This paper is a report of the experimental results obtained in seeking an answer to the question as to whether optically active compounds may be prepared by the hydrogenation of esters to alcohols, over copper-chromium oxide and of phenyl substituted alcohols to the corresponding cyclohexyl compounds over nickel at 200 to 250'. The data are summarized in Table I. Optically active alcohols were obtained except in the case of the lactate. The ...