Scientific Progress Requires Risk-Taking And Failure

Editor's Note: World-renowned instrument maker Arnold Beckman, born in 1900, received his master's degree in physical chemistry from the University of Illinois--his home state--in 1923, after which he joined what was then Bell Electric Engineering (now AT&T Bell Laboratories). After two years, he left that company and, with his young wife, traveled to Pasadena, Calif., to take his Ph.D. in photochemistry at the California Institute of Technology and, afterward, a faculty spot at that institution. His long career in instrumentation development was launched in 1934, when he discovered principles leading to his invention of the first precise and sensitive pH meter. That invention, along with his subsequent creation of the spectrophotometer, revolutionized the research environment of the 20th- century chemical laboratory. Today, more than 50 years after the creation of his company-- Beckman Instruments Inc., based in Fullerton, Calif.--he enjoys an international reputation not only as the master innovator in the world of instrumentation, but also as a philanthropist of extraordinary vision and largess. Among the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation's many donations: $50 million to Caltech for interdisciplinary research in biology and chemistry, and $40 million to his other alma mater, the University of Illinois, to study the relationship between computers and the human brain. This past January, the 92-year-old Beckman was on hand at Philadelphia's Franklin Institute to receive the Bower Award for Business Leadership, presented by the institute to honor Benjamin Franklin's scientific, entrepreneurial, and humanitarian genius. At the award presentation, Beckman was cited "for combining scientific discovery, innovation, and business leadership, and for his philanthropies to ensure the future of privately supported scientific R&D." Following is an edited version of his remarks upon accepting the award. This citation mentions creative business leadership and philanthropic support of research. These items should be viewed in proper perspective. Philanthropic support of research does not necessarily connote praiseworthy generosity on my part. If the funds I spend on philanthropy were not so spent, the IRS would grab them and they would ultimately be spent by the government. Well, I am conceited enough to think that I can do a better job. The item of industrial leadership is a bit more complicated. One can conceive a business leader as a boss who prepares an organization chart and puts his name at the top. The big boss issues orders that trickle down finally to the persons who actually do the jobs. Well, I am not that kind of leader. I recall the story of an army general who became separated from his troops in unfamiliar territory. He was lost, and asked a native if he knew of any troops in the area. "I need to find out where they are so I can catch up with them," he said. "That is important, for I am their leader." That, in a way, typifies my leadership style, if indeed I have one. My management efforts are directed mainly at finding the best available recruits, persons who are not only well qualified by education and experience, but who also have demonstrated high levels of innovation and enthusiasm. Once they are aboard, after discussion of the company's goals and objectives, I back away, allowing the individual to do his job his way. A bit of advice occasionally, of course, and a pat on the back from time to time, to bolster enthusiasm, especially after a failure. Leaders who have the vision to recognize a possibly worthwhile new idea and have the courage to pursue it must expect to encounter failures. Until Beckman Instruments became so large as to make the practice impractical, I used to talk to the employees, urging them to take risks and not be afraid of making mistakes. "If you're not making mistakes, you probably aren't accomplishing very much," I would say. The Franklin Institute is special to me because Ben Franklin and I have something in common: We both liked to fly kites. Franklin's famous kite-flying episode was hardly a stunt. It was a serious piece of research that contributed to man's knowledge of electricity. It led to Franklin's invention of the lightning rod and to his subsequent election as a member of the prestigious Royal Society of Sciences of London. He was one of America's earliest scientists--a one-man R&D department. I found that launching a business or new product is a lot like flying a kite: Your idea is held together by a flimsy framework. You put it out at the end of a string of hope, while you run like hell. Tattered rags hang on to your tail. And only when the wind is blowing just right do you experience the thrill of flight and success. I have experienced the distress of failure many times and survived. Failures can provide valuable lessons. By taking risks one makes progress. I was never averse to taking risks. As an assistant professor at Caltech, I faced a collective sponge of bright young student minds--an exhilarating experience. I shared my knowledge with them, but I got back something quite unexpected--a career in the instrument business. As some of you may know, a classmate, Glen Joseph, working for a local fruit growers association, approached me at Caltech for help in measuring the acidity of lemon juice that had been heavily dosed with sulfur dioxide. My chemistry background and the smattering of electronic knowledge acquired at Bell Labs led to the invention of the Beckman glass electrode pH meter. With it Dr. Joseph processed his lemon juice, and I launched what became a billion-dollar-a-year business. These and other experiences taught me a lesson: Take risks, cross-train--and when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Active research and development programs leading to new discoveries are essential for the growth and continuing visibility of any company that hopes to remain competitive in today's global economy. Unfortunately, scientific discovery, once the pride of our nation, is now relegated to the back pages of the dailies. R&D is a line item of suspect and minor interest in many company financial statements. How do we rekindle the flame of discovery? First, our government must encourage private-sector R&D. Look at Japan. There, government aids business. Here in the United States, government apathy is greatly responsible for holding us back. As a group, scientists must ask President Clinton's administration to not allow social concepts to inhibit broad- scale research. Give today's scientists the nutrients and the nurturing and they will grow a crop of advancements to rival the seven wonders of the world. Public opinion establishes public policy. If people understood more about science and how it can solve many of our problems, they would have a greater interest in supporting it. We need to get the public excited about the potential of science. But what is most important is introducing fresh young minds to the excitement of science. The U.S. needs to nurture early scientific education. Let elementary and secondary schoolchildren experience the thrills of experimentation. Today's children need fewer electronic games and more eclectic imagination. In other words, less Nintendo and more Newton. Ben Franklin stated in the 1746 Poor Richard's Almanac: "Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time; for that's the stuff life is made of." What am I doing with my time, personally? Well, I keep flying kites, testing the scientific winds by way of the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation. Through the foundation, I am supporting research at top institutions throughout the world. The money gathered in my lifetime is going to help others fly kites. If you want to encourage R&D in your organizations, take a tip from old Ben Franklin: Tell everyone to go fly a kite. The results may very well be spectacular.

Scientific Progress Requires Risk-Taking And Failure

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