Remembering Ken Reese

What a jolt to learn of the death of my old friend Ken Reese (C&EN, June 1, page 40). Ken was my friend for 55 years, dating from that day in 1954 when he first joined C&EN's Chicago office, of which I was then head. The late Dick Kenyon, who became editor of C&EN in 1956 and who came to know Reese well, gave him the nickname "Tiger," for reasons that are made apparent in Rachel Pepling's sterling Newscripts item.

I'm sure I speak for many, many readers in expressing warm thanks to Pepling, whose "adieu" to Ken truly captured the essence of the man. It was a column worthy of the master himself.

Rodney N. Hader
Silver Spring, Md.

It was with great sadness that I read of the passing of Kenneth Reese. I hesitate to admit it, but ever since I joined ACS as an undergraduate (and especially now that I'm a somewhat prematurely grizzled Ph.D. teaching high school), the first thing that I turn to when I get the new issue of C&EN is Newscripts. Reese and his Newscripts column gave me many laughs. He also published my letter on a peculiar air freshener device that claimed to produce polymeric oxygen or some such nonsense. It was my first professional publication. And so it goes.

Jacob Newman
Bronx, N.Y.

I was sad to hear of Kenneth Reese's death. I've been an ACS member since the 1950s and can honestly say that I think I read every one of his Newscripts pages. I am glad you continue his tradition in C&EN.

Richard D. Stacy
Montrose, Colo.