were soon taken to form a permanent organization, and subsequent annual meetings were help in October at colleges in the Midwestern area, changing location year to year.