The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-03-27
Nun Scientist GlOrieS In Her WORK
For God And Country Despite Danger
Sister Mary Thomas at
Work Seeking Secret Of
Synthetic Rubber

the united states government made
public announcement that she was
devotlng her time In chemical re-
search for the fabrication OF rub
Dor, The Democrat carried the brief
press eleasc and the photo OF sister
Mary Thom,,S, Today V has the
pleasure Of presenting a more inter-
eStlng closeup OF the nun-ScientiSt,
an outline OF her educational career
and a tribute from one OF her
learned instructors, There Is dan
ger IN the great work, but the tai.
ented nun Is stimulated BY the
thought she Is serving both God
and country In her efforts, The
Catholic University bulletin con-
tributes the following story;
AS IN World War No, I
Special-SAs IN World War No, l
chemists, physicists, engineers and
technlcianS skilled IN other sciences
on the faculty Of Catholic unircr-
sity OF America have again been
called upon by the government to
direct their talents IN the univer-
Sity'S laboratories toward Develop
ing weapons OF war and for essen
tial civilian uses, Practically all Of
this experimental work Is highly
confidentlal-lest the enemy should
be benefited thereby--and Is held
secret under government instruc-
tons, Some details OF one research
being conducted can now b. dis
closed without violating the govern.
mental restrictions,
This Is The highly important
chemical research designed TO get
the bugs" out of the commercial
process whereby butadierc Is con-
Verted into buna~S, synthetic rub
Der. Sister Mary Thomas, u Roman
Catholic nun OF the Sisters Of ST,
Joseph, has been called from the
claSSroomS OF her alma mater, the
College OF Chestnut Hill, IN philR-
dclphia, TO devote each day TO the
task, In the Martin Nal. hey Chem
ical Laboratory Of the Catholic Uni
versity Of America, the research Is
being conducted for the Rubber Adj
miniStration TO which the resources
OF the laboratory were offered by
DR., Francis owen Rice, head Of the
Department. OF Chemistry,
SpeciallEeS In Chemistry
When the Rubber Director told
Dr., Rice to go ahead and see what
he could contribute, he sent for Sis
ter Mary Thomas, professor Of
chemistry Of Chestnut Hill to con-
duct experiments under his direc-
ton, A native of Hanover, pennsyl-
vania, Sister Mary Thomas had
joined the sisters Of st, Joseph IN
1891 and began working for her
bachelors degree IN Chestnut Hill,
the orders college, Chemistry was
her favorite study, and she decided
upon graduation In 1884 to work
for her doctors degree In that Sci-
ence, The next year she enrolled In
Johns Hopkins University, where DR.,
Rice then was professor of chem.
istry.
DR.. Riccs special field was buta-
diene, and ~ suggested to Sister
Mary Thomas several lines Of re-
search related 10 his specially, She
elected to do work In the cracking
of hydro-carbons which is the basic
research underlying the manufac-
ture of synthetic rubber.
An apt research student, she COM
pleted dissertation setting forth
two contributions in her particular
field which DR.. Rice described as
extraordinary"
Sister Mary Thomas received her
doctors degree In 1888 and then re-
turned TO her alma mater to teach
That Ssme year Dr.. Rice
accepted the dictatorship Of the De-
partment of Chemistry ut Catholic
University.
A doctor OF science from the Uni
vrsity of Liverpool. where research
work enjoyed the same prestige 1t
has always had at Johns Hopkins,
DR.. Rice inspired his pupil with
desire to continue independent in
vestigation In her chosen field.
Burdened with teaching and in
provided with equipment
at Chestnut Hill, which has no
graduate department, Sister Nary
Thomas contrived nevertheless to
devote about one-fourth OF her time
to research.
During the winter she carried on
her Investigations on model scale
apparatus which she designed and
built herself. In the summer, she
TO Catholic University
and continued to work under DR..
Rice's direction OH the expensive
apparatus which the University was
able to provide.
Secrecy Ordered
Early in 'ebruary. the Superiors
of her Order consented to her COM
ing to Catholic University to work
on the problem which the Rubber
Administration had enturtsed to DR..
Rice. The Rubber Administration
imposed strict secrecy on DR.. Rice
and his chief research assistant. SO
II is not possible to dicusS the prob
lem In any tail.
In brief. as DR. Rice described 1t.
the job is to get "the bugs" out OF
the synthetic rubber process. What
Sister Mary Thomas is trying to do.
he said, is to eliminate the impure
ties which arise when the synthetic
rubber process is transferred from
the laboratory to a commercial
plant.
her investigations in a room filled
with complicated distillery appara-
tus. She begins work at 8 a. m. ana
Sister Mary Thomas carries on
puts in eight hours each day. The
work is not without an element OF
danger, as even layman would
gather from the fact that q shield
of unshatterable glass guards
corner of the apparatus containing
an explosive gas.
Sister Mary Thomas has one as"
sistant. Joan Pignocco, a graduate
student whose home is In Pitts
burgh. She Is a graduate OF Seton
Hill College, Greensburg. Pa.
Perfectly Il home admist maze
OF gadgets wholly confusing TO
layman, Sister Mary Thomas ex-
planned apologetically that she was
mt allowed to discuss her research