Mary L. Good

Mary Good begins the interview with a discussion of her family history, her childhood, and her early education. Her family moved from Texas to Arkansas in 1942, when her father was offered a principalship in Kirby. Good had very little science education in high school, and attended Arkansas State Teacher's College to become a home economics teacher. However, her interest in science was piqued by a freshman chemistry course, and Good soon became a chemistry and physics double-major. Her chemistry professor encouraged her to go on to graduate school, and she accepted a fellowship at the University of Arkansas to study radiochemistry with Raymond Edwards. She received her Ph.D. in 1955, and accepted a position at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. Her early work included iodine and sulfur chemistry and managing the radiochemistry laboratory. She moved to the brand-new New Orleans campus in 1958, where her research moved away from radiochemistry and into spectroscopy. In 1974, Good became a Boyd Professor at LSU. She soon returned to the Baton Rouge campus to help establish a materials science program. In 1980, Good left academia to join United Oil Products as vice president and director of research. Soon thereafter, corporate mergers led to the creation of AlliedSignal. Good discusses her extensive involvement in the American Chemical Society, including her time as chairman of the board and later as president. In 1980, Good was appointed to the National Science Board by President Carter, and was reappointed by President Reagan. In 1991, President Bush appointed her to the President's Council of Advisors for Science and Technology. Good discusses the support she received from AlliedSignal during this time. In 1993, Good left AlliedSignal to become the Under Secretary for Technology in the Department of Commerce. When she left the Department of Commerce four years later, Good joined Venture Capital Investors, which seeks to stimulate the creation of technology-intensive companies. Good concludes the interview with a discussion of her awards and honors, her family, and professional women in general.

Louisiana State University

1954 - 1958 Instructor and Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Baton Rouge

Louisiana State University

1958 - 1963 Associate Professor of Chemistry, New Orleans

Louisiana State University

1963 - 1974 Professor of Chemistry, New Orleans

Louisiana State University

1974 - 1978 Boyd Professor of Chemistry, New Orleans

Louisiana State University

1978 - 1980 Boyd Professor of Materials Science, Division of Engineering Research, Baton Rouge

United Oil Products

1980 - 1985 Vice President-Director of Research, Corporate Research Center

AlliedSignal Research and Technology Laboratory

1985 - 1986 President-Director of Research, Signal Research Center, Inc.

AlliedSignal Research and Technology Laboratory

1986 - 1988 President-Engineered Materials Research

AlliedSignal Research and Technology Laboratory

1988 - 1993 Senior Vice President, Technology

U.S. Department of Commerce

1993 - 1997 Under Secretary, Technology Administration

Venture Capital Investors, LLC

1997 Managing Member

University of Arkansas, Little Rock

1997 Donaghey University Professor

James G. Traynham

James G. Traynham is a professor of chemistry at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge. He holds a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Northwestern University. He joined Louisiana State University in 1953 and served as chemistry department chairperson from 1968 to 1973. He was chairman of the American Chemical Society’s Division of the History of Chemistry in 1988 and is currently councilor of the Baton Rouge section of the American Chemical Society. He was a member of the American Chemical Society’s Joint-Board Council on Chemistry and Public Affairs, as well as a member of the Society’s Committees on Science, Chemical Education, and Organic Chemistry Nomenclature. He has written over 90 publications, including a book on organic nomenclature and a book on the history of organic chemistry.