Chemistry Ancestry

I was pleasantly surprised to read the article on Joseph Black (C&EN, Oct. 22, page 41).

As a child I remember my mother and my maternal grandfather speaking of the Black history, concerning a famous ancestor from Scotland. My mother’s maiden name was Black. At the University of Texas, Arlington, where I majored in science, I saw a picture of Joseph Black in a chemistry textbook. I was shocked at the strong resemblance between him and my grandfather. Later on I started my own business, Metro Chem Associates, a small chemical processing company. As part of the services we provide, we help other companies solve problems they encounter in their operations. Even as a child I always had a strong interest in chemistry. So maybe there is something accurate about the theory of heredity.

James Kirk Drews
Mineral Wells, Texas