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BR,DG^ORTNATlONAL 


05/1  4  /10        Bound  to  Last 


THIS  VOLUME 
BOUND  INCOMPLETE 


Missing- 

v.81  no.2 
September  1977 

v.82  no.2 
September  1978 


August  1977 


Vol.  81,  No.  1 


August  1977 


2  Father  Scanlon 

The  black  collar  and  booming  voice,  always  there  when  he's 
needed  —  who  else  could  it  be  but  Father  Peter  Scanlon? 


4  Reunion  1977 
10  Your  Class  and  Others 

12  Arp 

Alan  Pearlman  has  a  winner! 

15  Let's  see.... 

Bob  Brass,  '57  is  still  playing  around. 

20  The  DA 

23  Your  Class  and  Others 


Editor:  H.  Russell  Kay 

Alumni  Information  Editor:  Ruth  A.  Trask 

Publications  Committee:  Walter  B.  Dennen,  Jr., 
'51,  chairman;  Donald  F.  Berth,  '57;  Leonard 
Brzozowski,  74;  Robert  C.  Gosling,  '68;  Enfried 
T.  Larson,  '22;  Roger  N.  Perry,  Jr.,  '45;  Rev. 
Edward  I.  Swanson,  45. 

Design:  H.  Russell  Kay 

Typography:  Davis  Press,  Worcester, 
Massachusetts 

Printing:  The  House  of  Offset,  Somerville, 
Massachusetts 


Address  all  correspondence  regarding  editorial 
content  or  advertising  to  the  Editor,  WPI  JOUR- 
NAL, Worcester  Polytechnic  Institute,  Worces- 
ter, Massachusetts  01609  (phone  617-753- 
1411). 

The  WPI  JOURNAL  is  published  for  the  Alumni 
Association  by  Worcester  Polytechnic  Institute. 
Copyright  a  1977  by  Worcester  Polytechnic 
Institute;  all  rights  reserved. 

The  WPI  JOURNAL  is  published  six  times  a  year 
in  August,  September,  October,  December,  Feb- 
ruary, and  April.  Second  Class  postage  paid  at 
Worcester,  Massachusetts.  Postmaster-  Please 
send  Form  3579  to  Alumni  Association,  Worces- 
ter Polytechnic  Institute,  Massachusetts  01609. 


WPI  Alumni  Association 

President:  William  Julian,  '49 

Vice  Presidents:  J.  H.  McCabe,  '68;  R.  Gelling, 
'63 

Secretary-Treasurer:  S.  J.  Hebert,  '66 

Past  President:  F.  S.  Harvey,  '37 

Executive  Committee  Members-at-large:  W.  B. 
Dennen,  Jr.,  '51 ;  J.  A.  Palley,  '46;  R.  A.  Davis, 
'53;  A.  Fyler,  '45 

Fund  Board:  P.  H.  Horstmann,  '55,  chairman; 
G.A.Anderson,  '51,  vice  chairman;  C.J. 
Lindegren,  Jr.,  '39;  L.  H.  White,  '41 ;  H.  Styskal, 
Jr.,  '50;  H.  I.  Nelson,  '54;  E.  J.  Foley,  '57;  R.  B. 
Kennedy,  '65 


Father  Seanlon 


"Father  Abraham,  help  me,"  said  the  distraught  young 
voice  into  the  telephone.  "Our  flag  pole  is  bent  and  the 
president  is  upset.  He  wants  us  to  fix  it.  Father  Abraham, 
how  do  you  fix  a  bent  flag  pole? " 

Within  the  hour  Worcester  aerial  ladder  truck  No.  2 
pulled  up  in  front  of  the  old  AEPi  house.  The  ladder  was 
extended,  a  fireman  climbed  it,  and  in  short  order  the 
listing  section  of  the  flag  pole  was  disconnected  and 
eventually  straightened.  The  fraternity  was  happy.  The 
president  was  happy.  Father  Peter  Seanlon,  alias  Father 
Abraham,  had  done  it  again. 

Father  Seanlon  has  the  right  connections  to  help  solve  a 
variety  of  perplexing  problems.  (In  the  AEPi  case,  the  fact 
that  he  is  the  official  Worcester  City  fire  chaplain  was  a 
definite  plus.)  Although  the  Catholic  students  at  WPI  are 
the  first  ones  to  learn  about  the  Father's  "connections," 
the  Protestant  students,  and  also  the  Jewish  students  (who 
have  dubbed  him  Father  Abraham  )  are  not  far  behind. 
The  word  at  WPI  is,  "if  you've  got  trouble,  call  Father 
Seanlon." 

The  Reverend  Peter  J.  Seanlon  arrived  on  the  WPI 
campus  as  Catholic  chaplain  in  1961.  In  1966  he  was 
named  the  first  full-time  priest  in  the  Newman  division 
serving  Worcester  State  College,  Becker  Junior  College, 
Salter  Secretarial  School,  and  WPI.  In  1 968  he  was  assigned 
full  time  to  WPI  and  Becker  Junior.  He  was  appointed 
trustee  of  Worcester  Area  Campus  Ministry,  which  is  the 
Protestant  Campus  Ministry,  as  well  as  Diocesan  Director 
of  Campus  Ministry  in  1969. 


"As  Episcopal  (or  Bishop's)  Vicar  for  College  Com-  ' 
munities,  I  am  empowered  to  delegate  any  priest  to 
perform  a  Catholic  or  non-Catholic  wedding  on  any 
campus  in  the  diocese,"  explains  Father  Seanlon,  who  has 
held  the  post  since  its  inception  in  1971.  "This  means  that 
the  students  don't  have  to  return  to  their  home  parishes  to 
be  married." 

Since  1971  some  394  couples  in  the  local  diocese  have 
been  married  by  various  priests  and  clergymen  under  this 
unique  plan.  Variations  of  the  plan,  which  originated  in 
Worcester,  are  now  being  copied  in  other  areas  of  the 
country. 

Father  Seanlon  is  ever  the  innovator,  always  looking  for 
new  ways  to  help  the  college  students  in  his  diocese.  "I  see 
my  role  as  a  supportive  one,"  he  says.  "The  students 
indicate  to  me  what  they  want  to  do,  and  I  try  to  help 
them." 

When  a  group  of  coeds  at  WPI  wanted  to  form  a  sorority, 
Father  Seanlon  served  as  an  advisor  during  the  preliminary 
negotiations.  "I  had  my  reservations,"  he  admits,  "but 
everything  seems  to  have  worked  out." 

In  May,  over  20  WPI  women  were  initiated  into  Phi 
Sigma  Sigma  Sorority.  The  newly-formed  group  entered 
the  Miller  Brewing  Company's  can  recycling  contest, 
collected  discarded  beer  cans  around  campus,  and  left 
them  with  Father  Seanlon  at  a  collection  point  in  the 
religious  center  on  Shussler  Road. 

"The  beer-can  collecting  served  a  two-fold  purpose," 
says  Father  Seanlon.  "First,  the  more  cans  they  collected, 


2  /  August  1 977  /  WPI  Journal 


the  more  points  the  girls  earned  toward  prizes.  Second,  and 
perhaps  more  importantly,  the  competition  proved  a  great 
asset  in  the  cleaning  up  of  the  campus.  Everybody  won!" 

Although  Father  Scanlon  is  available  to  advise  any 
student,  regardless  of  race,  color,  or  creed,  it  is  usually  the 
incoming  Catholic  students  who  meet  him  first.  In  July  he 
sends  out  letters  to  all  freshmen  welcoming  them  to  WPI 
and  explaining  his  role  on  campus.  It  is  his  custom,  once 
the  freshmen  have  arrived,  to  invite  the  women  to  dinner 
and  the  men  to  lunch.  "I  tell  them  they  are  perfectly 
welcome  to  bring  along  their  Protestant  friends,  too,"  he 
says,  smiling. 

On  Saturday  and  Sunday  Father  Scanlon  conducts 
weekly  Masses  in  the  Janet  Earle  Room  in  the  basement  of 
Alden.  Nearly  every  weekday  he  spends  some  time  at  the 
religious  center. 

"However,  most  of  the  time  I  just  go  right  out  on 
campus  and  talk  with  the  kids  wherever  they  may  be,"  he 
confesses.  "Sometimes  it's  in  a  dormitory  room,  down  at 
the  Pub,  or  at  a  ball  game.  I  tell  the  priests  and  advisors  that 
work  with  me  to  do  the  same.  It's  the  best  way  to  get  to 
know  the  students." 

Father  Scanlon  appears  to  have  a  winning  game  plan. 
Attendance  at  Mass  has  grown  steadily  each  year.  "We 
have  come  out  of  the  rejection  of  the  60's  into  an  age  of 
renewal,"  he  reports.  "We  have  become  a  parish  to  the 
students  on  campus.  The  future  looks  very  hopeful  to 
me." 

As  might  be  expected,  there  are  still  some  skeptics 
around,  but  their  number  is  diminishing.  "Whenever  I  run 
into  a  student  who  tells  me  that  he  or  she  left  the  Catholic 
Church  when  he  started  high  school,  I  tell  him  to  look  at 
today's  church  with  his  more  mature  knowledge,"  says 
Father  Scanlon.  "I  advise  him  to  learn  more  about  the 
current  church.  It  has  changed  and  so  have  the  students.  I 
tell  him  not  to  approach  today's  church  with  a  high  school 
mentality." 

Father  Scanlon  is  a  living  example  of  how  things  have 
changed  in  church  social  mores  of  late.  He  freely  mixes 
with  students  at  fraternity  parties  where  drinking  is 
permitted.  A  few  years  ago,  before  the  drinking  age  was 
lowered,  there  was  a  rush  to  hide  the  beer  cans  as  he 
approached.  Now,  as  mentioned  earlier,  students  don't 
hesitate  to  take  their  discarded  beer  cans  directly  to  him  — 
for  a  good  cause,  of  course! 

And,  he  has  unorthodox  ways  of  explaining  religion.  No 
stuffy  lectures  for  him.  Because  WPI  students  are  so 
involved  with  engineering  subjects,  he  draws  diagrams 
dealing  with  religious  issues  especially  for  them.  "It 
makes  it  easier  for  them  to  understand,"  he  says. 

As  for  the  new  breed  of  students,  Father  Scanlon  finds 
them  considerably  more  concerned  with  their  fellowman 


than  some  of  their  predecessors.  A  growing  number  of 
them  become  involved  with  blood  drives,  Big  Brother 
programs,  and  United  Way  Fund  efforts.  One  young 
woman,  all  on  her  own,  started  a  program  to  help  the 
elderly  by  planning  special  events  such  as  cookouts  and 
motor  tours. 

Although  Father  Scanlon  carries  a  full  schedule  with  his 
campus  ministry,  he  still  pursues  his  regular  parish  duties 
as  pastor  of  Our  Lady  of  Fatima,  and  as  Worcester  city  fire 
chaplain. 

The  latter  post  has  proved  to  be  especially  hazardous. 
Several  years  ago  at  a  bad  fire  on  Green  Street,  he  fell  25 
feet  through  a  tottering  second  floor  porch,  landing  on  his 
feet.  "I  sustained  several  injuries,"  he  says.  "Nothing  too 
serious,  however." 

Few  people  have  ever  seen  him  in  his  finest  role  . . .  the 
tower  of  strength  in  a  disaster.  In  the  last  several  years, 
there  have  been  a  few  instances  in  which  students  have 
been  seriously  injured  in  accidents.  Father  Scanlon  is 
always  among  the  first  on  the  scene,  thanks  to  the  fire 
department  radio  in  his  car  and  in  his  rectory. 

Often,  his  primary  concern  is  the  grief  and  shock  of  the 
family  and  friends  of  the  victim.  His  comfort  is  often  of  a 
very  practical  nature.  The  mother  of  a  fall  victim,  for 
example,  was  a  guest  in  his  rectory  for  several  days,  about  a 
block  from  the  hospital,  so  that  she  could  be  as  close  to  her 
son  as  possible  during  those  critical  days.  When  a  student 
died  in  a  dormitory  a  few  years  ago,  he  stayed  at  the  dorm 
almost  all  night  talking  with  the  residents  trying  to  help 
them  understand  and  accept  that  death  takes  even  the 
young. 

His  aid  may  be  the  comfort  of  religion  or  the  cutting  of 
official  red  tape.  He's  adept  at  both. 

Nothing,  it  seems,  can  keep  Father  Scanlon  from  his 
duty,  no  matter  where  it  may  lie.  Currently  he  serves  as 
regional  director  of  Region  I  of  Campus  Ministry  and  as  a 
member  of  the  National  Directors  of  Campus  Ministry. 
He  has  been  reelected  to  the  Becker  Junior  College  Board  of 
trustees  for  three  years. 

His  numerous  activities  have  not  gone  unnoticed  out- 
side of  his  immediate  diocese.  He  was  listed  in  the  first 
edition  (1975-76)  of  Who's  Who  in  American  Religion  as 
well  as  in  last  year's  edition  of  the  Dictionary  of  Interna- 
tional Biographies,  Volume  13.  Previously  he  had  won  the 
"For  God  and  For  Youth  Award." 

He's  a  Catholic  priest,  a  student  advisor,  a  city  fire 
chaplain.  His  laugh  is  hearty;  his  stature,  commanding.  He 
is  Father  Peter  J.  Scanlon  —  a  man  of  many  parts. 


WPI  Journal  /  August  1 977  /  3 


m 


WORCESTER 

POLYTECHNIC 
.i  INSTITUTE 


4  /  August  1 977  /  WPI  Journal 


CLASS  OF  1952  — 25th 
REUNION 

Despite  some  of  the  worst  June 
weather  imaginable,  37  members  of 
the  Class  of  '52  returned  to  Boynton 
Hill  for  our  25th  Runion.  The  wind 
and  rain  failed  to  dampen  our  en- 
thusiasm and  all  activities  went  on  as 
scheduled. 

An  optimistic  foursome  of  Dick 
Bennett,  George  Borski,  Mike  Essex, 
and  Ed  VanCott  started  things  on 
Friday  as  they  teed  off  just  after  noon 
at  Pleasant  Valley  C.  C.  under 
threatening  skies.  The  weatherman 
kept  his  promise  and  after  1 1  holes 
the  soggy  group  was  forced  to  call  it 
quits.  Meanwhile,  back  at  the  school, 
activity  picked  up  in  the  afternoon  as 
others  signed  in  and  spent  their  time 
touring  the  campus  or  visiting  with 
classmates  at  our  hospitality  room  in 
Ellsworth. 

On  Friday  evening  a  group  of  about 
25  made  its  way  down  to  Lincoln 
Square  and  Worcester's  newest  res- 
taurant, Maxwell  Silverman's  Tool 
House,  where  Jack  Tracy  had  made 
arrangements  for  a  private  dining 
room.  The  good  food,  liquid  refresh- 
ment, and  steady  conversation  was 
enjoyed  by  all  so  much  that  it  wasn't 
until  three  hours  later  that  we  re- 
turned to  Morgan  Hall  for  the  all- 
classes  "Good  Old  Days"  get- 


together.  Here  activity  had  all  but 
ended,  but  the  Class  of  '52  quickly 
picked  up  the  tempo  by  starting  a 
singalong,  accompanied  by  the  Rag- 
time Rowdies  Banjo  Band.  In  between 
sets  John  Feldsine  and  Bob  Favreau 
relived  their  experiences  as  officers 
and  gentlemen  in  the  service  of  the 
U.S.  Navy. 

On  Saturday,  the  expected  clearing 
failed  to  materialize  and  the  Reunion 
picnic  was  moved  indoors  to  Morgan 
Hall,  where  Dick  Boutiette  presented 
to  the  school  our  class  gift  of  just 
under  $25,000.  After  the  luncheon, 
we  adjourned  to  the  hospitality  room 
where  it  was  voted  that  we  wished 
our  gift  be  applied  to  the  renovation 
of  Boynton  Hall  and  that  Harry  Al- 
then's  approval  of  its  specific  applica- 
tion would  be  necessary  before  the 
money  was  spent. 

Saturday  evening,  joined  by  our 
faculty  guests  for  the  occasion,  the 
Pritchards,  Grogans,  and  Kranichs, 
we  gathered  at  the  home  of  President 
and  Mrs.  Hazzard  who  were  our 
gracious  hosts  for  a  marvelous 
cocktail  party.  Upon  leaving  the  Haz- 
zard home  we  moved  across  Park 
Avenue  to  the  impressive  Higgins 
House  where  our  Reunion  banquet 
was  held.  Manny  Pappas  and  his  new 
bride  were  last-second  arrivals  as  we 
assembled  for  our  class  picture  before 
sitting  down  to  dinner.  A  word  of 


praise  should  be  given  to  the  Ladies  of 
the  Class  of  '52  who,  dressed  in  their 
finest  for  the  occasion,  stood  amiably 
outside  in  the  heavy  mist  while  the 
photographer  set  up  the  group  and 
took  his  picture. 

Thirty-six  alumni  with  thirty-two 
wives  and  invited  guests  then  sat 
down  to  a  delicious  roast  beef  dinner. 
A  short  and  very  informal  business 
meeting  followed  with  Harry  Althen, 
Dick  Boutiette,  Mike  Essex,  Reunion 
chairman,  and  Steve  Hebert  of  the 
Alumni  office  extending  greetings.  A 
telegram  from  Dan  Stoughton  was 
read  wishing  all  a  happy  reunion. 

Following  the  meeting,  the  rest  of 
the  evening  was  spent  dancing,  tour- 
ing the  upstairs  of  the  beautiful  man- 
sion, and  just  plain  talking  with 
friends.  It  was  a  truly  magnificent 
setting  for  what  all  agreed  was  a  suc- 
cessful conclusion  to  our  Reunion 
weekend. 

All  who  were  present  are  looking 
forward  to  our  next  reunion.  To  those 
who  were  unable  to  attend  this  year, 
please  join  us  for  the  thirtieth  in 
1982. 

A  final  note  of  thanks  is  extended 
to  the  school  and  especially  to  the 
people  in  the  Alumni  Office  who  did 
an  outstanding  job  helping  to  make 
our  reunion  a  tremendous  success. 


WPI  Journal  /  August  1977/5 


CLASS  OF  1937  —  40th  REUNION 


The  40th  Reunion  of  the  Class  of 
1 937  this  past  June  turned  out  to  be  a 
very  successful  affair  in  just  about 
every  possible  way. 

First  and  foremost,  we  feel  that  we 
can  say,  without  reservation,  that 
everyone  in  attendance  had  a  great 
time.  From  the  first  official  event  — 
the  informal  reception  at  the  Presi- 
dent's home  Friday  evening  —  until 
the  last  goodbyes  Saturday  evening 
and  or  Sunday,  we  all  enjoyed  the 
opportunity  to  renew  acquaintances, 
reminisce,  and  in  general,  enjoy  each 
other's  company.  In  addition  to  the 
special  events  for  the  class  and  other 
alumni  at  school,  we  had  a  hospital- 
ity room  at  the  nearby  Sheraton  Lin- 
coln Hotel;  this  was  a  popular  gather- 
ing spot,  not  only  for  the  out-of- 
towners  who  were  staying  there,  but 
for  many  of  the  local  folks  who 
dropped  by. 

The  Reunion  was  also  very  suc- 
cessful for  WPI  because  we  surpassed 
the  goal  for  our  Class  Gift,  and 
Chairman  Mort  Fine,  in  behalf  of  the 
class,  presented  the  school  with  a 
check  in  the  amount  of  $50,019.37, 
which,  we  understand,  is  the  second 
largest  class  gift  in  Tech's  history. 

From  an  attendance  standpoint,  we 
also  did  quite  well.  Out  of  a  current 
total  class  membership  of  less  than 
100,  36  were  on  hand  for  the  Reun- 
ion, 34  with  their  wives  plus  one 


daughter.  In  fact,  we  had  such  a  good 
turnout  that  we  were  the  recipients  of 
the  Attendance  Trophy  (best  per- 
centage attendance),  an  honor  that 
customarily  is  won  by  the  50th  Reun- 
ion Class. 

Friday  evening  was  certainly  very 
special  —  first  the  social  hour  at  1 
Drury  Lane  where  (President)  George 
and  Jean  Hazzard  made  us  all  feel  so 
much  at  home,  and  then  an  excellent 
roast  beef  dinner  (sponsored  by  the 
Alumni  Association)  at  the  Higgins 
House,  an  elegant  recent  addition  to 
the  WPI  campus. 

Although  we  very  much  enjoyed 
that  evening,  as  well  as  other  events 
on  campus,  the  climax  of  the 
weekend  was,  of  course,  the  Class 
Banquet  at  the  Sheraton-Lincoln 
Hotel  Saturday  evening,  preceded  — 
with  a  certain  amount  of  confusion 

—  by  our  class  photograph  (which, 
incidentally,  we  think  came  out  quite 
well).  The  meal  was  very  good,  the 
surroundings  first-class,  and  with  the 
exception  of  one  item  of  business,  it 
was  truly  an  evening  of  good  fellow- 
ship. In  the  spirit  of  the  occasion,  we 
had  several  "fun"  awards  for  mem- 
bers of  the  class,  which  provoked 
some  good  laughs,  particularly  from 
those  that  were  not  "honored." 

The  only  real  negative  aspect  of  the 
Reunion  Weekend  was  the  weather 

—  it  rained  most  of  the  time.  How- 


ever, with  the  exception  of  the  Satur- 
day luncheon,  which  had  to  be  re- 
scheduled indoors,  the  weather  had 
very  little  effect  on  our  activities  and 
even  the  luncheon  turned  out  to  be 
quite  a  big  event  for  the  Class  of  '37. 
Not  only  did  we  win  the  competition 
for  the  Attendance  Cup  and  receive 
commendations  for  our  sizeable 
Class  Gift,  but  as  President  of  the 
Alumni  Association,  Fran  Harvey 
conducted  much  of  the  luncheon 
program,  and  Gordon  Crowther  was 
one  of  two  winners  of  this  year's 
Herbert  Taylor  Award  "for  distin- 
guished service  to  WPI."  Certainly 
everyone  knew  that  the  Class  of  1937 
was  back  on  campus  celebrating  its 
"Fortieth." 

Making  up  this  group  were  the 
following: 

Erving  Arundale,  Phil  Atwood, 
John  Balsavage,  Allen  Benjamin,  Bill 
Bushell,  Bill  Carew,  Harold  Cox, 
Gordon  Crowther,  Chapin  Cutler, 
Mort  Fine,  Bill  Frawley,  Larry 
Granger,  Herb  Grundstrom,  Caleb 
Hammond,  Fran  Harvey,  Dan  Hast- 
ings, Wes  Holbrook,  Ralph  Holmes, 
Harris  Howland,  A.  Hallier  Johnson, 
Vin  Johnson,  Carl  Larson,  Ray 
Linsley,  Dick  Lyman,  Sam  Mencow, 
Charlie  Michel,  Maxwell  Marshall, 
Jim  Moore,  Foster  Powers,  Bob  Pow- 
ers, Ray  Schuh,  Art  Schumer,  Morri- 
son Smith,  Paul  Stone,  John  Willard 
and  Bill  Worthley. 


WPI  Journal   August  1 977  /  7 


A)  President  Hazzard  accepts  a  check  from  E.  Carl  Hoglund  after  it  was  announced 
that  gifts  from  the  Class  of  1927,  including  a  special  gift  of  over  $100,000.  totalled 
$123,318  on  the  occasion  of  their  50th  reunion. 

B)  Award  recipients,  from  left  to  right,  were  Gordon  L.  Crowther,  '37  (Taylor), 
Julia  Graham,  accepting  a  Taylor  Award  for  her  husband,  the  late  Thomas  B. 
Graham,  '38,  O.  Vincent  Gustafson,  '29  (Goddard),  Norman  Feldman,  '47  (God- 
dard),  and  Paris  Fletcher,  who  received  the  second  WPI  Award,  given  occasionally 
to  non-alumni  who  have  rendered  exceptional  service  to  WPI. 

C)  Outgoing  president  Fran  Harvey,  '37,  accepts  the  thanks  of  the  Association  as  his 
successor,  William  A.  Julian,  '49,  presents  him  with  a  memento.  Edwin  B.  Coghlin, 
Jr.,  '56,  is  in  the  foreground. 

D)  Prof.  Emeritus  Kenneth  G.  Merriam  is  congratulated  by  Prof.  Donald  Zwiep  and 
Prof.  Emeritus  Albert  Schwieger,  on  the  announcement  of  the  Kenneth  G.  Merriam 
Professorship  in  Mechanical  Engineering. 


THE  FAMILYCAR 


Even  with  a  set  of  license  plates,  it's  not  the  kind  of 
wheels  you  could  take  for  a  leisurely  Sunday  drive. 

Not  with  the  turbocharged  Cosworth  Ford  DFX, 
8  cylinder  twin  overhead  camshaft  engine  producing  800 
horsepower  at  9000  RPM  that  sends  this  Penske-prepared 
McLaren  M24  down  the  chute. 

But  the  Norton  Spirit  does  serve  as  a  proud  symbol  of  the 
professional  skills  and  quality  craftsmanship  that  have  won 
world-wide  recognition  for  the  Norton  "family"  of  dedicated 
people  and  fine  products. 

As  a  multinational  manufacturer  with  more  than  23,000 
employees  at  over  100  plant  locations  in  24  countries, 
Norton  has  a  hand  in  the  design,  manufacture  and  distribution 
of  thousands  of  products  in  all  shapes,  sizes  and  materials. 


You  find,  for  example,  that  virtually  every  component  on 
a  high-speed  racing  machine  like  The  Spirit— as  well  as  your 
own  family  car—  is  shaped,  smoothed  and  finished  by  Norton 
abrasive  products. 

Yet  Norton  is  more  than  the  world's  largest  producer  of 
abrasives.  The  Company  is  also  pacing  the  field  in  the  develop- 
ment and  manufacture  of  ceramics,  plastics,  sealants, 
chemical  process  products,  diamond  drilling  and  coring  bits, 
and  industrial  safety  equipment. 

It's  in  these  important  areas— as  well  as  on  the  USAC 
racing  circuit  —  that  you  can  look  to  Norton  and  its  experi- 
enced distributors  for  a  winning  performance.  Norton 
Company,  World  Headquarters: 
Worcester,  Massachusetts  01606. 


NORTON 


1902 

Over  the  years,  the  Rev.  Winthrop  G.  Hall  and 
the  late  Mrs.  Hall  opened  their  home  to  some  25 
live-in  foreign  students  at  nearby  Clark  Univer- 
sity. In  recognition  of  this  important  role  that  the 
Halls  played  at  Clark,  the  university  recently 
honored  them  by  establishing  the  Madeline  T. 
and  Winthrop  G.  Hall  International  Fellowship. 
The  income  from  a  permanent  endowment  fund 
will  be  used  to  provide  a  Clark  fellowship  for  a 
foreign  student  of  good  character  and  high 
scholastic  ability  deserving  of  financial  aid.  The 
first  of  the  annual  fellowships  will  be  awarded  for 
the  1977-78  academic  year. 

1915 

Frederick  Church  is  a  proud  grandfather  of  six: 
one  at  McMasters  in  Hamilton,  Ontario;  one 
entering  music  education  at  Western  Ontario 
University  in  London,  Ont;  oneatMt.  St.  Joseph 
Academy,  also  in  London;  one  attending  Banff 
School  of  Fine  Arts  this  summer;  and  another 
preparing  for  a  medical  degree.  The  Churches 
have  been  married  for  47  years. 

1916 

Wellen  Colburn  writes  that  his  doctor  reports 
that  he  is  "disgustingly  healthy."  He  remains 
active  raising  his  apples,  working  for  the  Red 
Cross  Bloodmobile,  and  serving  as  moderator  of 
his  church,  where  he  is  also  with  the  choir.  Other 
interests  include  the  YMCA,  World  Service,  and 
Shirley  Historical  Society. 

1919 

Edwin  Bemis  has  moved  to  a  new  house  in  the 
Greenbriar  development  in  Brick  Town,  N.J.  His 
current  address  is:  10  Dryden  Rd.,  Brick  Town, 
N.J.  08723 


1920 

In  December  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Q.  Holmes 
spent  Christmas  with  their  son  in  California.  On 
Dec.  28  they  sailed  on  the  S.  S.  Fairseas  for  an 
eleven-day  cruise  to  Acapulco,  Mexico,  return- 
ing to  Los  Angeles  for  the  flight  home.  In  May 
they  attended  Mrs.  Holmes'  55th  class  reunion 
at  Smith  College  in  Northampton,  Mass. 

1921 

Recently  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edward  Rose  celebrated 
their  55th  wedding  aniversary. 

1925 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hyman  Friedman  celebrated  their 
fiftieth  wedding  anniversary  at  Beth  Israel 
Synagogue  in  Worcester.  The  recent  party  was 
hosted  by  their  children.  The  Friedmans  have  13 
grandchildren  and  one  great  grandson.  Mr. 
Friedman  was  employed  by  Morgan  Construc- 
tion Co.  prior  to  his  retirement. . .  .  Leonard 
Sanborn  has  been  appointed  clerk  of  works  for 
the  construction  of  the  new  middle  school  for 
the  Sanborn  Regional  School  District  in  Kings- 
ton, N.H.  He  is  a  registered  professional  engineer 
in  Massachusetts  and  New  Hampshire.  Formerly 
with  Fay,  Spofford  and  Thorndike,  Inc.  of  Bos- 
ton, Sanborn  is  now  retired.  He  has  specialized  in 
construction  layout,  supervision,  materials  test- 
ing, specifications  and  estimates.  A  state  repre- 
sentative, he  has  also  served  as  Kingston  Town 
and  School  District  moderator  and  as  a  member 
of  the  planning  board.  Currently  he  does  part- 
time  civil  engineering  work  for  Hamilton  En- 
gineering Associates,  Inc.  in  Nashua,  where  he 
serves  as  director. 

1926 

The  A.  H.  Wendins  spent  the  winter  in  their 
travel  trailer  in  an  "active"  park  in  Mesa, 
Arizona,  "where  everyone  is  so  busy  that  you 
have  to  schedule  loafing  time."  This  summer 
they  hope  to  travel  to  San  Diego. 

1928 

Over  300  friends  of  retired  Holyoke  (Mass.)  Gas 
&  Electric  Department  manager  Francis  King 
attended  a  cocktail  party  given  in  his  honor  in 
May.  King,  who  had  served  as  department  man- 
ager since  1945,  was  presented  with  a  lamp  and 
portrait.  During  his  career  he  received  many 
awards  including  the  American  Public  Power 
Association's  (APPA)  1967  Distinguished  Service 
Award  and  a  number  of  civic  awards.  He  has 
served  as  president  of  APPA  and  the  Mas- 
sachusetts Municipal  Wholesale  Electric  Co.  He 
has  also  been  affiliated  with  IEEE,  Society  of 
Military  Engineers,  International  Committee  on 
Large  Dams,  American  Society  for  Public  Admin- 
istration, Municipal  Finance  Officers  Association 
and  American  Public  Works  Association.  Last 
year  he  was  the  program  speaker  for  the 
Holyoke  Memorial  Day  observance.  In  1970  he 
was  marshal  for  the  St.  Patrick's  Day  Parade. 


1929 

Wayne  Berry  currently  writes  an  educational 
column  for  the  Independent  Press  of  Brooksville, 
Fla.  He  and  his  wife  reside  in  Spring  Hill.  "We  like 
it  here,"  he  writes,  "and  I  think  it  is  easier  living 
here  than  most  other  places  in  the  U.S."  . . . 
Stephen  Donahue,  known  as  "Worcester's  first 
public  relations  man,"  was  honored  at  the  an- 
nual meeting  in  May  of  the  Worcester  County 
Public  Relations  Association  for  the  high  stan- 
dards he  set  and  maintained  in  working  with  the 
news  media.  A  retired  city  editor  of  the  Worces- 
ter Evening  Gazette,  he  continues  as  manager  of 
the  WPI  News  Bureau,  a  post  he  initiated  39 
years  ago.  Formerly,  he  also  served  as  a  colonel 
in  the  Air  Force  Reserve,  where  he  was  a  public 
information  specialist. 

1932 

Emanuel  Athanas  retired  last  January  after  30 
years  of  service  with  the  U.S.  Information 
Agency  as  commentator  and  radio  program 
director  for  the  Voice  of  America.  Previously  he 
had  retired  as  president  of  Elviana  (Hellenic 
Industrial  Development)  Enterprises.  He  and  his 
wife  plan  to  "commute"  between  his  summer 
home  in  his  native  island  of  Rhodes,  Greece  and 
his  permanent  home  in  Virginia  during  his  re- 
tirement years. 

1933 

Having  retired  from  Raytheon  Co.,  Harry  Clarke 
says  he  is  now  working  hard  to  become  a  golfer 
as  a  second  career. . . .  John  Henrickson  has 
purchased  a  retirement  home  in  Sun  City  Center, 
Fla.  "on  the  18th  fairway  of  a  golf  course."  His 
new  address  is:  1406  Fox  Hills  Drive,  Sun  City 
Center,  Fla.,  33570. ...  In  spite  of  the  cold 
Florida  winter,  H.  Edward  Perkins  and  his  wife 
made  itto  the  golf  courseatotal  of  195  times! . . . 
James  Rafter  writes  that  he  has  "retired  from  the 
steel  business  and  love  every  lazy  moment  of  it. " 

1934 

Kenneth  Bennett's  daughter,  Fredricka,  a 
magna  cum  laude  graduate  of  Drew  University, 
has  a  fellowship  and  is  studying  for  her  doctorate 
in  mathematics  at  the  University  of  Mas- 
sachusetts in  Amherst.  .  .  .  Everett  Sellew  retired 
May  1st  from  DuPont  Co.,  Wilmington,  Dela- 
ware, where  he  was  in  inventory  management. 
He  finds  retirement  great  but  busy. .  .  .  George 
Stevens  retired  last  year  as  field  manager  for  the 
Pittsburgh  territory  of  Industrial  Risk  Insurers. 

1935 

^■Married:  Frederick  Swan  to  Carolyn  Miller  on 
November  27,  1976. 

Since  retiring  from  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation 
in  Denver,  Colo.,  Maurice  Day  has  been  en- 
gaged in  foreign  consulting  work  on  dams, 
water  conveyance  structures  and  navigation 
locks.  He  has  worked  in  Lebanon  and  Manila  and 
leaves  shortly  for  South  Korea. .  . .  Last  year 
Phillip  Dean  retired  from  Northeast  Utilities 
Service  Co.  He  was  with  the  firm  nearly  41  years. 
He  keeps  busy  with  sailing  in  the  summer,  skiing 
in  the  winter,  and  church  activities. . .  .  Sam 
Hakam  is  currently  active  in  product  liability 
corrective  legislation.  He  spoke  at  a  seminar  in 
Palo  Alto,  Calif,  in  March  which  was  sponsored 
by  New  Jersey  Institute  of  Technology. . . . 


10 /August  1977  /WPI  Journal 


Kenneth  Linell,  who  has  been  taking  courses 
at  the  Tuck  Graduate  School  of  Business  Admin- 
istration at  Dartmouth  writes:  "I  notice  that  WPI 
graduates  enrolled  there  do  very  well  in  competi- 
tion with  their  classmates  from  all  over  the 
country  and  are  highly  regarded."  .  .  .  Howard 
Nordlund  is  in  his  fourth  year  of  retirement  and  is 
"happily  settled  in  the  beautiful  Northwest," 
Seattle,  "ratherthan  in  the  east,  my  birthplace." 
He  writes  that  in  retrospect  he  has  been  the 
recipient  of  more  than  his  share  of  good  fortune. 
For  many  years  he  was  manager  of  the  engineer- 
ing department  at  Safeco  Insurance  Co.  of 
America. 

George  Makela  has  returned  from  a  trip  along 
the  Alcan  Highway  to  Fairbanks,  Alaska.  He 
visited  Pt.  Barrow  and  the  Kenai.  "Wonderful 
scenery  and  fishing,"  he  reports. .  .  .  Homer 
Morrison  says  he  is  "sloughing  off  the  big 
mantle  of  being  general  manager  of  an  $8 
million  collection  of  corporate  service  groups  to 
become  director  of  special  projects."  Morrison, 
who  expects  to  retire  soon,  explains  that  his  new 
post  at  Union  Carbide  is  like  being  editor-in- 
chief  of  ten  Peddlers  simultaneously. 

1937 

W.  Robert  Powers  has  been  elected  one  of  the 
first  two  fellows  of  the  Society  of  Fire  Protection 
Engineers.  Election  as  a  fellow  is  made  "in 
recognition  of  significant  accomplishment  and 
stature  in  engineering."  During  his  30  years  as  a 
fire  protection  engineer,  Powers  has  been  as- 
sociated with  Industrial  Risk  Insurers,  U.S.  Air 
Force,  Air  Reduction  Research  Corporation,  and 
the  Furriers'  Customers  Reinsurance  Syndicate. 
Among  his  extensive  published  fire  reports  is  one 
on  the  World  Trade  Center  in  New  York,  a 
version  of  which  appeared  in  the  August  1975 
Journal.  He  helped  found  the  New  York  chap- 
ter of  SFPE  and  was  elected  first  president.  He  is 
also  active  with  NFPA  and  serves  as  chairman  of 
the  board  of  governors  of  the  Advisory  Engineer- 
ing Council,  American  Insurance  Association. 
Currently  he  is  superintendent  of  the  Bureau  of 
Fire  Prevention  and  Public  Relations  for  the  New 
York  Board  of  Fire  Underwriters. 


1940 

Albert  Howell  is  convalescing  from  open  heart 
surgery  performed  in  March.  .  .  .  Benedict 
Kaveckas  is  employed  by  Gould,  Inc.,  New- 
buryport,  Mass.,  where  he  is  with  the  circuit 
protection  division. .  . .  Judson  Lowd,  president 
of  C-E  Natco  Company,  has  been  appointed  to 
the  board  of  trustees  at  the  University  of  Tulsa  in 
Oklahoma.  He  also  serves  as  a  director  of  the 
Metropolitan  Tulsa  Chamber  of  Commerce  and 
the  Tulsa  Area  United  Way.  .  .  .  Sumner  Meisel- 
man  does  consulting  relative  to  all  aspects  and 
types  of  motor  vehicles.  His  work  ranges  from 
concern  with  causes  of  accidents  to  defects  in 
design,  manufacturing  and  operation,  to  con- 
cern with  fuel  economy.  Previously  he  was  direc- 
tor of  engineering  and  technology  for  the  Amer- 
ican Automobile  Association  and  was  also  in- 
volved with  government  work. 


Lawrence  Neale,  former  professor  of  hydrau- 
lic engineering  and  director  of  the  Alden  Re- 
search Labs  at  WPI,  has  joined  the  staff  of  Chas. 
T.  Main,  Inc.,  Boston,  as  a  flow  specialist.  His 
background  includes  flow  measurement  and 
fluid  machinery  related  to  power  generation  and 
industrial  processes.  He  has  written  over  thirty 
publications  on  flow  design  and  testing  of  struc- 
tures and  machinery.  Currently  an  adjunct  pro- 
fessor at  WPI,  Neale  is  a  registered  professional 
engineer  in  Massachusetts.  He  is  a  fellow  of 
ASCE  and  ASME,  a  member  of  the  Boston 
Society  of  Civil  Engineers  and  the  International 
Association  of  Hydraulic  Research.  He  also  be- 
longs to  Sigma  Xi,  PiTau  Sigma,  and  Chi  Epsilon. 

1941 

Bob  Dean's  daughter  Julie  has  completed  her 
Peace  Corps  tour  in  the  Philippines  and  is  now  on 
her  way  home  via  Southeast  Asia,  India,  Greece, 
and  Israel.  Bob  owns  Dean  Machinery  Corp., 
Framingham,  Mass. 

1942 

Harold  Crane,  who  is  completing  his  35th  year  at 
NASA  Langley  Research  Center  as  a  flight  re- 
search engineer,  is  currently  working  with  a 
modified  Piper  twin  engine  Seneca. 

1943 

Henry  Durick  tried  to  retire  from  FMC  Corpora- 
tion four  years  ago.  He  planned  to  relax  with  his 
sailboat,  his  motor  boat,  and  his  wife  at  their 
home  in  the  Florida  Keys.  Somehow  things 
didn't  work  out.  After  three  months  of  relaxa- 
tion, FMC  asked  if  he'd  supervise  the  installation 
of  a  grapefruit  packing  house  in  Dominica.  "My 
first  mistake  was  saying  'yes',"  Durick  says.  The 
next  thing  he  knew  he  was  managing  the 
grapefruit  plant  through  its  first  working  season 
"at  the  request  of  the  Dominican  government." 

Meanwhile,  FMC  invited  him  to  supervise  the 
installation  of  a  grapefruit  juice  cannery  in 
Dominica,  "because  I  was  so  familiar  with 
Dominican  suppliers,  etc."  Of  course  he  didn't 
refuse.  Next,  he  could  not  refuse  FMC  when  it 
asked  him  to  manage  the  installation  of  a  can- 
nery in  Cyprus. 

As  soon  as  he  returned  from  Cyprus,  the 
Minister  of  Economic  Affairs  in  Suriname 
phoned  (at  FMC's  suggestion)  asking  that  he 
help  reactivate  an  old  tropical  fruit  juice  cannery 
in  his  country.  So,  currently,  Durick  is  working  in 
Suriname  under  a  two-year  contract.  His  wife 
and  he  have  rented  out  their  Florida  home  and 
sold  their  boats. 

"There  goes  our  retirement,"  he  writes.  "We 
do  find  living  and  working  in  the  developing 
nations  very  rewarding  in  many  ways,  how- 
ever." The  Duricks  enjoy  meeting  the  local 
people  as  well  as  working  with  engineers  from 
many  other  nations  who  are  also  in  the  area  on 
short-term  contracts. 

Glennon  Hill  holds  the  pest  of  regional  sales 
manager  for  Garlock  Inc.,  a  division  of  Colt 
Industries.  Daughter  Kim  is  a  junior  at  Ohio 
State. 


1945 

Dr.  Carl  Clark  and  his  wife  Betty  recently  re- 
turned from  a  trip  to  England  where  they  visited 
their  son,  Austin,  who  is  completing  his  second 
year  at  Oxford  on  a  Marshall  Fellowship.  Clark 
serves  as  director  of  the  Community  Health 
Resources  Project  and  as  principal  investigator  of 
the  Health  Satellite  project  for  Monsour 
Medicine  Foundation,  Baltimore,  Md.  Some  of 
the  objectives  of  the  project  are  to  enrich 
emergency  medical  technicians  in  Appalachia 
through  refresher  courses  given  via  satellite 
video  broadcasts;  to  inform  the  public  about 
developments  in  emergency  medical  services; 
and  to  gain  experience  in  satellite  broadcasting 
in  health  and  medical  education. 

William  Densmore  retired  from  the  Mas- 
sachusetts Board  of  Education  in  March  follow- 
ing seven  years  of  service.  During  his  years  as  a 
board  member,  his  service  was  characterized  by 
a  concern  for  education  on  the  state  and  local 
levels,  support  for  increased  citizen  involvement 
in  the  operation  of  the  schools,  and  by  a  com- 
mitment to  the  implementation  of  Chapter  766, 
the  special  education  law.  In  June  he  received 
the  Worcester  Public  Schools  Administrators' 
Association  annual  civic  award  in  recognition  of 
his  contributions  to  education.  He  now  intends 
to  concentrate  on  his  duties  as  vice  president 
(and  general  manager  of  the  grinding  wheel 
division)  at  Norton  Co.  and  continue  his  in- 
volvement with  the  Citizen  Resource  Center  and 
Career  Education  Consortium. 

Densmore  is  a  member  of  the  board  of  ad- 
visors for  the  department  of  management  at 
WPI.  He  served  as  chairman  of  the  Organiza- 
tional Study  Commission  of  the  WPI  Alumni 
Association  and  was  responsible  for  the  far- 
reaching  report,  which  has  come  to  be  known  as 
the  Densmore  Report,  which  has  led  to  an 
increased  level  of  alumni  involvement  and  inter- 
action. Last  year  he  received  WPI's  Schwieger 
Award  for  professional  achievement. 

William  Howard,  vice  president  of  the  Abra- 
sives Marketing  Group  at  Norton  Co.,  Worces- 
ter, has  been  elected  a  member  of  the  executive 
committee  of  the  American  Supply  and  Ma- 
chinery Manufacturers' Association,  Inc.  He  par- 
ticipated in  the  Advanced  Management  Pro- 
gram at  Harvard  Business  School  and  has  been 
associated  with  numerous  technical  and  civic 
programs.  Recently  he  has  been  a  member  of  the 
ASMMA  board  of  directors.  The  association  has 
525  members  which  are  manufacturers  of  a  wide 
variety  of  products  used  in  industry  and  which 
are  located  throughout  the  U.S. 

Formerly  manager  of  the  engineering  research 
laboratories,  Charles  Oickle,  Jr.  is  now  assistant 
director  of  research  for  division  coordination  at 
United  Technologies  Research  Center  in  East 
Hartford,  Conn.  He  is  responsible  for  directing 
and  coordinating  research  programs  involving 
the  corporation's  divisions  and  subsidiaries. 
Oickle  has  been  with  the  Research  Center  since 
1946. 


1944 

John  Underhill  has  been  with  Exxon  for  thirty 
years.  Presently  he  is  nurturing  the  scheme  of 
having  50,000  barrels  of  petroleum  products  in 
the  right  places  at  the  right  times  throughout  the 
six  westernmost  states.  He  is  located  in  Southern 
California. 


WPI  Journal  /  August  1 977  / 1 1 


ARP 


The  next  time  you  listen  to  the 
Rolling  Stones,  Dave  Brubeck,  or  Joni 
Mitchell  and  hear  what  you  consider 
to  be  a  conventional  orchestra  in  the 
background,  you  could  be  wrong. 
Dead  wrong.  Chances  are  the  "or- 
chestra," or  at  least  part  of  it,  is  an 
ARP  music  synthesizer. 

Rock  and  pop  celebrities  such  as 
the  Stones  and  Joni  Mitchell,  and 
many  "average"  musicians  too,  are 
snapping  up  the  synthesizers  like  hot 
cakes.  ARP  Instruments,  Inc.  in 
Lexington,  Massachusetts,  can  barely 
keep  up  with  the  orders.  All  of  this 
makes  Alan  Pearlman,  '48,  very 
happy.  And  well  it  might.  Last  year 
his  company  cornered  40  percent  of 
the  $13  million  U.S.  manufacturers' 
sales  of  synthesizers  to  domestic 
dealers  and  foreign  distributors. 

Why  all  the  fuss  about  Al  Pearlman 
and  ARP  Synthesizers?  Well,  from 
the  point  of  view  of  historical  fact,  it 
all  started  in  the  year  1948  at  WPI 
when  Al  Pearlman  was  a  senior  E.E. 
student  working  on  an  undergraduate 
project.  His  experiments  in  elec- 
tronic music  led  him  to  present  a 
paper  entitled,  "A  New  Approach  to 
Electronic  Musical  Instruments"  at  a 
Northeast  District  Meeting  of  the 
aiee  (now  merged  with  ieee).  Al- 
though his  interest  in  musical  in- 
struments continued,  Al  Pearlman 
worked  for  a  number  of  years  in  the 
field  of  industrial  electronics  and 
founded  an  earlier  company,  NEXUS 
Research  Labs,  which  was  sub- 
sequently sold  to  a  large  conglomer- 
ate. 

During  the  21  years  between 
graduating  from  WPI  and  founding 
ARP  Instruments,  Inc.,  Pearlman 
maintained  a  strong  interest  in 
music,  and  kept  an  eye  open  for  op- 
portunities to  work  in  the  field  as  a 
technological  entrepreneur. 

By  1969  there  were  a  number  of 
small  companies  making  advanced 
electronic  systems  called  "synthesiz- 
ers," which  were  used  by  experi- 
menters and  avant-garde  composers 


to  create  unusual  music  on  recording 
tape.  Feeling  that  synthesizers  could 
be  improved  to  the  point  where  they 
could  be  used  as  "live"  performance 
instruments  by  average  musicians, 
Al  talked  his  ideas  up  with  a  number 
of  technical,  musical,  legal,  and  fi- 
nancial associates,  and  started  a 
small  company  in  Newton,  Mas- 
sachusetts, to  develop,  manufacture, 
and  market  improved  music  syn- 
thesizers. 

Al  Pearlman  and  a  number  of 
talented  engineers,  including  co- 
founder  David  Friend  (and  Executive 
Vice  President)  first  developed  a  large 
modular  synthesizer  to  compete  with 
the  earlier  Buchla  and  Moog  Syn- 
thesizers of  the  1960's.  By  mid- 1970 
they  began  to  manufacture  and  mar- 
ket their  own  first  "magnificent 
music  monster."  The  Model  2500 
system  had  a  main  console  two  feet 
high  by  five  feet  long  by  one  foot  deep, 
not  including  optional  half-size 
"wing  cabinets"  for  housing  extra 
modules  and  stackable  keyboards. 
The  cost  of  the  deluxe  version  with 
"all  the  extras"  was  a  whopping 
$20,000. 

The  Pearlman/Friend  synthesizer, 
however,  had  some  vastly  improved 
features  compared  to  earlier  units. 
For  example,  through  "human  en- 
gineering" the  instrument  was  de- 
signed for  musicians  to  play,  instead 
of  a  laboratory  machine  for  avant- 
garde  composers  to  experiment  with. 
The  controls  were  arranged  logically 
so  that  functions  were  readily  appar- 
ent at  a  glance.  In  contrast,  earlier 
competitive  units  were  a  "patchcord 
jungle"  in  which  interconnections 
and  control  settings  were  lost  to 
sight. 

A  major  improvement  over  earlier 
synthesizers  was  the  stability  of  the 
voltage  controlled  oscillators,  which 
had  to  be  able  to  be  swept,  if  desired, 
over  the  entire  range  of  audio  fre- 
quencies, and  yet  had  to  be  stable 
enough  to  stay  in  tune  within  a  frac- 
tion of  a  musical  semitone  for  long 


12 /August  1977  /WPI  Journal 


- ■■■■' '""■"'""" 


periods  of  time.  Earlier  synthesizers 
drifted  so  badly  that  they  could  only 
be  used  for  making  short  sections  of 
tape  recordings  lasting  a  few  minutes. 

To  further  "humanize"  their  crea- 
tion, Al  Pearlman  and  Dave  Friend 
decided  to  change  its  name.  Model 
2500  sounded  too  cold.  ARP  2500 
was  better.  The  letters  ARP  stand  for 
Alan  Robert  Pearlman.  They  also 
sound  like  "harp." 

Dave  Friend,  who  has  valuable 
contacts  in  the  upper  strata  of  the 
music  world,  carted  the  first  ARP 
down  to  New  York  where  he  in- 
stalled it  in  a  plush  suite  at  the  posh 
St.  Moritz  Hotel.  All  sorts  of  big 
names  dropped  by.  An  Italian  film 
producer  bought  the  first  unit,  a 
stripped  down,  economy  version,  for 
$10,000. 

Proceeds  from  the  sales  of  the  first 
Model  2500  units  went  into  the  de- 
velopment of  the  second  product,  the 
ARP  2600.  Proceeds  from  the  2600 
sales  went  toward  the  development 
of  the  third  product,  the  ARP  Odys- 
sey. Before  long,  the  tiny  outfit,  then 
headquartered  in  Newton,  was  sell- 
ing ARP  Synthesizers  about  as  fast  as 
it  could  make  them.  Currently,  the 
company,  now  headquartered  in  a 
modem,  50,000  square  foot  building 
in  Lexington,  Massachusetts,  makes 
five  relatively  compact  keyboard 
model  synthesizers  which  are  avail- 
able in  prices  ranging  from  a  modest 


$995  to  $3195  for  the  top-of-the-line 
2600  model. 

Recently,  ARP  Instruments,  Inc. 
has  come  out  with  an  entirely  new 
kind  of  synthesizer  which  may  have 
an  even  greater  impact  on  the  musi- 
cal instrument  industry  than  the  pres- 
ent line  of  keyboard-operated  syn- 
thesizers. At  a  recent  trade  convention, 
ARP  unveiled  the  "Avatar, "  which  is  a 
synthesizer  played  from  a  guitar  rather 
than  from  a  keyboard.  With  it,  a 
guitarist  can  sound  like  a  flute  or 
clarinet  or  trumpet  player  or  a  "way- 
out"  instrument  unlike  any  other,  or 
(of  course)  a  fine  guitar. 

When  you  ask  Al  Pearlman  about 
the  "guitar  synthesizer,"  he  usually 
says,  "In  all  honesty,  I  didn't  have 
anything  to  do  with  developing  it . . . 
but  it's  great! ! !  Since  Dave  Friend  and 
the  other  ARP  engineers  conceived  of 
it  and  developed  it  on  their  own 
without  any  inputs  from  me,  I  feel 
more  like  a  proud  grandfather  than 
like  a  father." 

Where  is  this  all  leading?  If  you  ask 
Al  Pearlman  he  might  say, 
"Technology  has  always  played  an 
important  role  in  the  fine  arts.  Music 
is  no  exception.  Many  'traditional' 
instruments  such  as  brass  wind  in- 
struments, pianos,  and  organs  de- 
pended on  relatively  advanced  me- 
chanical technology  such  as  metal- 
lurgy, metal-fabrication  techniques, 
etc.  Sophisticated  electronic  instru- 


©  Barbara  Alber,  1977 

ments  are  evolutionary  in  the  sense 
that  they  are  outgrowths  of  both 
acoustical  instrument  technology 
and  audio  communications  and  re- 
cording technologies.  In  a  way,  how- 
ever, sophisticated  electronic  musi- 
cal instruments  are  revolutionary 
when  we  consider  that  for  the  first 
time  in  the  history  of  music  we  can 
have  instruments  played  by  different 
techniques  which  can  make  the  same 
sounds.  In  other  words,  we  find  that 
we  can  make  musical  instrument 
controllers,  some  of  which  are  played 
with  a  keyboard,  some  of  which  are 
played  by  plucking  a  string,  and 
others  which  are  played  by  blowing 
into  a  mouthpiece;  all  of  which  can 
be  designed  to  make  a  wide  range  of 
timbres  (sound  qualities),  indepen- 
dent of  the  type  of  instrument  con- 
troller used.  This  allows  a  musician 
who  develops  one  kind  of  skill  (say 
keyboard  or  wind  instrument  or 
string  instrument)  to  play  a  musical 
part  written  for  another  kind  of  in- 
strument and  to  sound  like  that 
other  instrument.  All  of  this  will 
make  musicians  change  their  ways  of 
thinking  about  instruments,  but  will 
not,  in  any  way,  make  musicians 
obsolete." 


WPI  Journal  /  August  1977  / 1 3 


1946 

Walt  Bank  has  been  elected  first  vice  president 
and  member  of  the  board  of  directors  of  the 
National  Energy  Resources  Organization 

(NERO),  headquartered  in  Washington,  D.C 

Walter  Muller  was  recently  promoted  to  re- 
gional plant  manager  in  charge  of  four  Chevrolet 
manufacturing  facilities  in  New  York,  Indiana, 
and  Ohio.  Formerly  he  was  product  program 
manager  on  Chevrolet's  Central  Office  Man- 
ufacturing staff,  a  post  he's  held  since  1975.  In 
his  new  position  he  is  responsible  for  the  opera- 
tions of  the  Massena  (NY)  aluminum  die  casting 
plant,  the  Parma  (Ohio)  transmission  and  prop 
shaft  plant,  and  the  transmission  plants  at  Mun- 
cie,  Ind.  and  Toledo,  Ohio.  He  joined  the  firm  in 
1949  at  the  Toledo  transmission  plant. 

1947 

Leo  Geary's  three  older  daughters  have  each 
presented  him  with  a  grandson.  Son  Kevin  is  a 
junior  in  college.  Son  Sean  is  with  Future  Farmers 
of  America.  Only  two  children  now  live  at  home. 
.  .  .  Vincent  Zike  is  now  manager  of  controls 
engineering  at  KHC  Industries,  Inc.,  in  Bloom- 
field,  Conn.  He  assumed  his  new  position  in 
February. 

1948 

Paul  Anderson  holds  the  post  of  southeast  re- 
gional environmental  engineer  in  the  Mas- 
sachusetts Department  of  Environmental  Qual- 
ity Engineering,  Lakeville Malcolm  Hinckley 

recently  received  his  professional  engineer's 
license  for  the  state  of  Connecticut.  He  has  been 
a  registered  land  surveyor  since  1959. 


1949 

Paul  Beaudry  and  his  wife  are  enjoying  life  in  the 
Texas  "hill  country,"  where  he  is  now  the  IBM 
project  manager  for  new  construction  in  Austin. 
The  Beaudrys  have  four  grandchildren.  .  .  . 
Russell  Bradlaw  is  currently  in  Karachi,  Pakistan 
supervising  the  construction  of  a  670-bed  hospi- 
tal and  medical  center  for  the  Turner  Company. 
On  a  recent  visit  to  Norwich,  Conn.,  he  reported 
that  although  Pakistan's  political  crisis  has  forced 
the  imposition  of  martial  law  in  some  cities,  the 
hospital  project  is  moving  ahead  with  a 
minimum  of  difficulty.  .  .  .  Arthur  Dinsmoor, 
who  is  district  superintendent  for  Marshall  R. 
Young  Oil  Co.,  Midland,  Texas,  was  on  campus 
June  9th  and  visited  Prof.  Donald  Zwiep,  head  of 
the  department  of  mechanical  engineering.  Mr. 
Dinsmoor  was  interested  in  a  follow-up  of  the 
1970  Clean  Air  Car  Race  in  which  WPI  partici- 
pated. 

Harold  Gruen  has  been  named  general  man- 
ager of  the  California-based  Felker  Operations 
of  Bay  State  Abrasives.  He  joined  the  company  in 
1955  and  most  recently  was  chief  engineer. 
Gruen,  who  is  also  a  graduate  of  WPI's  School  of 
Industrial  Management,  belongs  to  the  National 
Society  of  Professional  Engineers  and  the  En- 
vironmental &  Safety  Committee  of  the  Grinding 
Wheel  Institute.  He  is  a  past  vice  president  of  the 
Massachusetts  Society  of  Professional  En- 
gineers  John  Saunier  is  with  CEA  Associates, 

consultants  and  executive  recruiters,  and  Clarke 
Employment  Agency,  Inc.  in  Metuchen,  N.J. 
CEA  deals  mainly  with  executive  engineering 
and  scientific  personnel  for  the  chemical  phar- 
maceutical specialties  industries.  Clarke  serves 


local  industry  at  all  levels.  Mrs.  Saunier  is  an 
employment  counselor  with  Snelling  &  Snelling 
in  Plainfield.  . . .  Donald  Weikman's  correct 
position  is  vice  president  of  customer  relations 
and  marketing  for  Tennessee  Gas  Transmission 
Co.,  not  president,  as  previously  reported.  The 
company  is  a  subsidiary  corporation  in  the 
Pipeline  Division  of  Tenneco,  Inc.  in  Houston, 
Texas. 

1950 

Henry  Styskal's  son  Gary  will  be  a  freshman  at 

WPI  this  fall Presently  Joseph  Toegemann  is 

a  member  of  the  development  department  of 
Goodyear  Tire  &  Rubber  in  New  Bedford,  Mass., 
where  he  works  in  the  polymer  chemistry  field. 

1951 

Vung-Kwan  (Victor)  Chun  has  written  and  pub- 
lished a  book  titled  American  PT  Boats  in  World 
War  II,  a  comprehensive  documentary  volume 
on  U.S.  PT  boat  operations.  The  story  is  told 
through  100  excellent  photos  and  many  fold- 
out  scale  drawings  of  deck  plans  and  profiles. 
The  material  was  recently  declassified  for  the 
author.  The  book  may  be  obtained  by  writing: 
Victor  Chun,  2584  Wellesley  Ave.,  Los  Angeles, 
CA  90064.  .  .  .  Carl  Johansson,  who  had  been 
with  Pfizer,  Inc.  for  24  years,  is  currently  a  staff 
specialist  for  A.  G.  McKee  &  Co.,  Chicago,  III.  He 
and  his  wife  Nilla  have  two  daughters  and  two 
sons.  One  daughter  is  studying  mathematics  at 
Stanford. 


1952 

Prof.  Robert  Goff  has  been  appointed  acting 
dean  of  the  University  of  Rhode  Island  College  of 
Engineering.  He  has  been  with  the  department 
of  mechanical  engineering  at  URI  since  1958  and 
was  named  associate  dean  of  the  college  in 
1 975.  Earlier  he  had  taught  at  Cornell  University. 
. . .  Stuart  Hettinger  is  now  deputy  manager  of 
the  fire  control  systems  program  office  at  Ray- 
theon Company's  equipment  division  in  Way- 
land,  Mass.  He  will  be  responsible  for  assisting 
the  fire  control  systems  program  office  manager 
in  directing  and  controlling  of  Tartar-C,Tartar-D 
and  other  related  programs.  Since  joining  the 
firm  in  1966,  Hettinger  has  managed  Tartar-C, 
signal  data  converter,  and  Tartar- D  programs. 
He  is  a  graduate  of  Raytheon's  advanced 
management  program. 

Chester  Inman,  Jr.  has  been  named  manager 
of  facilities  in  the  Kodak  office,  Rochester,  N.Y. 
He  joined  the  company  in  1955  as  an  industrial 
engineer  at  Kodak  Park.  He  is  the  son  of  Chet 
Inman,  Sr.,  '14. . . .  LeeTuomenoksa,  who  is  with 
Bell  Laboratories,  Naperville,  III.,  was  recently 
appointed  director  of  No.  4  ESS  Switching  Sys- 
tem Laboratory.  Following  graduation  from  WPI 
and  MIT,  Tuomenoksa  started  at  Bell  Labs  in  the 
development  of  the  Morris  Experimental  Elec- 
tronic Switching  System.  In  1974  he  was  named 
assistant  director  of  No.  4  ESS  Switching  System 
Laboratory.  He  says  that  the  present  No.  4  ESS 
system  uses  time  division  switching  and  required 
2500  man  years  and  cost  $400  million  through 
the  first  installation.  About  one  half  the  cost  was 
for  the  development  of  manufacturing  for  new 
technology.  System  enhancement  and  addi- 
tional features  will  continue  through  complete 
conversion  to  No.  4  ESS  scheduled  for  1990. 


1953 

Richard  Davis,  president  of  the  Thermos  Divi- 
sion of  King-Seeley  Thermos  Co.,  Norwich, 
Conn.,  has  been  named  a  co-chairman  of  the 
Major  Firms  Corporate  Division  of  the  1977 
United  Way  Campaign.  Currently  a  member  of 
U.W.  's  executive  committee  and  board  of  direc- 
tors, Davis  also  serves  on  the  board  of  directors 
of  the  Norwich  Area  Chamber  of  Commerce  and 
as  vice  president  of  WPI's  Alumni  Association. 
.  .  .  Prof.  Robert  Fitzgerald  of  the  civil  engineer- 
ing department  at  WPI  conducted  a  five-day 
seminar  covering  new  engineering  methods  for 
evaluating  building  fire  safety  at  Gordon  Library 
in  March.  Twenty-five  industrial  and  govern- 
ment fire  safety  and  fire  protection  specialists 
attended  the  seminar,  which  was  devised  to  help 
participants  develop  skills  in  fire  safety  analysis 
and  design. 

1954 

Astilleros  Espanoles,  S.A.  (AESA)  with  headquar- 
ters in  Madrid,  Spain,  has  announced  the  ap- 
pointment of  Wesley  Wheeler,  president  of 
Wesley  D.  Wheeler  Associates,  Ltd.,  Interna- 
tional Maritime  Consultants,  as  its  exclusive  U.S. 
representative  for  ship  construction  and  repair. 
AESA  is  the  largest  shipbuilder  and  fourth  largest 
employer  in  Spain.  It  has  16  separate  divisions, 
including  eight  shipyards  and  eight  other 
facilities  which  include  a  slow-speed  diesel  man- 
ufacturer and  producers  of  steam  turbines  and 
forgings.  Wheeler,  who  lived  in  Spain  for  nearly 
four  years,  has  had  a  relationship  with  Astilleros 
dating  back  to  1961 .  His  firm  is  located  in  New 
York  City.  His  son  Wesley  is  a  senior  at  WPI.  Son 
Jonathan  is  an  incoming  freshman. 

1955 

Alan  Ede  continues  as  associate  professor  of 
industrial  education  at  Oregon  State.  He  says  he 
"moonlights"  as  president  of  Dirigo  Electronics 
Engineering  and  "starlights"  as  banjo,  guitar, 
and  mandolin  instructor  for  the  Corvallis  Parks 
and  Recreation  Department. . . .  Recently  Robert 
Holden  was  reelected  to  the  Democratic  county 
central  committee  in  the  77th  assembly  district 
coming  in  first  in  a  field  of  nine  candidates.  A 
professor  at  Grossmont  College,  Holden  resides 
in  San  Diego,  Calif. 

Tarek  Shawaf,  who  ten  years  ago  set  up  the 
first  local  consulting  engineering  firm  in  Saudi 
Arabia  (Saudconsult)  was  in  Seattle,  Washington 
in  May  seeking  American  business  investors  for 
his  country.  Shawaf,  visiting  Seattle  at  his  gov- 
ernment's request,  is  "almost"  the  only  Saudi 
delegation  member  from  the  private  sector.  He 
was  asked  to  join  the  group  because  he  does 
consulting  engineering  business  with  many 
American  firms  and  because  he  graduated  from 
WPI.  Shawaf 's  company  employs  more  than  200 
people,  including  75  graduate  engineers,  and 
designs  and  supervises  projects  such  as  roads, 
hospitals,  dams,  bridges,  sewerage  and  water 
systems,  and  irrigation  and  drainage  systems 
that  run  into  billions  of  dollars. 

1956 

Richard  Hajec  serves  as  development  engineer 
at  Spencer  Turbine  Co.  in  Windsor,  Conn. . . . 
Lawrence  Horrigan,  Jr.  has  been  promoted  to 
construction  manager  with  Ebasco  Services,  Inc. 
He  will  relocate  to  the  firm's  regional  office  in 
Houston,  Texas. 


14 /August  1977 /WPI  Journal 


— .^~...*.i...».k 


Let's  see . . .  you  put 
tab  A  into  slot  B . . . 
no,  wait  a  minute 

To  most  people  a  bottle  stopper  is  a 
bottle  stopper.  To  Bob  Brass,  '57 
however,  the  common  rubber  stopper 
has  become  a  springboard  to  a  cre- 
ative new  construction  toy  which  is 
expected  to  become  a  big  seller  this 
Christmas. 

"It  all  started  four  years  ago  when  I 
was  having  a  cold  drink  on  a  hot  day, " 
he  says.  "I  was  fiddling  with  one  of 
those  plunger  stoppers  that  you  use  to 
cap  half-empty  soda  bottles,  when  I 
got  an  idea.  Why  not  make  a  con- 
struction set  with  plunger-type  rub- 
ber rivets  for  kids?" 

When  Brass  gets  an  idea,  he  doesn't 
daydream  about  it.  He  does  some- 
thing about  it.  Over  a  period  of  eigh- 
teen months  he  worked  in  his  home 
studio  developing  a  plastic  construc- 
tion system  utilizing  a  revolutionary 
new  reusable  joining  mechanism — a 
hollow  rubber  rivet  which  expands 
and  contracts  like  a  bottle  stopper. 

"The  system  is  practically  guaran- 
teed not  to  frustrate  kids  who  are  all 
thumbs,"  he  reports.  "It's  a  lot  easier 
to  manage  than  the  conventional 
metal  nuts  and  bolts  sets.  Also,  parts 
may  be  assembled  and  taken  apart 
quickly." 

Parker  Brothers,  famous  for  games 
[Monopoly)  and  Nerf  products,  was 
equally  enthusiastic  about  the  new 
toy  when  Brass  demonstrated  the 
prototype  to  company  officials.  They 
had  been  looking  for  a  different  item 
to  expand  their  line,  and  Brass  and  his 
construction  set  came  along  at  just 
the  right  time.  They  were  especially 
impressed  with  the  set  because  it 
uses  a  nutless,  boltless  building  pro- 
cess consisting  of  a  hand-powered 
tool  which  fastens  multicolored  plas- 
tic parts  with  small,  reusable,  rubber 
rivets.  Three  months  after  the  dem- 
onstration, the  firm  contracted  with 
the  inventor  to  produce  the  set  by 
1977  under  the  name  riviton. 


Leaving  nothing  to  chance,  Parker 
play-tested  several  versions  of  the  set 
with  125  Boston  boys  and  girls,  with  a 
tally  of  some  5,000  children  and 
adults  ultimately  being  involved  in 
home  and/or  laboratory  testing  situa- 
tions. Problems  such  as  a  tempera- 
mental riveting  tool  and  click  lock 
were  soon  discovered  and  corrected. 
Both  Parker  Brothers  and  Brass  were 
encouraged  by  the  play-testing  sur- 
vey. 

"We  found  out  that  many  of  the 
kids  didn't  even  have  to  read  the 
instruction  book,"  says  Brass.  "They 
made  whatever  they  wanted  without 
having  to  follow  directions  of  any 
kind."  He  smiles.  "And  the  parents, 
well,  they  thought  that  Riviton  was  a 
great  babysitter." 

A  Parker  Brothers  spokesman  paid 
the  part-time  inventor  (he's  a  full- 
time  executive  in  a  multinational 
corporation)  the  supreme  compli- 
ment when  discussing  the  commer- 
cial possibilities  of  his  creation.  "We 
feel  Riviton  will  capture  a  significant 
share  of  the  construction  toy  busi- 
ness," he  said.  "And  that's  a  $100 
million-a-year  market." 


Brass,  who  as  a  free-lancer  cur- 
rently has  about  30  popular  toys, 
games,  and  magic  sets  licensed  for 
production  and  sale  at  various  com- 
panies throughout  the  world,  is  con- 
siderably buoyed  up  by  Parker 
Brothers'  enthusiasm.  In  fact,  every- 
one associated  with  Riviton  is  hoping 
that  another  Monopoly-style  success 
story  is  in  the  making. 


WPI  Journal  /  August  1 977  / 1 5 


1957 

Dr.  Robert  Crane  wrote  "Ionospheric  Scintilla- 
tion" which  appeared  in  a  recent  issue  of  Pro- 
ceedings of  the  IEEE.  He  currently  serves  as 
manager  of  the  Atmospheric  Sciences  Section  of 
the  Earth  Resources  and  Atmospheric  Physics 
Division  of  Environmental  Research  and 
Technology,  Inc.,  Concord,  Mass.  He  was 
elected  vice  chairman  of  the  U.S.  Commission  F 
Wave  Phenomena  in  Nonionized  Media,  Inter- 
national Union  of  Radio  Science.  . . .  Ronald 
Samiljan  and  his  family  have  returned  from  West 
Germany  after  an  eight-month  stay.  Samiljan 
represented  Scientific  Design,  which  together 
with  a  West  German  firm,  is  building  a  plant  in 
the  U.S.S.R.  He  served  as  a  consultant  on  the 
project. . .  .  Formerly  a  vice  president  at  Bundy 
Corporation,  Richard  Silven  has  now  been  ap- 
pointed vice  president  of  corporate  planning  and 
development  at  Harvey  Hubbell,  Incorporated, 
Orange,  Conn.  He  will  be  responsible  for  the 
company's  acquisition  and  corporate  develop- 
ment activities.  From  1957  to  1966  he  was  with 
Texas  Instruments  in  various  positions.  Hubbell 
is  a  major  manufacturer  of  quality  electrical 
products  for  commercial,  industrial,  and  utility 
markets  in  the  U.S.  and  abroad. 

1958 

Dr.  Frank  DeFalco  has  been  named  Outstanding 
Teacher  for  1977  atWPI.  He  is  associate  profes- 
sor of  civil  engineering.  .  . .  Bradley  McKenzie  is 
now  general  manager  of  Masoneilan  Regulator 
Co.,  Norwood,  Mass.  . . .  Fred  Rossi,  SIM,  has 
been  appointed  production  superintendent  at 
Bay  State  Abrasives,  a  division  of  Dresser  Indus- 
tries, Inc.  Previously  he  had  been  general  fore- 
man of  the  truing  and  bushing  area  at  the  plant. 
Starting  at  Bay  State  in  1935,  he  was  later 
promoted  to  foreman,  then  to  general  foreman 
in  1954. . . .  Stu  Staples  helped  to  put  on  the 
Tucson  Open  golf  tournament.  He  owns  Staples 
Building  and  Development,  Inc. 

GE's  Gas  Turbine  Marketing  Department  re- 
cently announced  the  appointment  of  Douglas 
Todd  as  manager  of  STAG  market  development. 
Todd  will  have  multi-divisional  responsibilities 
for  developing  the  STAG  business  on  a  world- 
wide basis.  He  joined  GE  as  a  sales  manager  in 
the  heat  transfer  products  department  in  South 
Portland,  Me.  in  1966.  Later  he  was  with  GE  in 
Lynn,  Mass.  before  going  to  Schenectady. 

.  . .  Dick  Wiinikainen,  coordinator  of  plastics 
flammability  activities  at  Foster  Grant  Co., 
Leominster,  Mass.,  serves  as  the  chairman  of  the 
sections  committee  tor  Plastics  Engineering.  The 
committee  monitors  section  intercommunica- 
tion and  policies  with  a  view  toward  achieving 
uniformity.  He  is  also  the  present  chairman  of 
the  engineering  properties  and  structures  divi- 
sion and  has  been  named  president  of  the 
Pioneer  Valley  section,  as  well  as  the  section's 
councilman.  He  is  technical  committee  chairman 
of  SPI's  furniture  division. 


1959 

Commander  Robert  Allen  was  scheduled  to 
become  the  commanding  officer  of  VAW-1 23  in 
April.  VAW-1 23  is  an  Airborne  Early  Warning 
Squadron  flying  the  Grumman  built  E-2C  i 
"Hawkeyes"  and  is  assigned  to  the  airwing 
aboard  the  carrier  USS  Saratoga.  ...  Dr.  Joseph 
Bronzino,  director  of  the  joint  biomedical  en- 
gineering program  of  Trinity  College  and  the 
Hartford  (Conn.)  Graduate  Center,  has  been 
named  the  first  incumbent  of  the  Roosa  Chair  at 
Trinity.  A  professor  of  electrical  engineering, 
Bronzino  also  serves  as  codirector  of  the  Clinical 
Engineering  Internship  Program  at  the  Hartford 
and  St.  Francis  Hospitals  and  is  a  clinical  associate 
at  the  University  of  Connecticut  Health  Center. 
He  is  a  research  associate  at  the  Institute  of 
Living  and  a  licensed  professional  engineer.  Dr. 
Vernon  D.  Roosa,  the  noted  inventor  and  indus- 
trial designer  who  established  the  professorial 
chair  of  applied  science,  is  an  adjunct  professor 
at  Trinity  and  holds  over  300  patents. 

V.  James  Cinquina  serves  as  executive  vice 
president  of  Gary  S.  Bell  Associates,  executive 
search  consultants  in  the  health  care/life  sciences 
field. . . .  David  Daubney  holds  a  new  post  as 
manager  of  mechanical  engineering  at  Astra 
Pharmaceutical  Products,  Inc.  in  Worcester. . . . 
Home  &  Land  Co.,  Realtors,  has  announced  the 
appointment  of  Anthony  Engstrom  of  Terra 
Linda,  Calif,  as  the  firm's  new  vice  president  of 
marketing.  Engstrom  belongs  to  the  Marin 
County  Board  of  Realtors  Million  Dollar  Club. 
Formerly  he  was  manager  of  Fox  &  Carskadon's 
San  Rafael  office. . . .  William  Shumway,  SIM, 
was  recently  elected  vice  president  of  Woodbury 
&  Co.,  Inc.,  Worcester.  Woodbury  is  the  largest 
U.S.  company  devoted  exclusively  to  the  custom 
design  and  production  of  engraved  and  litho- 
graphed commercial  stationery.  ...  Ed 
Wysocki's  son  Ed,  Jr.  will  be  entering  WPI  this 
fall.  Ed  is  an  assistant  design  project  engineer  at 
Pratt  &  Whitney  Aircraft. 

1960 

John  Czertak  is  a  project  engineer  with  Delia 
Construction  (highway)  in  Enfield,  Conn. . . . 
Frank  Droms  is  president  of  F.  A.  Droms  As- 
sociates, Dallas,  Texas. . . .  John  Haavisto  serves 
as  a  teaching  fellow  in  the  physics  department  at 
Boston  University.  He  is  completing  research  in 
theoretical  physics  and  expects  to  receive  his 

Ph.D.  in  December LTC  Robert  Mulholland, 

Jr.,  USA,  has  been  reassigned  to  the  U.S. — 
European  Command  in  Stuttgart,  Germany. . . . 
Dave  Reilly,  all  6'3"  and  384  pounds  of  him 
(including  equipment),  became  the  world's 
champion  heavyweight  skier  in  his  fourth  com- 
petition at  Sugarloaf  Mountain,  Carrabassett 
Valley,  Maine,  last  winter.  He  ran  the  35-second 
course  in  37.5  seconds.  Reilly  is  an  instructor 
with  the  Skip  Barber  School  of  Performance 
Driving  in  Boxboro,  Mass.,  where  he  teaches 
anti-terrorist  and  anti-kidnapping  driving  tech- 
niques to  chauffeurs  of  corporation  executives. 
. . .  George  Schoen  has  been  advanced  to  section 
head  of  miniature  and  instrument  product  en- 
gineering at  the  Barden  Corp.,  Danbury,  Conn. 
. . .  Thomas  Waage  is  president  of  Waage 
Electric  Inc.,  Kenilworth,  N.J.  He  is  interested  in 
ocean  racing  and  sailboats  and  writes:  "We  are 
doing  well." 


1961 

David  Baker  has  been  elected  a  director  of  the 
Foxboro  (Mass.)  Federal  Savings  &  Loan  Associ- 
ation. He  is  employed  by  the  Foxboro  Company, 
where  he  is  responsible  for  industry  and  applica- 
tion sales,  power  sales,  education  and  marketing 
services  and  inter-area  sales  development.  A 
member  of  the  Instrument  Society  of  America, 
he  also  has  served  on  the  Foxboro  Advisory 
Committee  and  Personnel  Wage  Board. . . . 
Roger  Borden,  associate  professor  of  mechanical 
engineering  at  WPI,  has  completed  a  seven-year 
part-time  program  of  study  and  has  received  a 
"certificate  of  completion"  forordained  ministry 
from  the  Methodist  Department  of  Education, 
Board  of  Ordained  Ministry  at  Nashville.  This 
current  status  qualifies  him  for  ministerial  mem- 
bership in  full  connection  with  the  Southern  New 
England  Conference  of  the  United  Methodist 
Church. 

John  Buckley,  president  of  Buckley  &  Co.,  a 
management  consulting  firm  in  Wellesley  Hills, 
Mass.,  spoke  on  "New  Products:  The  Promise 
and  the  Pitfalls"  at  the  April  meeting  of  the 

Rhode  Island  Chapter  of  SBANE Ronald 

Dufries  has  transferred  to  the  wire  machinery 
department  as  sales  engineer  at  Morgan  Con- 
struction Co.,  Worcester. .  .  .  Major  Norman 
Ginsburg  has  left  Germany  for  an  assignment  at 
Ft.  Monmouth,  N.J.  Along  the  way  he'll  be 
attending  a  five-month  course  at  the  Defense 
Systems  Management  College  at  Ft.  Belvoir. . . . 
Continuing  with  Bristol  Meyers  as  director  of 
business  planning,  international  division,  Svend 
Pelch  still  manages  to  take  some  time  off  for  one 
of  his  favorite  pastimes,  sailing.  He  is  located  in 
Westport,  Conn. 

Richard  Taylor  holds  the  post  of  New  England 
manager  for  Colorado  Video,  Inc.,  a  company 
that  manufactures  video  products  for  research 
and  development,  education  and  manufactur- 
ing, and  narrow  band  video. .  .  .  David  Youden 
was  recently  promoted  to  quality  control  man- 
ager at  Cone-Blanchard  Machine  Co.  in 
Windsor,  Vt.  In  1973  he  joined  the  firm  as  a 
product  development  engineer.  Formerly  he  was 
employed  for  twelve  years  at  Heald  Machine 
Co.,  Worcester.  He  had  also  worked  for  two 
years  with  Ocean  Systems  in  Reston,  Va. 


Four  WPI  alumni  were  elected  to  head  the 
Worcester  Engineering  Society  at  the  an- 
nual meeting  held  last  spring  in  Leominster. 
Richard  Leonard,  '37,  manager  of  the  pro- 
posal engineering  department  at  Riley 
Stoker  Corp.,  was  elected  president.  Other 
officers  elected  were:  Lawrence  Neale,  '40 
(currently  a  flow  specialist  for  Chas.  T. 
Main),  first  vice  president;  Francis  S.  Har- 
vey, '37  (president  of  Harvey  &  Tracy 
Associates,  Inc.),  second  vice  president; 
and  Anthony  Ruksnaitis,  '53  (WPI  college 
engineer),  treasurer. 

The  Worcester  Engineering  Society  is 
composed  of  members  of  eight  profes- 
sional engineering  societies  with  a  total 
membership  of  about  2,000  members. 


16 /August  1977  /WPI  Journal 


"""""" 


1962 

Dr.  Michael  Davis  is  assistant  professor  of 
radiology  at  Harvard  Medical  School  and  clinical 
associate  professor  of  medicinal  chemistry  and 
pharmacology  at  Northeastern  College  of  Phar- 
macy and  Allied  Health  Professions.  Also,  he  is 
director  of  Harvard  Medical  School's  joint  pro- 
gram in  nuclear  medicine  central  radiopharmacy 
supplying  six  Harvard  affiliated  hospitals  with  all 
their  daily  needs  in  radiodiagnostic  drugs. . . .  M. 
Philip  DeCaprio  has  been  promoted  to  staff 
engineer  in  the  system  engineering  department 
of  Northeast  Utilities,  Berlin,  Conn.  He  had  been 
a  senior  engineer  in  the  system  engineering  and 
construction  department  since  1973.  He  serves 
as  chairman  of  the  Charter  Revision  Commission 
in  Hamden.  .  .  .  Major  Jay  Hochstaine  is  cur- 
rently reassigned  to  Ft.  Huachuca,  Arizona. 

William  Krein  has  been  named  manager  of 
the  newly  established  finance  and  division  sup- 
port operation  in  GE's  Installation  and  Service 
Engineering  Division  (l&SE).  He  will  be  responsi- 
ble for  managing  the  financial  operations  of  l&SE 
and  the  division's  projects  engineering  opera- 
tions. Also,  he  will  manage  support  activities 
including  contract  administration,  marketing 
communications,  training,  quality  and  safety 
assurance,  and  management  information  sys- 
tems. Krein  joined  GE  in  1966  and  later  had 
assignments  in  the  steam  turbine-generator  de- 
partment, power  circuit  breaker  section,  and  the 
corporate  audit  staff.  In  1972  he  was  appointed 
manager  of  financial  operations  analysis  in  the 
group  finance  operation  of  the  power  genera- 
tion business  group.  Prior  to  his  promotion  he 
was  manager  of  the  finance  operation  at  l&SE. 

John  Matson  was  promoted  to  the  post  of 
district  sales  manager  in  the  machinery  and 
systems  division  of  Carrier  Air  Conditioning,  Falls 
Church,  Va.  Previously  he  was  branch  manager 

for  Carrier  Air  Conditioning  in  Syracuse,  N.Y 

Stephen  Winer  has  assumed  the  post  of  man- 
ager of  market  development  for  fine  and  indus- 
trial chemicals  at  J.  T.  Baker  Chemical  Co., 
Phillipsburg,  N.J.  Formerly  he  was  manager  of 
product  development  for  the  chemical  division 
of  Mallinckrodt,  Inc.  and  was  responsible  for 
several  product  lines  with  the  Food  Products 
Division.  At  Baker  Chemical  he  will  help  develop 
major  new  business  emphasing  proprietary 
products  and/or  processes  in  growth  markets.  He 
belongs  to  the  Institute  of  Food  Technologists 
and  the  Chemical  Marketing  Research  Associa- 
tion. 

1963 

Ralph  Gelling  has  just  joined  Avco  Corporation 
as  patent  counsel  to  several  divisions.  He  is 
headquartered  in  Wilmington,  Mass. . . .  Charles 
Goddard  continues  as  associate  sanitary  en- 
gineer with  the  New  York  State  Department  of 
Environmental  Conservation.  He,  his  wife  Karen, 
and  three  boys  work  hard  keeping  up  their  "old" 
house. .  .  .  Bob  Gowdy  serves  as  assistant 
professor  at  the  University  of  Maryland  in  the 
theoretical  general  relativity  group  of  the  physics 
department.  He  was  a  Sloan  fellow  from  1974  to 
1 976  and  spent  six  months  at  the  Mathematical 
Institute  of  Oxford  University  two  years  ago. . . . 
Edward  Kalinowski  recently  took  a  new  position 
with  Eli  Lilly  International  Corp.  as  manager  of 
personnel  for  the  United  Kingdom  and  Scan- 
dinavia. Earlier  he  was  manager  of  European 
requirements  for  Elizabeth  Arden  Corp.,  a  sub- 
sidiary of  Lilly  Co.  The  Kalinowskis  have  lived  in 
London  since  1973. 


Robert  Mellor  was  recently  promoted  to  dis- 
trict superintendent  at  Massachusetts  Electric. 
Formerly  he  was  assistant  superintendent  at  the 
Hopedale  office.  He  is  now  working  out  of  the 
Attleboro  base  of  the  company.  He  is  a  profes- 
sional engineer  in  Massachusetts.  ...  Ed 
Polewarczyk  currently  holds  the  post  of  presi- 
dent of  materials  management  for  the  space 
division  of  Rockwell  International,  Downey, 
Calif,  and  is  stationed  at  Hamilton  Standard.  He 
is  involved  with  environmental  systems  for  the 
space  shuttle  orbiter ....  David  Woodman  of 
Wayland,  Mass.  operates  his  own  consulting 
business.  He  is  concerned  with  pollution  and 
energy  saving  work. 

1964 

^■Married:  Ralph  F.  Bedford  and  Elaine  C.  Ward 
on  February  19,  1977  in  Colorado  Springs,  Col- 
orado. The  groom  is  a  loan  officer  for  School 
District  II  Federal  Credit  Union  in  Colorado 
Springs. .  . .  Larry  Hull  to  Miss  Irena  L.  Voigt  of 
Greenbelt,  Maryland  on  April  2, 1977.  Hull  is 
with  the  Goddard  Space  Flight  Center  in 
Greenbelt. 

Harry  Cunningham,  SIM,  has  been  promoted 
to  vice  president  of  manufacturing  at  Bay  State 
Abrasives  Division  of  Dresser  Industries  in 
Westboro,  Mass.  He  began  work  at  the  firm  in 
1956  and  has  been  production  superintendent 
since  1965. 

While  vacationing  in  Honolulu,  Joe  LaCava, 
got  in  touch  with  Ken  West,  "who  is  enjoying  his 
island  paradise  by  coaching  schoolboy  soccer 
and  entering  a  few  marathons."  West  works  for 
Hawaiian  Electric  Co.  LaCava,  who  is  with  Bell 
Labs  in  Reynoldsburg,  Ohio,  says  that  he  is 
trying  to  convince  his  colleagues  that  good 
man/machine  interfaces  are  more  important 
than  development  schedules.  Sometimes  he 
considers  it  a  trying  task  because  the  payoff  is 
not  immediately  measurable. 

Thomas  McGee  and  his  partner  have  built  a 
new  plant  for  their  firm,  Petroleum  Meter  & 
Pump  Co.,  in  Avon,  Conn.  McGee,  who  is  vice 
president  writes:  "Our  business  has  been  doing 
very  well." 

1965 

Recently  Marvin  Berger  became  product  man- 
ager at  American  Used  Computer  Corporation  in 

Boston Henry  Schneck  serves  as  a  senior  civil 

engineer  in  charge  of  highway  and  bridge  con- 
struction projects  for  the  Suffolk  County  De- 
partment of  Public  Works.  He  resides  in  Hol- 
brook,  Long  Island,  N.Y. 


1966 

>Born:  to  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Donald  Foley  a  son  Tom 
on  Father's  Day  1976.  "Dad  assisted,"  Foley 
writes.  The  Foleys  now  have  three  children. 
Foley's  company,  Pattern  Analysis  &  Recogni- 
tion, has  grown  from  6  to  1 12  personnel.  He 
serves  as  vice  president  for  research  and  devel- 
opment. ...  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brendan  Geelan  a 
son,  Matthew,  on  February  6, 1977.  Matthew 
has  a  sister,  Christa,  5.  Geelan  is  a  research 
engineer  for  Uniroyal  Chemical  in  Naugatuck, 

Conn to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Paul  Malnati  their  first 

child  a  son,  Brian  Paul,  on  March  16, 1977. 
Malnati,  who  lives  in  Delran,  N.J.,  is  a  self- 
employed  consultant  involved  with  computer 

systems  and  peripheral  hardware to  Mr.  and 

Mrs.  Earl  Sparks  III  their  third  child,  a  daughter, 
on  November  30,  1976.  Sparks  is  a  project 
manager  for  IMC  Chemical  Group  and  will  be  in 
Boston  this  fall  to  handle  a  multi-million  dollar 
project  for  the  company. 

Edward  Bilzerian,  SIM,  has  been  named  as  a 
member  of  the  Worcester  Airport  Commission 
for  a  three-year  term.  A  division  controller  at  Bay 
State  Abrasives  in  Westboro,  Mass.,  he  has 
served  as  national  director  and  recent  past  presi- 
dent of  the  Worcester  chapter  of  the  American 
Society  of  Management.  He  has  been  president 
of  the  Interfraternity  Foundation  at  Clark  Uni- 
versity, past  director  of  the  Jesse  Burkett  Little 
League,  and  incorporator  of  Boy  Scout  Troop  48. 

Dr.  Thomas  Curry  is  the  current  science  ad- 
visor to  Rear  Admiral  Charles  H.  Griffiths,  com- 
mander of  the  submarine  force  in  the  Pacific.  A 
supervisory  electronics  engineer  at  the  Naval 
Underwater  System  Center  (NUSC),  he  was 
selected  for  the  post  because  of  his  broad  expe- 
rience with  submarine  sensors.  He  is  also  an 
expert  in  total  weapon  system  procurement  and 
development  process.  In  his  new  position,  Curry 
will  serve  as  the  prime  interface  between  the 
fleet  command,  NUSC,  and  the  Naval 
Laboratories  on  science  advisory  programs  and 
command  research,  development,  test,  and 
evaluation.  He,  his  wife,  and  three  daughters  will 
reside  in  Hawaii  for  approximately  a  year. 

Dr.  Fred  Erskine  III,  visiting  assistant  professor 
of  astronomy  at  Villanova  University,  received 
his  Ph.D.  in  physics  from  the  University  of  Iowa 
last  December. . . .  John  Sherrick  was  recently 
promoted  to  professor  in  the  department  of 
mathematics,  science  and  technology  at 
Schenectady  (N.Y.)  County  Community  Col- 
lege. He  had  been  associate  professor.  Prior  to 
joining  SCCC  in  1970,  Sherrick  had  taught  at 
State  University  Agricultural  and  Technical  Col- 
lege at  Alfred  and  at  WPI.  He  is  a  former  vice 
president  of  the  Schenectady  Professional  En- 
gineering Society  and  belongs  to  IEEE,  ASEE, 
New  York  State  Society  of  Professional  En- 
gineers, New  York  State  Engineering  Technol- 
ogy Association,  and  the  National  Society  of 
Professional  Engineers.  He  is  also  a  member  of 
Tau  Beta  Pi,  Etta  Kappa  Nu,  Pi  Delta  Epsilon,  and 

Sigma  Xi Ronald  Swers  works  as  an  industrial 

applications  engineer  at  GE  in  Lynn,  Mass.  He, 
his  wife,  Gwen,  and  two  sons  live  in  Salem. 


WPI  Journal /August  1977/17 


1967 

^■Married:  James  C.  Lefevre  and  Miss  Patricia  E. 
Currie  on  May  7,  1977  in  Dalton,  New  Hamp- 
shire. The  bride  graduated  from  Bryant  &  Strat- 
ton  College,  Boston,  and  is  employed  at  Littleton 
Stamp  &  Coin  Co.,  Inc.  The  bridegroom  is  a 
self-employed  civil  engineer. 

>Born:  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bradford  A.  Johnson  a 
daughter,  Melissa  Ann,  on  September  22, 1976. 
Johnson  has  been  transferred  to  Cincinnati  as  an 
attorney  with  the  regional  counsel's  office  of  the 
Internal  Revenue  Service. ...  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Robert  Shen  a  daughter,  Olivia,  on  November  5, 
1976.  Shen  works  for  National  Cash  Register  in 
Ithaca,  N.Y. 

Earl  Berry,  SIM,  was  recently  named  treasurer 
of  Woodbury  &  Co.,  Inc.  in  Worcester. . . . 
Robert  Dashner  is  now  a  senior  systems  analyst 
for  Amdahl  Corp.  in  Sunnyvale,  Calif —  Joseph 
Ferrantino  has  been  promoted  to  process  en- 
gineering specialist  at  Monsanto  Co.,  Birchem 
Bend  plant,  where  he  is  in  charge  of  pilot  plant 
operations.  Also,  he  has  been  elected  to  a  five- 
year  term  on  the  planning  board  of  Ware,  Mass., 
and  reelected  president  of  Beaver  Lake  Club 
Corporation. . .  .  Carl  Gilmore  presently  holds 
the  post  of  city  engineer  in  Pinellas  Park,  Fla. . . . 
Lawrence  Gooch  serves  as  assistant  sales  man- 
ager in  the  process  engineering  department  at 
Farrel  Co.,  Ansonia,  Conn.  The  Gooches  have  a 
son  James,  3V2,  and  a  daughter  Jennifer,  1 . 

Ron  Gordon,  who  was  a  staff  instructor  for 
IBM  in  Los  Angeles,  has  moved  to  New  York 
where  he  is  now  in  charge  of  education  devel- 
opment in  operating  systems  for  future  systems. 
.  .  .  Paul  Granquist,  SIM,  has  been  appointed 
vice  president  at  Thomas  Smith  Co.,  Worcester. 
He  was  named  assistant  treasurer  and  vice  presi- 
dent of  administration.  Formerly  he  was  control- 
ler. In  his  new  post  he  will  be  responsible  for 
accounting,  office  management  and  personnel. 
He  joined  the  firm,  which  makes  metal  stamp- 
ings and  industrial  fasteners,  in  1959. . . . 
Currently  Robert  McAndrew  III  is  with  the  nu- 
clear service  department  at  Babcock  &  Wilcox. 

1968 

^■Married:  John  Colognesi  to  Patricia  M.  Roy  of 
Southbridge,  Massachusetts  last  June.  The  bride, 
a  graduate  of  Anna  Maria,  is  a  special  education 
teacher  in  Southbridge.  The  groom  is  now  vice 
president  of  Southbridge  Sheet  Metal  Works, 
Inc.  The  company  builds  weldments,  machine 
parts  and  turnpike  toll  booths. 

>Born:  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kenneth  Battle  a  son, 
Hans  Paul,  recently.  The  family  is  enjoying  life  in 
Belgium  where  Battle  is  a  senior  engineer  for 
Monsanto. ...  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  David  A. 
Swercewski  their  third  child,  a  son,  Michael, 
recently.  Michael  has  a  sister,  Katherine,  7Vi  and 
a  brother  Robert,  6.  David  is  with  Electric  Boat  in 
Groton,  Conn. ...  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kenneth 
Turnbull  a  daughter,  Kelly  Lee,  on  July  31 , 1 976. 
Turnbull  is  with  Texaco,  Inc.  in  Beacon,  N.Y. 

George  Bazinet  has  been  promoted  to  man- 
ager of  systems  programming  at  United  Nuclear 
Corporation. . . .  Paul  Beaudet  continues  with  J. 
A.  Jones  Construction  Co.  and  is  now  working  at 
ERDA's  Hanford  Reservation.  He  is  in  construc- 
tion management  of  various  projects. .  .  .  Kurt 
Benson  has  joined  his  uncle,  Henry  Anderson,  in 
the  general  practice  of  law  at  390  Main  St.  in 
Worcester. .  .  .  Bob  Demers  is  now  a  research/ 
teaching  assistant  in  the  division  of  pulmonary 


medicine  at  Rhode  Island  Hospital  in  Providence. 
. .  .Leif  Erickson  recently  received  a  Ph.  D.  in 
chemistry  from  the  University  of  Massachusetts. 
He  did  his  dissertation  on  the  molecular  structure 
of  the  human  erythrocyte  membrane.  Presently 
a  captain  in  the  USAR  program,  Erickson  has 
served  with  the  173rd  Medical  Group  at  Wes- 
tover  AFB  for  the  last  five  years.  He  has  also  been 
active  in  counselling  and  in  directing  programs 
for  mentally  retarded  individuals  and  senior  citi- 
zens at  Camp  Grotonwood  in  Groton,  Mass. 

Charles  Konopka  has  received  his  Ph. D  from 
the  University  of  Connecticut.  He  holds  a  master 
of  science  degree  in  electrical  engineering- 
computer  science  from  U  Conn  and  an  MS  in 
mathematics  from  WPI. . . .  William  Krikorian  is 
now  principal  civil  engineer  for  the  Mas- 
sachusetts Bureau  of  Building  Construction,  Bos- 
ton  George  Landauer  is  president  of  G.D.C. 

Medical  Electronics,  a  division  of  Generator  De- 
velopment Corp.,  with  headquarters  in  New 
Hyde  Park,  N.Y.  Branches  are  located  in  Edison, 
N.J.  and  Cornwells  Heights,  Pa.  The  company 
services  hospital  biomedical  electronic  equip- 
ment. The  Landauers  are  the  parents  of  their  first 
child,  a  son  Jay  Fredrik,  who  was  born  recently. . . 
Cary  Palulis  received  his  MBA  with  concentra- 
tion in  management  from  the  University  of  New 
Haven  in  June. . . .  Jeffrey  Semmel  has  assumed 
responsibility  as  lead  systems  programmer  at 
Genrad  in  Concord,  Mass. 

1969 

>Born:  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stephen  Fischer  a 
daughter,  Libby,  recently.  Fischer  serves  as  man- 
ager of  Hewlett-Packard's  medical  distribution 
center  in  Waltham,  Mass. ...  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Richard  M.  Gross  their  first  child,  a  daughter 
Lindsay  Leyburn,  on  December  27,  1976.  Rick 
was  promoted  to  research  specialist  at  Dow 
Chemical  in  Midland,  Mich. 

Arthur  Katsaros  has  been  promoted  to  prod- 
uct manager  of  alkylamines  business  area  for  Air 
Products  &  Chemicals  in  Allentown,  Pa.  Kat- 
saros, who  has  two  children,  Dean,  6,  and 
Patricia,  2,  received  his  MBA  from  Lehigh  Uni- 
versity in  December. . . .  Active  with  the  U.S. 
Navy  Civil  Engineer  Corps,  Ronald  Lewis  serves 
as  shops  engineer  in  Newport,  R.I.,  where  he  is 
responsible  for  all  base  maintenance,  transporta- 
tion and  utilities. . . .  Edward  Mierzejewski, 
besides  working  as  chief  transportation  planner 
for  Southeastern  Virginia  Planning  District 
Commission  (Norfolk),  is  also  a  part-time  faculty 
member  at  Old  Dominion  University  teaching 
transportation  engineering  to  civil  engineering 
majors.  He  resides  with  his  wife,  Aline,  and 
children,  Sara  and  Mark,  in  Virginia  Beach. . . . 
Capt.  Douglas  Nelson  is  working  for  his  master's 
degree  in  aeronautical  engineering  at  the  Air 

Force  Institute  of  Technology Steve  Selinger 

has  just  finished  his  MBA  at  Wayne  State  Univer- 
sity. 


1970 

>Born:  toMr.  and  Mrs.  Marc  Schweig  their  first 
son,  Jonathan  David,  on  January  10, 1977. 
Schweig  is  with  Western  Electric  Co.  in  North 
Andover,  Mass. ...  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bohdan 
Sywak  a  son,  Jason  Bohdan,  on  October  28, 
1976.  Sywak  received  his  M.B.A.  from  Temple 
University  in  January.  Presently  he  is  project 
engineer  for  General  Engineering  Support  for 
small  caliber  training  ammunition  for  all  U.S. 
military  forces,  with  the  Department  of  the  Army 
in  Philadelphia. 

Robert  Cournoyer  has  received  his  M.M.T. 
from  the  University  of  Lowell. .  .  .  James  Ford 
recently  moved  to  Phoenix,  Arizona  to  work  for 
the  actuarial  consulting  firm  of  Charles  Bentzin  & 
Associates. . . .  Alan  "Chip"  Hassett  has  been 
promoted  from  the  position  of  senior  project 
engineer  at  O'Brien  &  Gere  Engineers,  Syracuse, 
N.Y.,  to  that  of  manager  of  the  Dover  (Del.) 
office  of  Justin  &  Courtney,  a  division  of  O'Brien 
and  Gere. . . .  Presently  T.  J.  Lelek  serves  as 
Pittsburgh  district  sales  manager  for  petrochem- 
icals at  Gulf  Oil  Chemicals  Co. . . .  John  Lyons 
continues  at  Digital  Equipment  Corp.,  Maynard, 
Mass.,  where  he  is  presently  a  senior 
programmer/analyst. . . .  Peter  Miner  serves  as  a 
project  leader  at  Naval  Underwater  Systems 
Center  in  New  London,  Conn. 

John  Pell i,  who  is  sales  manager  for  Berkshire 
Trane  Air  Conditioning  Co.,  West  Springfield, 
Mass.,  has  received  his  MBA  from  Western  New 
England  College.  The  Pedis  have  a  two-year  old 
daughter,  Jennifer. . . .  Lenny  Polizzotto  has 
been  working  on  developing  a  new  instant  8  x 
10  film  at  Polaroid.  He  has  traveled  to  Europe  to 
work  with  and  give  technical  advice  to  European 
photographers,  including  Gunter  Sachs  in  San 
Tropez.  He  also  demonstrated  the  product  pro- 
totype at  Photokina  in  Cologne,  Germany  last 
fall.  As  a  result,  he  appeared  in  a  photo  in  the 
holiday  issue  of  Popular  Photography.  . . .  For- 
merly an  industrial  engineer  in  the  corporate 
research  and  engineering  division  at  Mohasco 
Corp.,  Amsterdam,  N.Y.,  Erik  Roy  has  now  been 
appointed  as  licensing  operations  manager  of 
carpet  operations.  He  is  also  an  adjunct  profes- 
sor in  the  Institute  of  Administration  and  Man- 
agement at  Union  College.  He  received  his  MS  in 
industrial  administration  from  Union. .  . .  Re- 
cently Randolph  Sablich  was  promoted  to  man- 
ager of  pricing,  subcontracts  at  Grumman 
Aerospace  Corp.,  Bethpage,  N.Y.  ...  M.  F. 
Sullivan  has  just  been  listed  in  Who's  Who  and 
Britain 's  Dictionary  of  International  Biography 
for  his  work  in  chemical  recovery  systems  at 
paper  mills.  Sullivan  serves  as  manager  of  the 
recovery  unit  operation  at  Aztec  Engineering  in 
Louisville,  Ky. . . .  Francis  Vernile  is  now  a 
registered  professional  engineer  in  the  State  of 
Connecticut. 


1971 

^■Married:  Larry  N.  Hyman  and  Sandra  S.  Kampf 
of  Midland,  Michigan  in  East  Hartford,  Connec- 
ticut on  February  20,  1977.  The  groom  works  in 
the  organic  chemicals  production  department  of 
Dow  Chemical  Co.  in  Midland,  where  he  is  a 
production  development  engineer. . . .  Robert 
R.  Tucker  to  Judith  A.  Chase  in  Brewster,  Mas- 
sachusetts on  May  21, 1977.  Mrs.  Tucker  at- 
tended Assumption  College  and  Worcester  State 
and  graduated  from  Worcester  City  Hospital 
School  of  Nursing.  She  is  a  registered  nurse  at 
Cape  Cod  Hospital.  Her  husband  owns  Focal- 
point  Studio. 


18/ August  1977 /WPI  Journal 


„„,.,.,...»...»..» 


>Born:  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jack  B.  Creenshields 
their  second  child,  Keith  Michael,  on  March  7, 
1 977.  Greenshields  was  recently  promoted  to 
regional  purchasing  manager  with  procurement 
and  stores  responsibilities  for  nine  locations 
within  Monsanto's  fabricated  products  division. 
He  received  his  MBA  from  the  University  of  New 
Haven  in  January.  ...  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  G. 
Plonsky  a  son,  John  G.  Plonsky,  Jr.,  on  February 
10,  1977.  Plonsky  is  with  Sikorsky  Aircraft  in 
Stratford,  Conn. 

George  Bakevich  has  accepted  the  post  of 
supervisor  of  nuclear  licensing  and  safety  with 
the  nuclear  fuels  manufacturing  section  of  Com- 
bustion Engineering,  Inc.,  Windsor,  Conn.  He  is 
responsible  for  nuclear  criticality  safety  analyses 
and  health  physics  associated  with  the  manufac- 
ture of  nuclear  fuel  assemblies  to  be  used  in 
commercial  nuclear  power  reactors.  .  .  .  Glenn 
White  has  received  his  MS  in  atmospheric  sci- 
ence from  State  University  of  New  York  at 
Albany.  He  served  as  a  predoctoral  fellow  in 
geophysical  fluid  dynamics  at  a  summer  col- 
loquium on  global  climatology  at  Woods  Hole 
Oceanographic  Institute.  Currently  he  is  a 
graduate  student  in  atmospheric  science  at  the 
University  of  Washington. 

1972 

^■Married:  Mark  G.  Andrews  and  Helen  Wiener 
on  March  25,  1977.  The  bridegroom  has  been 
promoted  to  the  position  of  vice  president  of 
operations  at  C  &  M  Wire  Products  in  Waure- 
gan,  Conn. 

>Born:  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dwight  Allen  a  daugh- 
ter, Rebecca  Anne,  on  April  10, 1977.  Dwight  is 
chief  mechanical  engineer  at  General  Scanning, 
Inc.,  Watertown,  Mass. .  . .  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Joseph  G.  Harkins  a  daughter,  Kimberly  Anne, 
on  September  3, 1976.  Joe  has  a  new  post  at 
Norton  Company,  Worcester,  where  he  is  a 

systems  programmer to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Glenn 

Yale  their  second  daughter,  Kirsten  Hadley,  in 
March.  (Heather  is  four.)  Yale  serves  as  vice 
president  of  engineering  at  Charles  T.  Morgan 
Co.,  Danvers,  Mass. 

Mark  Fritz  now  works  as  a  quality  control 
programmer  at  Wang  Labs. .  .  .  Neil  Herring  is 
chief  financial  officer  at  New  Hampshire  Legal 
Assistance. . . .  Kenneth  Kolkebeck  is  employed 
as  a  sales  engineer  at  Rosemount,  Inc. . . .  Robert 
Pascucci,  project  engineer  for  the  Glen  Cove 
(N.Y.)  Urban  Renewal  Agency,  is  in  his  second 
year  as  an  evening  student  at  St.  John's  Univer- 
sity School  of  Law. . . .  T.  Richard  Price  has  been 
working  in  Port  Arthur,  Texas  for  Stone  &  Web- 
ster on  construction  of  a  Texaco  oil  refinery.  The 

Prices  have  a  daughter,  Sheila Richard  Sojka 

holds  the  post  of  department  head  of  production 
at  Clairol  in  Stamford,  Conn.  .  .  .  John  Wood- 
ward was  recently  promoted  to  captain  in  the 
U.S.  Marine  Corps.  He  also  received  a  letter  of 
commendation  for  meritorious  service  while 
serving  as  assistant  motor  transport  and  opera- 
tions officer  at  Cherry  Point,  N.C.  Presently  he  is 
stationed  in  Okinawa. 


1973 


^Married:  Robert  H.  Newman  and  Miss  Lori  R. 
Zitowitz  on  October  31 ,  1976  in  Worcester.  The 
bride  attended  Portland  (Me.)  School  of  Fine  and 
Applied  Arts  and  Dade  College  of  Miami.  The 
groom  is  a  software  engineer  in  the  missile 
systems  division  of  Raytheon  Company  in  Bed- 
ford, Mass. . . .  Gary  K.  Smolen  to  Miss  Bonnie  L. 
Newcomb  in  Gill,  Massachusetts  on  April  24, 
1977.  Mrs.  Smolen  attended  the  Ethel  Walker 
School  of  Fine  Arts  and  is  employed  in  the 
business  office  at  Franklin  County  Public  Hospi- 
tal. Her  husband  is  with  Stewart's  Nursery  and 
Garden  Center. . . .  Edward  J.  Swierz  to  Rebecca 
Dvorak  recently.  The  bride,  who  graduated  from 
Grinnell  (Iowa)  College,  is  now  working  on  a 
doctorate  in  Germanic  linguistics  at  the  Univer- 
sity of  Illinois.  The  bridegroom  is  with  the  U.S. 
Dept.  of  Commerce  in  Chicago. .  .  .  Stuart  K. 
Wallack  and  Miss  Ann  Vivian  on  February  12, 
1977  in  Brookline,  Massachusetts.  Mrs.  Wallack 
graduated  from  Wesleyan  University.  Her  hus- 
band, who  received  his  master's  degree  from 
Lehigh  University,  is  a  sales  trainee  with  the 
Torrington  (Conn.)  Company. 

^■Born:  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edward  S.  Jamro  a  son, 
Terry  Rock,  on  February  9,  1977.  Jamro  is  with 
Monsanto  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri. ...  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Ronald  Lak  their  first  child,  a  son,  Jeffrey 
John,  on  May  18,  1977.  Lak  works  for  Uniroyal 
Chemical,  Inc.  in  Naugatuck,  Conn. 

Bill  Carton  is  now  a  design  engineer  at 
Teradyne,  Inc.  in  Boston. . . .  Paul  Conti  has  been 
appointed  to  the  industrial  engineering  staff  at 
Bay  State  Abrasives  in  Westboro,  Mass.  He  will 
provide  all  industrial  engineering  services  for 
second  shift  manufacturing  operations. . . .  Tom 
and  Kathy  (Sawislak)  Dagostino  are  currently 
both  employed  by  Tektronix,  Inc.,  in  Beaverton, 
Oregon.  Tom  is  a  design  engineer  in  the  service 
instrument  division  and  Kathy  is  a  software 
evaluator  in  the  lab  instrument  division. . . . 
Airman  1/c  Jon  Franson  was  slated  to  move  to 
North  Carolina  in  June  to  provide  weather  sup- 
port for  the  U.S.  Army  tactical  units  at  Fort 
Bragg.  He  has  been  attending  parachutist  school 
to  qualify  as  an  airborne  weather  technician  so 
that  he  can  travel  anywhere  the  Army  exercises 
call  for  meteorological  support,  whether  in  or 
out  of  the  country.  He  also  plans  to  pursue  his 
master's  degree  in  meteorology.  .  .  .  George 
Grunbeck  is  presently  employed  as  a  test  en- 
gineer for  Terry  Steam  Turbine  in  Windsor, 
Conn.  His  wife,  Patrice,  is  a  systems  analyst  for 
Travelers  Insurance. 

Herbert  Hedberg  serves  as  a  senior  product 
engineer  for  Waters  Associates  in  Milford,  Mass. 
He  designs  microprocessor-based  laboratory  in- 
strumentation. Last  fall  he  went  to  Germany  for 
a  week  to  train  field  service  personnel. . . .  David 
Kay  is  an  applications  engineer  for  Teradyne, 
Inc.,  Boston. . . .  John  Lecko  is  now  an  electronic 
development  engineer  for  NC  machine  tool  con- 
trols at  Pratt  &  Whitney  Machine  Tool  Co.,  East 
Hartford,  Conn. . . .  Joseph  Magri  works  for  Bird 
Machine  Co.,  Walpole,  Mass. .  . .  Capt.  Edward 
Maher,  a  bioenvironmental  engineer,  has  been 
awarded  the  Air  Force  Commendation  Medal  at 
Hanscom  AFB,  Mass.  for  meritorious  service 
performed  previously  at  Brooks  AFB,  Texas. 
Currently  he  serves  at  the  U.S.  Air  Force  Clinic  at 
Hanscom,  a  part  of  the  Air  Force  Systems  Com- 
mand. .  .  .  Wallace  McKenzie,  Jr.  presented  a 
paper  at  the  Operations  Research  Society  of 
America  Conference  last  November  in  Miami. 
Presently  he  is  an  elected  town  meeting  member 
in  Saugus,  Mass.  and  chairperson  of  a  special 
committee  investigating  the  possibility  of  con- 
solidating the  schools  in  Saugus. 


Dr.  Louis  Nashelsky,  professor  of  electrical 
technology  at  Queensborough  Community  Col- 
lege, has  just  published  an  updated  version  of  his 
Introduction  to  Digital  Computer  Technology, 
which  draws  on  his  fifteen  years  of  teaching 
experience.  A  National  Science  Foundation  fel- 
low in  1971 ,  Dr.  Nashelsky  is  also  the  author  of 
Electronic  Devices  and  Circuit  Theory  (1972). 
.  .  .  Naran  Patel  is  a  structural  engineer  at  Alex 
Tobias  Associates  in  Toronto,  Ontario,  Canada. 
. . .  Stephen  Saucier  has  been  appointed  assistant 
vice  president  at  the  Hospital  Association  of 
Rhode  Island  in  Providence.  He  had  been  work- 
ing in  financial  systems  with  Texas  Instruments. 
He  earned  his  MBA  from  the  University  of  Rhode 
Island. 

Charles  Scopelitis  is  completing  his  fourth 
year  as  a  member  of  the  Montville  (Conn.)  Board 
of  Education.  He  serves  as  the  computer  en- 
gineer for  Northeast  Utilities  at  the  Millstone 
Point  Generating  Station  and  conducts  a  work- 
study  program  at  Millstone  for  area  high  school 
students  planning  to  study  engineering. . . . 
Richard  Socha  has  been  named  United  States 
research  fellow  for  the  U.S.  —  U.S.S.R.  program 
of  cooperation  in  research  on  chemical  catalysis. 
Currently  a  graduate  student  at  WPI,  he  will  be 
spending  six  months  in  the  Soviet  Union  during 
the  program.  .  .  .  C.  Stephen  Szlatenyi,  Jr. 
received  his  doctor  of  medicine  degree  from 
Albany  (N.Y.)  Medical  College  of  Union  Univer- 
sity in  May.  He  will  serve  his  internship  at  the 
Mary  Imogene  Bassett  Hospital  in  Cooperstown, 
N.Y.  He  plans  to  go  into  emergency  medicine. 

1974 

^■Married:  Firdos  N.  Khericha  and  Miss  Judith  F. 
MacKay  in  Ashland,  Massachusetts  on  March 
12,  1977.  The  bride  is  a  physical  therapist  at  St. 
Raphael's  Hospital,  New  Haven,  Conn.  She 
graduated  from  the  University  of  Connecticut. 
Her  husband  is  a  civil  engineer  with  the  Congress 
Building  in  New  Haven. .  .  .  Alan  Kirby  and 
Pamela  Barker  in  Madison,  Connecticut  on 
March  26,  1977.  The  bride  is  a  dental  hygienist 
in  Greenwich.  The  groom  is  with  National  CSS  in 
Stamford.  .  .  .  Stephen  E.  Rubin  and  Tracy  L. 
Garrett  on  June  18,  1977  in  Westfield,  New 
Jersey.  Mrs.  Rubin  graduated  from  Smith  Col- 
lege and  will  teach  the  first  grade  at  the  Bryn 
Mawr  School  in  Baltimore,  Md.  Her  husband,  a 
senior  systems  engineer  for  EMC-Controls,  a 
subsidiary  of  the  Electronic  Modules  Corpora- 
tion in  Cockeysville,  Md.,  is  also  attending  the 
University  of  Baltimore  Law  School. 

>Born:  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Michael  Kozakiewicz  a 
daughter,  Emily,  on  March  14,  1977. 
Kozakiewicz  works  for  Eastman  Kodak  in 

Rochester,  N.Y to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Martin 

their  first  child,  Steven  Joseph,  on  March  18, 
1977.  Martin  serves  as  a  project  engineer  at 
Monsanto. . . .  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gary  Pontbriand 
a  daughter  on  December  29,  1976.  Gary  is  with 
New  Jersey  Zinc  Co.,  Palmerton,  Pa. 


WPI  Journal/  August  1977/19 


The  DA 


"Because  certain  constitutional  prin- 
ciples properly  require  that  a  person 
accused  of  crime  be  afforded  due  pro- 
cess of  law,  those  charged  with  the 
prosecution  and  defense  of  the  ac- 
cused must  act  at  all  times  to  pre- 
serve this  due  process.  As  an  unin- 
tended result,  the  victims  of  crime 
are  often  treated  with  less  concern  by 
our  criminal  justice  system  then  are 
the  defendants,"  says  Howard  H. 
Shore,  '69,  who  views  the  system 
from  a  unique  vantage  point.  He 
serves  as  a  San  Diego  County  (Calif.) 
Deputy  District  Attorney. 

"Victims  are  frequently  the  last  to 
know  what's  happening  in  their 
cases,  and  can  lose  hard-earned  in- 
come by  having  to  come  to  court  to 
testify,"  he  continues.  "We  try  to  do 
everything  we  can  to  ameliorate  the 
tragedy  that  victims  of  crime  suffer, 
especially  from  acts  of  violence  such 
as  robbery,  rape,  and  assault.  The 
advent  of  'victimology'  is  an  impor- 
tant step  forward  in  the  criminal  jus- 
tice system." 

Currently  concerned  with  all  as- 
pects of  criminal  justice,  just  ten 
short  years  ago  Shore  was  looking 
forward  to  a  career  as  a  mathemati- 
cian. "After  receiving  my  bs  in  math 
from  WPI,  however,  I  decided  to  be- 
come involved  in  a  more  people- 
oriented  profession.  I  also  wanted  to 
get  a  taste  of  the  Southern  California 
lifestyle,"  he  explains.  "All  at  once  I 
found  myself  living  in  San  Diego  and 
attending  the  University  of  San  Diego 
Law  School." 

During  his  first  summer  in  San 
Diego,  the  future  Deputy  D.  A. 
worked  as  a  night  watchman  at  a 
hotel  construction  site  from  9  pm  to  5 
am  and  as  a  waiter  from  10  am  to  3 
pm.  In  the  fall  of  1970,  he  published  a 
book  of  poetry  entitled  Let  Me  Turn 
You  On,  My  Friend,  A  Collection  of 
Poems  for  the  Mindandsoul.  The 
book  combined  his  poems  that  had 
appeared  in  the  Tech  News  (he  was 
editor-in-chief)  with  new  material  he 
had  composed  in  California. 


20 /August  1977  /WPI  Journal 


"I  found  the  writing  project  satisfy- 
ing," Shore  relates.  "The  book  sold 
well  locally  and  through  the  mail. 
More  importantly,  I  began  receiving 
scores  of  letters  from  readers  sharing 
their  innermost  feelings  with  me, 
apparently  in  response  to  my  own 
open  expression  of  personal  feelings.  I 
was  intensely  moved  by  many  of  the 
letters.  This  communication  was  a 
perfect  palliative  for  the  overwhelm- 
ing pile  of  legalese  that  formed  the 
basis  of  my  first  year  of  legal  educa- 
tion." 

While  in  law  school,  Shore  became 
involved  in  the  school's  clinical  pro- 
gram, working  one  night  a  week  at  a 
storefront  legal  services  office.  He 
also  became  involved  in  numerous 
"moot  court"  competitions,  arguing 
simulated  cases  to  appellate  court 
panels.  In  1972  the  law  school  fielded 
a  team  of  three,  including  Shore,  for 
the  statewide  Roger  Traynor  Califor- 
nia Competition.  The  team  won  two 
of  three  possible  awards,  with  the  usd 
trio  picking  up  the  honors  for  Best 
Team  Brief,  and  Shore  taking  the 
individual  trophy  for  Outstanding 
Advocate.  Active  as  a  member  of  the 
San  Diego  Law  Review,  he  published 
the  first  law  review  article  on  the 
legal  implications  of  international 
marine  archaeological  sites. 

Tops  in  his  international  law  class 
of  75  students,  his  professor 
suggested  that  he  consider  studying 
abroad  after  obtaining  his  juris  doctor 
degree  from  usd.  Taking  his  profes- 
sor's advice,  Shore  attended  the  mas- 
ter of  laws  (ll.m.)  program  at  the 
London  School  of  Economics  and 
Political  Science  (lse)  from  1972  to 
1973.  In  London,  he  pursued  various 
aspects  of  international  law,  as  well 
as  comparative  criminal  law  and  sen- 
tencing, lse  awarded  him  a  scholar- 
ship to  attend  a  summer  session  of 
the  Hague  Academy  of  International 
Law  in  the  Netherlands. 


Shore  reports,  "After  being 
awarded  the  ll.m.  degree,  I  had 
planned  to  seek  employment  with 
the  State  Department,  where  I  could 
utilize  my  training  in  international 
law.  But  I  decided  to  return  to  San 
Diego  to  develop  my  skills  as  a  trial 
attorney.  I  arrived  in  the  U.S.  in  late 
1973,  was  hired  by  the  San  Diego 
County  District  Attorney's  Office, 
and  have  been  there  ever  since." 

Along  with  119  other  deputy  dis- 
trict attorneys,  Shore  is  responsible 
for  the  prosecution  of  felonies  and 
misdemeanors  covering  the  entire 
spectrum  of  criminal  violations, 
making  the  job  both  stimulating  and 
varied.  In  addition  to  gaining  insight 
into  the  procedural  aspects  of  the 
criminal  justice  system,  he  has  been 
involved  in  a  wide  range  of  prosecu- 
tions, including  rape,  child  abuse, 
fraud,  burglary,  robbery,  and  criminal 
homicides.  He  also  has  become  deeply 
concerned  about  the  victims  of  these 
crimes. 

While  in  his  present  office,  Shore 
has  authored  several  articles  for  dis- 
tribution to  local  law  enforcement 
agencies,  including  articles  on  "bad 
check"  prosecutions  and  on  offenses 
involving  disturbances  of  the  peace. 
He  has  guest  lectured  at  several 
schools  and  colleges,  and  anticipates 
becoming  more  involved  in  the 
teaching  of  law. 

"Unquestionably,"  he  says,  "my 
greatest  stimulation  comes  from 
battling  it  out  in  the  'pits' — my  trial 
work."  The  excitement  is  generated 
by  the  many  variables  involved  in 
prosecution:  the  background  and 
attitudes  of  judges  and  jurors,  the 
constant  planning  in  anticipation  of 
possible  defenses  and  testimony  of 
witnesses,  the  impact  of  cross- 
examination,  argument  to  the  jury, 
and  sentencing  of  the  convicted. 

"Ironically,  legal  reasoning  itself  is 
mathematical,  based  on  synthesis 
and  deduction,"  he  explains.  "But,  of 
course,  law  also  encompasses  that 
great  unknown:  human  nature.  It  is 
this  human  factor  that  imbues  each 
case  with  its  own  unique  drama  and 
tension,  its  own  peculiar  formula  for 
what  hopefully  will  be  a  just  verdict." 


During  his  leisure  time  Shore  in- 
volves himself  with  writing  poetry, 
playing  basketball  and  racquetball  (to 
untie  the  proverbial  knots),  body  surf- 
ing, playing  sax,  studying  Spanish, 
motorcycling  San  Diego  County's 
superb  ranch,  farm,  mountain,  and 
desert  roads,  and  just  plain  "carous- 
ing." "It's  easy  to  be  a  hedonist 
around  here,"  he  says.  "I  love  it." 

Because  he  enjoys  his  work,  he  has 
no  plans  to  leave  office.  He  expects  to 
complement  his  trial  work  by  teach- 
ing law,  publishing  more  poetry,  and 
by  enjoying  whatever  opportunities 
and  challenges  come  his  way. 

"I'm  happy  with  my  present  life 
style,"  Shore  asserts.  "My  house  has  a 
panoramic  view  of  San  Diego's  Mis- 
sion Bay.  I  have  a  great  many  friends 
here  and  in  L.  A.  Most  of  all,  I  feel  that 
I'm  making  a  positive  contribution  to 
the  American  criminal  justice  sys- 
tem." 


WPI  Journal  /  August  1 977  /  21 


Stuart  Daniels  has  joined  Teknor  Apex  Co.  of 
Pawtucket,  R.I.,  where  he  serves  as  a  rubber  and 
plastics  chemist. . .  .  Steven  McGrath,  who 
recently  received  his  M.B.A.  from  the  Wharton 
School  at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  now 
works  as  a  consultant  for  Booz,  Allen  and  Hamil- 
ton at  one  of  their  divisions  located  in  Florham 

Park,  N.J Brother  James  Morabito,  MNS,  has 

been  ordained  a  deacon  of  the  Salesians  of  St. 
John  Bosco  at  Christ  the  King  Church  in  Colum- 
bus, Ohio.  Currently  he  is  in  his  third  year  of 
theology  at  the  Pontifical  College  Josephinum  in 
Columbus,  where  he  is  engaged  in  CCD  work, 
parish  recreational  programs,  and  with  delin- 
quent youth  in  the  area  detention  facility. . . . 
Stephen  Page  is  now  an  associate  of  Gunster, 
Yoakley,  Criser,  Stewart  and  Hersey,  a  law  firm 
in  Palm  Beach,  Fla.  He  graduated  with  honor 
from  Stetson  University  College  of  Law,  from 
which  he  recently  received  his  juris  doctor. 

This  August  Peter  Petroski  is  moving  to  Boise, 
Idaho,  where  he  will  continue  to  serve  as  a 
development  engineer  with  Hewlett-Packard  in 
the  Disc  Memory  Division.  .  . .  Neil  Poulin  has 
completed  requirements  for  a  MS  degree  in  solid 
state  physics  from  the  University  of  Vermont.  His 
major  area  of  research  dealt  with  ternary  metal 
alloy  systems.  He  is  a  thin  films  process  engineer 
for  IBM  Corp.  in  Burlington.  .  .  .  Arthur 
Quitadamo,  SIM,  has  been  promoted  from  as- 
sistant vice  president  to  vice  president  at 
Worcester  County  National  Bank.  He  holds  a 
degree  from  Worcester  Junior  College  and 
joined  the  bank  in  1973  as  assistant  vice  presi- 
dent in  the  international  department.  Also,  he  is 
director  and  treasurer  of  the  Family  Health  and 
Social  Service  Corp.  and  vice  president  and 
director  of  the  International  Center  of  Worces- 
ter. . . .  Kenneth  Szeflinski  is  a  statistician  with 
the  IRS  in  Washington,  D.C.  His  wife,  Diane 
(Laveglia),  an  Anna  Maria  graduate,  is  a  junior 
high  school  English  teacher  in  Maryland. 

1975 

>Married:  William  A.  Johnson  and  Miss  Nancy 
M.  Nesta  on  June  4, 1977  in  Branford,  Connec- 
ticut. The  bride  is  a  Becker  graduate.  The  groom 
is  with  Bose  Corporation  in  Framingham,  Mass. 
. . .  Lt.  Ralph  F.  Miller  and  Miss  Diana  L.  O'Dell 
on  February  1 1 ,  1977  in  Pirmasens,  Germany, 
where  both  are  stationed.  Mrs.  Miller  graduated 
from  the  University  of  Oregon  and  currently 
serves  as  a  recreation  specialist  for  the  Army 
Overseas  Recreation  Program.  The  bridegroom 
is  the  maintenance  officer  in  the  546th  Mainte- 
nance Company. . .  .  Miss  Judith  B.  Nitsch  to 
Robert  H.  Donnellan  in  Southwick,  Mas- 
sachusetts on  May  28, 1977.  Bridesmaids  in- 
cluded Jean  Reny,  75,  and  Paula  Fragassi  De- 
laney,  76.  The  bride  works  as  a  project  engineer 
with  Schofield  Brothers,  Inc.  of  Framingham.  Her 
husband,  also  with  Schofield,  is  a  land  surveyor. 
He  attended  Northeastern  University  and 
Greenfield  Community  College.  .  .  .  Darrell  S. 
Trasko  to  Miss  Judith  E.  Farias  in  Fall  River, 
Massachusetts  on  June  4, 1977.  Mrs.  Trasko 
graduated  from  the  University  of  Mas- 
sachusetts, Amherst.  The  groom  works  for  Mitre 
Corp.,  Bedford. 

Karenann  Brozowski  is  a  glass  forming  pro- 
cess engineer  at  Corning  Glass  Works,  electrical 
products  division,  in  Central  Falls,  R.I.  . . .  John 
Gabranski,  who  is  working  for  his  MBA  at 
Columbia  University,  has  been  awarded  a  Barr 

Fellowship Jay  Gainsboro  has  moved  back  to 

the  Boston  area,  where  he  is  currently  national 
sales  manager  for  Opus,  Inc. . . .  Temporarily 


MORGAN 

CONSTRUCTION  COMPANY 

15  Belmont  Street.  Worcester,  Mass.  01605 

Serving  the  Ferrous  and  Non- Ferrous  World  Markets  since  1888  as 
Engineers  and  Manufacturers  of  Rolling  Mills,  Morgoil  Bearings, 
Wire  Drawing  Machinery  and  Furnace  Equipment 


jamesbury 

^    I  manufacturers  of 

^-^  Double-Seal  ®  Ball  Valves 

Wafer-Sphere®  Butterfly  Valves 

Actuators 

Control  Devices 

Jamesbury  Corp.  •  640  Lincoln  Street  •  Worcester,  Mass.  01605 


John  Greenstreet  is  working  at  a  space  tracking 

station  in  Alaska  for  General  Electric  Co 

David  Kingsbury  is  now  a  manufacturing  en- 
gineer for  Fisher  Controls  in  Marshalltown, 
Iowa. . . .  Steven  Manzi,  who  graduated  from 
MIT  with  a  master's  in  mechanical  engineering  in 
February,  is  presently  with  the  Corvallis  (Ore.) 
division  of  Hewlett-Packard  Corp.  He  is  a  me- 
chanical design  engineer  in  research  and  devel- 
opment. 

Stephen  Mealy  recently  spent  some  time  on 
San  Clemente  Island  doing  field  work  with  the 
Naval  Ocean  Systems  Center. . . .  Michael 
Rocheleau,  who  has  received  his  master's  in 
mechanical  engineering  from  Northwestern 
University,  Evanston,  III.,  is  now  with  Travenol 
Laboratories  in  Round  Lake,  Illinois. . . .  Dave 
Samara,  a  nuclear  engineer  with  Campus 
America,  a  team  of  touring-lecturing  engineers 
from  Westinghouse,  addressed  a  meeting  of  the 
Concord  (N.H.)  Rotary  in  April.  The  Campus 
America  Program  was  mentioned  in  a  general 
article  on  nuclear  power  in  the  March  21  st  issue 
of  Time. . . .  Walter  Skiba  works  as  a  metallurgi- 
cal engineer  for  Smith  &  Wesson  Division  of 
Bangor  Punta  operations. . . .  Alexander  Vogt  is 
now  employed  by  Stone  and  Webster  on  the 
Rock  Island  Project  in  Wenatchee,  Washington. 


1976 

^Married:  Alexander  L.  Bowers,  Jr.,  to  Miss 
Margaret  L.  Boylan  on  May  28, 1977  in  Worces- 
ter. Mrs.  Bowers  graduated  from  Becker  and  had 
been  a  stenographer  for  the  Shrewsbury  High- 
way and  Public  Buildings  Departments.  Her  hus- 
band is  a  project  engineer  at  General  Dynamics, 
Electric  Boat  Division,  Groton,  Conn.  .  . .  Jeffrey 
W.  Brown  and  Miss  Diane  M.  Lapierre  on  May 
29, 1977  in  Harrisville,  Rhode.  Island.  Mrs. 
Brown  graduated  from  Katharine  Gibbs  School 
and  is  a  secretary  at  Bryant  College.  The  groom  is 
a  field  sales  engineer  for  the  Trane  Company  in 
Lacrosse,  Wis.  ...  Dr.  Jacques  A.  Brunelleto 
Miss  Helen  A.  Mahoney  on  May  28,  1977  in 
Worcester.  Mrs.  Brunelle,  who  holds  a  BS  and 
master  of  education  degree  from  Worcester 
State,  is  head  of  the  mathematics  department  at 
Holden  (Mass.)  Junior  High  School.  Her  husband 
is  in  postdoctoral  research  at  Harvard  Medical 

School  in  Boston John  T.  Germaine  and  Miss 

Barbara  J.  Anderson  in  Springfield,  Mas- 
sachusetts on  June  4,  1977.  The  bride,  who 
manages  the  Clothes  Bin,  is  a  graduate  of  Beck- 
er. The  bridegroom  is  a  graduate  student  at  MIT. 


22  /  August  1 977  /  WPI  Journal 


^■Married:  Andrew  M.  Kopach  and  Miss  Mau- 
reen H.  Kelly  on  April  23,  1977  in  Waterford, 
New  York.  The  bride  graduated  from  Our  Lady 
of  the  Elms  College.  Her  husband  is  employed  by 
Liberty  Mutual  Insurance  Co.  as  a  loss  preven- 
tion representative.  . .  .  Paul  E.  McTaggart  and 
Miss  Susan  A.  Corbitt  in  Barrington,  Rhode 
Island  on  June  4,  1977.  Mrs.  McTaggart  at- 
tended Rhode  Island  College  and  graduated 
from  Bristol  Community  College  of  Dental 
Hygiene.  She  is  a  dental  hygienist  in  North 
Kingstown.  Presently  the  groom  is  enrolled  in 
URI's  mechanical  and  ocean  engineering  pro- 
gram. . . .  Barry  M.Siff  to  Miss  Judith  A.  Bailey  in 
Oak  Park,  Michigan  on  May  8, 1 977.  The  bride  is 
on  the  public  relations  staff  of  General  Motors 
Corporation's  Pontiac  Motor  Division,  Detroit. 
Her  husband  is  a  safety  engineer  with  the  Royal 
Globe  Insurance  Company's  regional  office  in 
Southfield.  .  .  .  Joseph  A.  Tuozzoli  and  Miss 
Claudia  A.  McGrath  on  June  18,  1977  in  Natick, 
Massachusetts.  Mrs.  Tuozzoli  graduated  from 
Worcester  State  and  works  at  Framingham 
Union  Hospital.  The  bridegroom  is  in  the  used 
car  business.  .  .  .  Michael  F.  Whelan  and  Miss 
Anita-Marie  Flori  on  May  22,  1977  in  Provi- 
dence, Rhode  Island.  Mrs.  Whelan  graduated 
from  Rhode  Island  College. 

Alfred  Brewer  recently  received  his  B.S.  in 
aeronautical  science  from  Embry-Riddle  Aero- 
nautical University  in  Daytona  Beach,  Fla.  Brew- 
er, who  accepted  a  position  with  Air  Kaman,  Inc., 
Hartford,  Conn.,  has  a  commercial  pilot's  and 
flight  instructor's  ratings. . .  .  William  Gray  is 
with  Pratt  &  Whitney  Aircraft  in  West  Palm 
Beach,  Fla. .  .  .  Ross  Greenberg  has  left  the 
medical  systems  group  of  Cavitron  Ultrasonics, 
Long  Island  City,  to  enter  the  premedical  pro- 
gram of  Columbia  University.  . .  .  Sterling 
Hassler  has  been  appointed  to  controller  for  the 
Norton  Co.  Grinding  Wheel  Division,  Worcester. 
In  1964  he  began  at  Norton  as  a  computer 
programmer  and  has  held  supervisory  and  man- 
agerial positions  in  data  processing  and  in  fi- 
nance. He  received  a  master's  degree  in  man- 
agement science  from  WPI. 

Joseph  Lucchesi  is  a  graduate  student  at 
LaSalle  College  in  Philadelphia. .  .  .  Tom  Mc- 
Aloon  is  a  graduate  student  in  environmental 
engineering  at  the  University  of  Massachusetts. 
...  Dr.  David  Sawyer  serves  as  a  senior  staff 
member  in  the  electronic  technology  division  at 
the  National  Bureau  of  Standards  in 
Washington,  D.C.  Recently  he  returned  from  a 
four-month  assignment  with  the  Energy  Re- 
search and  Development  Administration  where 
he  assisted  in  their  solar  cell  effort.  He  received 
the  1 976  IR- 100  Award  from  Industrial  Re- 
search Magazine  in  ceremonies  at  the  Chicago 
Museum  of  Science  for  his  work  titled:  "Laser 
Flying — Spot  Scanner."  The  apparatus  is  useful 
for  design  and  analysis  of  operation  of  semicon- 
ductor devices  such  as  transistors.  The  IR-100 
awards  recognize  the  100  most  significant  tech- 
nical developments  of  the  year. . .  .  Currently 
Paula  Stratouly  is  with  Exxon  Corp.  in 
Springfield,  Mass.  .  .  .  Steven  Tuckerman  is  a 
graduate  student  in  regional  planning  at  the 
University  of  Massachusetts. 


Dr.  Benjamin  A.  Wooten,  Jr.,  a  native  of 
Opelika,  Ala.  and  professor  of  physics  at  WPI 
since  1957,  died  June  25,  1977  at  his  home  in 
Princeton,  Massachusetts.  He  was  60  years  old. 

Dr.  Wooten  received  his  bachelor's  degree 
from  the  University  of  Alabama  in  1937  and  his 
master's  degree  and  doctorate  from  Columbia 
University.  Prior  to  going  to  WPI,  he  taught  at 
Columbia,  Hunter  College,  Alabama  Polytechnic 
Institute,  Southwestern  at  Memphis  and  the 
College  of  the  City  of  New  York. 

He  belonged  to  the  American  Physical  Society, 
was  a  fellow  of  the  American  Association  of  the 
Advancement  of  Science,  a  past  president  of 
Sigma  Xi  fraternity,  and  a  member  of  Phi  Beta 
Kappa,  Alpha  Tau  Omega,  and  the  Children's 
Friend  Society.  He  had  served  as  a  former  ves- 
tryman and  senior  warden  of  St.  Francis  Epis- 
copal Church,  Holden.  For  several  years  he 
taught  at  the  Wachusett  Regional  High  School 
Science  Seminar. 

Dr.  Wooten  established  a  research  program  in 
high  energy  nuclear  physics  at  WPI  and  for  five 
years  served  as  chairman  of  the  graduate  study 
committee.  He  served  on  several  WPI  commit- 
tees on  the  revaluation  of  research  goals. 

Luke  N.  Zaccaro,  a  former  professor  of  mathe- 
matics at  WPI,  died  March  19,  1977  in  Roswell 
Park  Memorial  Institute  in  Buffalo,  New  York  at 
the  age  of  53. 

He  joined  the  WPI  faculty  in  1964  and  taught 
mathematics  there  until  1972.  For  the  past  four 
years  he  had  been  chairman  of  the  mathematics 
department  at  Youngstown  (Ohio)  State  Uni- 
versity. Previously  he  had  taught  at  Syracuse 
University,  Georgetown  University,  the  Univer- 
sity of  Rhode  Island,  and  Hiram  (Ohio)  College. 

Dr.  Zaccaro  graduated  from  the  University  of 
Connecticut  and  received  his  master's  degree 
there  in  1949.  In  1957  he  received  his  doctorate 
from  Syracuse  University.  He  was  a  native  of 
Hartford,  Conn. 

George  A.  Barratt,  '09,  former  plant  engineer  for 
American  Thread  Co.,  Holyoke,  Mass.,  died 
February  1 1 ,  1977  in  St.  Peter's  Medical  Center, 
New  Brunswick,  New  Jersey.  He  was  89. 

Born  in  Millbury,  Mass.,  he  later  graduated 
from  WPI  as  an  electrical  engineer  in  1909.  He 
became  associated  with  General  Electric,  Ameri- 
can Thread  Co.,  and  finally  Hercules  Powder 
Co.,  where  he  was  service  superintendent  for  24 
years. 

He  belonged  to  ASME  and  the  New  Jersey 
Society  of  Professional  Engineers.  A  consulting 
engineer  for  South  Amboy  and  East  Brunswick, 
N.J.  water  departments,  he  also  was  a  charter 
member  of  the  Middlesex  County  Personnel 
Club. 


Leslie  E.  Swift,  '09,  of  Bethlehem,  Pennsylvania 
died  in  May  at  the  age  of  91 . 

After  graduating  as  a  civil  engineer  at  WPI,  he 
worked  for  Riter  Conley  Mfg.  Co.  and  McClintic 
Marshall  Co.  prior  to  World  War  I.  During  the 
war  he  was  with  Atlantic  Refining  Co.  and 
United  Gas  Import  Co.  In  1931  he  retired  from 
Bethlehem  Steel.  Later  he  joined  Barrett  Herrick 
&  Co.,  investment  bankers.  For  the  past  seven 
years  he  had  been  in  a  nursing  home. 

E.  Donald  Beach,  '11,  civic  leader  and  former 
plant  manager  for  General  Fibre  Box  Co.,  West 
Springfield,  died  at  his  home  in  Longmeadow, 
Massachusetts  on  May  14,  1977. 

Born  in  Orange,  N.J.  on  Nov.  16,  1889,  he 
later  graduated  from  WPI  as  a  civil  engineer.  He 
became  associated  with  Western  Union  Tele- 
graph Co.,  Turner  Construction  Co.,  Atlantic  & 
Pacific  Tea  Co.,  and  Worcester  Salt  Co.  He 
served  as  manufacturing  manager  and  plant 
superintendent  for  General  Fibre  Box  Co.  from 
1928  until  his  retirement  in  1951 . 

A  member  of  Phi  Gamma  Delta,  Mr.  Beach 
also  belonged  to  Tau  Beta  Pi  and  Sigma  Xi.  He 
was  a  member  of  Rotary;  a  trustee  of  the  Eastern 
States  Exposition;  founder,  director  and  first 
president  of  the  Springfield  Ski  Club;  an  incor- 
porator of  the  United  Fund  of  Greater 
Springfield;  and  a  director  of  the  Mt.  Tom  Ski 
area. 

Stuart  P.  Miller,  '14,  of  Johns  Island,  South 
Carolina,  passed  away  on  January  26,  1977. 

He  was  born  on  October  25,  1892  in  East 
Hampton,  Conn.  In  1914  he  received  his  BS  in 
chemistry  from  WPI.  From  1915  until  1952  he 
was  with  the  Barrett  Co.,  later  the  Barrett  Divi- 
sion of  Allied  Chemical  Corp.  He  retired  as 
technical  director. 

Mr.  Miller  belonged  to  ACS,  AICE,  and  New 
York  Botanical  Garden,  where  he  was  a  life 
member.  He  also  belonged  to  Sigma  Xi  and  had 
served  as  a  trustee  of  Charleston  (S.C.)  County 
Hospital  and  as  a  former  president  of  the 
Philadelphia  chapter  of  the  Alumni  Association. 

Howard  C.  Barnes,  '15,  of  Ashfield,  Mas- 
sachusetts died  on  April  30,  1977  at  the  age  of 
84.  He  was  a  former  assessor  and  selectman  in 
Ashfield  for  many  years. 

He  was  born  on  December  2,  1892  in  Shel- 
burne  Falls,  Mass.  After  receiving  his  BSEE  from 
WPI  he  joined  the  American  Telephone  &  Tele- 
graph Co.,  then  spent  four  years  with  New  York 
Telephone.  In  1925  he  returned  to  A.  T.  &  T. 
from  which  he  retired  in  1952. 

Mr.  Barnes  belonged  to  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon, 
Skull,  Telephone  Pioneers  and  the  Ashfield  Rod 
and  Gun  Club. 

Walter  F.  Conlin,  Sr.,  '17,  passed  away  in 
Framingham  (Massachusetts)  Union  Hospital  on 
April  29,  1977.  He  was  82  years  old. 

For  forty  six  years  he  was  a  project  manager 
with  Turner  Construction  Co.  of  New  York  City. 
His  responsibilities  included  the  construction  of 
the  U.S.  Navy  test  basin  in  Carderock,  Md.,  the 
Port  Authority  bus  terminal  in  New  York,  the 
home  office  of  State  Mutual  Life  Assurance 
Company  of  America  in  Worcester,  and  the 
approach  to  the  George  Washington  Bridge  in 
New  York  City.  He  retired  in  1965. 

Mr.  Conlin,  who  was  a  native  of  Hudson, 
Mass.,  belonged  to  the  "Moles"  in  New  York 
City.  In  1917  he  graduated  as  a  civil  engineer 
from  WPI.  He  was  the  father  of  Walter  F.  Conlin, 
Jr.,  '46 


WPI  Journal  /  August  1 977  /  23 


John  W.  Coghlin,  '19,  chairman  of  the  board  of 
Coghlin  Electric  Co.  and  treasurer  of  Coghlin's, 
Inc.,  died  on  April  2, 1977  in  Worcester. 

Born  in  Worcester  on  May  4,  1 897,  he  was 
associated  with  Coghlin's  Electric  for  58  years, 
having  served  for  a  number  of  years  as  president. 
In  1919  he  received  his  BSME  from  WPI. 

Mr.  Coghlin,  who  received  an  honorary  doc- 
tor of  engineering  degree  from  WPI  in  1963,  was 
a  member  of  Phi  Gamma  Delta  Fraternity.  He 
was  a  life  member  and  secretary  of  the  board  of 
trustees  of  the  college.  In  1936  and  1937  he  was 
president  of  the  Worcester  Chapter  of  the 
Alumni  Association,  and  from  1951  to  1954  he 
served  as  chairman  of  the  Alumni  Fund  Board.  In 
1966  he  was  made  an  honorary  cadet  colonel  in 
the  Army  ROTC.  He  received  the  Herbert  F. 
Taylor  Award  for  outstanding  service  to  the 
Alumni  Association  in  1973. 

Mr.  Coghlin  was  a  member  of  the  board  of 
trustees  of  Hahnemann  Hospital,  a  former 
member  of  the  board  of  Mechanics  Savings 
Bank,  and  the  Airport  Commission.  He  belonged 
to  the  Worcester  Club,  Worcester  Country  Club, 
Rotary  Club  (50  years),  National  Association  of 
Electrical  Distributors,  and  the  Worcester  Area 
Chamber  of  Commerce. 

George  L.  White,  '20,  the  retired  vice  president 
of  production  at  the  former  Joseph  Bancroft  & 
Sons  Co.,  died  June  1 ,  1977  in  Wilmington, 
Delaware.  He  was  79. 

A  native  of  Springfield,  Mass.,  he  later  studied 
at  WPI,  and  graduated  in  1920  as  a  mechanical 
engineer.  During  his  career  he  was  associated 
with  Reed  &  Prince,  Worcester;  Farr  Alpaca  Co., 
Holyoke,  Mass.;  and  Arnold  Print  Works,  North 
Adams,  prior  to  moving  to  Wilmington  and 
joining  Joseph  Bancroft  &  Sons  Co.  He  retired  in 
1958. 

He  belonged  to  Phi  Sigma  Kappa,  Skull,  and 
various  Masonic  orders.  He  was  the  brother  of 
Irving  S.  White,  '31  and  the  father  of  Donald  K. 
White,  51. 

Ernest  M.  Schiller,  '22,  of  Cleveland,  Ohio 
passed  away  on  February  24, 1977. 

He  was  born  on  February  1 , 1 900  in  Acushnet, 
Mass.  After  receiving  his  BSME  from  WPI  in 
1 922 ,  he  joined  General  Electric  Co.  At  his 
retirement  in  1965  he  was  the  manager  of 
manufacturing  engineering,  leads  and  bases,  in 
the  lamp  components  department  of  the  lamp 
division. 

Mr.  Schiller  belonged  to  Sigma  Xi,  the  Cleve- 
land Engineering  Society,  the  Elfun  Society  at 
GE,  the  Cleveland  Citizens  League,  and  the 
Masons.  He  was  a  professional  engineer  in  Ohio 
and  a  former  president  of  the  Rhode  Island 
chapter  of  the  Alumni  Association. 


Roger  A.  Fuller,  '24,  of  Holmes  Beach,  Florida, 
died  on  October  27, 1976. 

He  was  born  on  March  26, 1901  in  Worcester. 
In  1924  he  graduated  from  WPI  with  a  degree  in 
electrical  engineering.  For  many  years  he  was 
with  the  General  Electric  Co.  in  Fort  Wayne,  Ind., 
where  he  was  an  application  engineer  in  the 
specialty  motor  department.  He  was  a  member 
of  Tau  Beta  Pi. 

Leslie  J.  Hooper,  '24,  retired  director  of  Alden 
Research  Laboratories,  and  a  retired  professor  of 
hydraulics  engineering  at  WPI,  died  on  April  9, 
1977  while  visiting  friends  in  Millington,  Mary- 
land. 

Following  his  graduation  as  a  mechanical  en- 
gineer from  WPI,  he  was  hydraulics  engineer  for 
Canadian  General  Finance  Co.  of  Brazil  until 
1927.  Back  in  the  U.S.,  be  became  an  assistant  to 
Prof.  C.  M  Allen,  director  of  the  Alden  labora- 
tory, an  association  which  lasted  until  Prof. 
Allen's  death  in  1950.  During  the  1930's  they 
wrote  numerous  technical  papers.  By  World  War 
II  Prof.  Hooper  was  an  established  hydraulics 
authority  and  conducted  important  secret  re- 
search projects  for  the  Navy  at  the  laboratory. 
He  also  helped  develop  the  Navy's  Underwater 
and  Sound  Laboratory  in  New  London,  Conn. 

In  1931  Prof.  Hooper  took  a  part-time  teach- 
ing position  at  WPI  and  in  1938  was  named  an 
assistant  professor.  In  1945  he  became  a  full 
professor.  From  1 934  to  1 936  he  was  a  Freeman 
Scholar  of  the  Boston  Society  of  Civil  Engineers, 
reporting  on  hydraulics  in  this  country  and 
Canada.  He  received  the  junior  award  of  ASME 
for  his  reports. 

An  internationally  recognized  authority  in  his 
field,  he  earned  many  honors.  He  was  elected  to 
Tau  Beta  Pi  and  Sigma  Xi.  He  had  served  as  a 
director  of  the  Boston  Society  of  Civil  Engineers 
and  past  chairman  of  the  hydraulics  division  of 
ASME,  which  elected  him  a  fellow  in  1960.  He 
was  a  former  chairman  of  the  Bureau  of  Ordi- 
nance Hydroballistic  Commission,  named  a  fel- 
low of  ASCE,  and  appointed  as  a  U.S.  delegate  to 
the  International  Test  Code  meeting  in  Zurich, 
Switzerland  in  1957.  In  1959  he  was  the  chief 
U.S.  delegate  to  an  international  conference  in 
Madrid,  Spain,  and  other  conferences  in  Switzer- 
land, Italy,  Japan,  Tasmania,  England,  and  Ger- 
many. He  retired  from  WPI  in  1968,  was  named 
professor  emeritus,  and  continued  as  a  consul- 
tant to  Alden  laboratory  and  to  numerous  com- 
panies throughout  the  world. 

Prof.  Hooper,  who  had  received  the  profes- 
sional degree  in  mechanical  engineering  from 
WPI  in  1928,  was  awarded  an  honorary  degree 
of  doctor  of  engineering  at  WPI's  1964  com- 
mencement. He  also  received  the  Robert  H. 
Goddard  Award  for  outstanding  professional 
achievement  from  WPI  last  year  and  the 
Worcester  Engineering  Society's  Scientific 
Achievement  Award  in  1970. 

He  was  born  in  Essex,  Mass.  on  Feb.  15, 1903. 
A  former  member  of  the  President's  Advisory 
Council  at  WPI,  he  also  had  served  on  the  Flood 
Committee  for  the  City  of  Worcester. 

Edward  J.  Kearnan,  '27,  of  Albany,  New  York 
passed  away  suddenly  on  October  28,  1976. 

He  was  born  on  November  20, 1 905  in  North- 
bridge,  Mass.  For  many  years  he  was  principal 
civil  engineer  for  highway  planning  in  the  New 
York  State  Department  of  Public  Works  and  in 
the  Department  of  Transportation. 

Mr.  Kearnan,  a  member  of  ATO,  studied  civil 
engineering  at  WPI.  He  belonged  to  the  New 
York  State  Society  of  Professional  Engineers  and 
the  New  York  State  Highway  Engineers. 


Max  Hurowitz,  '23,  who  owned  the  University 
Pharmacy  in  Worcester  from  1924  until  1969, 
died  in  St.  Vincent  Hospital  on  March  15,  1977. 

Hewas  born  in  Smoleon,  Russia  on  August  14, 
1901 .  In  1923  he  received  his  B-.S.  in  chemistry 
from  WPI.  For  45  years  he  owned  and  operated 
the  University  Pharmacy  on  Maywood  Street  in 
Worcester.  Previously  he  had  been  with  Kanef 
Drug  Co.  and  Arkus  Pharmacy. 

Mr.  Hurowitz  was  vice  president  of  Tifereth 
Israel  Synagogue  and  belonged  to  B'nai  Brith 
600,  Worcester  Zionist  Organization  of  America, 
the  Massachusetts  State  Pharmaceutical  Associ- 
ation, New  England  Mizarchi  Organization,  and 
Sons  of  Jacob  Synagogue.  He  was  a  contributing 
member  to  the  Jewish  Home  for  the  Aged,  a  past 
president  of  Yeshiva  Achei  Tmimim  and  Tifereth 
Israel  Synagogue,  and  treasurer  of  the  Talmud 
Association  of  the  Synagogue.  For  the  past  ten 
years  he  played  violin  and  viola  with  the  Worces- 
ter State  College  Orchestra.  He  belonged  to 
AEPi. 

Joseph  L.  Guidi,  '28,  retired  president  and 
chairman  of  the  board  of  the  Union  Gear  and 
Sprocket  Company,  Quincy,  Massachusetts, 
died  on  March  27, 1977.  He  was  69  years  old. 
A  native  of  Via  Teggio,  Italy,  he  came  to  the 
U.S.  as  a  boy  and  later  studied  mechanical 
engineering  at  WPI.  For  many  years  he  was  with 
Union  Gear  and  Sprocket  Co.,  becoming  presi- 
dent of  the  firm  in  1968.  He  was  a  member  of 
Skull  and  ATO. 

Russell  V.  Corsini,  '31 ,  former  president  of 
Denholm  and  McKay  Co.,  Worcester,  was 
stricken  and  died  behind  the  wheel  of  his  car  in  a 
shopping  center  in  Juno  Beach,  Florida  on  April 
25, 1977.  He  was  68. 

A  well-known  Worcester  businessman,  tennis 
player,  and  teacher,  Mr.  Corsini  retired  as  presi- 
dent of  Denholm's  in  1972.  He  joined  the  store 
staff  as  a  floorwalker  in  1 938  after  spending  four 
years  teaching  at  North  High  School,  Worcester. 

He  graduated  from  WPI  as  a  chemist  in  1931 
and  received  his  master's  degree  in  chemistry  in 
1933.  A  member  of  Sigma  Xi,  SAE,  and  Tau  Beta 
Pi,  Mr.  Corsini  also  had  served  as  director  of  the 
Worcester  Area  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  as 
trustee  for  the  Bay  State  Savings  Bank  in  Worces- 
ter. He  belonged  to  the  Worcester  Country  Club 
and  Worcester  Tennis  Club 

Mr.  Corsini  was  born  on  August  30,  1908  in 
Plymouth,  Mass.  Besides  being  an  avid  golfer 
and  tennis  player,  he  enjoyed  playing  semi- 
classical  and  popular  pieces  on  the  piano  at 
home.  He  was  a  former  president  of  the  Worces- 
ter chapter  of  the  Alumni  Association. 

William  D.  Ravenscroft,  Sr.,  '31  of  Litchfield, 
Connecticut,  former  manager  of  Avalon  Farms, 
passed  away  on  March  14,  1977  at  the  age  of 
68. 

He  was  born  on  February  1, 1909  in  Litchfield. 
Later  he  studied  at  WPI.  In  1970  he  retired  as 
chairman  of  the  Board  of  Finance  for  the  town  of 
Litchfield.  He  was  a  former  treasurer  of  the 
Bantam  Fire  Company  and  belonged  to  the 
Masons  and  ATO. 


24  /  August  1 977  /  WPI  Journal 


John  H.  Porteus,  '32,  of  Daytona  Beach,  Florida 
died  on  January  27,  1977  at  Community  Hospi- 
tal He  was  68. 

He  received  his  BSCE  in  1932  Among  his 
employers  were  Jackson  &  Moreland,  Boston, 
DravcoCorp  ,  Pittsburgh,  Pa.;  Luria  Engineering 
Co.,  Bethlehem,  Pa.;  and  Rust  Engineering  Co., 
Pittsburgh,  from  which  he  retired  as  a  consulting 
engineer 

Mr.  Porteus  was  born  in  South  Shields,  En- 
gland on  September23, 1908.  In  1936  he  served 
as  assistant  alumni  secretary  at  WPI .  He  be- 
longed to  ASCE,  ACI,  AIME,  AISE,  Phi  Camma 
Delta,  and  Sigma  Xi. 

William  C.  Salmon,  '32,  of  South  Yarmouth, 
Massachusetts  died  on  March  22, 1977  at  the 
age  of  66. 

He  was  a  retired  contract  specialist  for  the 

Department  of  the  Navy,  and  had  served  in 
various  locations  either  in  a  military  or  civilian 
capacity  with  the  Navy  since  1940.  A  World  War 
II  veteran,  he  also  was  a  Korean  War  Navy 
veteran,  and  retired  with  the  rank  of  com- 
mander. 

He  graduated  as  an  electrical  engineer  from 
WPI.  He  attended  Harvard  Business  School  and 
graduated  from  Suffolk  Law  School.  He  be- 
longed to  Phi  Kappa  Theta,  the  American  Le- 
gion, and  the  Knights  of  Columbus. 

Waldo  E.  Bass,  '33,  of  Little  Falls,  New  Jersey 
died  on  December  12,  1976  at  the  age  of  64. 

He  was  born  in  Willimantic,  Conn,  on  May  8, 
1912.  In  1933  he  graduated  as  an  electrical 
engineer  from  WPI.  He  had  been  associated  with 
Consolidated  Edison,  Republic  Flow  Meters  and 
Ideal  Roller  Co.,  all  of  New  York  City.  In  1949he 
founded  West  Essex  Printing  Plates,  Inc.,  in 
Caldwell,  N.J.  He  retired  in  1974  as  president  of 
the  firm. 

Mr.  Bass,  a  member  of  Phi  Sigma  Kappa,  was  a 
former  president  of  the  New  York  Chapter  of  the 
Alumni  Association.  He  had  also  served  as  a 
delegate  to  the  Alumni  Council.  He  was  active  in 
many  printing  and  flexographic  organizations 
until  his  retirement. 


Albert  O.  Bell,  '33,  retired  plant  manager  and 
civic  leader,  died  suddenly  on  April  13,  1977  in 
Leominster  (Massachusetts)  Hospital. 

Four  years  ago  he  retired  as  a  plant  manager 
of  E  I .  du  Pont  de  Nemours  &  Company,  after 
forty  years  with  the  firm.  He  had  been  the 
manager  of  Du  Pont's  Doyle  Works  in  Leomin- 
ster 

He  was  a  native  of  Fitchburg,  Mass.-,  where  he 
was  born  on  May  17,  1910  He  belonged  to 
Theta  Chi  and  graduated  from  WPI  with  his 
BSME.  Active  in  civic  matters,  he  was  a  member 
of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  Pilgrim  Congrega- 
tional Church,  vice  president  of  the  Leominster 
Savings  Bank,  past  president  and  trustee  of  both 
Leominster  Hospital  and  Public  Library,  a  past 
president  of  the  Rotary  Club,  and  former  United 
Fund  Chairman. 

George  A.  Northridge,  '34,  of  Auburn,  Mas- 
sachusetts died  on  January  22,  1977. 

A  Worcester  native,  he  was  born  on  Jan.  27, 
1 91 1 .  He  studied  at  WPI ,  became  a  real  estate 
agent,  then  worked  for  Wright  Machine  Co.  He 
served  in  the  Air  Force  during  World  War  II.  For 
many  years  he  was  with  American  Steel  &  Wire 
Co.  in  Worcester  (U.S.  Steel  Corp.). 

Thomas  B.  Graham,  '38,  a  WPI  trustee  and 
internationally  known  attorney  in  the  field  of 
patent  law,  died  in  the  White  Plains  (New  York) 
Hospital  on  March  25,  1977  at  the  age  of  60. 

He  had  been  a  partner  in  the  law  firm  of 
Emery,  Whittemore,  Sandoe  &  Graham,  New 
York  City  and  had  specialized  in  patents, 
copyrights  and  trademarks  for  30  years.  He  had 
also  served  as  an  adjunct  professor  of  law  of 
industrial  and  technological  property  at  the 
Polytechnic  Institute  of  Brooklyn. 

After  receiving  his  BS  and  MS  in  chemical 
engineering  at  WPI,  Mr.  Graham  attended 
Georgetown  University  from  which  he  received 
his  law  degree  in  1946.  During  World  War  II  he 
was  a  patent  adviser  at  the  Naval  Research 
Laboratory  in  Washington.  During  his  career  he 
was  a  technical  assistant  to  patent  counsel  at 
Allied  Chemical;  assistant  patent  counsel  with 
the  Pure  Oil  Company;  a  partner  in  a  large  New 
York  law  firm;  and  a  self-employed  patent  law 
attorney,  reopening  his  own  office  in  1965. 

Mr.  Graham,  a  Worcester  native,  was  a 
member  of  the  bar  in  the  District  of  Columbia, 
Illinois,  and  New  York.  He  was  admitted  to 
practice  before  the  U.S.  Patent  Office,  the 
Canadian  Patent  Office,  and  the  U.S.  Supreme 
Court.  He  belonged  to  the  Patent-Trademark- 
Copyright  Section  and  the  Anti-Trust  Section  of 
the  American  Bar  Association;  the  New  York 
Patent  Law  Association;  the  American  Patent 
Law  Association;  the  Chemical  Practice  Commit- 
tee; and  Sigma  Xi. 

He  was  the  first  president  of  the  Bramlee 
Heights  Association  in  Scarsdale  and  founded 
Boy  Scout  Troop  60  at  the  Congregational 
Church,  where  he  was  a  trustee.  He  was  a  past 
president  of  the  New  York  chapter  of  the  WPI 
Alumni  Association,  a  former  member  of  the 
Alumni  Council,  Alumni  Fund  Board,  Committee 
on  New  Students,  and  the  President's  Advisory 
Council.  In  1968  he  received  an  honorary  doctor 
of  engineering  award  from  WPI.  In  June  he  was 
honored  posthumously  as  an  "outstanding 
alumnus." 


Frank  E.  Stableford,  '43,  of  Bethany,  Connecti- 
cut died  on  January  3,  1977  following  an  au- 
tomobile accident. 

He  was  born  on  August  12,  1918  inMeriden, 
Conn,  and  later  studied  electrical  engineering  at 
WPI.  During  his  career  he  was  with  Electronic 
Enterprises,  Inc.,  Flexmir,  Inc.,  Flora-Kel  Co., 
Conmar  Products  Corp.,  Atlantic  Casting  &  En- 
gineering Corp.,  and  Mite  Corp.,  New  Haven, 
Conn.,  where  he  served  as  vice  president  of 
manufacturing. 

Mr.  Stableford  belonged  to  Lambda  Chi  Alpha 
and  was  a  former  president  of  the  Northern  New 
Jersey  chapter  of  the  Alumni  Association. 

Richard  W.  McGraw,  '50,  of  Liverpool,  New 
York  recently  died  suddenly  following  a  brief 
illness. 

He  was  born  on  July  21 ,  1925  in  Albany,  NY. 
In  1950  he  received  his  BSEE  from  WPI.  For  a 
number  of  years  he  was  with  General  Electric  Co. 
He  then  joined  Robson  &  Woese,  Inc.,  Syracuse, 
N.Y.,  where  he  was  a  consulting  engineer  and 
high  voltage  specialist.  A  member  of  Eta  Kappa 
Nu,  he  also  belonged  to  AIEE 

Maurice  C.  Gosselin,  '51,  died  in  Midland, 
Michigan  on  April  5,  1977  at  the  age  of  47. 

A  native  of  Hartford,  Conn.,  he  was  born  on 
Dec.  8, 1929.  In  1951  he  received  his  BSME  from 
WPI.  During  his  lifetime  he  was  with  Roger 
Sherman  Transfer  Co.,  Gosselin  Associates,  Inc., 
and  Wickwire  Spencer  Steel.  He  had  also  been 
employed  by  Dow  Corning  in  Midland. 

Mr.  Gosselin  belonged  to  Phi  Kappa  Theta  and 
the  American  Production  and  Inventory  Control 
Society.  He  was  active  in  scouting  and  also 
enjoyed  wood  carving.  His  carvings  were  fea- 
tured in  many  exhibits  and  shows. 

Robert  E.  Rascoe,  '55,  president  of  the  New 
Britain  Specialty  Co.,  passed  away  in  March  at 
the  Veteran's  Administration  Hospital  in 
Newington,  Connecticut. 

He  was  born  in  New  Britain,  Conn,  on  Feb- 
ruary 8,  1926.  In  1955  he  graduated  as  a 
mechanical  engineer  from  WPI .  A  Navy  veteran 
of  World  War  II,  he  served  in  the  Pacific  theater. 
He  belonged  to  St.  Paul's  Church. 

Capt.  John  L.  Tunstall,  '72,  was  killed  in  Utah  on 
February  17,  1977  while  on  a  routine  training 
mission  over  the  Hill  AFB  range  as  the  pilot  of  an 
Air  Force  F-4D. 

He  was  born  in  Birmingham,  Ala.  on  June  5, 
1950.  After  graduating  as  an  electrical  engineer 
from  WPI,  he  served  in  the  U.S.  Air  Force  at  Luke 
AFB  in  Phoenix,  Ariz.,  in  Udorn,  Thailand,  and  at 
Hill  AFB.  He  belonged  to  Eta  Kappa  Nu. 

Karen  A.  Hill,  75,  of  Washington,  DC,  died  of 
lupus  disease  on  April  19,  1977. 

She  was  born  on  August  14, 1953  in  Wash- 
ington. In  1975  she  graduated  as  a  chemical 
engineer  from  WPI.  She  was  a  chemical  engineer 
for  the  Mobil  Oil  Research  and  Development  Co. 


WPI  Journal    August  1 977  /  25 


October  1977 


R-  »  -    "    . 

* 

Vol.  81.  no.  3      V-J 


October  1977 


On  the  hill 


10 


14 


Intercession  '78 

That  wacky,  wild,  and  wonderful  collection  of 
whatchamacallits  returns  to  WPI  for  yet  another  run  in  its 
seventh  incarnation.  Want  to  join  the  fun  'n'  learning? 

The  incredible  competency  exam;  or,  Why  not  a  gorilla? 

When  Ron  O'Connor,  '71 ,  had  problems  with  his  competency 
exam,  they  weren't  exactly  the  sort  of  things  he'd  expected. 

Do  they  still  teach  courses?  Of  course! 

Learning  how  to  teach  more  effectively  when  the  ground 
rules  have  been  changed. 

Good  luck,  Norma 

After  30  years  of  service  with  the  Alumni  Association,  Norma 
Larson  leaves  to  start  a  new  career. 


16       Your  class  and  others 

18       A  Retread  who  keeps  on  rolling 

Roy  Baharian,  '44,  calls  himself  a  retread,  but  he's  not  talking 
about  tires. 

20       Why  did  Phil  Nyquist,  '50,  join  the  Peace  Corps?  Why  not! 

San  Francisco  to  Malaysia  to  Indonesia 

32      Completed  careers 


Editor:  H.  Russell  Kay 

Alumni  Information  Editor:  Ruth  A.  Trask 

Publications  Committee:  Walter  B.  Dennen, 
Jr.,  '51,  chairman;  Donald  F.  Berth,  '57; 
Leonard  Brzozowski,  '74;  Robert  Davis,  '46; 
Robert  C.  Gosling,  '68;  Enfried  T.  Larson,  '22; 
Roger  N.  Perry,  Jr.,  '45;  Rev.  Edward  I. 
Swanson,  '45 


Design:  H.  Russell  Kay 

Typesetting:  Davis  Press,  Worcester,  Ma.; 
Boutwell,  Owens  &  Co.,  Fitchburg,  Ma. 

Printing:  The  House  of  Offset, 
Somerville,  MA 


Address  all  correspondence  regarding  edit- 
orial content  or  advertising  to  the  Editor, 
WPI  Journal,  Worcester  Polytechnic  Institute, 
Worcester,  Ma.  01609. 
Telephone  [617]  753—1411 

The  WPI  Journal  is  published  for  the  Alumni 
Association  by  Worcester  Polytechnic 
Institute.  Copyright     1977  by  Worcester 
Polytechnic  Institute;  all  rights  reserved. 

The  WPI  Journal  is  published  six  times  a  year, 
in  August,  September  (catalog  issue), 
October,  December,  February,  and  April. 
Second  class  postage  paid  at  Worcester,  Ma. 
Postmaster:  Please  send  Form  3579  to: 
Alumni  Association,  Worcester  Polytechnic 
Institute,  Worcester,  Ma.  01609. 


WPI  ALUMNI  ASSOCIATION 

President:  W.  A.  Julian,  '49 

Vice  presidents:  J.  H.  McCabe,  '68; 
R.  D.  Gelling,  '63 

Secretary-treasurer:  S.  J.  Hebert,  '66 

Past  president:  F.  S.  Harvey, '37 

Executive  Committee  members-at-large: 
W.  B.  Dennen,  Jr.,  '51;  R.  A.  Davis,  '53; 
J.  A.  Palley,'46;  A.  C.  Fyler, '45 

Fund  Board:  P.  H.  Horstmann,  '55,  chairman; 
G.  A.  Anderson, '51;  L. H.White, '41;  H.Styskal 
G.  A.  Anderson,  '51;  H.  I.  Nelson,  '54; 
E.  J.  Foley,  '57;  L.  H.  White,  '41;  H.  Styskal,  Jr., 
'50;  C.  J.  Lindegren,  '39;  R.  B.  Kennedy,  '65 


WPI  Journal  /October  1977 / 1 


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Something  new  and 
lovely  on  campus 

In  1971,  WPI  officials  and  the  Board 
of  Trustees  began  making  sweeping 
plans  for  changes  to  the  campus 
physical  plant.   One  thing  that 
nearly  everyone  felt  was  desirable 
was  to  decrease  the  auto  traffic  and 
parking-lot  atmosphere  of  the  cam- 
pus, especiallya  on  the  east  side  of 
West  Street,  where  the  majority  of 
academic  buildings  are  located,  and 
to  turn  this  part  of  the  campus  into  a 
pedestrian,  people-centered  area. 
With  the  completion  of  work  on 
Freeman  Plaza,  the  area  between 
Salisbury,  Washburn,  Gordon  Lib- 
rary, and  the  Project  Center  has 
become  an  attractive  centerpiece 
that  creates  a  sense  of  visual  unity 
that  has  never  existed  there  before. 
Made  possible  through  a  gift  from 
Trustee  and  Mrs.  Howard  G. 
Freeman,  '40,  this  outdoor  area  now 
offers  an  attractive  entrance  to  the 
heart  of  the  campus. 

At  one  time,  plans  for  the  area 
included  a  brick-paved  courtyard, 
but  maintenance  and  installation 
costs  made  this  unreasonable.  In  a 
clever  substitution,  the  area  was 
paved  with  alternating  panels  of 
concrete  containing  a  red-toned 
aggregate.  After  living  with  the  area 
for  a  while  now,  most  people  seem 
to  prefer  the  present  treatment, 
feeling  that  overall  red  brick  would 
be  too  much,  overpowering  the 
area. 


WPI  Journal  /  October  1977  /  3 


WPI  Journal  /  October  1977  /  5 


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Worcester  Mytechnic  Institute 


INTERSESSION 1978 


Intersession  78  arrives  on  campus  January 
16-27.  Below  is  a  short  selection  of  the  courses 
to  be  offered.  If  you'd  like  the  whole  list, 
please  call  or  write  the  Intersession  Office. 
Session  A  January  16-18  (Mon,  Tues,  Wed) 
Session  B   January  19-24  (Thurs,  Fri, 

Mon,  Tues) 
Session  C  January  25-27  (Wed,  Thurs,  Fri) 


ABC804* 

ABC806* 
ABC807* 

AB812 

BC815* 
BC816 
BC828 
A834 

A835* 
A838* 

A839* 


Identification  of  Materials  with  the  Polarizing 

Microscope 

Clinical  Engineering  Internship 

Industrial  Energy  Conservation:  An  innovative 

Approach 

Oil  Painting 

Energy  Conservation  -  Solar  Energy 

Relaxation  and  Meditation 

Basic  Frisbee  Techniques 

Group  Theory  and  its  Applications  to  Chemical 

Problems 

ICES-Aided  Design 

Engineering  Economy 

Analysis  and  Synthesis  of  Active  Filters 


Intersession  Office 

WPI 

Worcester,  Mass.  01609 

I  would  like  more  information  about  Intersession  78. 
Please  send  me  a  copy  of  the  catalog. 

Name Year^ 


Address 


City 


State 


Zip  Code 


A841  *  Disinfection  of  Water  and  Wastewater 

A843*  Photoelasticity  and  Strain  Gauges 

A845*  Dragons:  Their  Redesign 

A846  Games  for  Environmental  Education 

A860  Windmills  for  Power 

A868  Environmental  Impact  Statement  Preparation 

A869*  Groundwater  Hydrology 

A872  Magic  and  Legerdemain 

B833  BLISS- 1 0  (A  Basic  Language  for  Implementation  of 

System  Software) 

Scheduling,  Including  CPM  (Critical-Path  Method) 

The  Basics  of  Space  Heating  and  Energy  Conservation 

Demystifying  Communications:  Basic  Listening 

Dual  Careers  and  Marriage 

Career  Planning  -  Career  Search  -  Second  Careers 

Experimental  Fluid  Mechanics 

Microcomputers  with  Applications 

Personal  Income  Tax  Preparation 

Building  Firesafety  Evaluation 

Programmable  Pocket  Calculators  in  Machine 

Design 

Wind  Engineering  of  Tall  Buildings 

How  to  Write  Your  Way  Through  Life 

Parapsychology:  Beyond  the  Frontiers  of  the  Mind 

Marketing  the  Arts 

Urban  Systems  Gaming 

Writing  a  Living  Will 

What's  News?  The  Local  Mass  Media  Explain 

Water  Hammer  and  Pipelines 

Transmission  Lines  and  Filters  with  a  Minimum  of 

Math 
*Available  for  credit 

Courses  listed  in  bold  face  type  have  a  special  tuition  rate  of  $30. 
Courses  listed  in  italics  have  a  special  tuition  rate  of  $10. 
For  other  courses,  rates  are: 

$  80- alumni,  parents  of  WPI  students, 
WPI  evening  students 

$  95  -  regular  rate  (on  or  before  December  19) 

$115-  regular  rate  (after  December  19) 

Tuition  rates  do  not  include  materials  fees  which 

are  associated  with  some  courses. 


B837* 
B838 
B855* 

B856 

B865 

B866* 

C833 

C835 

C837* 

C839* 

C840 

C842 

C858 

C860 

C863* 

C865 

C868 

C870* 

C873* 


The  incredible  competency  exam 


or 


Why  not  a  gorilla? 


Competency  exam.  These  two  words  merely  crossing  the 
average  WPI  student's  mind  are  apt  to  make  him  break  out 
in  a  cold  sweat,  reach  for  a  bottle  of  Pepto  Bismol,  or  drive 
him  to  . . .  well,  you  know. 

Ron  O'Connor,  '77,  although  he  could  have  been  prop- 
erly excused  for  doing  all  of  these  things,  did  practically 
none  of  them  during  his  exam  last  January.  But,  then  Ron 
was  not  what  you'd  call  the  "average"  WPI  senior.  He 
started  out  at  Rutgers  as  an  actuarial  student,  transferred 
to  WPI,  became  interested  in  the  ethics  of  euthanasia 
through  a  law  course,  and  eventually  landed  in  the  Life 
Sciences  Department. 

On  Sunday,  January  9th,  Ron  handed  in  to  the  depart- 
ment his  written  competency  exam.  The  following  Tues- 
day he  took  his  oral  exam  before  members  of  the  depart- 
ment. Strictly  routine?  For  Ron  O'Connor  almost  nothing 
about  his  competency  exam  was  "routine." 

"Actually,  I  was  looking  forward  to  taking  my  compe- 
tency in  January,"  Ron  says.  "I  didn't  want  to  wait  until 
the  March  examination  period.  If  I  failed  in  March,  I 
wouldn't  have  been  able  to  graduate  in  June.  And  I 
definitely  wanted  to  graduate  in  June.  Knowing  that  I 
could  get  my  competency  over  with  in  January  got  me  very 
excited." 

He  told  himself  that  the  exam  would  be  a  challenge  and 
that,  after  all,  it  would  take  only  a  week  out  of  his  life.  He 
had  a  good  background  —  six  courses  in  the  Life  Sciences 
Department,  which  he  considered  adequate.  At  least,  he 
hoped  they'd  be  adequate. 

"I  had  chosen  physiology  as  my  discipline  in  Life 
Sciences,"  he  reports.  "I  took  out  my  physiology  books  and 
looked  them  over.  I  read  the  list  of  concepts  that  the 
department  had  passed  out  and  expected  us  to  know  for 
the  competency.  It  looked  reasonably  familiar.  Then  it  hit 
me!  Studying  like  that  was  doing  me  absolutely  no  good! " 

It  was  virtually  impossible  for  him  to  remember  every- 
thing that  he  had  studied  in  physiology  during  the  past  two 

WPI  Journal  /  October  1977/7 


years.  The  facts  whirled  aimlessly  through  his  brain. 
Before  proceeding  further,  he,  along  with  other  students 
planning  to  take  the  Life  Sciences  competency  in  January, 
met  with  Dr.  Theodore  Crusberg,  head  of  Life  Sciences 
competency  exams,  Dr.  James  Danielli,  head  of  the  de- 
partment, and  other  members  of  the  faculty. 

"We  discussed  the  upcoming  exam,"  Ron  relates.  "It 
soon  became  apparent  that  the  competency  would  not  be  a 
truly  comprehensive  exam  as  some  of  us  had  feared.  We 
were  told  that  a  basic  knowledge  of  our  field  would  be 
necessary.  At  the  same  time,  about  ninety  percent  of  the 
oral  exam  would  concern  our  chosen  discipline.  What  a 
relief!" 

The  week  before  the  exam,  Ron  took  a  much-needed 
break.  Occasionally,  he  glanced  at  his  notes.  "I  don't  know 
why  I  even  bothered,"  he  confesses.  "It  was  a  complete 
waste  of  time." 

A  meeting  with  Dr.  Richard  Beschle,  '50,  chairman  of 
his  exam  committee  and  his  former  MQP  advisor,  put  him 
in  an  easier  frame  of  mind.  Dr.  Beschle  asked  him  what  he 
knew  best. 

"Cardiovascular  physiology,"  Ron  promptly  replied. 

"Then  you'll  get  a  hard  question  about  cardiovascular 
physiology  on  your  exam,"  Professor  Beschle  assured  him. 
"You  won't  be  asked  something  you  know  nothing 
about." 

Again,  relief.  Ron  went  back  to  his  apartment,  checked  a 
few  more  notes,  worked  on  a  grant  proposal  for  the  fall,  and 
indulged  in  some  pleasure  reading.  He  refused  to  get 
rattled.  By  Wednesday,  the  day  before  he  was  to  receive  his 
written  exam,  he  was  so  relaxed  that  he  spent  the  evening 
with  his  friends  at  Curley's,  a  popular  collegiate  watering 
spot  on  Highland  Street. 

"It  was  the  best  thing  I  could  have  done,"  Ron  insists.  "I 
had  a  relaxing  evening,  then  came  home  and  went  to  bed  at 
1  o'clock  in  the  morning." 

At  9  a.m.  on  Thursday,  Ron  picked  up  his  exam.  "I  got  a 
very  challenging  question,  but  I  liked  it,"  he  says.  "I  was 
supposed  to  find  an  animal  model  for  human  essential 
hypertension  (high  blood  pressure  with  no  apparent 
cause).  Also,  I  had  to  be  able  to  suggest  how  I  would  induce 
hypertension  in  the  animal.  The  procedure  should  simu- 
late the  disease  as  it  exists  in  humans." 

Before  tackling  his  exam,  Ron  checked  with  Dr.  Beschle 
and  then  drove  across  town  to  the  library  at  the  University 
of  Massachusetts  Medical  School.  He  worked  all  day.  By 
10:30  at  night  he  figured  something  was  wrong  in  his 
approach  to  the  question.  His  professors  wanted  an  animal 
in  which  they  could  study  essential  hypertension.  Ron 
was  designing  a  study  to  find  the  causes.  The  exact 
opposite!  Again,  he  phoned  Dr.  Beschle,  who  told  him, 
"Yes,  you  are  definitely  going  in  the  wrong  direction." 


Undaunted,  Ron  plugged  along  at  the  library  for  another 
hour,  then  returned  home.  Finding  the  apartment  empty, 
he  assumed  that  his  friends  were  at  Curley's  and  went  off 
to  join  them.  They  weren't  there,  but  someone  else  from 
Life  Sciences  was  there.  He  offered  Ron  a  shot  of  tequila.  "I 
rejected  it,"  Ron  says. 

All  day  Friday  he  worked  at  the  medical  school  library 
on  his  exam  question.  When  the  library  closed  at  9  p.m., 
Ron  found  himself  confronted  with  a  couple  of  problems 
that  he  hadn't  counted  on:  a  big  snow  storm  and  a  car  that 
refused  to  start!  "Luckily  another  student  who  had  also 
been  studying  at  the  library  volunteered  to  drive  me  back 
to  the  apartment,"  he  says. 

The  next  day,  Saturday,  was  the  day  before  his  written 
exam  was  due.  "During  the  afternoon  things  got  really 
tense,"  he  recalls.  "I  wrote  a  rough  draft,  then  took  a  break. 
By  1  a.m.  Sunday  my  first  draft  was  finished."  (In  retro- 
spect, Ron  feels  that  if  he  had  budgeted  his  time  properly, 
he  wouldn't  have  had  to  stay  up  all  night  writing.) 

He  passed  in  the  handwritten  exam  to  his  professors 
Sunday  morning  and  typed  up  the  final  copy  that  after- 
noon. Monday  morning  he  handed  in  the  typed  copy. 

"I  had  the  rest  of  Monday  all  planned  out,"  he  remem- 
bers. "I  was  going  back  to  the  med.  school  library  (by  this 
time  his  car  was  running),  and  study  for  my  oral  which  was 
slated  for  Tuesday  at  2  o'clock."  Before  leaving,  however, 
he  got  some  jolting  news.  The  library  was  closed  Monday 
due  to  stormy  weather! 


8  /  October  1977  /  WPI  Journal 


"This  was  a  decided  setback,"  he  admits.  "The  med. 
school  library  had  all  the  latest  information  in  my  field. 
No  other  library  around  could  touch  it  for  up-to-date 
publications.  I  wasted  the  afternoon  going  over  my  notes, 
shoveling  snow,  and  spending  time  at  Curley's. 

Tuesday  morning  found  Ron  once  again  at  the  medical 
school  library.  At  1 :  15  he  decided  that  it  was  time  for  him 
to  drive  back  to  WPI  for  his  2  o'clock  oral  exam. 

"The  car  was  going  fine  until  I  had  to  stop  for  a  red 
light,"  he  reports.  "I  hit  an  ice  patch  and  suddenly  I  was 
stuck.  I  couldn't  back  up  because  a  lot  of  cars  were  all 
around  me  and  directly  behind  me." 

Finally  he  managed  to  inch  the  car  slowly  forward.  He 
breathed  a  sigh  of  relief.  Too  soon!  The  car  stopped  dead. 
He  was  out  of  gas! 

In  a  sort  of  controlled  panic  he  phoned  his  parents,  who 
fortunately  live  in  Worcester.  They  have  an  extra  set  of 
keys  and  promised  to  drive  over  to  tend  to  his  car,  which 
by  this  time  was  blocking  a  considerable  amount  of  traffic, 
traffic. 

His  next  problem  was  trying  to  find  a  ride  back  to  WPI  so 
that  he  could  take  his  oral.  The  problem  solved  itself, 
when  the  fellow  who  had  been  helping  him  with  his  car, 
offered  him  a  lift.  "Finally,"  Ron  says,  "I  got  to  my  oral,  at 
two  minutes  of  two!" 

Ron  looked  at  the  circle  of  unsmiling  faces  and  said, 
"First,  please  let  me  get  back  my  composure.  You  see,  I  had 
this  difficulty  with  my  car — ." 


He  explained  the  difficulty  and  soon  everyone  relaxed. 
The  oral  exam  began. 

"We  had  a  very  good  rapport,  Dr.  Hoskins,  Dr.  Beschle, 
Dr.  Danielli  and  I,"  Ron  reveals.  "There  was  absolutely  no 
apprehension  on  my  part.  I  had  no  reservations  about 
talking  with  those  who  had  so  much  more  knowledge 
than  I.  We  even  joked  toward  the  end  of  the  exam." 

Dr.  Danielli  asked,  "Ron,  did  you  consider  proposing  a 
non-human  primate  as  the  model?" 

"No,"  Ron  answered. 

"Do  you  know  enough  about  them  to  know  which  one 
you  should  choose?"  Dr.  Danielli  asked. 

Again,  Ron  replied,  "No." 

"Well,"  Dr.  Danielli  continued,  "let  me  give  you  some 
advice  based  on  my  own  experience.  Don't  pick  a  gorilla. 
They  can  be  very  difficult  to  work  with." 

The  professors  seemed  to  be  interested  in  Ron's  reaction 
to  the  competency  exam  as  a  whole.  "I  told  them  that  I 
thought  the  most  important  thing  I'd  gotten  out  of  the 
exam  and  my  studies  in  Life  Sciences  were  the  skills  I  had 
developed,"  he  says.  "I  had  to  leam  how  to  apply  my 
knowledge  in  a  practical  manner.  The  competency  mea- 
sures a  person's  ability  for  doing  what  he  has  to  do  when  he 
leaves  WPI." 

That's  why  Ron  O'Connor  thinks  his  competency  exam 
was  truly  worthwhile,  in  spite  of  the  unexpected  array  of 
obstacles  he  had  to  overcome  before  he  successfully 
completed  it. 

A  red  light.  A  patch  of  ice.  A  balky  car.  Not  one  could 
keep  Ron  from  his  goal.  But  if  he'd  chosen  a  balky  gorilla — 
now,  that  could  have  been  another  story! 


WPI  Journal  /  October  1977/9 


Do  they  still  teach  courses? 
Of  course! 


Once  upon  a  time  at  WPI  you  earned  a  degree  by 
accumulating  a  required  number  of  credits  in  various 
areas,  and  you  earned  these  credits  by  taking  courses. 
So  it  was  very  clear,  to  both  instructors  and  students, 
that  courses  had  two  purposes:  ideally,  they  were  the 
vehicle  for  transferring  knowledge  to  the  students; 
but  from  a  more  practical  standpoint,  they  were  a 
means  of  achieving  the  required  credits,  of  getting 
students  "certified." 

Because  all  parties  concerned  knew  the  score,  and 
because  the  system  had  the  weight  of  tradition  (both 
local  and  national)  behind  it,  the  professors  learned 
how  to  teach  and  conduct  a  classroom  to  achieve  the 
expected  goals.  In  their  turn,  students  learned  to  deal 
with  the  system  —  often  by  concentrating  on  the 
certification  end  (i.e.,  grades)  at  the  expense  of  the 
learning  portion. 

And  then  the  WPI  Plan  arrived.  Now  you  don't  get 
a  degree  by  piling  up  the  proper  number  of  credit 
hours.  You  do  two  projects  (one  in  the  major,  one 
relating  technology  to  social  concerns),  a  sufficiency, 
or  minor  (usually  in  the  humanities),  and  take  a  final 
examination  which  tests  your  'competence'  in  your 
major  field.  No  mention  of  courses. 


Do  we  still  have  courses  at  WPI?  (That's  a  silly  question, 
you  say,  but  it's  been  asked  more  than  once  as  publicity 
has  concentrated  on  the  project  orientation  of  the  WPI 
Plan.)  Well  of  course  we  have  courses. 

But  there  is  a  differences.  Cou  rses  no  longer  serve  the 
same  certification  function.  No  grade-point  averages, 
no  penalties  for  retaking  courses,  no  need  to  take 
courses  at  all . . .  except  to  learn.  All  of  a  sudden  the  em- 
phasis in  courses  is  back  on  teaching  and  learning,  not 
on  grading  and  evaluating.  And  this  means  that  the  old 
courses  won't  serve  anymore.  With  a  new  set  of  ground 
rules,  you  can't  play  the  game  the  same  way.  Faculty 
have  to  learn  new  ways  of  giving  courses;  students  have 
to  learn  new  ways  of  taking  them. 

This  problem  was  clear  to  the  faculty  who  originally 
developed  the  WPI  Plan,  and  it  was  one  of  the  reasons 
behind  the  adoption  of  seven-week  terms  to  replace 
fourteen-week  semesters.  This  change  in  calendar 
forced  the  reexamination  and  redesign  of  nearly  every 
undergraduate  course  offered  at  WPI.  But  because  of 
the  six-year  transition  period  of  phasing  out  the  tra- 
ditional program  and  implementing  the  Plan,  there  was 
still  a  lot  of  concern  that  the  new  courses  fulfill  the  certi- 
fication function  for  those  students  studying  under  the 
older  curriculum.  And  this  meant  that  the  learning  func- 
tion was  still  compromised  by  a  century  of  historical 
tradition. 

Over  the  past  several  years,  the  whole  issue  of  how 
teachers  teach  and  how  students  learn  has  come  under 
intensive  scrutiny  at  WPI.  Various  faculty  study 
groups  have  addressed  aspects  of  it.  A  series  of  periodic 
"teaching-learning  workshops"  have  involved  faculty 
and  students  with  outside  resource  people  and  brought 
new  ideas  to  light  on  campus. 

Another  factor  has  been  the  increased  workload  on 
faculty.  Once,  faculty  members  taught  a  few  courses, 
saw  students  in  their  offices  once  in  a  while,  corrected 
homework  and  graded  exams  (unless  graduate  students) 
did  this),  and  did  research  or  consulting  work.  The  WPI 
Plan  added  involvement  with  projects  and  student  pro- 
ject groups;  it  called  for  faculty  members  to  stretch  their 
personal  horizons  by  strongly  encouraging  interdiscip- 
linary activities;  it  asked  faculty  to  take  a  more  active  part 
in  advising  students  who  were  now  designing  their  own 
programs;  it  required  that  they  serve  on  competency 


10  /  October  1977  /  WPI  Journal 


exam  committees,  evaluating  students  in  a  new  way. 
And,  oh  yes,  they  still  had  to  teach  courses. 

Something  had  to  give.  There  aren't  that  many  hours 
in  the  day,  even  for  the  most  dedicated  professors.  And 
it  seemed  logical  that  courses  were  the  place  to  get  some 
working  room.  This  raised  a  delicate  issue:  WPI  alumni 
have  consistently  reported  that  one  thing  they  really 
liked  best  and  remembered  about  the  school  was  the 
close  student-faculty  relationships.  To  suggest  that 
faculty  get  less  involved  in  the  traditional  classroom  for- 
mat, to  suggest  larger  classes  taught  by  fewer  instructors, 
would  seem  to  be  denying  a  basic  value.  Except  that  this 
was  proposed  to  release  time  for  faculty  members,  time 
they  could  then  use  for  advising,  project  participation, 
and  other  activities  where  contact  with  students  was 
much  closer  to  one-on-one. 

So  a  committee  of  faculty  began  looking  at  this  very 
basic  issue:  what  is  a  course?  On  what  basis  do  you 
choose  techniques  and  formats?  How  should  you 
organize/present/confront  material  most  effectively 
and  efficiently?  The  group  consisted  of  Professors  Van 
Bluemel  and  Adriaan  Walther  (physics),  Peter  Lanyon 
and  Dean  of  Undergraduate  Studies  William  R.  Grogan 
(electrical  engineering),  Paul  Davis  (mathematics),  and 
Ray  Hagglund,  C.  W.  "Spike"  Staples,  and  Jack  Boyd 
(mechanical  engineering). 

They  looked  first  at  the  historical  development  of 
technical  education  in  this  country,  with  its  beginnings 
rooted  in  the  firm  separation  of  man  the  maker  from 
man  the  thinker.  The  role  of  technical  school  graduates, 
from  about  the  Civil  War  to  the  end  of  World  War  1 1,  was 
to  build  a  production  system,  not  to  examine  the  basis 
for  growth  or  the  cultural  values  on  which  growth  was 
based.  In  addition,  technical  institutions  then  empha- 
sized the  empirical,  craft  approach  to  engineering, 
downplaying  the  application  of  broad  general  principles 
of  physics  and  chemistry,  and  perpetuating  a  split  be- 
tween science  and  engineering. 

After  the  second  World  War,  the  power  of  predictive 
science  in  technical  applications  had  been  recognized, 
and  a  revolution  in  technical  education  was  brought 
about  by  merging  science  and  technology.  Still,  even  at 
the  best-known  schools  which  exemplified  this  newer 
approach,  such  as  M.I.T.  and  CalTech,  the  engineer  was 
viewed  as  the  doer  and  not  the  thinker.  It  was  felt  that 
there  often  was  not  enough  time  for  a  student  to  acquire 
the  necessary  technical  skills  in  the  undergraduate  curri- 
culum, and  any  significant  study  in  nontechnical  areas 
was  discouraged  and  considered  not  feasible. 

One  result  of  this  approach  was  the  growing  split  be- 
tween technologists  and  society  at  large.  And  during  the 
1960s  it  became  widely  apparent  that  there  were  signifi- 
cant unwanted  side-effects  of  technological  growth. 
What  was  called  for  was  a  basic  technological  literacy  on 
the  part  of  non-scientists  and  non-engineers,  and  a 
sensitivity  in  those  creating  and  developing  the  tech- 
nologies, a  sensitivity  to  the  complex  social  implications 
of  their  work.  Man  the  maker  and  man  thethinker  must 
be  merged,  and  a  new  revolution  in  technical  education 
is  taking  place  across  the  nation.  WPI  is  an 
acknowledged  leader  in  this  area. 


Considering  this  background,  the  committee  agreed 
that  the  education  of  the  scientist  or  engineer  must 
include:  scientific/technical  literacy;  an  appreciation  of 
the  experiences  of  mankind,  which  is  at  the  root  of  the 
liberal  arts  curriculum;  and  an  awareness  of  self  coupled 
with  a  maturing  sensitivity  to  others.  They  then  went 
back  and  checked  these  feelings  against  the  published 
goal  of  WPI,  which  was  adopted  in  1969  with  the  WPI 
Plan,  and  the  found  that  all  three  components — tehni- 
cal,  liberal,  and  self  education — were  contained  in  that 
statement  of  purpose. 

As  they  began  to  address  directly  the  role  and  design 
of  courses  to  help  fulfill  these  new  objectives,  they  also 
discussed  the  ways  in  which  students  learn  . . .  and  don't 
learn.  They  agreed  that  large  numbers  of  students  do  not 
master  techniques  of  analysis,  cannot  apply  fundamen- 
tal laws  to  unfamiliar  situations,  do  not  appreciate  the 
unity  and  universality  of  the  basic  sciences,  and  don't 
recognize  the  relevance  of  their  studies  to  their  profes- 
sional goals.  "Although  we  are  often  tempted  to  blame 
the  failures  on  poor  motivation,  insufficient  time,  inade- 
quate high  schools,  or  not  enough  mathematical  prepar- 
ation ...  an  important  part  of  the  problem,  and  it's 
solution  [may  lie  in]  the  stages  of  intellectual 
development. 

"Authors  of  textbooks,  designers  of  courses,  and 
teachers  have  implicitly  assumed  that  college  freshmen 
can  readily  assimilate  general  abstract  concepts  as  well  as 
the  mathematical  expression  of  these  concepts.  But 
recent  evidence  indicates  that  only  about  one-third  of 
college  freshmen  have  reached  that  stage  of  intellectual 
development  which  makes  possible  the  logical  reason- 
ing essential  for  an  understanding  of  physical  law.  The 
remaining  two-thirds  of  freshmen  . . .  can  learn,  and  can 
develop  intellectually,  only  from  studying  concrete 
examples  that  they  have  directly  experienced." 

Another  area  that  causes  a  problem  for  students  is  the 
high  degree  of  initiative  and  involvement  required  of  a 
student.  Coming  from  a  high  school  environment  where 
learning  tends  to  be  a  very  passive  affair  is  not  the  best  of 
preparation  for  the  WPI  Plan.  Where  before  the  class- 
room teacher  could  review  the  book  material  for  the 
class,  the  student  must  now  learn  from  many  sources 
outside  the  classroom.  Where  material  used  to  be 
treated  in  disjointed  blocks,  the  student  must  hence- 
forth learn  to  continually  synthesize  ideas.  From 
considering  problems  keyed  primarily  to  the  solution 
methods  of  a  particular  chapter  in  a  particular  textbook, 
the  student  now  meets  open-ended  problems  that 
prevent  routine  "cranking  out"  of  answers  and  call  for 
investigating  many  possible  ways  of  solution.  Where  the 
student  used  to  react,  following  the  lead  of  the 
instructor,  now  the  student  is  an  independent  agent, 
actively  directing  and  advancing  his  or  her  own  learning 
program.  And  because  of  all  these  changes,  it  is  obvious 
that  most  students  need  some  help  in  making  the  transi- 
tion from  passive  to  active  learner. 


WPI  Journal  /  October  1977/11 


The  Goal  of  Worcester  Polytechnic  Institute 

It  is  the  goal  of  the  Worcester  Polytechnic  Institute  to  bring  into  the 
second  century  of  its  existence  a  new,  dynamic  version  of  its  "Two 
Towers"  tradition. 

By  means  of  coordinated  programs  tailored  to  the  needs  of  the  indi- 
vidual student,  it  is  the  fundamental  purpose  of  WPI  to  impart  to 
students  an  understanding  of  a  sector  of  science  and  technology  and 
a  mature  understanding  of  themselves,  and  the  needs  of  the  people 
around  them.  WPI  students,  from  the  beginning  of  their  undergrad- 
uate education,  should  demonstrate  that  they  can  learn  on  their  own, 
that  they  can  translate  their  learning  into  worthwhile  action,  and  that 
they  are  thoroughly  aware  of  the  interrelationships  among  basic 
knowledge,  technological  advance,  and  human  need.  A  WPI  educa- 
tion should  develop  in  students  a  strong  degree  of  self-confidence,  an 
awareness  of  the  community  beyond  themselves,  and  an  intellectual 
restlessness  that  spurs  them  to  continued  learning. 

—Endorsed  by  the  Faculty,  December  17,  1969 


Coming  back  to  the  issue  of  how  to  design  courses, 
the  group  defined  the  following  set  of  criteria: 

In  courses  at  WPI,  in  order  to  master  a  given  body  of 
material,  students  should  participate  in  learning: 

1.  To  read  effectively  in  the  literature  of  a  given  field 

2.  To  write  effectively  using  the  vocabulary  of  the  field 

3.  To  talk  effectively  using  the  vocabulary  of  the  field 

4.  To  acquire  pertinent  data  from  various  sources 

5.  To  understand  and  use  basic  ideas  and  concepts,  rather 

than  to  manipulate  formulas 

6.  To  model  systems  and  define  the  limits  and  assumptions  of 

these  models 

7.  To  establish  a  methodology  of  problem-solving 

8.  To  think  in  terms  of  the  system  (synthesis)  as  well  as  its 

components  (analysis) 

9.  To  work  with  others 

Indeed,  they  decided,  much  of  the  emphasis  had  to  be 
on  helping  students  learn  how  to  educate  themselves; 
that  achieving  the  criteria  outlined  above  in  a  course  did 
not  mean  that  the  informational  content  of  the  course 
had  to  be  diminished  or  lost,  but  that  it  was  possible 
instead  for  the  student  to  master  it  independently — a 
more  lasting  and  signficant  educational  experience. 

Now  the  group  began  to  consider  how  to  structure 
and  organize  courses  so  that  they  might  meet  the  criteria 
agreed  upon.  Obviously,  different  courses  have  to  be 
approached  in  different  ways,  and  they  explored  some 
of  the  possibilities.  Modularization  was  an  important 
topic — the  division  of  course  material  into  self- 
contained  blocks  that  could  be  put  together  in  different 
ways.  A  Committee  on  Modular  Education,  chaired  by 
Professor  Walther,  had  been  studying  the  subject  for 
two  years.  They  had  first  looked  around  for  modular 
materials  that  had  been  developed  elsewhere,  concen- 
trating first  on  the  general  area  of  engineering  science. 
They  looked  to  other  educational  institutions,  commer- 
cial firms,  materials  from  the  Open  University  in 


12  /  October  1977  /  WPI  Journal 


England.  They  also  cooperated  with  an  NSF- 
sponsored  study  being  done  by  Drexel  University  con- 
cerning the  "exportability"  of  modules  from  one  school 
to  another.  (A  module,  by  the  way,  was  defined  as  a 
package  of  learning  materials  typically  covering  an 
amount  of  subject  matter  larger  than  could  be  contained 
in  a  single  lecture,  but  smaller  than  the  amount  of 
material  covered  in  a  course.)  This  program  gave  WPI 
faculty  the  chance  to  create  modular  material  in  close 
cooperation  with  faculty  members  from  other  institu- 
tions. And  they  found  that  the  most  interesting  problem 
was  not  the  collection  and  distribution  of  materials;  it 
was  how  to  make  judgments  as  to  the  relative  merits, 
qualities,  and  areas  of  usefulness  of  the  materials  in 
meeting  the  special  educational  criteria  established  for 
WPI. 

One  familiar  teaching  arrangement  using  the  modular 
approach  is  the  "personalized  system  of  instruction," 
sometimes  called  the  Keller  plan,  known  at  WPI  as  I  PI, 
for  individually  prescribed  instruction.  In  this  system, 
the  course  is  divided  into  small,  self-contained  parts.  A 
student  studies  one  part  at  a  time  and  is  then  evaluated 
on  his  or  her  understanding  of  this  part  by  a  faculty 
member  or  teaching  assistant.  If  the  student  understands 
the  material,  he  proceeds  to  the  next  part;  if  not,  he  does 
more  work  on  the  old  module  and  returns  for  another 
evaluation.  This  process  can  be  diagrammed  as  in  Figure 
1.  It  allows  students  to  work  at  their  own  pace,  but  there 
is  usually  little  attempt  to  synthesize  the  material  which 
has  been  learned.  For  example,  it  is  conceivable  that  a 
student  might  have  studied  roots  and  stems  and  leaves 
and  flowers  in  an  IPI  course  .  .  .  without  being  aware  of 
the  existence  of  plants!  Because  of  this  limitation,  other 
formats  have  been  developed,  still  using  a  modular 
approach. 

The  arrangement  shown  in  Figure  2  provides  a  great 
emphasis  on  synthesis.  It  can  be  used  whenever  a  course 
can  be  designed  around  a  single,  large-scale,  real-life 
problem.  For  example,  a  course  in  environmental 
biology  might  center  around  a  dead  bird  found  in  the 
back  yard.  The  course  goal  might  be  to  determine  why 
the  bird  died.  ME  2504,  Continuum  Mechanics,  has  been 
taught  in  this  fashion.  One  central  question  was  why  a 
large  pressure  vessel  in  a  factory  had  cracked.  In  this 
course  there  was  no  grading  at  all  during  the  first  six 
weeks  of  the  term.  The  course  grade  was  based  on  an 
examination  taken  in  the  seventh  week  and  on  a  project 
report  describing  the  student's  understanding  of  the 
solution  to  the  central  problem. 

A  different  course  structure  (Figure  3)  was  used  for 
ME  3320,  Design  of  Machine  Elements.  This  course  used 
six  modules  to  be  covered  in  the  first  six  weeks.  Each  was 
introduced  by  a  lecture,  but  there  were  no  further  for- 
mal presentations.  Instead,  question  and  answer  periods 
and  small-group  discussions  helped  students  assess  their 
own  progress  by  comparing  their  problem  solutions 
against  the  instructor's.  After  six  weeks  there  were  two 
examinations  given.  Compared  with  IPI,  this  course 
format  places  greater  responsibility  on  the  students, 
and,  through  the  "mini-competency  exam"  at  the  end, 
adds  the  important  element  of  synthesis. 


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A  fourth  format  has  been  used  in  Introduction  to 
Dynamic  Systems,  ES  2503.  Here  each  student  was 
required  to  carry  out  four  experiments,  then  develop  a 
theory  to  cover  them.  Students  could  gauge  their  pro- 
gress and  understanding  by  seeing  how  closely  their  cal- 
culated results  fit  the  experimental  data.  There  was 
additional  feedback  through  brief  weekly  quizzes,  and 
students  were  graded  on  their  performance  in  a  final 
exam  and  on  the  report  submitted  on  the  four  experi- 
mental projects. 


I.E.    =    Instructor   evaluation 

S.E.    =   Self   evaluation 

PR        =   Practical  problem,    project, 
experiment 

Experience  with  these  new  course  formats — and 
others — has  been  very  promising  to  date.  The  goals 
mentioned  earlier  seem  much  closer  to  being  met.  The 
faculty  committee  reported:  "Unlike  conventional 
courses,  where  almost  all  of  the  instructor's  time,  other 
than  lectures,  goes  into  examining  and  grading,  at  WPI 
this  precious  student-faculty  interaction  time  can  be 
used  for  teaching.  .  .  . 

"Another  rewarding  experience  has  been  the  attempt 
to  shift  information  gathering  and  transfer  to  the  student 
outside  the  classroom.  When  the  students  can  master 
information,  by  learning  how  to  learn  on  their  own  with 
growing  confidence,  classroom  time  can  be  used  in 
much  more  exciting  and  beneficial  ways." 

They  concluded:  "Those  of  us  who  have  been 
involved  in  the  effort  of  establishing  a  new  educational 
course  process  at  WPI  have  become  very  excited  about 
the  almost  unique  opportunity  for  educational  advance 
that  the  flexibility  of  the  WPI  Plan  structure  offers.  This 
flexibility  results  in  a  real  potential  for  achieving  partici- 
patory education,  in  courses,  that  can  only  be  dreamt  of 
at  traditional  colleges. 

This  article  is  based  on  two  faculty  committee  published 
reports:  "The  Use  of  Modular  Teaching  Material  at  WPI,"  by 
).  M.  Boyd,  R.  R.  Hagglund,  H.  P.  D.  Lanyon,  C.  W.  Staples,  and 
A.  Walther  (chairman);  and  "The  Educational  Process  at  WPI: 
A  Basis  for  Course  Design."  by  those  listed  above  plus 
V.  Bluemel,  P.  W.  Davis,  and  W.  R.  Grogan,  edited  by 
J.  M.  Boyd.  For  further  information,  please  contact  Dean  of 
Undergraduate  Studies  William  R.  Grogan. 


* 


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<J 


Norma  Larson  is  listed  in  the  WPI 
Campus  Directory  as  director  of  rec- 
ords and  services  for  University  Rela- 
tions. Unofficially  she  has  been  the 
"first  lady"  of  the  Alumni  Office  for 
30  years,  a  friend  to  hundreds  of 
alumni  and  their  families.  As  of  Oc- 
tober 31st  her  official  title  will 
change  to  that  of  Norma  Larson,  pri- 
vate business  woman. 


"But  I'll  never  forget  the  friend- 
ships I've  made  through  WPI,"  she 
declares.  "And  don't  be  surprised  if  I 
turn  up  'unofficially'  at  reunion 
time."  She  smiles.  "After  all,  I  dm  an 
honorary  member  of  the  Alumni  As- 
sociation." 

For  Norma  the  decision  to  leave 
WPI  came  about  naturally  enough. 
Her  sister,  Grace  Pembroke,  recently 
opened  a  specialty  shop,  "A  Touch  of 
Grace"  at  414  Main  Street  in  Worces- 
ter. 

"Grace  specializes  in  handcrafted 
gifts  sold  on  consignment  and  cus- 
tom made  clothes,"  Norma  explains. 
"She  has  a  fast-moving  line  of  pot- 
tery, silver  jewelry,  and  leather  goods. 
Although  the  shop  has  been  open 
only  a  few  months,  the  business  has 
grown  so  much  that  she  needed 
someone  to  help  her.  I  was  the  logical 
choice." 

Norma  feels  that  branching  out 
into  business  will  be  a  real  challenge, 
and  she's  looking  forward  to  it.  "I'll  be 
dealing  with  the  customers  and  with 
our  suppliers  in  Boston  and  New 
York,"  she  says.  "It  should  keep  me 
on  the  move." 


Anyone  who  has  seen  Norma  in 
action  at  WPI,  knows  that  whatever 
the  future  pace  might  be,  she's  not 
only  capable  of  keeping  up  with  it, 
she  will  more  than  likely  set  it.  At 
reunions  she  is  everywhere:  at  the 
registration  table;  at  the  cocktail  par- 
ties; and  at  the  various  dinner  dances. 

Norma  has  been  the  perfect  kind  of 
"take-charge"  lady  for  reunions.  Not 
only  does  she  know  many  of  the 
alumni  by  their  first  names,  she  also 
knows  their  wives  and  children.  She 
knows  who  is  registered  at  the 
Sheraton- Lincoln,  what  class  is  hav- 
ing its  picture  taken  at  10  a.m.,  the 
hours  that  the  Art  Museum  is  open, 
and  what  the  Class  of  1940  is  having 
for  dinner.  She  smiles,  shakes  hands, 
and  directs  anxious  alumni  children 
to  the  nearest  restroom.  She  manages 
to  do  all  of  these  things  without  get- 
ting a  hair  out  of  place. 


14  /  October  1977  /  WPI  Journal 


Regarding  her  interaction  with 
alumni,  Irving  James  Donahue,  Jr., 
'44,  a  former  president  of  the  WPI 
Alumni  Association,  says,  "Norma 
did  everything  I  asked  her  to  do  and 
more,  when  I  was  in  office.  Whenever 
I  needed  a  helping  hand,  she  was 
there  to  lend  it.  I  can't  say  enough 
good  things  about  her.  She's  been 
outstanding." 

Thomas  J.  Denney,  vice  president 
for  University  Relations,  says  of 
Norma,  "She's  been  absolutely  great 
and  has  been  a  marvelous  asset  to 
both  the  college  and  the  alumni.  She 
takes  exceptional  pride  in  her  work, 
and  has  demonstrated  time  and  time 
again  her  concern  for  all  alumni.  She 
will  be  impossible  to  replace,  and  will 
be  missed  by  her  friends  here  on 
campus  and  throughout  the  world." 

Francis  S.  Harvey,  '37,  immediate 
past  president  of  the  Alumni  Associa- 
tion adds,  "Norma  has  a  gift  for 
straightening  things  out.  Whatever 
the  problem  might  be,  she  always 
seems  to  be  able  to  come  up  with  the 
solution.  She  has  been  wonderful  to 
work  with.  A  true  friend." 

After  three  decades  of  dealing  with 
alumni,  Norma  declares  that  "all"  of 
the  classes  are  her  favorites,  but  she 
does  reserve  a  special  place  in  her 
heart  for  the  Class  of  1912,  of  which 
she  is  an  honorary  member.  "Of 
course,  I  can't  forget  the  Class  of 
1902,"  she  continues.  "They  gave  me 
Kwasind  to  look  after  back  in  1952 
and  he's  still  with  me." 

Kwasind,  a  big-horned  Indian  war 
club,  the  mascot  of  the  Class  of  1902, 
broods  in  a  comer  of  Norma's  office. 
He  is  distinctly  unlovely,  but  Norma 
confesses  that  she  has  developed  a 
fondness  for  him,  sour-puss  and  all. 
"He  sort  of  grows  on  you,"  she  says. 


The  same  thing  could  be  said  of 
Norma's  job.  That  sort  of  "grew"  on 
her,  too.  "When  I  first  came  to  WPI,  I 
worked  for  Donald  Smith,  '41,  who 
was  Alumni  Secretary-Treasurer  at 
the  time,"  she  says.  Before  she  knew 
it,  she  became  Alumni  Fund  secre- 
tary and  found  herself  recording  fund 
gifts,  as  well  as  doing  her  regular 
work,  keeping  thousands  of  alumni 
names  and  addresses  up  to  date. 

Later,  with  Warren  Zepp,  '42,  she 
was  promoted  to  administrative  as- 
sistant. When  Thomas  J.  Denney  be- 
came vice  president  for  University 
Relations  in  1971,  Norma  was  sub- 
sequently named  director  of  records 
and  services,  and  an  official  member 
of  the  administration.  Since  1969  she 
has  also  worked  with  Steve  Hebert, 
'66,  the  current  alumni  director. 

In  her  present  capacity,  Norma 
serves  as  reunion  coordinator,  plans 
homecoming  events,  acts  as  liaison 
for  the  Tech  Old  Timers,  takes  charge 
of  Alumni  Association  financial  rec- 
ords, publishes  a  monthly  mailing 
calendar,  and  coordinates  all  com- 
puter programs  with  WACCC.  She 
also  reviews  monthly  gift  reports 
with  the  gift  recorder,  works  on  de- 
partment budgets,  and  maintains  a 
cost  analysis  on  department  projects. 

Although  much  of  her  time  is 
spent  on  alumni-related  projects, 
Norma  is  on  friendly  terms  with  a 
number  of  students  who  work  part 
time  in  University  Relations. 

"As  a  matter  of  fact,  it  was  the 
students,  themselves,  who  provided 
me  with  one  of  the  highlights  of  my 
career  at  WPI,"  she  declares.  "In  1976 
they  tapped  me  for  membership  in 
Skull.  I  was  completely  surprised  and 
perfectly  delighted.  (She  is  the  first 
WPI  woman  staff  member  to  be  so 
honored.)  I'm  not  sure  that  I'm  over  it 
yet,  and  it's  been  more  than  a  year!" 


Norma's  schedule  off  campus  fol- 
lows a  familiar  whirlwind  pattern. 
She  has  served  as  a  delegate  to  Repub- 
lican state  conventions.  As  a  member 
of  the  Worcester  Ward  I  City  Com- 
mittee, she  also  worked  tirelessly  for 
Republican  candidates,  and  has 
served  on  various  other  political 
committees. 

At  home  she  tends  100  house 
plants.  She  has  a  1000- volume  li- 
brary, mostly  political  and  history 
books,  all  fully  catalogued.  "I've  got 
hundreds  of  records,  and  they're 
catalogued,  too,"  she  says  laughingly. 
"Even  at  home  I  can't  stop  keeping 
records  of  everything." 

She  loves  music  and  belongs  to  the 
Worcester  Music  Festival  and  the 
Mechanics  Association.  She  does 
many  of  her  own  home  repairs, 
"sometimes  with  a  Girl  Scout  hand- 
book in  my  hand,  when  I  need  to  tie  a 
certain  knot,"  she  says. 

There  are  other  things  that  Norma 
would  like  to  do  some  day  soon  — 
like  getting  a  new  dog.  "Ginger  died 
last  May.  I  miss  her,"  she  admits. 
( Ginger  was  16.)  She  hopes  to  go  back 
to  her  acrylic  painting,  renew  her 
interest  in  tennis,  and  attend  more 
baseball  games  and  ballet  perform- 
ances. She  wants  to  spend  more  time 
with  her  nieces  and  nephews.  ("I  dote 
on  them.") 

Norma  is  looking  forward  to  pursu- 
ing new  pastimes,  a  new  job,  and  a 
challenging  future.  But  what  goes  on 
at  WPI  will  always  be  of  interest  to 
her. 

"You  can't  erase  thirty  years  of 
memories  and  friendships  overnight, 
and  I  wouldn't  want  to  try,"  she  says. 
"I'll  be  back.  At  reunion.  Or 
homecoming." 

(Whenever,  Norma.  WPI  will  al- 
ways welcome  you  and  wish  you 
well!) 


WPI  Journal  /  October  1977/15 


1905 

Ernest  Morse  recently  fell  and  broke  his  hip.  He 
writes  that  he  is  now  "doing  OK." 

1916 

Arthur  Nutt,  class  president  of  the  class  of  1912 
at  Classical  High  School,  Worcester,  spoke  at  his 
65th  reunion  in  June.  The  former  class  president 
distinguished  himself  by  designing  aircraft  en- 
gines on  the  B29  and  other  aircraft  which  set 
world  speed  records.  His  father,  Charles  Nutt, 
was  publisher  of  the  Worcester  Spy. 

1921 

Lincoln  Thompson,  retired  chairman  of  the 
board  of  the  Raymond  Precision  Instrument  Co. 
of  Connecticut  and  founder  of  the  Sound  Scriber 
Corp.,  which  manufactured  the  first  electronic 
dictating  machine,  attended  his  60th  class  reun- 
ion (Old  English  High  School)  in  Worcester  in 
June.  He  was  president  of  the  class  of  1 91 7. 

1924 

The  Godfrey  Danielsons  celebrated  their  golden 
wedding  anniversary  last  October.  Mr.  Daniel- 
son  is  chairman  of  the  Utilities  Commission  of 
the  Sun  City  (Ariz.)  Home  Owners'  Association. 
He  sings  in  a  100-voice  male  chorus  and  church 
choir,  serves  on  four  church  committees,  and 

plays  tennis  and  bridge Willard  Callotte  and 

his  wife  recently  served  as  acting  managers  of  a 
small  rest  home.  They  are  located  in  Bellevue, 
Washington. 

1933 

Robert  Blake  retired  last  year  following  43  years 
of  service  with  New  York  State  Electric  &  Gas 
Corp.  (a  private  investor-owned  company).  He 
now  belongs  to  RSVP  (Retired  Service  Volunteer 
Persons)  and  enjoys  golfing,  gardening,  and 
traveling.  .  . .  John  Shabeck,  since  retiring  from 
Raytheon  last  year  after  28  years.fis  presently 
working  nearly  full  time  as  a  Raytheon  consul- 
tant. He  is  concerned  mostly  with  the  design  and 
development  of  a  laser  gyro  for  missile  naviga- 
tion, but  also  does  consultant  work  on  gas  lasers 
and  laser  systems. 


1934 

H.  Raymond  Sjostedt  recently  retired  as  Con- 
necticut state  director  of  Civil  Preparedness  and 
as  vice  president  of  the  National  Association  of 
Civil  Preparedness  Directors.  Currently  he  is 
involved  in  church  fund  raising  and  Republican 
politics  on  state  and  local  levels.  Previously  he 
had  worked  34  years  for  Watertown  Mfg.  Co. 

1935 

Now  retired  from  Liberty  Mutual  Insurance  Co., 
James  Healy  is  serving  as  president  of  New- 
buryport  Maritime  Society,  Inc.  (Custom  House 
Maritime  Museum). . .  .  Osmond  Kinney  has 
retired.  He  was  area  engineering  superintendent 
for  the  Potomac  Edison  Co.  in  Waynesboro,  Pa. 

1938 

The  American  Numismatic  Association  has 
awarded  its  prestigious  Heath  Literary  Award  to 
A.  George  Mallis  for  excellence  in  numismatic 
writing  for  his  article  entitled:  "Notes  on  English 
Coin  Weights"  published  in  the  August  1976 
issue  of  The  Numismatist.  The  Comprehensive 
Catalogue  and  Encyclopedia  of  U.S.  Morgan 
and  Peace  Silver  Dollars,  a  book  which  Mallis 
co-authored,  was  selected  for  "the  Numismatic 
Book-of-the-Year  Award"  for  1976  by  the 
Numismatic  Literary  Guild. 

1939 

Keith  McKeeman  retired  in  April  from  J.  C. 
Penney  Co.,  Inc.,  where  he  had  been  chief 
industrial  engineer.  He  and  his  wife,  Evelyn,  have 
retired  to  "Our  favorite  spot  in  a  new  home  at 
Lake  George,  N.Y.  and  plan  to  coast  for  six 
months."  He  may  do  consulting  work  in  the 
future. . . .  Norman  Packard  has  been  named 
manager  of  engineering  at  Robertshaw  Controls 
Company  in  Independence,  Va.  A  professional 
engineer,  he  joined  the  company's  Milford, 
Conn.  Division  in  1975.  The  Independence  facil- 
ity was  acqu  ired  by  Robertshaw  earlier  this  year. 
Initial  production  items  to  be  manufactured 
there  will  include  refrigeration  and  air- 
conditioning  related  devices  and  systems. 

1940 

William  S.  Brooks  retired  in  May  from  Rocket- 
dyne  Division  of  Rockwell  International. . . . 
Judson  Lowd,  who  has  spent  much  of  his  career 
outside  of  the  U.S.  in  the  petroleum  producing 
areas  of  Europe,  South  America,  and  the  Middle 
East,  recently  spoke  at  a  meeting  of  the  Desk  and 
Derrick  Club  of  Tulsa,  Oklahoma.  His  topic  was 
"Imbue,  Ascribe,  and  Ratify,"  He  is  president  of 
C-E  Natco. . . .  Richard  Ryan  is  with  John 
Hancock  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Co.  in  Falls 
Church,  Va. .  .  .  Francis  Stone  has  been  named 
director  of  manufacturing  for  the  shearling  divi- 
sion at  A.C.  Lawrence  Leather  Company,  Inc., 
Peabody,  Mass.  He  has  been  with  the  company 
for  more  than  thirty  years,  and  prior  to  his  most 
recent  promotion,  was  superintendent  of  the 
shearling  division.  He  is  a  trustee  of  the  Cheshire 
Hospital  and  a  director  of  the  Cheshire  County 
YMCA. 


1941 

After  thirty  years  with  GE,  John  MacLeod  has 

retired  and  is  living  on  Cape  Cod Dr.  Herman 

Medwin  is  co-author  of  Acoustical  Oceanog- 
raphy: Principles  and  Applications  recently  pub- 
lished by  John  Wiley  &  Sons  Inc.  of  New  York 
City.  This  volume  in  the  Wiley  Series  on  Ocean 
Engineering  is  a  comprehensive  overview  of  the 
theory  and  applications  of  sound  propagation 
and  measurement  in  the  sea,  including  remote 
acoustical  sensing  of  marine  life  and  the  ocean 
floor.  Dr.  Medwin  is  professor  of  physics  at  the 
Naval  Postgraduate  School  in  Monterey,  Calif. 
He  is  a  fellow  of  the  Acoustical  Society  of 
America  and  a  former  researcher  at  the  Hudson 
Laboratories. 

1942 

Prof.  Roy  Bourgault  of  WPI's  mechanical  en- 
gineering department  took  part  in  the  85th 
annual  conference  program  of  the  American 
Society  for  Engineering  Education  in  Grand 
Forks,  ND  this  summer.  He  participated  on  two 
panels  on  the  "First  Course  in  Materials  Sci- 
ence." 

Lex  Carroll's  13 -year-old  daughter  Kristen 
was  crowned  overall  winner  in  the  Junior  Girls 
Division  of  the  National  Waterski  Champi- 
onships held  recently  in  Berkeley,  Calif.  She  won 
the  title  by  finishing  first  in  jumping,  third  in 
slalom,  and  third  in  tricks.  Her  proud  father,  an 
eastern  waterski  expert,  feels  her  achievement 
was  especially  notable  because  western  and 
southern  contestants  generally  have  a  longer 
season  in  which  to  prepare. 

Carroll  operates  one  of  the  finest  cham- 
pionship water  skiing  courses  in  the  world  at 
Adams  Pond  in  Oakham,  Mass.  International 
stars,  including  Olympian  Bruce  Jenner,  have 
trained  at  Carroll's  "mud  puddle,"  which  mea- 
sures about  2,000  by  300  feet.  The  Can-Am 
(Canadian-American)  championships  were  held 
therein  July. 

Carroll,  who  still  water  skis,  is  vice  president  of 
the  American  Water  Ski  Association,  a  member 
of  the  board  of  directors,  one  of  five  selectors  of 
the  team  that  will  represent  the  U.S.  in  interna- 
tional events,  manager  of  that  team,  and  a 
sought-after  judge. 

The  Carroll  family,  including  the  parents,  son 
Blake,  24,  and  daughter  Kristen,  have  collec- 
tively won  about  500  water  skiing  titles. 

1943 

Leonard  Hershoff  is  a  grandfather  for  the  first 
time.  On  June  8,  1977  his  daughter,  Andrea, 
who  is  married  to  Kenneth  Johnson,  '73,  pre- 
sented him  with  a  granddaughter. 

1944 

Harrie  Rowe's  son  Richard  is  a  freshman  at  WPI. 

1945 

John  Hegeman  continues  with  Chemetics  Int'l 
Ltd.,  Vancouver,  BC,  where  he  is  vice  president 
and  manager  of  the  pulp  and  paper  division.  The 
firm  is  a  wholly  owned  subsidiary  of  Canadian 
Industries  Limited  (Canada's  largest  chemical 
company).  Chemetics  and  its  associate  com- 
panies operate  worldwide  specializing  in  design, 
engineering,  and  supply  of  high  technology 

systems Daniel  Katz  is  now  located  in  Maine, 

where  he  is  senior  project  engineer  for  Marine 
Colloids,  Inc.,  Rockland. 


16  /  October  1977  /  WPI  Journal 


■tllMMMMM 


1948 

Robert  Houghton,  formerly  with  GE  in  South 
Walpole,  Mass.,  has  retired. . . .  Clark  Poland  has 
been  elected  senior  vice  president  of  consumer 
businesses  for  the  American  Can  Company.  In 
his  new  capacity,  Poland  will  provide  guidance 
to  the  company's  Towel  and  Tissue,  Dixie  Con- 
sumer, and  Dixie  Marathon  products.  Previously 
he  had  served  as  vice  president  and  general 
manager  of  Consumer  Towel  and  Tissue  prod- 
ucts, and  had  spent  one  year  as  vice  president  of 
operations  development.  Earlier  he  was  with 
Howard  Johnson  Company  and  General  Foods 
Corporation. 

Poland  has  assumed  the  national  chairman- 
ship of  the  corporation  contacts  program  re- 
cently inaugurated  by  the  WPI  Alumni  Associa- 
tion, and  he  also  serves  as  a  member  of  the  WPI 
Alumni  Association  Executive  Committee. 

Formerly  the  dean  of  the  College  of  Pharmacy 
and  Allied  Health  Professions  at  Northeastern 
University  in  Boston,  Dr.  Albert  Soloway  has 
now  become  dean  of  the  College  of  Pharmacy  at 
Ohio  State  University. .  . .  Currently  Prescott 
Stevens  holds  the  position  of  chief  of  pre- 
investment  planning  in  the  World  Health  Or- 
ganization Division  of  Environmental  Health  in 
Geneva,  Switzerland. 

1950 

Kenneth  Parsons  has  been  appointed  product 
engineer  for  grinding  wheel  products  in  the 
abrasives  marketing  group  at  Norton  Co., 
Worcester.  Since  joining  Norton,  he  has  held 
several  engineering  and  supervisory  positions, 
his  most  recent  being  that  of  chief  inspector  for 
organic  products  in  the  grinding  wheel  division. 
He  is  a  registered  professional  engineer. 

1951 

William  Cunneen  is  again  serving  as  a  section 
chairman  in  the  central  business  division  of  the 
1 977  campaign  of  the  United  Way  of  Mas- 
sachusetts Bay.  He  assists  in  the  fund-raising 
efforts  of  businesses  located  in  the  central  divi- 
sion, which  includes  Boston  and  twenty  adjacent 
communities.  Cunneen  is  assistant  chief  control 
systems  engineer  with  Stone  &  Webster  in  Bos- 
ton. . . .  Robert  Mongilio's  son  is  a  freshman  at 
WPI —  Ramsey  Sheikh,  a  former  vice  president 
of  Riley  Stoker  Corp.  of  Worcester,  is  buying 
Boiler  Engineering  &  Supply  Co.,  Inc.  and  its 
subsidiary,  the  Leighton  Tube  Co.  of  Phoenix- 
ville,  Pa.  Since  December,  he  has  been  executive 
vice  president  of  BESCO,  a  privately  held  com- 
pany that  makes  steam  generating  equipment. 
He  is  a  registered  professional  engineer  in  New 
York  and  Connecticut. 

1952 

Richard  Boutiette,  director  of  the  department  of 
public  works  in  Wakefield,  Mass.,  has  been 
named  "Man  of  the  Year"  by  the  New  England 
chapter  of  the  American  Public  Works  Associa- 
tion (APWA).  He  received  the  award  at  the 
chapter's  annual  banquet  held  in  Chatham  on 
June  22nd.  He  was  presented  with  an  inscribed 
Paul  Revere  Bowl  and  commended  for  his  "untir- 
ing efforts  on  behalf  of  the  chapter  and  his 
dedication  to  upgrading  the  image  of  the  munic- 
ipal public  works  official." 


Boutiette  has  served  on  national  committees 
of  APWA  and  as  president  of  the  local  chapter. 
He  began  as  DPW  director  in  Wakefield  in  1961 . 
Previously  he  had  been  town  engineer  in  Read- 
ing. Also,  he  had  worked  for  the  Massachusetts 
Department  of  Public  Works,  District  3,  and 
served  as  senior  highway  engineer  with  Edward 
and  Kelcey,  Boston. 

During  his  16  years  in  Wakefield,  he  has 
achieved  national  recognition  for  innovations  in 
the  local  department,  including  the  inauguration 
of  a  unique  snowplowing  school,  which  has 
been  adopted  by  other  communities.  A  regis- 
tered professional  engineer,  he  belongs  to  ASCE, 
the  Massachusetts  Municipal  Engineers  Associa- 
tion, and  the  New  England  Waterworks  Associa- 
tion. 

He  is  past  president  of  the  Norfolk  Bristol 
Middlesex  Association,  past  president  of  the 
New  England  Public  Works  Association,  and  a 
former  chairman  of  the  technical  Advisory 
Committee  of  the  Metropolitan  Area  Planning 
Council. 

Norman  Frank  has  been  appointed  vice  presi- 
dent for  Europe,  the  Middle  East,  Africa,  and  the 
Far  East  by  Elliott  Company,  a  division  of  Carrier 
Corporation.  He  joined  Elliott  in  1952,  progress- 
ing to  district  manager  of  the  Dallas,  Kansas  City, 
and  Los  Angeles  offices,  and  was  named  western 
regional  manager  in  1966.  Most  recently,  he  was 
vice  president  of  Far  Eastern  operations.  Frank  is 
a  registered  professional  engineer  and  a  member 
of  the  board  of  Elliott's  Japanese  licensee,  Ebara 
Manufacturing  Company,  Ltd.  Elliott  is  a  leading 
international  manufacturer  for  turbomachinery 
for  the  oil  and  gas,  chemical,  petrochemical  and 
steel  industries. 

Dr.  Richard  Zeleny  was  recently  named  man- 
ager of  the  process  development  department  of 
Stauffer  Chemical  Company's  Western  Research 
Center  in  Richmond,  Calif.  He  is  responsible  for 
the  development  of  commercial  production  pro- 
cesses for  the  firm's  agricultural,  food  ingre- 
dients, and  industrial  chemicals.  He  also  heads  a 
team  responsible  for  the  development  of  pollu- 
tion and  environmental  control  facilities.  With 
the  company  since  1967,  he  has  served  as  a 
section  manager  at  the  Richmond  Center,  and 
was  once  at  Stauffer's  facility  in  Green  River, 
Wyoming. 


1953 

Oliver  Sullivan  is  president  of  United  Data  Ser- 
vices Co.,  Phoenix,  Arizona. 

1954 

Francis  Gamari  was  recently  named  plant  man- 
ager for  the  Sprague  Electric  Company's  wet  and 
foil  tantalum  operations  in  North  Adams,  Mass. 
Previously  he  was  manager  of  manufacturing 
engineering  at  the  facility,  department  head  for 
wet  and  foil  tantalum  capacitor  engineering  and 
chief  engineer  of  tantalum  foil  capacitor  product 
engineering.  Before  joining  Sprague  in  1957,  he 
was  with  Allied  Chemical.  In  1975  he  received  a 
special  recognition  award  from  the  National 
Aeronautics  and  Space  Administration  for  his 
work  in  the  development  of  a  new  capacitor 
technology,  which  resulted  in  the  tantalum- 
cased  wet-slug  tantalum  capacitor.  He  holds 
three  U.S.  Letter  Patents  in  the  capacitor  field. 
Thomas  Kee  has  joined  White,  Weld  &  Co., 
Inc.,  as  vice  president  of  the  Providence,  R.I. 
office.  He  formerly  was  an  account  executive 
with  Merrill,  Lynch,  Pierce  &  Fenner,  Providence. 


White,  Weld  &  Co.  is  an  international  invest- 
ment banking  and  securities  marketing  firm  with 
28  offices  in  the  U.S.  and  seven  abroad. . . . 
David  LaMarre  is  now  director  of  Electronics- 
Electromechanical  Laboratory,  research  and  de- 
velopment, for  the  Optical  Products  Division  of 
American  Optical.  In  1954  he  started  at  the  firm 
as  a  junior  physicist.  Most  recently  he  was 
manager  of  lens  development.  He  belongs  to  the 
American  Optical  Society  of  America,  and  serves 
as  chairman  of  the  technical  working  group  of 
the  Optical  Manufacturers  Association.  His  pub- 
lished materials  include  numerous  papers  on 
laser  research. 


1955 

After  completing  1 8  years  in  various  engineering 
and  production  assignments  at  the  Warners 
plant  of  American  Cyanamid  Co.  at  Linden,  N.J., 
Gerald  Backlund  has  transferred  to  the  agricul- 
tural division  in  Princeton,  N.J.  He  is  manufactur- 
ing manager  of  pesticides. 

Peter  Morgan,  SIM,  has  been  elected  a  direc- 
tor of  Associated  Industries  of  Massachusetts. 
Associated  with  Morgan  Construction  Co., 
Worcester,  since  1948,  he  is  presently  vice  presi- 
dent of  the  firm.  Formerly  he  was  a  metallurgical 
observer  with  American  Steel  &  Wire,  Worces- 
ter. Currently  he  is  director,  president  and  treas- 
urer of  Morgan-Worcester,  Inc.  He  is  also  a 
director  of  the  Worcester  County  National  Bank 
and  a  trustee  of  both  old  Sturbridge  Village  and 
Becker  Junior  College.  He  serves  as  a  director  of 
the  Worcester  Taxpayers  Association,  a  member 
of  the  town  of  Leicester  Advisory  Board,  and  vice 
president  of  the  Worcester  YMCA. 

Albert  Pollin  is  the  newly  elected  president  of 
the  District  of  Columbia  Society  of  Professional 
Engineers. 

1956 

^Married:  Hans  H.  Koehl  to  Miss  Peggy  L. 
Olaski  on  July16, 1977  in  Waltham,  Mas- 
sachusetts. The  bride  is  an  adult  nurse  prac- 
titioner in  the  office  of  Arthur  A.  Wills  III,  M.D. 
She  graduated  from  Heywood  Hospital  School 
of  Nursing  and  Peter  Bent  Brigham  Hospital 
Adult  Nurse  Practitioner  Program.  The  groom 
graduated  from  Stanford  University  School  of 
Law  and  is  president  of  Connecticut  Engineering 
and  Manufacturing  Co. 

John  Burns  holds  the  post  of  regional  man- 
ager for  Shell  Chemical  Co.  in  West  Orange,  N.J. 
. . .  John  Nash  is  energy  coordinator  at  Koppers 
Co.,  Inc.,  in  Chicago. .  .  .  Richard  Rodin  is  the 
current  chairman  of  the  Montclair  (N.J.)  High 
School  Science  Department.  He  is  also  marketing 
a  game  with  Science  Kit  Inc.  called  "The  Great 
Periodic  Table  Race." 

1957 

On  January  1st  Edward  Dennett  became  the 
national  sales  manager  of  the  Sangamo  Energy 
Management  Division  of  Sangamo-Weston, 
Inc.,  Atlanta,  Georgia.  He  has  been  with  the  firm 
for  twenty  years  and  previously  was  southeast 
regional  manager.  .  .  .  Bay  State  Abrasives, 
Westboro,  Mass.,  has  announced  the  promotion 
of  Aram  Sohigian  to  manager  of  project  en- 
gineering. He  joined  the  division  in  1959  as  a 
project  engineer,  and  has  since  been  senior 
project  engineer. 


WPI  Journal  /  October  1977/17 


A  Retread  who  keeps  on  rolling 


During  the  daytime,  Roy  Baharian,  '44  is  vice  president  for  engineering, 
purchasing,  and  traffic  at  Diamond  International  Corporation.  At  night  he's 
just  a  "retread,"  but  he  loves  every  minute  of  it! 

Baharian  is  a  trombonist  with  a  group  of  executive  musicians  who  have 
dubbed  themselves  "The  Retreads,"  and  who  play  for  charity  benefits  and  fun 
in  and  around  Greenwich,  Connecticut. 

"We  rehearse  once  a  month,  and  perform  about  six  times  a  year,"  Baharian 
says.  "For  example,  we  play  for  the  Greenwich  Community  Fund  Kick-off 
Dance,  an  annual  block  party  in  which  the  main  street  is  blocked  off,  filled 
with  card  tables,  and  lighted  only  with  candles.  Such  charity  benefits  are 
usually  well  attended  because  the  Retreads  are  so  well  known  locally." 

One  of  the  highlights  of  the  year  for  band  members  is  performing  at  the  ice 
skating  rink  at  Rockefeller  Center  in  New  York  City.  "We've  played  there 
once  each  summer  for  the  last  three  years,"  Baharian  reports. 

Although  Retreads  members  consider  themselves  to  be  primarily  a  local 
group,  they  attained  national  recognition  in  the  July  issue  of  Fortune 
magazine  when  mention  of  them  was  made  in  the  article,  "Tuning  in  on  the 
Jazz  Revival."  The  story  covered  the  activities  of  various  executive- staffed 
bands  across  the  country.  Sidelights  on  the  Retreads  were  included. 

Originally,  the  Retreads  started  out  as  a  six-piece  Dixieland  group  that 
played  mostly  by  ear.  In  1971  the  group  was  expanded  into  a  Glenn  Miller 
style,  seventeen-piece  band,  including  five  saxophones,  four  trumpets,  and 
four  trombones. 

According  to  Fortune,  "inspired  leadership  . . .  and  superior  musicianship 
have  been  able  to  keep  the  collection  of  busy  executives  and  entrepreneurs 
coming  to  monthly  (Retreads)  rehearsals." 

Baharian  feels  that  a  dozen  or  so  rehearsals  a  year  may  not  really  be  enough, 
but  as  far  as  he  is  concerned,  he  can  do  little  about  it.  "My  job  keeps  me 
traveling  about  fifty  percent  of  the  time,"  he  explains.  In  order  to  maintain  the 
"lip"  required  to  play  the  trombone  for  hours  at  a  time,  or  to  hit  the  high  notes, 
he  takes  the  mouthpiece  along  with  him  on  business  trips,  and  blows  while  he 
drives  around  the  country! 

Basically,  the  Retreads  is  a  fun  group,  but  a  professionally  excellent  one. 
Members  include  alumni  of  the  Benny  Goodman,  Tommy  Dorsey,  Jimmy 
Dorsey,  Lawrence  Welk,  Ted  Fio  Rito,  Al  Donahue,  and  Charley  Parker 
orchestras.  Baharian,  himself,  is  a  "graduate"  of  the  Vaughan  Monroe 
organization. 


18  /  October  1977  /  WPI  Journal 


While  at  WPI,  Baharian  played  trombone  in  the  Tech  marching  band  and  in 
the  Boyntonians,  the  campus  dance  band.  Classmate  L.  Howard  Reagan,  who 
hasn't  seen  Roy  for  33  years,  but  who  recalls  those  days  fondly  says,  "Alas! 
How  many  hearts  have  been  won  to  the  sensuous  sounds  of  the  vibrato 
emanating  from  the  bell  of  the  slippery,  slithering,  cornucopia-esque  moans 
from  Roy  'Slushpump'  Baharian's  slide-trombone?" 

After  the  war,  in  1 952,  Baharian  played  for  two  summers,  six  nights  a  week 
in  the  Heywood- Wakefield  Furniture  Company  Concert  Band.  "At  the  time,  I 
was  assistant  chief  engineer  of  Riley  Stoker  Corp.,  in  Worcester,  but  because  it 
was  the  furniture  company's  proud  boast  that  every  player  was  an  employee,  I 
was  listed  as  a  Heywood- Wakefield  shipping  department  employee  on  the 
programs,"  he  explains. 

Later  he  became  musically  active  in  the  Norwalk,  Conn.,  area.  For  twelve 
years,  until  1974,  he  was  in  the  Stamford  Symphony  Orchestra  and  the 
Westchester  County  Oratorio  Society  Orchestra.  For  ten  years  he  played  in 
theatrical  groups  for  musicals  such  as  "Guys  and  Dolls,"  "My  Fair  Lady," 
"Carousel,"  and  "Gypsy." 

For  the  last  fourteen  years  he  has  played  in  the  orchestra  for  the  Darien 
Troupers'  Gilbert  and  Sullivan  productions,  served  as  Sunday  School  superin- 
tendent at  the  Darien  United  Church  of  Christ,  and  played  the  organ  for 
"relaxation." 

Even  a  Retread  has  to  stop  rolling  once  in  a  while! 


WPI  Journal  /  October  1977/19 


Why  did  Phil  Nyquist,  '50,  join 
the  Peace  Corps? 
Well,  why  not? 


By  Phil  Nyquist,  '50 

In  1972 1  accepted  an  invitation  to 
join  the  Peace  Corps  as  a  volunteer 
lecturer  teaching  mechanical  en- 
gineering in  Malaysia.  Shortly  after  I 
joined,  I  received  a  note  from  the 
Publications  Department  at  Worces- 
ter Tech  inviting  me  to  write  an 
article  on  why  I  joined  the  Peace 
Corps;  more  specifically,  why  a  man 
of  my  age  would  join  the  Peace  Corps. 
In  retrospect  I  can  answer  that  in  a 
very  precise,  engineering  manner  by 
saying,  "Why  not?"  It  was  the 
greatest  experience  of  my  life  and  I 
have  no  regrets  about  my  decision. 

In  the  early  1970's  I  found  myself  a 
victim  of  the  unemployment  prob- 
lem which  seemed  particularly  acute 
on  the  west  coast.  In  making  the 
rounds  and  looking  for  a  job,  it  ap- 
peared that  there  were  always  many 
more  applicants  than  jobs.  Now,  I  am 
not  particularly  disturbed  by  compe- 
tition, but  I  thought  it  might  be  well 
to  look  in  a  broader  field  to  see  if  there 
were  some  areas  in  the  world  with 
many  jobs  to  do  and  very  few  to  fill 
them.  I  investigated  through  my 
church  denomination's  mission 
headquarters  and  they  made  several 
good  suggestions,  but  most  of  these 
jobs  dealt  with  immediate  or  "ground 
floor"  type  activities.  They  did  need 
the  basics,  such  as  roads,  dams,  water 
systems,  improved  sanitation 
facilities,  etc.,  but  since  I'm  not  a  civil 
engineer,  I  didn't  see  myself  capable 
of  fulfilling  these  particular  needs.  I 
had  worked  for  most  of  my  career  as 
an  industrial  engineer  and  there 
seemed  to  be  no  direct  need  for  skills 
along  these  lines  in  the  undeveloped 
countries. 


At  this  point  I  had  a  discussion 
with  the  local  Peace  Corps  Office  in 
San  Francisco  and  was  pleased  to 
learn  that  they  have  now  expanded 
their  mission  to  include  assistance 
not  only  for  the  "basics"  but  also  for 
developing  countries  where  the  skills 
of  an  industrial  engineer  would  be  of 
value.  I  filled  out  the  application,  and 
then  I  waited. 

In  February  of  1972 1  was  appointed 
to  a  permanent  position  with  the 
City  of  San  Francisco  and  at  that 
point  I  decided  that  "fate"  had  de- 
creed I  should  stay  home  instead  of 
going  overseas.  One  month  later  I 
was  invited  by  the  Peace  Corps  to  join 
a  technical  education  project  in 
Malaysia.  Now,  bear  in  mind  that  I 
was  a  life-long  Republican  (still  am, 
by  the  way)  and  I  had  never  made  a 
non-conservative  decision  in  my  life. 
I  pondered  the  idea  of  leaving  such  a 
"secure"  position  as  civil  service  in 
San  Francisco.  But  then  I  considered 
the  many  fringe  benefits  on  the  other 
side.  Not  too  many  folks  get  the 
chance  to  travel  to  (literally)  the  other 
side  of  the  world,  and  if  they  do,  it  is 
usually  after  they  retire  or  if  they  are 
particularly  successful  in  their  busi- 
ness, so  I  was  being  offered  a  very 
unique  opportunity.  I  had  no  pressing 
financial  obligations  I  couldn't  take 
care  of.  After  weighing  the  facts  as 
accurately  as  I  could,  and  after  sifting 
through  much  kind  advice  from 
friends,  I  resigned  from  my  job  in  San 
Francisco  and  accepted  the  Peace 


Corps  assignment.  I  will  admit  to 
some  second  thoughts,  particularly 
when  that  hot  humid  air  hit  me  as  I 
got  off  the  plane  at  Kuala  Lumpur, 
Malaysia.  I  am  very  sure,  however, 
that  if  I  had  decided  the  other  way  I 
would  have  been  forever  nagged  in 
my  own  mind  as  to  what  the  pos- 
sibilities were  on  this  overseas  as- 
signment. 

I  was  assigned  as  technical  lecturer 
in  mechanical  engineering  at  the 
Politeknik  Ungku  Omar  in  Ipoh, 
Malaysia.  There  they  have  a  two  year 
course  roughly  similar  to  our  junior 
or  community  college  system  back 
home.  I  taught  28  hours  per  week;  and 
when  you  couple  that  with  the  fact 
that  I  had  to  spend  about  two  hours 
preparation  time  for  each  hour  in 
class,  it  added  up  to  a  somewhat 
impossible  task,  wherein  was  some 
of  the  frustration.  The  result  was 
something  of  a  compromise;  much 
better  than  nothing  but  not  up  to  the 
quality  that  I  would  like.  My  teaching 
experience  previous  to  joining  the 
Peace  Corps  was  limited  to  assisting 
with  some  company  sponsored 
courses  in  "Industrial  Engineering 
Techniques."  In  view  of  this,  my  first 
reaction  when  I  received  the  invita- 
tion from  the  Peace  Corps  was  to  call 
them  in  Washington  to  see  if  they  had 
inadvertently  contacted  the  wrong 
man.  They  assured  me  that  no  mis- 
take had  been  made  and  that  there 
was  a  big  need  in  teaching  in  the 
technical  field  for  people  with  practi- 
cal industrial  experience.  Outside  of 
having  to  get  bi-focals  the  transition 
from  industry  to  classroom  was  quite 
painless. 


20  /  October  1977  /  WPI  Journal 


Subjects  that  I  was  responsible  for 
were  workshop  management  (basic 
industrial  engineering),  workshop 
practice,  mathematics,  and  engineer- 
ing science  (physics).  I  learned  that 
not  only  is  it  difficult  to  teach  an  old 
dog  new  tricks,  but  it  is  difficult  for 
an  old  dog  to  teach  old  tricks.  I  found 
myself  during  the  first  year  literally 
about  two  days  ahead  of  my  students, 
as  I  sought  to  re-learn  and  then  teach 
that  which  I  once  was  taught  (many 
years  ago)  at  WPI.  This  is  particularly 
true  of  the  theory  part  of  the  subject 
material.  The  second  year  was 
somewhat  easier.  The  students  at  the 
Politeknik  are  1 7  to  20  years  of  age, 
quite  reserved  and  somewhat  dif- 
ficult to  involve  in  class  discussions), 
pleasant,  and  growing  in  responsive- 
ness. Average  classroom  temperature 
was  85°  to  95°F  with  very  high 
humidity  all  year. 


r 


i**-* 


A  very  important  fringe  benefit 
was  the  delightful  group  of  fellow 
Peace  Corps  volunteers  I  was 
privileged  to  work  with.  We  ranged  in 
age  from  19  to  74,  with  the  average 
age  about  24.  Never  have  I  been  as- 
sociated with  such  a  great  bunch.  The 
area  around  Ipoh  (pronounced  eepo), 
Malaysia,  has  some  of  the  best  scen- 
ery I  have  ever  seen  (and  I  have  lived 
in  both  New  England  and  California). 
Ten  minutes  by  motorcycle  from  the 
city  and  you  can  be  right  out  in  the 
cool,  damp  jungle  in  delightful  hiking 
territory.  The  pay  is  not  impressive.  I 
got  a  "salary"  of  a  little  more  than  one 
hundred  dollars  per  month  for  three 
years,  but  you  will  be  surprised  to 
learn  that  you  can  ALMOST  live  on 
that  in  Ipoh. 

The  editor  of  the  Journal,  in  corre- 
sponding with  me  about  this  article, 
summed  up  his  own  Peace  Corps 
experience  in  Brazil  as  follows:  "Frus- 
trating, somewhat  rewarding,  and 
above  all,  eye-opening."  It  is  strange 
that  more  than  ten  years  later,  and  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  globe  from 
where  he  had  his  experience,  I  would 
say  that  that  is  still  an  accurate  de- 
scription of  our  Peace  Corps  assist- 
ance program. 

Actually,  I  intended  to  send  in 
these  thoughts  on  the  Peace  Corps 
many  months  ago,  but  now  that  so 
much  time  has  elapsed  I  can  look  at 
things  in  proper  perspective.  One  of 
the  most  important  lessons  that  I 
learned  was  that  "compromise"  is 
not  a  dirty  word  providing  that  you 
are  moving  in  the  right  direction. 
There  is  a  lot  to  be  done  and  I  believe 
that  the  Peace  Corps  can  continue  to 
make  a  big  contribution.  I  am  pleased 
to  note  that  the  Peace  Corps  has 
apparently  ceased  to  be  the  political 
football  it  was  a  few  years  back.  There 
is  much  to  be  done  to  improve  the 
organization  and  there  is  much  that 
the  Peace  Corps  can  do  in  underde- 
veloped and  developing  countries. 
Overall  it  is  definitely  on  the  plus 
side. 

Unfortunately  the  Peace  Corps 
cannot  guarantee  continued  official 
friendship  of  other  countries  for  the 
United  States.  Although  the  Peace 
Corps  is  invited  into  the  countries 
where  they  serve,  and  as  volunteers 


we  are  guests  of  the  government,  the 
Peace  Corps  volunteers  work  down  at 
the  people  level  in  assisting,  teaching, 
and  general  cooperation.  As  you 
know,  the  government  and  the 
people  are  apt  to  be  two  different 
entities  in  developing  countries.  For 
that  reason  some  governments  at 
times  get  disenchanted  with  the 
Peace  Corps,  but  the  people  are  al- 
most always  our  friends.  That  is  why, 
too,  that  the  Peace  Corps  will  not 
have  an  immediate  favorable  effect 
on  our  foreign  policy.  The  Peace 
Corps  does  not  yield  quick  dividends 
in  that  respect,  but  people  who  need 
help  are  being  helped.  It  will  show  up 
way  down  the  line.  But,  on  the  other 
hand,  the  entire  budget  for  the  Peace 
Corps  is  a  pittance  compared  with 
the  rest  of  our  foreign  aid.  It  is  well 
worth  keeping. 

In  June  of  1975 1  got  back  from  my 
Peace  Corps  assignment  in  Malaysia 
just  in  time  to  attend  my  25th  an- 
niversary at  WPI.  I  was  happy  to  note 
that  my  classmates  had  become  suc- 
cessful executives  over  the  25  year 
stretch,  and  I  would  like  to  direct  a 
word  to  them  and  to  other  successful 
alumni.  (Are  there  any  other  kind?) 
Since  you  are  in  a  position  to  influ- 
ence company  policy,  if  not  actually 
make  it,  I  would  like  to  suggest  that 
you  make  it  easier  for  people  to  do- 
nate two  years  or  so  to  an  organiza- 
tion like  the  Peace  Corps.  Right  now 
about  the  only  ones  who  can  do  it  and 
keep  their  seniority  are  teachers  and, 
in  some  cases,  civil  servants.  I  don't 
think  that  a  person  should  continue 
to  get  a  fat  salary  during  this  volun- 
teer time,  but  it  would  be  nice  if  he  or 
she  could  be  sure  of  getting  the  job 
back.  People  from  industry  are  espe- 
cially needed  in  developing  coun- 
tries. And  a  further  word  to  all  of  you: 
In  case  company  policy  doesn't 
change  to  make  it  easier  for  you  — 
quit  anyway  and  go  overseas  for  two 
years.  You  will  never  regret  it,  and 
you  will  be  surprised  at  how  little  you 
lose,  how  much  you  can  give. 

I  did  get  to  feel  somewhat  obsolete, 
being  away  from  modern  industry  for 
so  many  years.  I  appreciated  having 
trade  magazines  available  to  keep  me 
in  touch,  particularly  the  Industrial 
Engineering  Journal.  My  AIIE  chapter 


in  California,  the  Peninsula  Chapter, 
very  kindly  paid  my  membership 
dues  while  I  was  in  the  Peace  Corps. 
And  of  course  it  is  always  nice  to  hear 
occasionally  from  WPI. 

I  had  no  job  to  go  back  to  when  I  left 
the  Peace  Corps,  but  I  was  fortunate 
in  being  able  to  secure  a  position  with 
the  International  Labour  Organiza- 
tion of  the  United  Nations.  I  am  now 
assigned  to  the  Vocational  and  Man- 
agerial Training  Center  in  Bandung, 
Indonesia  as  UN  adviser  in  work 
simplification  and  methods  im- 
provement. In  Indonesia  they  speak 
the  same  language  as  in  Malaysia, 
which  is  convenient.  During  a 
three-month  training  period  with  the 
Peace  Corps  in  Malaysia  we  were 
required  to  get  a  1  +  language  rating 
on  the  international  scale.  For  those 
of  you  who  are  not  familiar  with  this 
rating,  a  1  +  indicates  that  I  am  able  to 
say  (with  reasonable  proficiency  in 
the  native  language),  "Hello!  My 
name  is  Phil.  Where  is  the  bath- 
room?" But  in  spite  of  having  ad- 
vanced somewhat  from  my  1  +  rat- 
ing, I'm  still  not  up  to  delivering  a 
technical  lecture  in  the  native  lan- 
guage. And  since  the  folks  in  In- 
donesia are  not  proficient  in  English, 
now  I  have  to  go  through  an  interpre- 
ter. (Puns  go  over  like  lead  balloons 
through  an  interpreter).  But  language 
difficulties  notwithstanding,  the 
people  of  both  Malaysia  and  In- 
donesia are  delightful  to  associate 
with.  They  are  really  friendly;  it  is 
not  just  something  that  you  read  in  a 
book.  The  girls  are  very  beautiful  and 
I  guess  the  boys  are  handsome,  but  I 
haven't  noticed  them  so  much. 

It  is  unfortunate  that  people  tend  to 
form  opinions  of  the  United  Nations 
and  its  various  agencies  based  on 
what  they  observe  to  go  on  at  head- 
quarters. The  United  Nations  or- 
ganizations have  distinguished 
themselves  with  outstanding  per- 
formance in  assisting  developing 
countries  around  the  world.  Not- 
withstanding some  disappointments 
and  some  frustrations,  my  present 
assignment  with  the  International 
Labour  Organization  of  the  United 
Nations,  like  my  previous  assign- 
ment as  a  Peace  Corps  volunteer,  I 
find  very  stimulating  and  rewarding. 


22  /  October  1977  /  WPI  Journal 


It  pays  to 

enroll  in  AFROTC 


The  Air  Force  needs  commissioned  officers  in 
the  science  and  engineering  areas.  Many  will  enter 
active  duty  through  Air  Force  ROTC. 

And  you  don't  have  to  wait  for  graduation  to  re- 
ceive financial  help.  You  can  be  paid  as  you  earn 
your  college  degree. 

Check  the  list  of  college  majors.  If  yours  is  on 
the  list,  you  could  qualify  for  either  a  2  or  3-year 
AFROTC  scholarship  that  includes  full 
tuition,  books,  all  lab  fees  and  $100  a 
month,  tax  free.  Even  without  the 
scholarship  you  can  get  excellent 
Air  Force  ROTC  training  and  the 
$100  a  month  tax-free  allowance  during 
the  last  two  years  of  college. 

Upon  graduation,  you  will  be 
commissioned  as  an  Air  Force  Reserve 
Officer  and  may  be  selected  for  extended  active 
duty.  As  an  active  duty  officer  you  will  have  the 
opportunity  for  a  challenging,  technical,  responsi- 
ble job.  There  is  also  a  chance  for  advanced  education 
in  your  chosen  field.  And  the  pay  and  related  bene- 
fits are  excellent.  You'll  start  with  good  pay  and 
allowances;  academic  and  technical  training  oppor- 
tunities; 30  days  of  paid  vacation  each  year;  free 


Full  Tuition 

Lab  Fees 
$100  a  month 


medical  and  dental  care;  recreational  facilities;  low 
cost  insurance;  commissary  and  exchange  privileges; 
and  more  advantages. 

In  return  for  the  AFROTC  scholarship  or  train- 
ing, you  are  expected  to  maintain  a  hign  level  of 
scholastic  excellence  and  agree  to  remain  on  active 
duty  with  the  Air  Force  for  a  minimum  of  four  years. 
A  limited  active-duty  opportunity  is  also  there 
for  highly  qualified  non-Air  Force  ROTC 
graduates.  Graduates  whose  degree  ap- 
pears on  the  list  may  apply  for  officer 
training.  Successful  applicants  will  at- 
tend a  12 -week  Officer  TVaining  School 
located  in  San  Antonio,  Texas.  Gradu- 
ates of  the  school  receive  an  Air  Force 
commission  and  are  on  the  way  to  chal- 
lenging jobs  as  Air  Force  officers. 
Check  the  list  again  and  for  more  information 
visit  your  campus  Air  Force  ROTC  representative  or 
your  nearest  Air  Force  recruiter.  For  more  informa- 
tion or  the  name  of  an  ROTC  representative  or  Air 
Force  recruiter  send  in  the  coupon  or  call  toll  free: 
800-447-4700  (in  Illinois:  800-322-4400).  When  call- 
ing please  specify  your  interest  either  in  Air  Force 
ROTC  or  Officer  Training  School. 


If  your  major  is  listed  here,  it  could  be  worth  a  lot  to  you. 


Aeronautical  Engineering 

Aerospace  Engineering 

Architecture 

Architectural  Engineering 

Astronautical  Engineering 

Chemical  Engineering 

Chemistry 

Civil  Engineering 

Computer  Technology/Science 

Electrical  Engineering 

General  Engineering 

Industrial  Engineering 

Mathematics 

Mechanical  Engineering 

Meteorology 

Nuclear  Engineering 

Physics 

Space  Physics  Engineering 


AIR  FORCE  OPPORTUNITIES  CENTER  2-EC-117 

P.O.  BOX  AF 
PEORIA,  IL  61614 

I  would  like  more  information  on  opportunities  for  Science 
and  Engineering  students  and  graduates.  I  am  interested  in 
(check  one)  Air  Force  ROTC Air  Force  Officer  Train- 
ing School . 


Name 

Address. 
City 


(Please  Print) 


.Sex DM    DF 


DateofBirth_ 


-State 

_Phone  number- 


_ZIR 


(Furnish  college  or  high  school  information.) 
College Major Graduation  date- 


High  SchooL 


-Graduation  date. 


Air  Force  ROTC- Gateway  to  a  great  way  of  life 


1958 

Donald  Inglis,  the  assistant  to  the  president  of 
Berkshire  Gas  Co.,  has  been  promoted  to  vice 
president  for  planning  and  supply.  He  has 
worked  for  the  Pittsfield,  Mass.  firm  for  19  years. 
A  member  of  the  Kiwanis  Club  and  active  in 
scouting,  Inglis  has  also  taken  courses  in  man- 
agement and  finance  at  the  University  of  Mas- 
sachusetts  Recently  Howard  Painter,  Jr.,  was 

appointed  vice  president  of  GenRad  Company 
of  Concord,  Mass.  Earlier  he  was  general  man- 
ager of  the  electronic  instrument  division. 

Howard  Pritz  was  among  thirty  inventors 
honored  at  a  recognition  banquet  for  patents 
they  received  during  1976  at  Battelle  Memorial 
Institute's  Columbus  (Ohio)  Laboratories.  Pritz 
was  cited  as  a  co-holder  of  three  patents:  (1)  a 
method  for  forming  and  ion  exchange 
strengthening  a  chemically  durable  glass  ampule 
suitable  for  dual  use  as  a  medicament  storage 
container  and  a  pressurized  cartridge  that  is 
compatible  with  a  novel  unit-dose  injection  sys- 
tem; (2)  a  gas-operated  device  for  jet  injecting 
medicaments  at  precise  pressure  and  energy 
levels;  and  (3)  a  unit  dose  medicament  system 
for  use  in  a  jet  injector  featuring  a  strengthened 
glass  ampule  and  a  breakaway  plastic  cap  and 
locking  device.  Pritz  was  one  of  seven  persons 
accorded  special  recognition  for  receiving  at 
least  three  patents  in  the  last  two  years. 

Richard  Wiinikainen  has  been  appointed  as  a 
member  of  the  executive  committee  of  the 
Society  of  Plastics  Engineers,  having  previously 
served  in  many  capacities  at  the  local  and  na- 
tional levels.  The  Society  has  over  19,000  mem- 
bers. Wiinikainen,  who  has  been  with  Foster 
Grant  in  Leominster,  Mass.  since  1960,  is  listed  in 
Who's  Who  in  the  East  and  the  Dictionary  of 
International  Biography.  He  received  his  MS  in 
engineering  management  from  Northeastern 
University  in  1975. 

1959 

►Som.  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Joseph  B.  Vivona  their 
second  child,  a  daughter  Juliana  on  November 
10, 1976.  Juliana's  sister,  Marissa,  was  born  four 
years  previously  on  the  same  day. 

The  Reverend  Harvey  Egan,  S.J.  currently 
serves  as  assistant  professor  of  mystical  and 
systematic  theology  at  Boston  College  in 
Chestnut  Hill,  Mass.  He  has  published  a  book, 
The  Spiritual  Exercises  and  the  Ignatian  Mystical 
Horizon. .  . .  Michael  Hertzberg,  principal  of  the 
firm  Michael  A.  Hertzberg  Consulting  Engineers, 
Warren,  Vt.,  has  been  reappointed  chairman  of 
the  American  Consulting  Engineers  Council 
committee  on  interprofessional  relations.  The 
committee  handles  relations  and  information  on 
a  national  level  of  significance  to  consulting 
engineers  and  architects.  Hertzberg  has  also 
served  as  chairman  of  the  nominating  and  edu- 
cation commitees  of  the  Vermont  chapter  of  the 
American  Society  of  Heating,  Refrigeration,  and 
Air  Conditioning  Engineers  and  has  been  presi- 
dent of  the  Consulting  Engineers  Council  of 
Vermont  twice. .  . .  Lt.  Col.  Robert  Smith  was 
recently  appointed  chief  of  the  operations  office 
at  Rome  Air  Development  Center,  Griffiss  AFB, 
N.Y.  Previously  he  was  with  RADC  as  chief  of  the 
Resources  Control  Branch.  He  is  also  a  soccer 
and  lacrosse  official. 


24  /  October  1977  /  WPI  Journal 


1960 

Dr.  Robert  Bearse,  a  professor  at  the  University 
of  Kansas  in  Lawrence,  is  also  associate  dean  of 
research  administration,  and  a  staff  member  at 
the  Los  Alamos  Scientific  Laboratory. .  . .  Arthur 
LoVetere  has  been  appointed  president  of  Mac- 
Dermid,  Inc.,  of  Waterbury,  Conn.  Since  joining 
MacDermid  in  1957,  he  has  served  as  technical 
sales  representative,  regional  sales  manager, 
vice  president  of  marketing,  and  chief  operating 
officer  of  the  firm.  He  is  a  trustee  of  the  Metal 
Finishing  Suppliers  Association —  Peter  Zilko  is 
now  the  sales  manager  of  Eagle  Signal  in  Daven- 
port, Iowa. 

1961 

Gerald  Casiello  serves  as  corporate  purchasing 
agent  at  Union  Carbide  in  New  York  City. . . . 
Theodore  Cocca,  manager  of  the  fire  control 
section  of  the  Advanced  Missile  System  Project 
of  the  Navy's  Sea  Systems  Command,  has 
graduated  from  the  program  management 
course  at  the  Defense  Systems  Management 
College  at  Fort  Belvoir,  Va.  The  20-week 
graduate  level  course  is  designed  for  mid-career 
officers  and  civilians  pursuing  long-term  careers 
and  seeking  future  key  assignments  in  defense 
systems  acquisition  management.  Cocca  began 
working  for  the  government  in  1961  as  an 
employee  of  the  Federal  Power  Commission  in 
Washington. 

Kenneth  Parker  switched  jobs  in  February. 
Now  he  is  director  of  marketing  for  Fletcher- 
Thompson,  Inc.,  an  architectural-engineering 
firm  based  in  Bridgeport,  Conn. . . .  Stuart  Troop 
is  a  senior  analyst  at  GE  in  Bridgeport,  Conn. 

Dr.  William  Wolovich  was  recently  promoted 
to  full  professor  of  engineering  at  Brown  Univer- 
sity in  Providence,  R.I.  Prior  to  joiningthe  Brown 
faculty  in  1970,  he  served  as  a  ground  elec- 
tronics officer  in  the  U.S.  Air  Force  and  was 
subsequently  associated  with  the  NASA  Elec- 
tronics Research  Center  in  Cambridge,  Mass. 
Prof.  Wolovich  is  recognized  as  a  leading  author- 
ity on  multivariate  control,  having  written  over 
forty  technical  articles  and  the  textbook,  Linear 
Multivariable  Systems.  He  and  his  family  have 
just  returned  from  a  one-year  sabbatical  at  the 
University  of  Warwick  in  Coventry,  England, 
under  a  Fulbright-Hayes  Fellowship. 

1962 

Dr.  Kenneth  Anusavice  has  received  his  doctor 
of  dental  medicine  degree  from  the  Medical 
College  of  Georgia.  In  1970  he  received  his 
doctorate  in  metallurgical  engineering  from  the 
University  of  Florida.  Presently  he  is  an  assistant 
professor  in  restorative  dentistry  at  the  Medical 
College  of  Georgia  in  Augusta.  . . .  Clifford 
Engstrom,  manager  of  the  Middleboro  (Mass.) 
Gas  and  Electric  Department,  was  elected  presi- 
dent of  the  Northeast  Public  Power  Association 
(NEPPA)  at  NEPPA's  annual  conference  held  in 
Rockport,  Maine  in  August.  He  has  served  as 
manager  in  Middleboro  since  1 975  and  has  been 
a  municipal  employee  since  1970. 

Xidex  Corp.  has  announced  the  appointment 
of  John  Meregian  as  new  director  of  manufac- 
turing for  its  Holyoke  plant.  At  one  time  he  was 
with  Kendall  Corp.  of  Charlotte,  N.C.  . .  .  Cdr. 
Brian  J.  O'Connell  has  transferred  to  the  Naval 
War  College  in  Newport,  R.I.  for  a  year. . . . 
Prabodh  Shah  has  been  named  manager  of 
market  development  for  Commercial  Develop- 
ment in  the  Science  Products  Division  at  Corning 
Glass  Works,  Corning,  N.Y.  Previously  he  was 
manager  of  planning  for  Commercial  Develop- 
ment. He  joined  Corning  in  1972.  .  . .  Stephen 
Wells  holds  the  post  of  director  of  operations 
planning  at  Lever  Bros.,  New  York  City 


1963 

John  Lojko  is  director  of  material  planning  at  F  & 
M  Schaefer  Brewing  Co.,  in  Allentown,  Pa. . . . 
James  McKenzie  is  a  partner  in  DW  Construc- 
tion &  Development  Co.,  Richland,  Washington. 
. . .  Presently  Phillip  Parmenter  holds  the  post  of 
senior  product  engineer  for  Split  Ballbearing,  a 
division  of  MPB,  in  Lebanon.  N.H. 

1964 

^■Married:  Peter  Dornemann  to  Miss  Beth 
Ziegler  recently  in  Princeton,  New  Jersey.  Mrs. 
Dornemann  graduated  from  Allegheny  College 
and  currently  attends  Rutgers.  The  groom 
graduated  from  Wharton  Graduate  School  and 
is  manager  of  strategic  planning  with  NL  Indus- 
tries. 

Dr.  J.  Richard  Lundgren  has  been  promoted 
from  assistant  professor  to  associate  professor  of 
mathematics  at  Allegheny  College,  Meadville, 
Pa.  He  joined  the  faculty  in  1971  and  is  a 
specialist  in  group  theory,  a  branch  of  algebra. 
Last  year  he  received  a  National  Science  Founda- 
tion grant  for  a  summer  research  conference  at 
the  University  of  Minnesota.  He  has  had  two 
articles  published  in  the  Journal  of  Algebra. 

John  Macko  serves  as  supervisor,  government 
contracts  liaison,  for  Pratt  &  Whitney  Aircraft  in 
the  government  products  division,  West  Palm 
Beach,  Fla. ...  Dr.  Robert  Peura  moderated  a 
discussion  in  the  biomedical  division  at  the  85th 
annual  conference  of  the  American  Society  for 
Engineering  Education  this  summer  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  North  Dakota  in  Grand  Forks.  He 
serves  as  acting  director  of  biomedical  engineer- 
ing atWPI F.  Barry  Sylvia  currently  holds  the 

post  of  senior  project  engineer  at  Polaroid  in 
Waltham,  Mass. 

1965 

>Bom:  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Peter  F.  Behmke  a  son 
Peter  John  on  February  7,  1977.  Behmke  is  a 
staff  engineer  at  Fram  Corp.,  East  Providence, 
R.I. ...  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Leo  R.  Berendes  a 
daughter  Sharon  Margaret  on  July  26, 1977. 
Berendes  is  now  an  account  executive  at 
Hornblower,  Weeks,  Noyes  &  Trask,  Inc.,  in 
Providence,  R.I. 

James  Gustaf  son  is  presently  manager  of  data 
center  operations  at  Stanley  Works  in  New 
Britain,  Conn. . .  .  John  Jacobson  serves  as  an 
ocean  engineer  for  Yankee  Atomic  Electric  Co., 

Westboro,  Mass Kenneth  Johnson  has  been 

named  sales  engineer  at  Natgun  Corp., 
Wakefield,  Mass.  He  had  been  chief  engineer  of 
the  water,  wastewater  section  of  Cullinan  En- 
gineering, Inc.,  of  Auburn.  Natgun  designs  and 
constructs  concrete  tanks  for  the  water  and 
wastewater  industry.  Johnson,  a  registered  pro- 
fessional engineer,  belongs  to  many  professional 
groups,  including  the  Water  Pollution  Control 
Federation,  the  Massachusetts  Water  Works 
Association,  the  Association  of  Land  Surveyors 
and  Civil  Engineers,  and  the  New  England  Water 
Works  Association. .  .  .  Continuing  with  DuPont 
in  Wilmington,  Delaware,  Charles  Seaver  is  now 
a  senior  financial  analyst. 

Peter  Kirschmann  was  recently  named  man- 
ager of  the  mechanical  components  and  bush- 
ings subsection  in  the  power  transformer  de- 
partment at  GE  in  Pittsfield,  Mass.  He  is  a 
graduate  of  the  manufacturing  management 
program  and  has  held  positions  as  foreman, 
advanced  manufacturing  engineer,  shop  unit 
manager,  production  control  supervisor,  and 
manager  of  manufacturing  engineering.  The 
holder  of  a  master's  degree  in  production  man- 
agement from  Syracuse  University,  Kirschmann 
joined  the  GE  power  transformer  department  in 
1975. 


1966 

^■Married:  Miss  Beverly  C.  Singleton,  MNS,  to 
Mark  S.  Zivan  in  Boston,  Massachusetts  on  June 
25,  1977.  The  bride,  who  graduated  from 
Wheaton,  is  a  faculty  member  at  Bentley  Col- 
lege. She  is  also  director  of  development  of 
education  for  Management,  Inc.  and  a  director 
of  the  American  Management  Association's  Ex- 
tension Institute.  Her  husband  holds  degrees 
from  Fordham  and  Harvard  University.  He  is 
president  and  general  manager  of  UPC  Re- 
sources Inc.,  and,  also,  a  faculty  member  at 
Bentley  College. 

>Born:  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Robert  S.  Sternschein  a 
daughter  Rachel  Michelle  on  June  7, 1977.  The 
Sternsheins  also  have  two  sons,  Jesse,  41/2,  and 
Saul,  Vh — to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Robert  D.Wilson  a 
son  Stephen  Robert  on  February  28,  1977. 
Wilson  serves  as  an  advanced  process  engineer 
for  GE  in  Evendale,  Ohio. 

B.H.  (Woody)  Adams,  a  lead  hydraulic  en- 
gineer on  power  plants  for  Stone  &  Webster,  is 
presently  a  member  of  the  site  selection  team 
working  with  Boston  Edison  in  locating  possible 
sites  for  a  future  nuclear  or  fossil  power  plant.  He 
is  also  doing  a  study  for  Great  Northern  Paper 
Co.,  concerning  the  hydroelectric  development 
potential  of  a  river  in  Maine.  Woody  is  active 
in  the  New  England  Trail  Rider  Association, 
which  encourages  responsible  off-road  motor- 
cycling. The  Adamses,  who  reside  in  Wellesley, 
have  three  sons —  LCDR  James  Cocci  is 
presently  a  software  support  officer  at  USNSGA 
Skaggs  Island  in  Sonoma,  California. 


1967 

^■Married:  Robert  P.  Tolokan  and  Miss 
Catherine  A.  Burke  in  West  Haven,  Connecticut 
on  July  30, 1977.  The  bride  earned  her  BS  and 
MS  degrees  from  Southern  Connecticut  State 
College.  The  groom  is  studying  for  his  master's 
degree  at  the  University  of  New  Haven. 

Dan  Coifman  has  just  formed  his  own  com- 
pany, Able  International  Corporation,  in  San 
Juan,  Puerto  Rico.  The  firm  will  specialize  in  the 
plastics  industry  and  do  business  with  the  Carib- 
bean and  Latin  American  countries.  .  .  .  Richard 
DeGennaro.  assistant  manager  of  strategic 
planning  at  Consolidated  Rail  Corp.,  Philadel- 
phia, has  been  named  as  new  cochairman  of  the 
Chestnut  Hill  Community  Association's  trans- 
portation Committee.  He  will  be  primarily  inter- 
ested in  the  areas  of  community  traffic,  i.e.,  rails, 
buses,  trolleys,  and  maintenance  of  buildings. 
Parking  and  traffic  flow  controls  will  also  be  his 
concerns.  DeGennaro  has  been  with  the  trans- 
portation group  since  his  arrival  in  Chestnut  Hill 

two  years  ago Presently  Steven  Schumer 

serves  as  a  project  engineer  in  applied  technol- 
ogy in  the  energy  division  of  Raychem  Corp.  at 
the  home  office  in  Menlo  Park,  Calif. .  .  .  Alan 
Suydam  has  been  promoted  to  the  post  of 
service  program  development  engineer  with 
Ford  Motor  Co.  in  Dearborn,  Michigan. 

1968 

^Married:  Paul  A.  Zendzian,  MNS,  to  Miss 
Susan  M.  MacGillivray  on  August  5,  1977  in 
Worcester.  The  bride,  a  graphic  designer  for 
Commonwealth  Stationers,  Inc.,  attended  the 
Art  Institute  of  Boston.  The  groom  teaches  at 
Paxton  Center  School. 


Richard  Collins  has  been  promoted  to  assist- 
ant actuary  within  the  actuarial  organization  at 
State  Mutual  Life  Assurance  Company  of 
America  in  Worcester.  He  recently  completed 
the  examination  requirements  of  the  Society  of 
Actuaries  and  has  received  the  designation,  fel- 
low of  the  Society  of  Actuaries,  one  of  the 
highest  professional  achievements  in  the  insur- 
ance industry.  He  earned  his  master's  degree  at 
Northeastern  University  and  joined  State  Mutual 
in  1968. . . .  Donald  Holden  is  a  corporate  noise 
control  engineer  in  the  motor  wheel  division  of 
Goodyear  Tire  &  Rubber,  Lansing,  Mich. 

John  Hoyt  has  entered  the  master  of  architec- 
ture program  at  the  University  of  California  in 
Berkeley.  . .  .  C.  David  Larson  has  been  named 
marketing  specialist  for  the  Weldmaster  line  of 
curable  acrylic  adhesives  in  the  Bondmaster  De- 
partment of  the  National  Adhesives  Division  at 
the  National  Starch  and  Chemical  Corp.  He 
started  work  at  the  company  as  a  technical 
development  chemist  in  1971.  Previously  he  was 
a  process  development  engineer  at  Union  Car- 
bide. Presently  he  is  attending  the  Graduate 
School  of  Business  Administration  at  Rutgers.  He 
holds  an  MS  in  chemical  engineering  from  New 

Jersey  Institute  of  Technology John  Simonds 

works  for  Raymond  Engineering,  Inc., 
Middletown,  Conn.,  where  he  is  a  marketing 
representative. 

1969 

^■Married:  Richard  P.  Romeo  to  Miss  Louise  K. 
Thomas  in  Westbrook,  Maine  on  August  6, 
1977.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Romeo  graduated  from  the 
University  of  Maine  School  of  Law  in  June.  The 
bride  also  had  graduated  from  Cornell  Univer- 
sity, with  the  groom  previously  earning  his  MBA 
from  the  Amos  Tuck  School  of  Business  Adminis- 
tration at  Dartmouth. 

Robert  Barnard,  who  recently  received  his 
PhD  in  metallurgy  and  material  sciences  at  Case 
Western  Reserve  University,  has  been  awarded 
an  official  citation  from  the  Massachusetts 
House  of  Representatives  in  recognition  of  his 
outstanding  academic  achievements.  Currently 
he  is  associated  with  Reliance  Electric  Co.,  Cleve- 
land, Ohio —  Lee  Bradley  holds  the  position  of 
senior  methods  analyst  at  Melville  Corp.  (Thorn 

McAn)  in  Worcester Charles  Doe  has  been 

promoted  to  assistant  actuary  at  State  Mutual  in 
Worcester.  A  fellow  of  the  Society  of  Actuaries, 
he  received  his  master's  degree  in  actuarial 
science  from  Northeastern  in  1973.  He  joined 
State  Mutual  as  actuarial  assistant  in  the  group 
statistical  records  organization  in  1969.  In  1975 

he  was  named  senior  actuarial  associate 

Ronald  Jones  and  his  wife  Wanda  are  building  a 
new  home  in  West  Hartford,  Conn.  The  couple 
has  a  two-year-old  daughter  Tamara  Lea.  Jones 
is  with  Jones'  Enterprises,  Inc.,  in  East  Hartford. 

Steven  Leece  has  been  promoted 
to  the  post  of  manager  of  manufacturing  en- 
gineering for  vacuum  coating  at  Bausch  and 
Lomb's  Scientific  Instrument  Optical  Products 
Division.  He  joined  the  firm  in  1969. 

James  Walker  has  joined  the  Industrial 
Ceramics  Division  as  product  engineer  in  the 
metallurgical  and  heating  products  group  at 
Norton  Co.,  Worcester.  Most  recently  he  was  a 
field  sales  engineer  with  the  metal  products 
division  of  Koppers  Company.  In  his  new  post  he 
will  assist  in  achieving  the  sales  and  profit  objec- 
tives for  refractory  cements  in  assigned 
product-market  segments.  He  will  carry  out 
various  marketing  programs  aimed  at  increasing 
market  share  and  provide  necessary  application 
engineering  service  to  ICD  field  sales  engineers 
and  customers. 


1970 


^■Married:  Peter  J.  Billington  and  Miss  Maryann 
I.  Grusetskie  on  July  23, 1977  in  West  Hazelton, 
Pennsylvania.  The  bride  graduated  from  Boston 
College  and  earned  her  master's  degree  from 
Northeastern.  She  is  a  marketing  research 
analyst  at  Corning  Glass  Works,  Corning,  N.Y. 
Her  husband,  who  also  has  his  MBA  from  North- 
eastern, is  currently  working  for  his  doctorate  at 
the  Cornell  University  Graduate  School  of  Busi- 
ness and  Public  Administration  in  Ithaca,  N.Y. 
Dom  Forcella  has  been  named  executive  as- 
sistant to  the  deputy  commissioner  for  environ- 
mental quality  in  the  Connecticut  Department  of 
Environmental  Protection.  Last  year  he  taught  at 
the  Briarwood  School  for  Women  in  South- 

ington,  Conn Chet  Napikoski  is  presently 

with  Arizona  Public  Service  Co.,  Phoenix.  He  is 
working  on  start-up  coordination  for  four  units 
of  a  cholla  coal-fired  power  plant  in  Joseph  City. 
He  and  wife  Karen  have  two  daughters;  Lesley, 
41/2  and  Linda,  2. 

1971 

^Married:  Bruce  A.  Hillson  and  Miss  Elizabeth 
C.  Waterhouse  on  July  31 ,  1977  in  Melrose, 
Massachusetts.  Mrs.  Hillson  graduated  from  the 
University  of  Maine,  Portland  and  has  been 
teaching  in  Augusta.  The  groom  is  a  civil  en- 
gineer for  the  State  of  Maine. . .  .  Steven  P. 
Johnson  to  Miss  Sandra  L.  Wood  on  August  6, 
1977  in  Hanover,  Connecticut.  The  bridegroom, 
who  graduated  from  the  University  of 
Bridgeport,  is  a  civilian  employee  of  the  U.S. 
Navy  working  on  the  Trident  Missiles  Program  at 
the  Dahlgren,  Va.  Naval  Weapons  Testing  Area. 
>Born:  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Robert  Trachimowicz  a 
son  Timothy  Robert  on  March  25, 1977.  Robert 
works  for  EBASCO  Services,  Inc.,  as  an  office 
engineer  and  is  currently  in  Houston,  Texas, 
where  he  is  involved  with  various  projects  for 
Houston  Lighting  and  Power  Co.  He  is  presently 
supervising  a  chemical  effluent  compliance  im- 
plementation project  at  the  W.A.  Pamh  plant  in 
Thompsons,  Texas. 

John  Capitao,  design  engineer  in  GE's  me- 
chanical drive  turbine  department,  Fitchburg, 
has  been  awarded  GE's  Young  Engineer  Award. 
He  has  been  with  the  company  eight  years.  He  is 
currently  working  for  his  PhD  in  mechanical 

engineering  at  Northeastern  University 

Robert  Ewing,  SIM,  has  been  named  district 
superintendent  of  the  Gardner  and  Leominster 
districts  for  the  Massachusetts  Electric  Co.  He 
has  worked  for  the  company  since  1 947  and  has 
held  various  classifications  in  the  distribution 
department.  Prior  to  his  recent  promotion,  he 
was  district  superintendent  in  the  Leominster 
district. . .  .  Douglas  Holmes  has  received  his 
PhD  in  the  department  of  materials  science  and 
engineering  at  MIT.  He  is  now  conducting  re- 
search pertaining  to  preparation-structure- 
property  relationship  of  electronic  materials  at 
Hughes  Research  Laboratories  in  Malibu,  Calif. 
.  .  .  Paul  Popinchalk  and  wife  Nancy  Wood 
Popinchalk,  73  have  started  their  own  com- 
pany, Aeonic  Energy.  The  firm  distributes  a  solar 
heating  system  with  eutectic  salt  storage.  The 
Popinchalks  have  a  year-old-son,  Seth  Andrew. 
.  .  .  Robert  Stein  is  a  planning  engineer  for  the 
Massachusetts  Municipal  Wholesale  Electric 
Co.,  a  public  corporation  building  a  390  MW 
combined  and  simple  cycle  plant  at  the  Stony 
Brook  Energy  Center  for  use  by  28  Mas- 
sachusetts municipal  light  departments. . . . 
David  Winer  has  been  employed  as  an  electronic 
project  engineer  at  Damon  Corp.,  IEC  division,  in 
Needham,  Mass. 

WPI  Journal  /  October  1977/25 


1972 

^■Married:  Vincent  J.  Colonero,  Jr.  to  Miss 
Gloria  J.  Paradis  in  New  Britain,  Connecticut  on 
May  21 ,  1977.  Mrs.  Colonero,  a  graduate  of 
Southington  (Conn.)  High  School,  works  for 
Northeast  Utilities  Service  Co.  Her  husband  is 
also  employed  by  Northeast  Utilities,  Berlin, 
Conn. . .  .  Richard  C.  Ellis  to  Miss  Carol  L. 
Gdovka  on  June  1 1 ,  1977  in  Upper  St.  Clair, 
Pennsylvania.  The  bride  graduated  from 
Pennsylvania  State  College.  The  groom  works  as 
a  field  engineer  for  General  Electric  Co. 
>Born:  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Patrick  Lafayette  a  son 
James  Patrick  on  November  3,  1976. 

Steven  Bauks  has  been  with  the  power  sys- 
tems division  of  United  Technologies  fuel  cell 
facility  for  five  years.  He  and  his  wife  Jane  are  the 
parents  of  Jesse,  31/2  and  Sarah,  Vh. . . .  Wesley 
Pierson  recently  joined  Norwich  (N.Y.)  Phar- 
macal  Company's  medical  department  as  assist- 
ant project  coordinator.  He  has  studied  at  the 
University  of  Connecticut  Health  Center  at  Farm- 
ington.  Norwich  Pharmacal  Company  is  a  divi- 
sion of  Morton-Norwich  Products,  Inc.,  a 
Chicago-based  company  engaged  in  the  man- 
ufacture and  sale  of  salt  and  food,  pharmaceuti- 
cal, consumer,  specialty  chemical,  and  industrial 
products  throughout  the  world. 

Don  Polonis  works  as  an  industrial  engineer  at 

Hamilton  Standard  in  Windsor  Locks,  Conn 

Edward  Schrull  has  joined  GE's  nuclear  energy 
division,  San  Jose,  Calif.,  where  he  is  with  the 
transient  systems  design  unit.  Previously  he 
worked  for  Westinghouse  Hanford  Company  in 
Richland,  Washington.  He  has  a  master  of  sci- 
ence degree  in  nuclear  engineering  from  the 

University  of  Arizona Jay  Simpkins  is  with 

the  oceanographic  department  at  the  University 
of  Oregon  in  Corvallis. 

1973 

^■Married:  Richard  Belmonte  and  Miss  LuAnne 
DimleronJune4, 1977  in  Bel  Air,  Maryland.  The 
bride  graduated  from  Edgewood  (Md.)  High 
School  and  is  an  executive  secretary  for  the 
Board  of  Education  of  Harford  County.  Her 
husband  has  a  graduate  degree  from  Texas  A  & 
M  University  and  is  with  the  Chemical  Systems 
Laboratory  of  the  U.S.  Army. .  . .  Frederick  J. 
Kulas  to  Miss  Susan  M.  Ratkiewicz  on  July  16, 
1977  in  South  Grafton,  Massachusetts.  Bruce  J. 
Baker  and  Eric  P.  Bergstedt  were  ushers.  Mrs. 
Kulas  graduated  from  Assumption  College  and 
teaches  high  school  (foreign  languages)  in  Hud- 
son. The  bridegroom  recently  received  his  MBA 
degree  from  Harvard  and  is  now  a  marketing 
representative  for  IBM  in  Waltham.  . .  .  Kenneth 
C.  Muccino  and  Miss  Mary  A.  Caporaso  in 
Waterbury,  Connecticut  on  June  25, 1977.  The 
bride  graduated  from  St.  Joseph  College  with  a 
BA  and  MA  in  special  education.  She  is  a  learning 
disabilities  teacher  in  Waterbury.  The  groom, 
who  holds  an  MBA  from  the  University  of  Con- 
necticut, is  an  associate  engineer  with  the  Con- 
necticut Light  and  Power  Co.  in  Norwalk —  Jan 
H.  Pierson  to  Miss  Mary  B.  Becker  in  McMurray, 
Pennsylvania  on  May  21 ,  1977.  Mrs.  Pierson 
graduated  from  Peters  Township  High  School. 
She  is  employed  by  the  Mellon  Bank  in 
Pittsburgh.  Her  husband  is  with  Industrial  Risk 
Insurers. 

>Born:  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kenneth  M.  Johnson  a 
daughter  on  June  8,  1977.  The  baby  is  the  first 
grandchild  of  Leonard  Hershoff ,  '43. 


The  Abrasives  Marketing  Group  at  Norton 
Company,  Worcester  has  named  William  Ault 
as  regional  product  supervisor.  In  his  new  post, 
he  will  supply  the  Norton  sales  force  with  techni- 
cal assistance  in  the  uses  of  abrasives  products. 
His  territory  will  include  the  middle  southern 
states,  with  headquarters  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri. 
Ault  joined  Norton  as  a  product  engineer  in 
1973.  He  served  as  a  sales  representative  in  the 
St.  Louis  district  prior  to  his  recent  appointment. 
.  .  .  Currently  Ronald  Bohlin  holds  the  post  of 
senior  manufacturing  engineer  at  Digital  Equip- 
ment Corp.,  in  Acton,  Mass.  He  received  his 
MBA  degree  from  Harvard  this  year. 

Ray  Cherenzia  has  been  named  full-time  en- 
gineer for  the  town  of  Westerly,  R.I.  He  will  be 
working  out  of  the  Public  Works  Department  at 
White  Rock.  Most  recently  he  was  with  Sea- 
board Engineering  in  Niantic,  Conn. . . .  Philip 
Ciarlo  now  holds  the  post  of  manager  of  produc- 
tion control  for  the  medium  DC  motors  and 
generators  department  at  GE  in  Erie,  Pa. . . . 
Richard  Brontoli,  U.S.  Army,  was  recently  pro- 
moted to  captain.  He  is  attending  an  officer's 
advance  course  for  engineers  at  Fort  Belvoir,  Va. 
. . .  Robert  DiGennaro  is  a  senior  test  engineer  for 
GTE/Sylvania  in  Waltham,  Mass. 

Presently  Mark  Erasmus  is  a  surgical  intern  at 
Eastern  Virginia  Graduate  School  of  Medicine. 
He  received  his  MD  from  the  University  of 
Connecticut.  .  . .  John  Flynn,  SIM,  has  been 
promoted  from  industrial  relations  manager  to 
administrative  vice  president  at  Heffernan  Press, 
Inc.  Before  joining  Heffernan,  he  was  with 
Warner  &  Swazey  Co.  as  coordinator  of  em- 
ployee services  and  with  Crompton  &  Knowles 
Corp.  as  labor  relations  manager.  He  is  chairman 
of  the  Insurance  Committee  for  the  Printing 
Industry  of  New  England,  a  director  of  the 
Worcester  Personnel  Managers  Association,  and 
has  been  a  committeeman  for  the  United  Way  of 
Worcester  County. 

Michael  Lucey  is  a  field  engineer  for  Stone  & 
Webster  in  Shippingport,  Pa. . .  .  Wallace 
McKenzie,  Jr.,  has  been  reelected  president  of 
Saugus  (Mass.)  Action  Volunteers  for  the  Envi- 
ronment (SAVE).  He  is  also  town  meeting 
member  from  precinct  1 ,  chairman  of  the  town's 
school  building  study  committee,  growth  policy 
committee,  and  finance  committee.  He  is  a 
research  analyst  at  Converse  Rubber  Co.,  in 
Wilmington. .  .  .  Stuart  Roth  has  accepted 
employment  with  Texas  Instruments  in  Sher- 
man, Texas. . .  .  Henry  Siegel  recently  received 
his  MBA  from  Rutgers,  New  Brunswick,  N.J. 
.  .  .  Robert  Tougher  is  a  sheet  metal  estimator 
for  Tougher  Industries  in  Albany,  N.Y. 


1974 


^Married:  James  W.  Bowen  and  Miss  Judith  K. 
0'DellonJuly2, 1977  in  Salisbury,  Connecticut. 
Mrs.  Bowen  graduated  from  Mishawaka  High 
School  and  is  employed  at  the  Savings  and  Loan 
Institute.  The  bridegroom  is  with  the  Torrington 
Co. . .  .  Kurt  H.  Lutgens  to  Miss  Gretchen  M. 
Allen  in  Harpswell  Center,  Maine  on  August  20, 
1977.  The  bride  holds  a  BS  degree  from  Cornell 
University.  Both  she  and  her  husband  are  seniors 
at  New  York  State  Veterinary  School  at  Cornell. 
.  .  .  Irvin  S.  Press  to  Miss  Marian  Compagnone 
recently  in  Wrentham,  Massachusetts.  The 
bride,  a  graduate  of  Wheelock  College,  Boston, 
is  a  first  grade  teacher  in  Milford.  The  groom 
serves  as  a  research  analyst  for  the  Gillette 
Company  in  Boston.  He  is  also  enrolled  in  the 
MBA  program  at  Boston  University. . . .  Law- 
rence A.  Webster  to  Miss  Ronie  R.  Renner  in 
West  Springfield,  Massachusetts  on  July  16, 
1 977.  Mrs.  Webster,  a  foreign  language  teacher 
at  Monson  (Mass.)  Junior-Senior  High  School, 
graduated  from  Westfield  State  College  and 
continued  her  education  at  McGill  University  in 
Montreal,  Canada,  and  at  Worcester  State  Col- 
lege. Her  husband  is  with  George  Webster  &  Son 
Construction  Co.,  Agawam. 

James  Briggs,  who  is  with  the  Department  of 
the  Navy,  recently  relocated  from  the  Northern 
Division  in  Philadelphia  to  the  Chesapeake  Divi- 
sion in  Washington,  DC,  where  he  serves  as  a 
design  engineer. .  . .  Magician-comedian  Steve 
Dacri  is  on  a  75-city  tour  in  which  he  will 
entertain  at  over  50  colleges  coast-to-coast. 
During  his  tour  he  will  also  appear  at  the  world- 
famous  Magic  Castle  in  Hollywood  and  partici- 
pate in  a  number  of  artist-in-residence  programs 
on  college  campuses. 

Edward  Dlugosz  will  soon  be  rotated  to  the 
construction  inspection  unit  at  the  State  of 
California  Water  Resource  Control  Board.  He 
will  be  responsible  for  inspecting  the  construc- 
tional activities  and  operations  of  the  various 
wastewater  treatment  facilities  built  under  the 
clean  water  program. . .  .  Alan  Judd,  who  has 
graduated  from  the  GE  manufacturing  man- 
agement program,  is  now  a  process  control 

engineer  at  GE  in  Hickory,  N.C James 

Kudzal  has  accepted  a  position  as  a  physicist  to 
do  research  at  the  Naval  Ordnance  Station  at 
Indian  Head,  Md. 

John  R.  Mason  III,  who  has  received  his 
master's  degree  in  mechanical  engineering  from 
WPI,  is  currently  a  design  engineer  with  the 
Electric  Boat  division  of  General  Dynamics  Corp. , 
in  Groton,  Conn. . . .  Recently  Joseph  McGinn 
was  named  technical  director  and  assistant  pro- 
gram manager  of  the  (Boston)  Metropolitan 
Area  Planning  Council's  208  water  quality  pro- 
gram. He  has  been  with  MAPC  since  1974. . . . 
Hunt  Sutherland  has  joined  GE's  Research  and 
Development  Center  in  Schenectady,  N.Y.  Pres- 
ently he  is  doing  thesis  work  for  a  master's 
degree  in  electrical  engineering  from  RPI,  while 
concurrently  completing  GE's  advanced  course 
in  engineering.  Prior  to  his  present  appointment, 
he  worked  in  GE's  Ordnance  Systems  Depart- 
ment in  Pittsfield,  Mass. . .  .  Richard  Takanen  is 
now  a  quality  control  engineer-systems  at  GE  in 
Fitchburg,  Mass. . .  .  Peter  Thacher  is  currently  a 
refining  engineer  with  ARAMCO  in  Saudi 
Arabia. 


26  /  October  1977  /  WPI  Journal 


At  Du  Pont  I'm  finding 
ways  to  squeeze  more 

product  out  of  fewer  Btu's 


-Pam  Tutwiler 


"Every  time  I  find  a  way  to 
increase  a  yield  by  a  fraction  of  a 
percent,  or  lower  a  reaction 
temperature  by  a  few  degrees,  1 
can  save  literally  thousands  of 
Btu's  of  energy. 

"I  wanted  a  job  where  I  could 
make  a  real  contribution,"  says 
Pam.  "Du  Pont  gave  it  to  me." 

With  a  BS  in  Chemical 
Engineering  from  Auburn 
University,  Pam's  first  assignment 
was  in  an  environmental  control 


group.  After  two  years  she  felt  that 
process  engineering  would  offer  a 
greater  challenge— so  Du  Pont 
changed  her  assignment. 

Now  she's  working  on  methyl 
methacrylate  during  the  day,  and 
working  on  her  MBA  at  night. 
She's  attending  Memphis  State  at 
Du  Pont's  expense. 

Pam's  story  is  the  same  as 
that  of  thousands  of  Chemical, 
Mechanical  and  Electrical 
Engineers  who've  chosen  careers 


at  Du  Pont. 

We  place  no  limits  on 
the  progress  our  engineers  can 
make.  And  we  place  no  limits  on 
the  contributions  they  can  make- 
to  themselves,  to  the  Company,  or 
to  society. 

If  this  sounds  like  your  kind  of 
company,  do  what  Pam  Tutwiler  did: 
talk  to  the  Du  Pont  Representative 
who  visits  your  campus.  Or  write 
direct  to:  Du  Pont  Company,  Room 
25240,  Wilmington,  DE  19898. 


At  Du  Pont . . .  there's  a  world  of  things  YOG  can  do  something  about. 


sum 

"EG  U  S  PAT  a  TM  Off 

An  Equal  Opportunity  Employer.  M/F 


1975 

^■Married:  William  R.  Borek  and  Miss  Laurie  B. 
Corwin  on  June  26,  1977  in  Norwood,  Mas- 
sachusetts. The  bride,  a  physical  education 
teacher  at  Franklin  High  School,  graduated  from 
Arnold  College  and  the  University  of  Bridgeport. 
Her  husband  is  a  sales  representative  at  Mass. 

Oxygen  Equipment  Co.,  of  Westboro James 

M.  Corrao  and  Miss  Jeanne  M.  Potvin  on  July  16, 
1977  in  Worcester.  Mrs.  Corrao  is  a  senior  at 
Fitchburg  State  College  School  of  Nursing.  The 
bridegroom  is  employed  in  the  pheresis  depart- 
ment of  the  Northeast  Regional  Red  Cross  Blood 

Program  in  Boston  and  Worcester Donald  J. 

Taddia  and  Cheryl  Bickel  of  Sewickley,  Pennsyl- 
vania on  April  30,  1977.  The  groom  is  with 
Dravco  Corporation's  Eastern  Construction  Divi- 
sion in  Pittsburgh,  Pa. 

Recently  Douglas  Brown  joined  Norton  Co., 
Worcester  as  a  toxic  and  hazardous  materials 
specialist  in  the  health,  safety,  and  environmen- 
tal services  department.  In  his  new  position,  he 
will  assist  Norton's  divisions  in  implementing 
programs  to  comply  with  the  federal  Toxic  Sub- 
stances Control  Act  and  Hazardous  Substances 
Control  Act.  He  will  also  be  responsible  for 
industrial  hygiene  and  environmental  projects. 
.  .  .  Stephen  Coes  currently  holds  the  post  of 
town  planner  in  Seabrook,  N.H.  He  is  studying 
growth  and  development  trends  in  Seabrook 

under  a  federal  grant Edward  Greenebaum  is 

now  a  design  engineer  in  the  research  and 
development  department  of  the  Buell  Division  of 
Envirotech  Corp.,  in  Lebanon,  Pa.  Also  at  Buell 
are  John  Fellows,  '74  and  Lloyd  Hemenway, 
'75. .  .  .  Philip  Keegan  has  been  named  man- 
ager of  the  Friendly  restaurant  on  Berkshire  Ave. 
in  Springfield,  Mass. 

Richard  Mariano,  former  supervisor  of  pro- 
duction scheduling  for  the  Estee  Lauder  fra- 
grances group,  has  been  promoted  to  area  man- 
ager, distribution.  He  is  headquartered  in  Mel- 
ville, N.Y. . .  .  Bob  Simon  received  his  MBA  from 
the  Amos  Tuck  School  at  Dartmouth  College  in 
June.  Presently  he  serves  as  a  business  analyst  for 
the  Allied  Chemical  Corp.,  Fibers  Division  in  New 

York  City In  August  Oliver  Smith  graduated 

from  Case  Western  Reserve  University  with  his 
master's  degree  in  biomedical  engineering.  Now 
he  is  a  design  engineer  in  medical  electronics  at 
Gould,  Inc.,  measurement  systems  division,  in 

Oxnard,  California Claudio  Polselli  has  been 

appointed  to  the  U.S.  Army  Engineer  Division  of 
New  England  in  Waltham,  Mass.  In  August  he 
entered  the  Engineer  Rotational  Training  Pro- 
gram. For  eighteen  months  he  will  receive  as- 
signments in  fields  of  engineering,  construction, 
and  operations  with  a  permanent  assignment  in 
the  Operations  Division. 


1976 

►/Warned.  Richard  K.  Allen  and  Miss  Melody  A. 
Voloshen  on  June  12, 1977  in  Hyde  Park,  Mas- 
sachusetts. Mrs.  Allen  graduated  from  Bridge- 
water  State  College.  Her  husband  is  with 
Kramer,  Chin  &  Mayo  in  Seattle,  Washington. 
.  .  .  Peter  L.  Barbadora  and  Miss  Lynn  A.  Smith 
recently  in  Worcester.  Mrs.  Barbadora,  formerly 
employed  by  State  Mutual,  graduated  from  Holy 
Name  Central  Catholic  High  School  and  at- 
tended David  Hale  Fanning  Trade  High  School. 
The  groom  is  with  Stone  &  Webster. .  . .  Alan  K. 
Briggs  and  Miss  Valerie  A.  LaCroix  on  June  26, 
1977  in  Marlboro,  Massachusetts.  Mrs.  Briggs 
graduated  from  Becker  and  has  been  a  physical 
therapy  assistant  at  Marlboro  Hospital.  The 
bridgegoom  is  with  DuPont  in  New  Orleans. 

Jay  S.  Cruickshank  and  Miss  Lori  J.  Miller  in 
East  Longmeadow,  Massachusetts  on  August  7, 
1977.  Mrs.  Cruickshank  attended  Becker  Junior 
College  and  has  been  employed  by  the  Shawmut 
First  Bank.  Her  husband  is  a  loss  prevention 
representative  for  Liberty  Mutual  Insurance  Co. 
.  .  .  Wayne  C.  Elliott  and  Miss  Sue  E.  Dickey  in 
Salem,  New  Hampshire  on  July  31 ,  1977.  The 
bride  is  attending  Bauder  Fashion  School.  The 
groom  is  a  designer  with  Clary  Corp.  The  couple 
resides  in  Arlington,  Texas.  .  . .  Mark  J. 
Filanowicz  and  Miss  Christine  B.  Schultz  in  New 
Britain,  Connecticut  on  July  2, 1977.  Mrs. 
Filanowicz  attended  Central  Connecticut  State 
College  and  is  employed  in  the  trust  department 
in  the  Hartford  (Conn.)  National  Bank.  The 
groom  works  as  a  software  computer  pro- 
grammer at  the  Data  Center  of  Stanley  Works. 

Timothy  P.  Golden  and  Miss  Margaret  A. 
Donoghue  on  August  20,  1977  in  Worcester. 
The  bride  graduated  from  Regis  College.  She  is 
assistant  director  of  admissions  at  Mitchell  Col- 
lege, New  London,  Conn.  Her  husband  serves  as 
a  production  supervisor  at  Monsanto  Co.  in 

Springfield,  Mass William  D.  Holmes  to  Miss 

Ingrid  Davidonis  in  Framingham,  Massachusetts 
on  May  28,  1977.  Mrs.  Holmes  graduated  from 
Anna  Maria  College.  The  groom  works  for  Gen- 
eral Electric  in  Portsmouth,  N.H. .  .  .  Roland 
Moreau  to  Miss  Jane  Varnish  on  July  2,  1977  in 
Norwich,  Connecticut.  Mrs.  Moreau  graduated 
from  Norwich  Free  Academy  and  is  a  secretary  in 
the  personnel  department  at  United  Nuclear 
Corporation  in  Uncasville.  Her  husband  is  also 
with  United  Nuclear.  .  . .  James  M.  Sieminski  to 
Miss  Mary  C.  Nadroski  in  Easthampton,  Mas- 
sachusetts on  August  6,  1977.  The  bride,  who 
has  a  BS  in  medical  technology  from  Anna  Maria, 
is  employed  at  Farren  Memorial  Hospital.  The 
bridegroom  works  in  the  automated  systems 
division  of  RCA  in  Burlington. 

Joseph  Betro  is  a  teaching  assistant  in  the 
department  of  electrical  engineering  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  Wisconsin,  where  he  is  attending  the 
Graduate  School  of  Engineering. .  .  .  Bill  Clark 
now  works  in  the  research  and  development 
department  at  Codman  &  Shurtleff,  Inc.,  Ran- 
dolph, Mass.  The  firm  is  a  division  of  Johnson  & 
Johnson.  Bill  is  involved  in  the  development  of 

medical  electronics Vlassios  Danos  serves  as 

a  sanitary  engineer  for  the  Environmental  Pro- 
tection Agency  in  San  Francisco.  .  .  .  Formerly 
with  Travelers  Insurance  Co.,  John  Highman  is 
now  a  computer  applications  engineer  for  Mobil 
Corporation,  U.S.  division,  manufacturing,  at 
the  Paulsboro  (N.J.)  refinery. 


Andrew  Marcus  is  doing  plant  layout  work 
and  some  basic  project  management  for  the  F.L. 
Smidth  Co.,  in  Cresskill,  N.J.  The  firm's  primary 

product  is  Portland  cement  plant  equipment 

Robert  Milk,  Jr.,  continues  as  a  systems  engineer 
for  Electronic  Data  System.  During  the  past  year 
he  has  been  in  Camp  Hill,  Pa.  and  Dallas,  Texas. 
Presently  he  is  in  San  Francisco. .  .  .  Conrad 
Orcheski,  who  recently  graduated  from  SUNY  in 
Buffalo,  is  currently  teaching  chemical  engineer- 
ing at  the  University  of  Buffalo. ...  Ed  Robillard 
is  working  in  the  equipment  development  sec- 
tion at  GTE  Sylvania,  Ipswich,  Mass William 

VanHerwarde  is  responsible  for  the  vertical  dou- 
ble suction  pump  line  for  Worthington  Pump, 
Inc.,  Taneytown,  Maryland. 


1977 

^■Married:  Albert  A.  DeFusco,  Jr.  and  Miss 
Claire  M.  Brousseau  on  August  20,  1977  in 
Coventry,  Rhode  Island.  Mrs.  DeFusco 
graduated  from  Coventry  High  School.  The 
bridegroom  is  a  PhD  candidate  in  chemistry  at 
the  University  of  Vermont  in  Burlington. . . .  Kurt 
A.  Eisenman  and  Miss  Tina  M.  Hansen  in 
Lexington,  Massachusetts  on  May  21 ,  1977. 
The  bride,  who  is  pursuing  a  nursing  career, 
graduated  from  Fitchburg  State  College.  Her 
husband  is  with  Parker  Hanafin  Co.  of  Cleve- 
land, Ohio. .  . .  Marc  Meunier  to  Miss  Susan 
Roberts  in  Sturbridge,  Massachusetts  on  June 
25, 1977.  The  bride  attended  WPI.  Her  husband 
is  a  fire  protection  engineer  for  Industrial  Risk 
Insurers. 

Theodore  A.  Parker  to  Miss  Paula  Connolly  in 
West  Bridgewater,  Massachusetts  recently.  Mrs. 
Parker  attends  Worcester  State  College.  The 
groom  serves  as  a  production  engineer  at 

Polaroid  Corporation Theodore  W.  Pytel,  Jr., 

to  Miss  Cheryl  A.  Morris  on  June  25,  1977  in 
Portland,  Maine.  Mrs.  Pytel  graduated  from 
Becker  with  an  associate  degree  in  merchandis- 
ing. The  groom  works  for  Niagara  Mohawk 
Power  Corp.,  in  Syracuse,  N.Y. 

Daniel  J.  Rodrigues  and  Miss  Maryann  Lowell 
in  Riverside,  Rhode  Island  on  August  13, 1977. 
The  bride  graduated  from  East  Providence  High 
School.  Her  husband  is  an  electronics  engineer 
for  GE  drives  systems  in  Roanoke,  Va. .  .  .  Bruce 
E.  Smith  and  Miss  Carol  Negus  on  July  9, 1 977  in 
Fairhaven,  Massachusetts.  Mrs.  Smith 
graduated  from  Endicott  College,  Beverly, 
where  she  majored  in  fashion  design.  The  bride- 
groom is  a  loss  prevention  representative  for 
Liberty  Mutual  Insurance  Co.,  Lexington,  Mass. 
.  .  .  Robert  Stack  to  Miss  Suzanne  D.  Allison  in 
Torrington,  Connecticut  on  July  2,  1977.  Mrs. 
Stack  graduated  from  Becker.  Her  husband  is 
with  Estee  Lauder. 


28  /October  1977  /  WPI  Journal 


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Go  with  the  Norton  pros 
who  con  help  you  turn 
out  more  workpieces 
with  fewer  headaches. 

Professional-quality  NorZon® 
coated  abrasive  belts  and  fibre 
discs  are  outlasting  and  outpro- 
ducing conventional  abrasives  on 
hundreds  of  grinding  operations. 

Cut  faster,  cooler,  longer: 
The  unique,  self-sharpening 
grain  of  NZ  Alundum  abrasive 
(Norton's  name  for  its  zirconia 
alumina)  cuts  faster  initially, 
then  keeps  cutting  long  after 
ordinary  belts  and  discs  dull  and 
glaze.  A  faster,  cooler  cutting 
action  reduces  burning  and 
improves  workpiece  appear- 
ance. They  require  less  grind- 
ing pressure,  reduce  operator 
fatigue  and  cut  belt  changes. 

Increoses  up  to  400%  and 
more:  In  1972,  NorZon  belts 
performed  90%  better  than 
conventional  aluminum  oxide  on 
mild  steel,  and  80%  better  on 
stainless.  Continuing  improve- 
ments have  widened  that  advan- 
tage to  160%  for  mild  steel  and 
140%  for  stainless.  Actual  work- 
piece  productivity  improvements 
range  from  50%  for  forged  steel 
hammers  to  400%  for  malleable 
iron  forgings  and  castings. 


See  for  yourself.  Ask  your 
Norton  distributor  to  arrange  a 
trial  run  of  NorZon  belts  and 
discs  in  your  own  plant  without 
obligation.  Call  him  now  for 
details  or  write  Norton  Com- 
pany, Abrasives  Marketing 
Group,  Worcester,  MA  01606. 


NORTON 


Fredericks.  Carpenter,  '13,  of  Tolland,  Connect- 
icut passed  away  last  April. 

He  was  born  on  March  1, 1891  at  Wethers- 
field,  Conn.  In  1913  he  graduated  as  an  electrical 
engineer  from  WPI.  He  belonged  to  Skull. 

From  1 91 3  to  1 956  he  was  with  U nited  States 
Rubber  Company  serving  in  a  number  of  posi- 
tions all  over  the  world.  Prior  to  his  retirement, 
he  was  vice  president  and  assistant  general 
manager  of  the  U.S.  Rubber  Co.,  International 
Division  (Uniroyal,  Inc.). 

Raymond  L.  Mathison,'19,  adescendentof  four 
signers  of  the  Mayflower  Compact,  died  in 
Clearwater,  Florida  on  June  15,  1977. 

A  native  of  Springfield,  Mass.,  he  was  born  on 
October  15,  1894.  From  1922  to  1959  he  was  a 
tool  designer  for  Westinghouse.  He  had  also 
worked  briefly  for  National  Equipment  Co.,  Far- 
rel  Foundry  &  Machine  Co.,  and  Simplex  Time 
Recorder  Co. 

Mr.  Mathison  was  a  member  of  Sigma  Xi. 
Civic-minded,  he  worked  for  many  years  for 
Junior  Achievement  and  the  Boy  Scouts  of 
America. 

George  R.  Rich,  '19,  senior  vice  president,  chief 
engineer,  and  a  director  of  Chas.  T.  Main,  Inc., 
passed  away  at  his  home  in  Wellesley,  Mas- 
sachusetts on  June  21 ,  1977.  He  was  80  years 
old. 

Mr.  Rich,  who  was  also  a  partner  in  Uhl,  Hall  & 
Rich,  an  affiliate  of  Chas.  T.  Main,  was  a  re- 
nowned designer  of  hydroelectric,  steam,  and 
industrial  projects.  During  his  57  years  as  a 
professional  engineer,  he  was  responsible  for  the 
design  of  such  notable  works  as  the  Conowingo 
Hydroelectric  Project;  Passamaquoddy  Tidal 
Power  Project;  Cape  Cod  Ship  Canal  and  Locks; 
the  Marimbondo  Hydroelectric  Project  in  Brazil; 
the  St.  Lawrence  Power  Project;  and  the  Bear 
Pumped  Storage  Power  Project. 

PriortojoiningMain  in  1945,  Mr.  Rich  worked 
for  Stone  &  Webster  in  charge  of  the  design  of 
Osage  and  Rock  Island  Projects.  He  had  also 
served  as  a  hydroelectric  engineer  with  the  U.S. 
Corps  of  Engineers.  While  with  TVA,  he  was 
chief  design  engineer  for  hydroelectric,  steam 
power,  chemical,  and  industrial  developments. 

Mr.  Rich  had  been  a  guest  lecturer  at  the 
graduate  schools  of  engineering  at  Columbia 
University  and  Harvard.  He  was  the  author  of 
several  books  and  articles,  including  Hydraulic 
Transients  and  four  chapters  in  the  Handbook  of 
Applied  Hydraulics.  He  was  a  registered  profes- 
sional engineer  with  the  National  Bureau  and  34 
other  states. 

As  a  member  of  ASME,  he  served  the  publica- 
tions committee,  Applied  Mechanics  Reviews, 
Water  Hammer  Committee,  and  Power  Test 
Code  for  Hydraulic  Prime  Movers.  He  was  also  a 
fellow  of  ASME,  the  American  Consulting  En- 
gineers Council,  and  ASCE;  an  honorary 
member  of  the  Boston  Society  of  Civil  Engineers; 
national  honor  member  of  the  Chi  Epsilon  Civil 
Engineering  Society;  and  a  member  of  the  Seis- 
mological  Society  of  America. 

He  received  the  Rickey  Medal  of  ASCE  as  well 
as  the  1 974  New  England  Award  of  the  En- 
gineering Societies  of  New  England. 

Mr.  Rich  graduated  from  WPI  in  191 9  with  his 
BSCE.  He  received  his  professional  degree  of  civil 
engineer  in  1955.  In  1948  WPI  awarded  him  an 
honorary  doctor  of  engineering  degree.  In  1974 
he  received  the  Robert  H.  Goddard  Award  for 
professional  achievement  from  the  WPI  Alumni 
Association. 

He  belonged  to  Theta  Chi,  Tau  Beta  Pi,  and 
Sigma  Xi.  A  former  member  of  the  executive 
committee  of  the  Alumni  Council,  he  also  served 
on  the  President's  Advisory  Council  at  WPI  from 
1973  through  1975. 


Laurence  G.  Bean,  '20,  of  Middlebury,  Connect- 
icut and  retired  vice  president  in  charge  of 
engineering  at  the  Bristol  Co.,  died  on  June  8, 
1977. 

He  was  born  on  November  12,  1895  in  In- 
dianapolis, Indiana.  After  receiving  his  BS  in 
mechanical  engineering  at  WPI,  he  joined  the 
Bristol  Co.  as  a  salesman.  He  was  subsequently 
promoted  to  sales  manager  and  vice  president  in 
charge  of  engineering. 

Mr.  Bean,  a  past  vice  president  of  the  Hartford 
chapter  of  the  WPI  Alumni  Association,  be- 
longed to  Alpha  Tau  Omega,  and  Pi  Sigma  Tau. 
He  was  a  professional  engineer  in  the  state  of 
Connecticut  and  a  member  of  ASME,  ISA,  the 
Masons,  Waterbury  Club,  and  Kiwanis.  Between 
1918  and  1920  he  was  a  lieutenant  with  the 
Coast  Guard. 

Douglas  E.  Howes,  Sr.,  '20,  professor  emeritus 
of  electrical  engineering  at  WPI,  died  on  August 
31 ,  1977  in  Worcester  at  the  age  of  78. 

Prof.  Howes,  who  joined  the  WPI  faculty  in 
1947,  retired  in  1968.  Previously  he  had  taught 
at  Norwich  University  in  Vermont  for  24  years, 
worked  as  a  research  physicist  for  Westing- 
house,  and  as  a  special  research  associate  at 
Harvard. 

He  was  born  in  Ashfield,  Mass.  In  1920  he 
received  his  BSEE.  In  1922  he  received  his  mas- 
ter's in  physics,  also  from  WPI. 

Prof.  Howes,  a  member  of  Sigma  Xi,  was  a 
former  director  of  the  Vermont  Bureau  of  Indus- 
trial Research.  He  belonged  to  IEEE,  APS,  ASEE, 
and  was  a  fellow  of  the  Association  for  Ad- 
vancement of  Science. 

Saul  Robinson,  '20,  died  in  Toms  River,  New 
Jersey  on  June  4,  1977.  He  was  78  years  old. 

Born  in  Chicopee  Falls,  Mass.,  on  November 
24, 1898,  he  later  studied  as  a  chemist  at  WPI 
and  graduated  in  1920.  During  his  career  he  was 
associated  as  a  chemist  with  the  City  of 
Gloversville,  N.Y.;  the  U.S.  Treasury  in  New  York 
City;  American  Pencil  Co.,  Hoboken,  N.J.; 
United  Lacquer  Co.,  Linden,  N.J.;  and  Industrial 
Latex  Co.,  in  Wallington,  N.J.  At  Industrial  Latex 
he  was  made  chief  chemist. 

He  belonged  to  the  Masons,  B'nai  Brith,  AEPi, 
and  the  American  Chemical  Society. 

Arthur  W.  Anderson,  '22,  died  suddenly  of  a 
heart  attack  at  his  home  in  Brighton,  New  York 
on  June  18, 1977. 

He  was  born  on  February  20, 1900  in  Cam- 
bridge, Mass.  In  1922  he  received  his  BSMEfrom 
WPI.  During  his  lifetime  he  was  with  Bausch  & 
Lomb,  Inc.,  Rochester,  N.Y.;  Rochester  Institute 
of  Technology;  Western  Electric,  Chicago;  and 
U.S.  Rubber  Co.,  Bristol,  R.I.  He  retired  from 
Bausch  &  Lomb  in  1968. 

Mr.  Anderson  belonged  to  ASME,  ASM,  and 
Phi  Sigma  Kappa.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Masons,  Methodist  Church,  and  of  the  Early 
Settlers  of  Bausch  and  Lomb.  He  was  a  former 
vice  president  of  the  Rochester-Genesse  Chap- 
ter of  the  Alumni  Association. 


Alfred  P.  Storms,  '24,  died  in  the  University  of 
Massachusetts  Medical  School  Hospital  in 
Worcester  on  June  12, 1977  following  a  short 
illness.  He  was  75. 

Mr.  Storms,  who  was  a  native  of  Norwich, 
Conn.,  graduated  with  his  BS  in  mechanical 
engineering  from  WPI  in  1924.  He  worked  for 
Crane  &  Co.,  and  Rice  Barton  Corp.  From  1929 
to  1967  he  was  with  Heald  Machine,  Worcester, 
where  he  served  as  an  assistant  manager  of 
grinding  machine  proposal  engineering. 

He  belonged  to  Phi  Gamma  Delta,  and  served 
as  secretary-treasurer  of  the  Tech  Old  Timers 
Club,  and  as  an  officer  in  the  Greendale  Retired 
Men's  Club,  and  the  Concordial  Lutheran 
Church. 

Milton  E.  Berglund,  '26,  former  chairman  of  the 
board  of  the  Torrington  Co.,  died  in  the  Cape 
Cod  Hospital  at  Hyannis,  Massachusetts  on  July 
8, 1977  at  the  age  of  73. 

Mr.  Berglund  began  his  career  with  Torrington 
in  1927.  After  receiving  a  number  of  appoint- 
ments, he  became  president  and  chief  executive 
officer  in  1958,  then  chairman  of  the  board  of 
directors  in  1968.  He  retired  as  chairman  in 
1972. 

He  was  a  director  of  the  Hartford  National 
Bank  &  Trust  Co.,  Hartford  Electric  Light  Co., 
and  the  Torrington  Water  Co.  A  member  of  the 
board  of  governors  of  Charlotte  Hungerford 
Hospital,  he  was  also  a  trustee  of  the  YMCA,  vice 
chairman  and  director  of  the  Naugatuck  Valley 
Industrial  Council,  and  director  of  Allandale  In- 
surance Co.  of  Providence,  R.I.  Prior  to  his 
retirement,  he  was  a  member  of  the  Newcomen 
Society  of  America. 

Mr.  Berglund  was  born  in  Worcester.  He 
graduated  with  a  BSEE  from  WPI.  In  1968  he 
received  the  Robert  H.  Goddard  Award  for 
professional  achievement  from  the  WPI  Alumni 
Association.  Formerly  he  was  a  vice  president  of 
the  Hartford  chapter  of  the  Alumni  Association. 


Erold  Pierce,  '29,  of  Lakewood.  New  Jersey 
passed  away  on  August  12,  1977  after  a  long 
illness 

He  was  born  on  June  23,  1907  in  Worcester 
In  1929  he  received  his  BSME  from  WPI  and 
began  work  at  Curtiss  Aeroplane  and  Motor 
Corporation  in  Buffalo,  NY  Two  years  later  he 
was  transferred  to  Wright  Aeronautical  Corpora- 
tion (a  division  of  Curtiss)  at  Wood-Ridge,  N.J.  In 
1970  he  retired  as  chief  scientist  at  the  corpora- 
tion following  41  years  of  service. 

Mr.  Pierce  belonged  to  Sigma  Xi.  He  received 
the  Society  of  Automotive  Engineers  Manly 
Memorial  Award  in  1947.  He  was  a  professional 
engineer. 

Frederick  F.  Whitford,  '32,  a  former  manage- 
ment consultant  for  the  Vermont  Industrial 
Bureau  and  the  Vermont  Department  of  High- 
ways, died  in  Northfield,  Vermont  on  July  14, 
1977 

He  was  born  in  Pittsfield,  N.H.  on  October  1 1 , 
1907.  In  1932  he  received  his  BSEE  from  WPI. 
For  over  25  years  he  was  with  the  Wright 
Aeronautical  Corp.,  in  New  Jersey.  He  then 
served  as  a  placement  manager  at  Steenland 
Personnel  from  1965  to  1967.  Later  he  was  with 
the  Vermont  Industrial  Bureau  at  Norwich  Uni- 
versity, and  the  Vermont  Department  of  High- 
ways 

Mr.  Whitford  belonged  to  the  U.S.  Power 
Squadron  and  ATO,  served  as  secretary  of  the 
Rotary  Club,  and  as  an  active  member  of 
SCORE.  He  was  a  former  town  lister. 

Joseph  W.  Whitaker,  Jr.,  '41,  of  Troy,  Michigan 
died  on  June  21,  1977. 

He  was  born  on  May  15,  1917  in  Boston.  In 
1941  he  graduated  as  a  mechanical  engineer 
from  WPI.  After  working  briefly  for  Norton  Co., 
he  joined  the  Navy  and  served  until  1 946  when 
he  became  associated  with  Heald  Machine  in 
Worcester. 

At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  still  with  Heald, 
which  became  a  division  of  Cincinnati  Milacron 
in  1 955  He  was  a  regional  product  manager  and 
had  seen  tours  of  duty  in  sales  in  Worcester, 
Chicago.  Hartford,  and  most  recently,  in  Detroit. 

Mr.  Whitaker  ("Bud")  belonged  to  Phi 
Gamma  Delta  fraternity.  He  was  a  trustee  and 
moderator  of  the  Pilgrim  Church. 

John  R.  Keefe,  Jr.,  '51,  of  Winchester,  Mas- 
sachusetts passed  away  recently. 

He  was  born  on  October  26,  1919  in  Boston, 
Mass.  After  studying  at  WPI,  he  joined  the 
Massachusetts  Department  of  Public  Works, 
Boston,  where  he  worked  for  many  years. 

Mr.  Keefe  had  served  as  a  lieutenant  in  the 
U.S.  Navy  and  as  a  communications  officer  with 
the  USNR.  He  was  a  certified  professional  regis- 
tered engineer  and  land  surveyor,  and  belonged 
to  the  U.S.  Naval  Institute. 


Robert  E.  Kern,  '53,  of  Springfield,  Massachu- 
setts died  on  August  23, 1977  in  Worcester. 

He  was  born  on  June  25,  1929  in  Springfield. 
In  1953  he  graduated  with  his  BSME  from  WPI. 
For  several  years  he  was  with  Hampden  Spe- 
cialty Co.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  vice 
president  of  purchasing  for  Coleco  Industries  of 
Hartford,  Conn.  He  belonged  to  AEPi. 

Dr.  Edward  P.  laccarino,  '64,  died  on  August  27, 
1 977  in  Sloan  Kettering  Memorial  Hospital,  New 
York  City. 

He  had  been  a  senior  research  chemical  en- 
gineer for  Exxon  Research  and  Engineering  Co. 
in  Linden,  N.J.  for  four  years.  During  the  war  in 
Vietnam  he  served  in  the  army. 

Dr.  laccarino  was  born  on  March  25,  1943  in 
Worcester.  He  received  his  BS  in  chemical  en- 
gineering from  WPI  and  his  MS  and  PhD  from 
the  University  of  Wisconsin.  He  belonged  to 
SAE,  Sigma  Xi,  and  the  Chemical  Honor  Society. 

John  L.  Clune,  '68,  of  Trenton,  New  Jersey  died 
on  April  28,  1977  following  an  accident. 

He  was  born  on  April  1 1 ,  1946  in  New  York 
City.  In  1968  he  graduated  as  a  chemical  en- 
gineer from  WPI.  Following  graduation  he  went 
with  Union  Carbide  in  Charleston,  West  Virginia. 
Later  he  was  with  Stauffer  Chemical  in  Dobbs 
Ferry,  NY.  At  the  time  of  his  death,  he  was  an 
associate  cost  engineer  with  Mobil  Research  & 
Development  Corp.,  Princeton,  N.J. 

At  Mobil  he  had  been  heavily  involved  with 
the  firm's  North  Sea,  off-shore  platforms.  Re- 
cently he  became  involved  with  Mobil's  uranium 
mining  interests. 

Richard  J.  Orsini,  '75,  died  in  Leominster,  Mas- 
sachusetts on  August  1 .  1977  after  he  had  been 
stricken  while  jogging. 

A  Leominster  native,  he  was  born  on  February 
6,  1948.  He  received  his  degree  in  mechanical 
engineering  from  RPI  and  his  master  of  science  in 
management  from  WPI  in  1975. 

He  was  employed  at  CE  in  Fitchburg,  Mass., 
for  seven  years.  Two  weeks  priorto  his  death,  he 
had  joined  Digital  Equipment  Corp.,  inMaynard. 


t/f/  ^  f 


DECEMBER  1977 


UIPp 


The  DNA  dilemma 


rMOjffirlU 


Vol.  81,  no.  4 


December  1977 


3         Drop  back  10  yards  and  punt:  Trustees  ponder  the  future  of 
WPI  football        by  Russell  Kay 

In  the  wake  of  nearly  two  decades  of  undistinguished  football, 
the  question  is  being  asked:  do  we  really  want  to  play? 

6        The  DNA  dilemma        by  Tom  Daniels,  '80 

The  scientific  controversy  over  whether  research  into  these 
basic  elements  of  life  is  good  or  evil— and  whether  it  should 
be  banned  or  encouraged— is  explored  here,  with  special 
reference  to  research  planned  in  the  Worcester  area  . . .  and 
at  WPI. 

14        Nuclear  medicine's  Howard  Dworkin 

17  loeGale 

Fourth  in  our  continuing  series  of  WPI  campus  personalities 

18  The  WPI  Word  Search        by  Ruth  Trask 
Puzzle,  puzzle,  we've  got  the  puzzle  for  you. 

20  Your  class  and  others 

21  A  meeting  of  the  minds  still  needs  some  rules 

22  If  we  know  about  it . . . 

The  true  story  of  how  the  class  notes  section  comes  into  being, 
with  special  reference  to  our  secret  sources  of  information. 

24        Lost  his  wax?? 

An  old  but  surprisingly  sophisticated  casting  process  links 
Edward  Funk,  '46,  and  King  Tut. 

31         Completed  careers 

33        Puzzled?  Here's  the  answer 

Cover:  An  electron  microscope  photograph  of  an  E.  coli  DNA 
molecule.  Astute  Journal  readers  may  recall  that  this  photo  was 
used,  in  somewhat  different  form,  on  the  cover  of  the  August  1972 
WPI  Journal,  which  dealt  with  the  subject  of  genetic  engineering. 


Editor:  H.  Russell  Kay 

Alumni  Information  Editor:  Ruth  S.  Trask 

Publications  Committee:  Walter  B.  Dennen, 
Jr.,  '51,  chairman;  Donald  F.  Berth,  '57; 
Leonard  Brzozowski,  74;  Robert  Davis,  '46; 
Robert  C.  Gosling,  '68;  Enfried  T.  Larson,  '22; 
Roger  N.  Perry,  Jr.,  '45;  Rev.  Edward  I. 
Swanson,  '45 

Design:  H.  Russell  Kay 

Typesetting:  Davis  Press,  Worcester,  Ma. 

Printing:  The  House  of  Offset,  Somerville,  Ma. 


Address  all  correspondence  regarding  editorial 

content  or  advertising  to  the  Editor,  WPI  Journal, 

Worcester  Polytechnic  Institute,  Worcester,  Ma. 

01609. 

Telephone  [617]  753-1411 

The  WPI  Journal  is  published  for  the  Alumni 
Association  by  Worcester  Polytechnic  Institute. 
Copyright  ©  1977  by  Worcester  Polytechnic 
Institute;  all  rights  reserved. 

The  WPI  Journal  is  published  six  times  a  year,  in 
August,  September  (catalog  issue),  October, 
December,  February,  and  April.  Second  class 
postage  paid  at  Worcester,  Ma. 
Postmaster:  Please  send  Form  3579  to:  Alumni 
Association,  Worcester  Polytechnic  Institute, 
Worcester,  Ma.  01609. 


WPI  ALUMNI  ASSOCIATION 

President:  W.  A.  Julian,  '49 

Vice  presidents:  J.H.  McCabe,  '68; 
R.  D.  Gelling,  '63 

Secretary -treasurer:  S.  J.  Hebert,  '66 

Past  president  F.  S.  Harvey,  '37 

Executive  Committee  members- at- large: 
W.  B.  Dennen,  Jr.,  '51 ;  R.  A.  Davis,  '53; 
J.  A.  Palley,  '46;  A.  C.  Flyer,  '45 

Fund  Board:  P.  H.  Horstmann,  '55,  chairman; 
G.  A.  Anderson,  '51 ;  H.  I.  Nelson,  '54;  L.  H. 
White,  '41 ;  H.  Styskal,  Jr.,  '50;  C.  J.  Lindegren, 
'39;  R.  B.  Kennedy,  '65. 


WPI  Journal  /  December  1977/1 


■ 


V  J 


Drop  back  10  yards  and  punt: 


Trustees  ponder 

the  future  of  WPI  football 


by  Russell  Kay 


The  news  release  was  a  bombshell.  In  addition  to  announcing 
the  resignation  of  Mel  Massucco  as  head  football  coach 
after  ten  years,  it  stated  that  a  trustees'  committee  had  been 
appointed  to  recommend  whether  football  ought  to  be 
continued  as  a  varsity  sport  at  WPI. 

Drop  football??  At  WPI?? 

The  story  hit  page  one  of  the  Worcester  Telegram  on 
November  17,  beginning  an  extended  period  of  speculation 
in  the  local  press.  Reaction  on  campus  was  quick  and  strong, 
mostly  in  favor  of  football.  The  question  in  everyone's  mind 
was,  Why? 

To  begin  to  answer  that,  we  have  to  look  first  at  WPI's 
football  record.  This  year  the  football  team  won  one  game 
and  lost  seven.  The  last  winning  season  was  in  1968,  the 
last  one  before  that  was  in  1959.  In  90  years  of  football,  WPI 
teams  have  won  half  or  more  of  their  games  in  only  17 
years,  and  9  of  those  winning  seasons  were  concentrated  in 
the  period  from  1949-1959,  while  Bob  Pritchard  was  coach. 

In  1973,  a  trustees'  committee  on  athletics  commented  that 
athletics  should  reflect  the  same  excellence  as  the  WPI 
academic  program,  and  that  WPI  teams  should  be  on  a  par 
with  our  traditional  opponents.  Two  winning  seasons  in 
eighteen  years  obviously  didn't  meet  these  criteria,  nor  did 
the  dismally  consistent  record  of  two  or  fewer  wins  in  eight 
of  the  past  eleven  years.  The  losing  seasons  weren't  even 
near  misses. 

So  the  new  trustees'  committee  was  formed.  Chairman  was 
Raymond  J.  Forkey  '40,  a  WPI  football  player  on  the  1938 
undefeated  team.  Other  members  were  Milton  P.  Higgins, 
chairman  of  the  Board;  Howard  G.  Freeman,  '40;  Robert  J. 
Whipple;  Leonard  H.  White,  '41;  and  Richard  A.  Davis,  '53. 

For  their  second  meeting,  the  committee  called  an  open 
campus  hearing  for  December  13,  to  get  the  views  of  all 
interested  members  of  the  WPI  community.  Scheduled  for  a 
seminar  room  in  Gordon  Library  that  could  seat  100 
persons,  the  meeting  was  quickly  moved  to  Alden  Memorial 


Auditorium  when  a  crowd  of  nearly  500  students  and  faculty 
showed  up. 

The  sentiment  of  the  crowd  was  clearly  pro-football. 
During  the  90-minute  session,  not  one  person  spoke  in 
favor  of  dropping  the  sport.  Students  representing  various 
groups  presented  the  committee  with  petitions  signed  by 
1,450  students,  including  20  captains  and  co-captains  of 
various  sports,  plus  letters  of  support  from  numerous  other 
campus  organizations. 

Perhaps  the  most  eloquent  speaker  was  Dean  of  Academic 
Advising  John  van  Alstyne.  "I  think  it's  very  important  for 
this  school,  for  any  school  of  our  size,  to  maintain  football," 
he  said.  "You  need  an  outlet.  Some  students  can  get  it  in 
"running  or  soccer  or  basketball.  But  some— the  athletically 
inept,  like  myself —get  it  through  watching  people  perform. 
It  becomes  a  vicarious  thing.  Football  provides  that  far 
better  than  anything  else.  Football  is  a  sport  people  are 
attuned  to. 

"I  went  to  a  college  that  didn't  win  a  football  game  for 
four  years,"  van  Alstyne  continued.  "We  used  to  call  the 
signals  in  Greek.  It  would  give  us  an  advantage  for  the 
first  period,  anyway,  because  the  other  team  didn't  know 
what  we  were  saying.  But  after  that,  we  had  a  couple  of 
winning  seasons,  and  we  had  a  player  who  was  a  Little  All- 
America.  Now,  when  I  go  back  for  Homecoming,  the  stands 
are  filled. 

"There  aren't  many  places  left  where  you  can  see  an  honest 
football  game,  where  you  know  the  players  out  there  are 
playing  not  just  to  win  but  because  they  love  the  sport.  I 
think  WPI  is  one  of  those  places,  and  I  wouldn't  want  to 
see  us  lose  it.  One  cannot  be  a  whole  person  unless  one  gets 
involved  with  more  than  academics." 

Also  speaking  at  the  meeting  were  Peter  Horstmann,  '55, 
chairman  of  the  Alumni  Fund  Board,  and  Ted  Coghlin, 
'56,  president  of  the  Poly  Club.  Both  urged  that  football  be 
continued  and  strengthened.  Other  speakers  included  Tom 


WPI  Journal  /  December  1977  /  3 


Panek,  student  body  president,  who  noted  that  "few  things 
can  bring  together  a  campus  as  diverse  as  this.  In  the  past 
couple  of  years,  there  has  been  a  great  deal  of  apathy  about  a 
lot  of  things.  But  this  petition  is  signed  by  1,450  students, 
and  less  than  400  usually  vote  in  school  elections." 

Nancy  Hargrave,  of  the  admissions  office,  commented 
that  "it's  one  thing  to  ask  a  17-year-old  to  place  academics 
first,  but  another  thing  entirely  to  ask  him  or  her  to  choose 
between  academics  and  athletics.  And  it  doesn't  seem  fair 
to  make  a  football  player  make  that  choice,  but  not  a  soccer 
player  or  a  high  hurdler." 

Only  a  few  at  the  meeting  addressed  the  question  of  the 
quality  of  the  team.  One  was  Dave  Ploss,  70,  who  serves  as 
rowing  coach.  "You  can't  convince  me  that  a  WPI  athlete 
is  any  worse  than  the  athlete  at  Bates,  Bowdoin,  or  any  of 
the  other  schools  we  play  against.  We're  competitive  in  other 
sports.  If  football  continues  here,  it  should  be  a  quality 
program,  and  if  we  don't  have  that  quality  it  should  be 
dropped.  It  does  nobody  any  good  to  go  out  every  week  and 
get  his  head  beat  in." 

For  all  the  uproar,  though,  this  meeting  was  only  a  forum, 
a  place  for  the  trustees'  group  to  hear  what  the  campus  had 
to  say  on  the  issue.  As  Ray  Forkey  said,  early  on,  "we  don't 
want  to  get  into  a  discussion  of  what  our  attitude  is,  or 
how  we  feel  about  football.  Our  views  will  come  later." 

A  few  days  later,  Forkey  said  he  was  surprised  at  the  size 
of  the  turnout.  He  reiterated  that  the  committee  was  meeting 
with  many  groups  and  individuals  before  it  began  its 
deliberations  in  earnest. 


The  blitz 

Mel  Massucco,  head  football  coach  at  WPI  from  1967  until 
his  sudden  resignation  in  November,  is  frustratingly  aware 
of  the  problems  with  football  at  WPI.  Recruiting  is  one  of 
the  big  ones.  "I'm  not  just  the  football  coach  here,"  he 
explained.  "I  also  teach  physical  education,  and  I  have 
intramural  responsibilities  as  well.  Where's  the  time  for 
everything?"  Massucco  will  remain  on  the  faculty  of  the 
physical  education  department,  and  he  hopes  that  his 
resignation  may  help  lead  to  the  improvement  of  the 
football  program  at  WPI. 

Another  problem,  one  not  mentioned  in  the  1973  report 
on  athletics,  is  that  WPI  is  an  engineering  school,  and  the 
pool  of  athletes  interested  in  an  engineering  school  is 
considerably  smaller  than  the  pool  attracted  to  the  broader 
curriculum  and  more  opportunities  of  the  liberal  arts 
colleges— schools  such  as  Wesleyan,  Bowdoin,  Union, 
Hamilton,  and  Bates,  which  are  among  WPI's  traditional 
opponents  on  the  gridiron.  "What  we're  looking  for,"  said 
Massucco,  "is  a  kid  who's  a  good  student,  a  kid  who's 
looking  for  a  technical  education,  and  a  kid  who's  a  good 
athlete.  It's  difficult  to  get  all  three." 


The  recruiting  question  is  a  big  one,  for  virtually 
everyone  concedes  that  increased  financial  aid  is  a  vital 
part  of  a  serious  recruiting  effort.  Under  the  rules  of 
Division  III  of  the  NCAA,  WPI  is  not  allowed  to  offer 
athletic  scholarships.  All  financial  aid  awards  are  based 
on  need,  and  so  athletes  get  no  special  consideration.  There 
is  a  way  of  using  financial  aid  to  attract  athletes,  however, 
and  still  stay  within  the  rules.  If  an  athlete,  or  any  student, 
is  awarded  financial  aid  based  on  need,  he  gets  what  the 
admissions  office  likes  to  call  a  "package"  of  scholarship, 
loan,  and  work-study  grants.  By  offering  a  student  a  large 
proportion  of  scholarship  money,  still  keeping  within  the 
limits  of  need,  WPI  would  be  offering  a  much  greater  in- 
centive for  that  student  to  come  here. 

Would  this  be  "buying  athletes?"  and,  if  so,  is  that 
necessarily  a  bad  thing?  Ted  Coghlin  commented  that,  "we 
feel  the  better  kid  should  get  better  financial  aid— and 
by  that  I'm  not  saying  that  we  should  buy  an  athlete  any 
more  than  we  should  be  buying  a  scholar  who  might  want 
to  go  to  CalTech  or  M.I.T 

Bob  Pritchard  observed  that  "we  have  have  very  little  input 
the  financial  aid  process).  At  times  in  the  past,  we  had."  He 
further  noted  that  WPI  cannot  begin  to  match  the  student 
aid  offered  by  such  wealthier  schools  as  M.I.T,  Wesleyan, 
and  Bowdoin. 

The  1973  report  on  athletics  recommended  that  10  percent 
of  WPI's  total  financial  aid  commitments  go  to  student- 
athletes.  According  to  financial  aid  officials,  WPI  is 
currently  at  or  slightly  over  this  level.  Part  of  the  problem 
is  disagreement  as  to  just  whether  a  student  is  or  is  not  a 
student-athlete.  For  example,  was  he  recruited  by  athletics 
or  admissions?  Or  did  he  drop  out  of  athletic  participation 
after  a  while,  even  though  recruited  as  an  athlete?  It  is 
indeed  a  sticky  question. 

Another  factor  is  that,  since  the  1973  report,  the  WPI 
administration  has  done  little  to  implement  it.  President 
Hazzard  agreed,  saying  "nothing  much  has  been  done  since 
that  time.  We  just  asked  the  coach  to  work  harder."  When 
asked  whether  he  thought  hard  work  was  the  answer, 
Hazzard  replied,  "I'm  not  an  expert  on  football,  so  I 
don't  know." 

Bob  Pritchard,  head  of  the  department  of  physical  educa- 
tion and  athletics  (and  football  coach  from  1947-1966), 
says  that  "upgrading  a  football  program  is  harder  than  for 
other  sports.  You  need  the  complete  cooperation  of  the 
administration  and  of  the  financial  aid  office.  You  need 
that  little  extra  effort. 

"Our  effort  here  could  have  been  better.  The  money  hasn't 
been  allocated  the  way  it  should  have  been.  We  have  a 
good  coaching  staff;  its  background  is  tremendous,  and 
I'd  rank  it  up  there  with  anybody's.  So  the  problem  isn't 
entirely  the  staff." 

Pritchard  said  he  didn't  think  the  committee  would  con- 
sider the  present  football  program  too  expensive,  but  that 
it  would  have  to  decide  for  itself  whether  the  money  being 
used  for  the  program  was  wisely  used,  or  ought  to  be  spent 
elsewhere.  At  present  the  football  program  costs  WPI 
"slightly  under  $30,000"  per  year,  according  to  Pritchard. 


(to 


4  /  December  1911  /  WPI  journal 


That  figure  includes  meals,  trips,  transportation,  game 
officials,  medical  supplies,  and  equipment,  but  does  not 
cover  salaries  or  the  maintenance  of  Alumni  Field. 


Defensive  secondary 

The  importance  of  football  to  WPI,  which  is  at  the  heart  of 
the  question  before  Forkey's  committee,  is  a  touchy  issue.  The 
large  turnout  at  the  open  meeting  in  December,  coupled 
with  the  fact  that  some  60  percent  of  the  students  signed 
petitions  urging  the  retention  of  the  sport,  would  seem  to 
indicate  that  grassroots  support  for  football  is  extremely 
strong.  But  is  it? 

Attendance  at  football  games  has  not  been  very  high  in 
recent  years.  With  a  team  that  seems  bound  to  lose  most  of 
the  time,  that's  understandable.  But  if  students  don't  come 
to  the  games,  why  play  them?  That's  a  question  President 
George  Hazzard  touched  on  in  referring  to  the  students' 
petition  to  the  trustees.  "If  we  had  1,400  students  at  our 
games,  maybe  we  would  have  had  more  spirit.  But  the 
petition  certainly  indicates  that  somebody  cares  because  the 
question  on  football  was  raised. 

"You  can't  help  wondering,  though,"  he  went  on,  "if  an 
equal  concern  will  continue  in  years  ahead.  If  would  be  nice 
if  it  did,"  Hazzard  added,  "because  then  you'd  have  good 
crowds  at  the  football  games." 

Throughout  the  storm  over  the  football  question, 
President  Hazzard  has  kept  his  own  views  to  himself, 
refusing  to  support  one  side  or  the  other.  He  has  said,  though, 
that  "every  student  who  comes  here,  comes  here  first  of  all 
for  the  academic  program.  Football  is  secondary.  Just  a 
part  of  the  picture.  Whether  we  have  a  team  or  don't  have 
a  team  shouldn't  make  that  much  difference.  I  would  be 
surprised  if  a  student  transferred  to  another  school  just 
because  football  had  been  dropped  at  WPI." 

On  that  count,  Hazzard  will  find  a  number  of  dissenters. 
Dean  Arvidson,  co-captain  of  this  year's  team,  said  that  in 
his  fraternity  "there  are  thirty  football  players,  and  20  to  30 
percent  of  them  think  they'll  transfer  if  there  isn't  any 
football  next  year."  Another  team  member,  halfback  Mike 
Robinson,  said  that  WPI  has  an  obligation  to  those  students 
it  has  already  recruited.  "We  come  here  to  play  football  too, 
and  there  should  be  a  football  team.  Not  necessarily  a 
winning  football  team,  but  still  a  football  team.  I  don't 
really  want  to  leave  WPI,  but  I  would  if  I  had  to.  Without 
football,  what  good  is  it?" 


Option  plays 

The  trustee  committee  is  due  to  submit  its  recommendations 
in  a  report  in  mid-January.  As  this  issue  goes  to  press  in  mid- 
December,  no  one  on  campus  knows  just  what  direction  the 
committee  may  be  leaning  in.  There  appears  to  be  four 
possibilities  open: 


1.  Keep  football  as  a  varsity  sport,  keep  the  present  schedule, 
and  upgrade  the  performance  of  the  team.  However  this 
might  be  done,  it  would  apparently  require  more  re- 
cruiting effort  and,  inevitably,  more  money. 

2.  Keep  football  as  a  varsity  sport,  but  play  schools  which 
aren't  as  strong  as  those  we've  played  against  in  recent 
years.  This  approach  is  opposed  by  Pritchard,  and  it 
conflicts  with  the  stated  1973  goal  of  "parity  with  our 
traditional  opponents." 

3.  Keep  football,  but  drop  it  to  the  level  of  a  club  sport. 
This  would  slash  the  "investment"— both  financial  and 
psychological  —  of  WPI  in  the  football  team,  and  students 
would  have  to  assume  most  of  the  work  and  responsibility 
for  running  the  team  and  paying  for  it. 

4.  Drop  football  completely.  The  money  saved  might  be 
diverted  to  other  athletic  programs,  but  this  seems 
unlikely. 

Options  2,  3,  and  4  above  are  certainly  possible,  but  they 
are  strongly  opposed  by  students  and  faculty.  Revising  the 
schedule,  a  step  taken  by  Rensselaer  Polytechnic  Institute 
when  it  was  in  a  similar  situation  ten  years  ago,  seems  to 
be  a  way  of  admitting  defeat.  RPI  athletic  director  Bob 
Ducatte,  commenting  on  the  situation,  has  said:  "If  you  know 
in  the  bottom  of  your  heart  that  you're  playing  schools  you 
can't  beat,  then  you  shouldn't  play  them.  Sometimes  you 
have  to  swallow  some  pride."  These  thoughts  were  echoed 
by  Pete  Carlesimo,  athletic  director  of  Fordham  University, 
which  dropped  football  in  1960  and  reinstated  it  just  three 
years  ago.  "It's  difficult  for  alumni,  no  question  about  it.  We 
used  to  be  semi-big-time.  But  you've  got  to  play  teams  you're 
competitive  against.  That's  the  only  way  you're  going  to 
establish  interest."  WPI  athletic  director  Pritchard  doesn't 
like  the  idea  at  all.  "We  want  to  play  schools  which  we  feel 
are  quality  institutions,"  he  stated.  "We  feel  we  fall  into  that 
category.  A  step  down  would  be  getting  into  a  club  sport 
concept,  which  is  something  I  just  don't  want  to  see  happen." 


Two- minute  warning 

Whatever  the  committee  decides— and  the  full  Board  of 
Trustees  after  them— this  is  one  issue  that  has  been  dealt 
with  fairly  and  openly,  with  everyone  involved  or  merely 
interested  having  had  the  chance  to  address  the  subject. 
The  issue  is  important,  not  so  much  for  the  sport  itself,  but 
because  it  has  serious  emotional  overtones.  Alumni  often 
look  back  nostalgically  at  WPI  football— thinking,  perhaps, 
of  their  salad  days.  For  students  and  faculty,  the  team 
provides  entertainment,  enjoyment,  and  engages  a  feeling 
of  community.  These  things  are  important  and  worthwhile. 
What  the  trustees  must  do  is  balance  these  subjective  values 
against  the  very  real  problems  of  the  team,  as  they  attempt 
to  answer  one  very  difficult  question:  Is  it  worth  the  commit- 
ment to  do  it  right? 


WPI  Journal  /  December  1977/5 


The  DNA  dilemma 


by  Tom  Daniels,  '80 


In  principle,  it's  very  straightforward  and  simple;  one  is 
concerned  with  taking  a  gene  from  one  organism  and 
putting  it  into  another  organism,  by  artificial  means. 

The  subject  which  Dr.  James  Danielli,  world-renowned 
microbiologist  and  head  of  the  Life  Sciences  department  at 
WPI,  describes  as  "straightforward  and  simple"  has  be- 
come a  hotly  contested  issue  in  the  national  press  in  the 
last  two  years.  Recombinant  dna  (the  initials  dna  stand 
for  deoxyribonucleic  acid)  research  has  been  called 
both  a  boon  to  mankind  and  a  throwback  to  Doctor 
Frankenstein. 

"The  main  quest  of  the  biologist,"  one  eminent  re- 
searcher has  said,  "is  to  understand  how  an  egg  can 
transform  itself  into  a  human  being.  To  do  this,  we  must 
study  the  basis  of  this  phenomenon  —  the  nucleic  acid 

DNA." 

To  study  the  dna  molecule,  the  researcher  must,  of 
course,  have  at  his  disposal  a  suf  ficient  number  of  genes  to 
work  with.  "When  we  have  a  large  number  of  genes,"  the 
researcher  continued,  "our  studies  may  be  carried  out  in  a 
more  realistic  environment.  Thus,  the  purpose  of  the 
recombinant  dna  experiments  is  to  produce  a  specific 
gene  in  large  enough  quantities  to  carry  out  realistic 
research."  An  oversimplification  to  be  sure,  of  a  complex 
issue,  but  certainly  not  a  bit  reminiscent  of  the  so-called 
"Frankenstein"  charges  of  anti-DNA  research  forces. 
"Genetic  engineering,"  said  Dr.  Federico  Welsch  of  the 
Worcester  Foundation  for  Experimental  Biology,  "is  com- 
plete rubbish.  We  do  not  now  possess  even  the  slightest 
fraction  of  the  knowledge  that  would  have  to  be  utilized 
for  such  a  purpose." 


Dr.  Danielli  agreed  with  Dr.  Welsch,  saying  of  the 
controversial  research,  "it's  still  in  its  infancy.  Twenty 
years  from  now  we  may  be  in  a  position  to  say  just  what 
can  and  can't  be  done,  but  we  aren't  able  to  do  so  at  the 
present  time."  Although  its  applications  are  still  uncer- 
tain, the  actual  process  by  which  the  experiments  are 
carried  out  is  well  known. 

There  are  four  basic  steps  that  are  used  in  recombinant 
dna  work:  breaking  up  the  dna,  joining  together  segments 
of  two  different  dna  molecules,  finding  an  organism  that 
can  reproduce  the  foreign  dna  molecules,  and,  finally, 
introducing  the  new  dna  molecule  into  a  functional 
bacteria  cell  to  study  the  results. 

In  1 967,  enzymes  were  discovered  that  could  effectively 
repair  breaks  in  dna  and,  under  certain  conditions,  join 
together  loose  strands  of  dna  that  came  from  different 
organisms.  Coupled  with  previously  known  methods, 
whereby  dna  could  be  "sliced"  into  desired  sections, 
subsequent  research  produced  various  experimental 
methods  by  which  specific  strands  of  dna  could  be  linked 
together.  Next,  methods  were  discovered  which  rendered 
the  bacteria  E.  coli  able  to  accept  the  reconstructed 
molecules  of  dna.  This  step  produces  the  dna  in  quantity, 
since  the  E.  coli  proceeds  to  reproduce  the  new  genes  in 
exact  duplicate. 

Even  though  the  process  is  less  than  ten  years  old,  the 
investigative  possibilities  opened  by  recombinant  dna 
research  are  already  being  actively  pursued  in  many  labs 
throughout  the  country,  especially  at  the  university  level. 
Dr.  Danielli  believes  that  WPI  will  follow  suit  in  the  near 
future,  joining  the  recombinant  experiments  with  ongoing 
research.  "It  could  come  anywhere  from  a  year  to  five 
years,"  he  says.  "It  will  be  in  connection  with  our  work  in 
blue-green  algae." 


6  /  December  1911  /  WPI  journal 


Experiments  proposed  by  the  Worcester  Foundation  for 
Experimental  Biology,  and  those  discussed  by  Dr.  Danielli, 
would  come  under  the  p-2  classification  of  containment, 
as  defined  by  current  National  Institute  of  Health  (NIH) 
guidelines.  Laboratories  meeting  such  containment  stan- 
dards offer  suitable  protection  to  both  the  researcher  and 
the  environment.  Both  the  WFEB  and  WPI  will,  however, 
conduct  all  experiments  of  the  p-2  level  in  p-3  laboratories, 
as  they  wish  to  have  the  added  containment  precautions  in 
force  as  extra  insurance  in  the  face  of  a  leery  public,  who, 
in  general,  are  afraid  that  some  new  germ  will  escape  the 
researcher's  lab.  Other  steps,  such  as  using  "crippled"  E. 
coli  bacteria,  which  must  have  so  many  laboratory  nutri- 
ents that  it  is  impossible  for  it  to  live  outside  of  the  lab  (or, 
in  WPI's  case,  not  using  the  controversial  virus  at  all),  will 
also  be  used. 

A  laboratory  suitable  for  experiments  involving  recom- 
binant dna  molecules  requiring  p-3  containment  has 
special  engineering  design  requirements  and  physical  con- 
tainment equipment.  The  laboratory  is  separated  from 
other  areas  which  are  open  to  the  general  public.  Separa- 
tion is  achieved  through  the  use  of  closed  corridors, 
air-locks,  or  other  double-doored  installations.  An  auto- 
clave must  be  available  in  the  lab  area  to  quickly  decon- 
taminate all  laboratory  materials.  Surfaces  of  walls,  floors, 
and  bench  tops  are  specially  designed  to  facilitate  quick 
decontamination.  Air  flow  is  such  that  air  may  enter  the 
lab  through  the  access  area,  but  leave  only  through  a 
highly  filtered  exhaust  system;  this  is  achieved  by  keeping 
the  p-3  area  at  a  lower  pressure  than  the  rest  of  the  lab. 

Needless  to  say,  these  NIH  recommendations  also 
provide  for  having  only  those  people  directly  involved  in 
the  experiments  gaining  entry  to  the  containment  room. 
These  people  may  not  eat,  drink  or  smoke  while  in  the  lab; 
all  clothes  worn  while  experimenting  must  be  removed 
before  leaving  the  lab.  Pipetting  liquid  materials  by  mouth 
is  expressly  forbidden.  Animals  or  plants  which  have  no 
bearing  on  the  experiments  may  not  be  kept  in  the  lab. 


These  NIH  guidelines,  which  have  been  outlined  very 
briefly,  form  the  nucleus  of  the  many-faceted  dna 
problem.  Even  Time  magazine,  which  has  one  of  the  finest 
reputations  in  the  country  when  it  comes  to  journalism, 
carried  an  essay  in  their  March  7,  1977  issue  that  showed 
the  general  line  of  attack  used  by  the  anti-recombinant 
camp.  The  author,  Frank  Trippet,  was  speaking  of  an 
awakening  of  morality  among  the  nation's  scientists. 
Toward  the  end  of  his  piece,  he  reviewed  hearings  con- 
cerning recombinant  dna  experiments  that  had  taken 
place  in  Cambridge,  Massachusetts.  "Perhaps  the  most 
significant  result  so  far  of  this  new  skepticism,"  he  said, 


"might  be  called  the  case  of  the  Nonexistent  Doomsday 
Bug  . . .  The  crucial  question:  Do  the  risks  of  research  that 
could  endanger  a  hypothetical  Doomsday  Bug  —  some 
new  strain  of  bacteria  that  might  find  its  way  into  the 
bodies  of  the  people  —  outweigh  whatever  knowledge 
might  be  gained?"  To  top  off  the  piece,  the  Time  editors 
chose  a  Boston  Globe  cartoon  that  depicted  an  MIT 
scientist  running  into  a  room  full  of  Frankenstein-like 
monsters,  large  bugs,  and  test  tubes  with  eyes.  Clutched  in 
his  upraised  hand  was  a  newspaper  bearing  the  headline, 

CAMBRIDGE  OKAYS  GENETIC  RESEARCH.  "Crack  OUt  the 

liquid  nitrogen,  dumplings,"  he  says  in  the  caption,  "we're 
on  the  way!" 


"The  main  quest  of  the  biologist  is  to 
understand  how  an  egg  can 
transform  itself  into  a  human  being. 
To  do  thisr  we  must  study  DNA." 


Professor  Danielli  scoffs  at  this  kind  of  "Doomsday 
Bug"  prophecy.  "Where  I  think  there  is  a  problem,"  he 
says,  "as  with  nuclear  materials,  is  that  where  you  can  do 
something  for  a  good  purpose,  you  can  always  do  some- 
thing analogous  for  a  bad  purpose.  It  would  be  perfectly 
possible  to  construct  a  pathogen  which  would  be  at  least  as 
destructive  as  the  influenza  virus,  or  possibly  worse." 
Commenting  on  the  possibility  that  this  could  happen,  he 
hypothesized  that  there  are  much  easier  and  much  more 
available  methods  which  madmen  or  terrorists  could  use 
to  inflict  harm  on  people.  Summing  up  his  feelings  on  this, 
he  said,  "Lunatics  always  seem  to  find  a  way  of  playing  the 
fool,  anyway." 

Putting  aside  for  a  moment  the  possibility  of  a  deliberate 
act,  there  is  always  the  chance  that  an  accident  could 
occur  in  a  recombinant  dna  experiment.  Dr.  Robin  Holli- 
day,  writing  in  an  English  publication,  New  Scientist, 
outlined  the  steps  that  could  lead  to  such  an  accident.  The 
doctor  said  that,  when  considering  one  of  the  so-called 
"shotgun"  experiments,  in  which  dna  is  fragmented  with 
a  particular  enzyme,  the  number  of  different  pieces  of  dna 
produced  would  be  very  large,  perhaps  approaching  half  a 
million.  These  pieces  are  inserted  at  random  into  bacterial 
plasmid  dna,  whereupon  it  is  inserted  into  an  E.  coli  host 
bacteria.  One  careless  technician  could,  when  pipetting  by 
mouth  (something  which,  you  will  recall,  is  expressly 
forbidden  by  NIH  p-3  guidelines),  swallow  anywhere 
between  a  few  thousand  and  a  few  million  of  these  altered 
bacteria.  Even  if  some  of  these  bacteria  died,  there  would 
be  a  slight  chance  that  some  would  survive  in  the  unfortu- 
nate technician's  stomach  or  intestine,  and  eventually 
multiply. 

WPI  Journal  /  December  1977/7 


If  —  and  Dr.  Holliday,  head  of  the  Division  of  Genetics, 
National  Institute  of  Medical  Research,  London,  notes 
that  this  is  one  of  the  most  unlikely  "ifs"  in  his  study —  if 
one  of  the  ingested  bacteria  proved  to  be  harmful  to  the 
human  body,  and  if  it  were  to  multiply,  the  victim  could 
potentially  turn  into  a  carrier  of  a  lethal  unknown  disease. 
So  far,  the  doctor  has  not  assigned  any  probabilities  to 
these  steps.  After  carefully  studying  all  the  conditions 
necessary  for  this  to  occur,  however,  he  says  that,  even 
after  assigning  the  highest  possible  probabilities,  the  ac- 
cumulated totals  represent  very,  very  small  figures. 
"Thus,  if  ten  scientists  in  each  of  a  hundred  laboratories 
carried  out  one  hundred  experiments  per  year,"  he  con- 
cludes, "the  least  serious  accident  (that  of  the  technician 
dying  and  not  transmitting  the  new  bacteria  to  anyone 
else)  would  occur  an  average  of  once  in  a  million  years." 

Dr.  Holliday,  who  does  not  plan  to  conduct  recombinant 
dna  research,  concludes  that,  in  fact,  the  real  danger  lies  in 
the  restriction  of  more  conventional  genetic  research 
which  has  been  going  on  since  the  turn  of  the  century. 
Such  restrictions  were  imposed  by  the  British  Govern- 
ment. England,  unlike  the  United  States,  has  developed 
unified  guidelines  to  control  dna  research.  These  rules  are 
similar  to  those  enforced  by  the  NIH,  in  that  they  require 
three  levels  of  precautionary  measures  to  be  taken:  Physi- 
cal containment  such  as  has  been  described;  biological 
containment,  which  involves  using  the  "crippled"  E.  coli 
that  cannot  survive  outside  the  lab;  and  proper  training  for 
all  researchers  and  technicians  who  would  be  conducting 
the  experiments.  The  two  sets  of  guidelines  are  different  in 
their  definition  of  containment,  the  assignment  of  risks, 
and  in  the  way  in  which  they  are  enforced.  The  English 
rules  apply  to  all  scientists  conducting  experiments  in  the 
country,  while  the  NIH  rules  apply  only  to  those  receiving 
NIH  funding. 


"It  is  well  to  remember  that  the 
hazards  of  recombinant  DNA  are  only 
conjectural.  For  over  a  century, 
research  with  highly  pathogenic 
organisms  and  other  forms  of  genetic 
manipulation  has  quietly  proceeded, 
with  results  that  have  been  beneficial 
to  mankind." 


Disagreements  exist  as  to  which  set  of  guidelines  is 
the  best.  Dr.  John  Tooze,  Secretary  of  the  European 
Molecular  Biology  Organization,  said  in  New  Scientist, 
"The  British  and  American  guidelines  have  been  criticized 
by  some  for  being  too  stringent,  and  for  putting  unneces- 
sary impediments  in  the  way  of  research,  and  by  others  for 
being  too  slack  and  not  putting  on  adequate  safeguards.  In 
reading  an  opinion,  it  is  well  to  remember  that  the  hazards 
of  recombinant  dna  research  are,  indeed,  only  conjectural. 
For  over  a  century,  research  with  highly  pathogenic  or- 
ganisms, not  to  mention  other  forms  of  genetic  manipula- 
tion, has  quietly  proceeded,  with  results  that  have  been 
beneficial  to  mankind." 

Several  groups  are  moving,  from  different  directions,  to 
either  control  or  ban  recombinant  dna  work.  The  Coali- 
tion for  Responsible  Genetic  Research,  a  new  organiza- 
tion, is  urging  a  world-wide  ban  on  all  "genetic  engineer- 
ing" until  issues  such  as  safety  and  possible  alternative 
methods  of  research  have  been  thoroughly  studied.  The 
CRGR  has  many  prestigious  members,  including  several 
Nobel  Prize  winners.  The  announcement  of  their  found- 
ing coincided  with  the  start  of  a  National  Academy  of 
Science  Conference  on  dna  in  Washington.  The  CRGR 
wants,  among  other  things,  "an  immediate  international 
moratorium  on  all  research  that  would  produce  novel 
combinations  between  distinct  organisms  which  have  not 
been  demonstrated  to  exchange  genes  in  nature."  As  an 
example  of  alternatives,  the  group  recommends  institut- 
ing environmental  studies  to  determine  possible  causes  of 
cancer,  in  place  of  using  relatively  expensive  and  danger- 
ous dna  research. 

Meanwhile,  the  New  York  and  California  legislatures 
have  moved  to  control  research  within  their  own  states. 
Following  public  hearings  in  October  of  1976,  the  Attor- 
ney General  of  New  York  issued  restrictive  guidelines  for 
all  research  work  being  done  in  that  state:  Scientists  will 
require  a  certificate  of  competence  before  beginning  work; 
all  projects  will  have  to  be  reviewed  by  the  State  Board  of 
Health;  all  laboratories  will  be  periodically  and  frequently 
inspected  by  the  Health  Board;  and,  finally,  all  research 
personnel  will  have  their  health  monitored  while  conduct- 
ing recombinant  dna  experiments.  Guidelines  setting 
levels  of  precautions  and  containment  will  probably  be 
tougher  than  NIH  rules. 

The  California  State  Assembly  favors  rigorous  control  of 
research,  but  it  was  undecided  as  to  what  state  agency 
should  enforce  the  rules.  This  debate  ran  into  open  con- 
frontation between  various  sections  of  the  bureaucracy, 
and  deliberation  was  extended  because  of  hearings  held  by 
such  groups  as  the  Sierra  Club,  Friends  of  the  Earth,  and 
the  Environmental  Defense  Fund. 

The  previously  mentioned  conference  of  the  National 
Academy  of  Science  was  intended  to  be  a  calm,  open 
meeting  to  discuss  the  pros  and  cons  of  recombinant  dna 
research.  From  the  earliest  moments  of  the  meeting, 


8/  December  1911  /  WPI  Journal 


"When  we  developed  the 
contraceptive  pill,  we  knew  almost 
nothing  about  the  possible  side 
effects  it  might  produce,  yet  millions 
of  women  used  it.  Polio  vaccine  was 
found  to  contain  a  cancer  virus,  but 
there  has  never  been  one  reported 
case  of  cancer  that  could  be  traced  to 


it 


r  r 


however,  the  "sacred  halls  of  Science"  were  rocked  with 
the  cries  and  slogans  of  public  interest  groups,  such  as  the 
so-called  "People's  Business  Commission."  They  claimed 
that  the  meeting  was  full  of  scientists  in  favor  of  the 
research,  and  they  demanded  equal  time,  which  they  got. 
They  also  charged  that  the  issue  of  safety  was  given  too 
high  a  priority  of  discussion,  and  that  the  overriding 
question  of  morality  was  being  ignored. 

The  NAS  conference  did  result,  eventually,  in  legisla- 
tion being  introduced  into  the  Congress  which  would 
place  NIH-type  guidelines  into  federal  law.  An  indepen- 
dent regulatory  commission  was  part  of  a  bill  introduced 
by  Senator  Edward  Kennedy,  but  the  bill  was  withdrawn 
under  heavy  opposition  late  in  September.  A  bill  intro- 
duced by  Representative  Paul  Rodgers  was  scheduled  for 
hearings  in  November. 

The  Kennedy  bill  was  withdrawn,  evidently,  after  the 
Senator  reviewed  the  outcome  of  a  risk  assessment  con- 
ference held  in  Falmouth,  Massachusetts,  earlier  this  year. 
Biologists  attending  the  conference  generally  concluded 
that  laboratory  techniques  currently  being  used  in  connec- 
tion with  recombinant  dna,  pose  little,  if  any,  threat  to 
starting  an  unknown  epidemic.  In  defending  this  study, 
however,  they  also  stressed  that  NIH  guidelines  should 
not  be  relaxed  until  there  is  a  much  more  extensive  set  of 
data  available  for  study.  It  is  also  rumored  that  a  soon-to-be 
released  paper  by  Stan  Cohen,  one  of  the  pioneers  in  the 
recombinant  dna  field,  will  theorize  that  many  of  the 
alleged  "novel  and  unnatural"  combinations  of  genes  that 
have  been  dubbed  "genetic  engineering"  by  skeptics, 
happen  at  random  in  nature. 

Professor  Danielli  endorses  this  view  of  the  moral  issue. 
Speaking  of  combinations  of  genes  from  two  distinctly 
different  organisms,  he  said,  "This  is  going  on  in  nature,  of 
course,  by  natural  means.  The  reason  that  people  are 
interested  in  it  now  is  that  we've  learned  to  do  it  in  the 
laboratory,  under  controlled  conditions.  It  offers  the  po- 
tentiality of  making  all  sorts  of  organisms,  including 
crops,  that  would  be  more  valuable  than  the  natural 


strains.  Instead  of  letting  organisms  arise  so  as  to  fit 
particular  ecological  niches,  we're  going  to  take  some 
things,  and  adapt  them  so  they'll  be  more  suitable  for  our 
civilization.  For  example,  trees  that  grow  twice  as  fast,  to 
increase  our  supply  of  wood." 

Perhaps  the  single  most  damaging  argument  presented 
by  anti-DNA  speakers  at  the  NAS  conference  was  that 
scientists  aren't  able  to  judge  the  social  impact  of  their 
own  work.  "Scientists  tend  not  to  believe  that  something 
they  want  to  do  is  dangerous,"  said  Dr.  Danielli.  "Often 
people  have  put  in  twenty  years  to  get  to  where  they  now 
are,  and  then  somebody  comes  around  and  says,  'You  can't 
do  that  with  E.  coli!'  It  might  take  five  years  to  find  another 
suitable  organism.  They're  set  back  five  years,  and,  natu- 
rally, they  get  mad  about  it." 


It  is  not  surprising,  with  the  emphasis  on  contact 
between  technologists  and  society  that  is  stressed  on 
this  campus,  to  discover  that  WPI,  as  early  as  May  2,  1972, 
was  the  scene  of  a  symposium  on  the  ethics  of  genetic 
engineering.  Dr.  Danielli,  then  professor  of  biochemical 
pharmacology  at  the  State  University  of  New  York  at 
Buffalo,  was  quoted  in  the  Tech  News  as  saying,  "to  reach 
a  higher  level  of  civilization,  we  must  use  genetic  en- 
gineering." (For  more  information,  see  the  August  1972 
WPI  Journal. )  Moderator  of  the  discussion  was  Dr.  Hudson 
Hoagland,  founder  of  the  Worcester  Foundation  for  Exper- 
imental Biology,  who  hoped  that  "the  day's  speeches 
would  shed  light  on  a  previously  obscure  subject."  Hoag- 
land and  Danielli  were  both  awarded  honorary  Doctor  of 
Science  degrees  from  WPI  at  this  symposium.  Little  did 


"This  is  going  on  in  nature  by  natural 
means.  The  reason  people  are 
interested  in  it  now  is  that  we've 
learned  to  do  it  in  the  laboratory, 
under  controlled  conditions. 


r  r 


Hoagland  realize  that,  only  five  years  later,  he  would  find 
himself  defending  this  "obscure  subject"  in  front  of  a 
meeting  of  concerned  citizens  in  Shrewsbury,  as  his 
foundation  tried  to  start  research  on  "genetic  engineer- 
ing." 


WPI  Journal  /  December  1977/9 


Jonathan  King,  MIT  molecular  biologist,  has  said,  "In 
any  case,  recombinant  dna  work  is  a  technocratic,  not  a 
democratic,  approach  to  the  problem,"  citing  the  experi- 
ence of  the  Cambridge  Experimental  Review  Board,  which 
has  set  restrictions  on  research  taking  place  at  Harvard  and 
MIT.  The  Cambridge  situation,  to  be  sure,  shows  a  need 
for  scientists  who  can  communicate  effectively  with  the 
layman. 

The  Cambridge  hearings,  which  brought  the  phrase 
"recombinant  dna"  to  the  lips  of  the  general  public,  were 
triggered  when  Mayor  Alfred  Vellucci,  after  receiving 
warnings  from  the  "Science  for  the  People"  group,  placed  a 
temporary  ban  on  construction  of  a  new  genetic  laboratory 
at  Harvard  University.  The  Cambridge  Experimental  Re- 
view Board  was  formed  to  analyze  the  alleged  potential 
danger.  The  members,  including  a  nun,  an  engineer,  a 
heating  oil  dealer,  a  social  worker,  and  a  philosopher, 
thoroughly  looked  into  the  question,  and  recommended 
that  the  experiments  be  allowed  to  proceed.  Their  report, 
approved  by  the  City  Council,  imposed  restricitions 
slightly  more  stringent  than  the  NIH  rules. 

Closer  to  home,  the  citizens  of  Shrewsbury,  Mas- 
sachusetts, met  last  March  23rd,  to  hear  representatives  of 
the  Worcester  Foundation  for  Experimental  Biology  ex- 
plain their  proposal  to  begin  recombinant  research.  The 
same  Dr.  Hoagland,  who  had  used  the  term  "obscure"  five 
years  earlier,  found  himself  in  front  of  a  capacity  crowd, 


trying  to  explain  such  things  as  "p-3"  and  "p-4"  to  house- 
wives and  non-technical  workers. 

After  briefly  describing  the  different  processes  used  to 
break  apart  and  rejoin  the  dna  segments,  and  telling  of  the 
various  containment  levels,  Dr.  Hoagland  noted  that  the 
experiments  which  brought  on  the  Cambridge  con- 
troversy involved  using  genes  from  human  or  animal-like 
cells.  The  WFEB  proposes  to  use  only  those  genes  which 
are  unrelated  in  any  way  with  human-like  structures. 
These  experiments  are  classified  as  p-2,  as  opposed  to  p-3 
and  p-4  research  described  above,  p-2  experiments  have 
been  going  on  throughout  the  country  for  years,  without 
serious  problems. 

"Many  of  the  actions  taken  by  society,"  added  Hoag- 
land, "involve  taking  some  sort  of  risk."  He  also  said  that 
almost  every  industry  in  the  country  pollutes  the  envi- 
ronment each  day,  but  this  is  allowed  because  it  has 
become  socially  acceptable.  One  of  the  biggest  risks  taken 
is  in  the  marketing  of  common  drugs.  "When  we  devel- 
oped the  contraceptive  pill,"  he  said,  "we  knew  almost 
nothing  about  the  possible  side  effects  it  might  produce, 
yet  millions  of  women  used  it.  Polio  vaccine  was  found  to 
contain  a  cancer  virus,  but  there  has  never  been  one 
reported  case  of  cancer  that  could  be  traced  to  it." 


10  /  December  1977  /  WPI  Journal 


'Where  I  think  there  is  a  problem,  as 
with  nuclear  materials,  is  that  where 
you  can  do  something  for  a  good 
purpose,  you  can  always  do 
something  analogous  for  a  bad 
purpose." 


Many  people  have  voiced  the  opinion  that  the  E.  coli 
bacteria  used  in  the  dna  experiments  could  possibly  be 
turned  into  a  man-killing  organism.  "This,  to  my  knowl- 
edge, would  be  just  about  impossible,"  said  Dr.  Hoagland. 
"When  a  bacteria,  such  as  E.  coli,  is  changed  through  this 
type  of  experimentation,  the  end  result  is/almost  univer- 
sally, a  weaker  organism  than  the  one  you  started  with.  As 
an  added  precaution,  however,  a  'crippled'  E.  coli  is  used. 
This  bacteria  must  have  so  many  different  nurients  to  live, 
that  it  can't  survive  outside  of  the  laboratory."  Research  at 
WPI  should  avoid  the  E.  coli  question  altogether,  since  Dr. 
Danielli  and  his  team  will  be  using  blue-green  algae  in  its 
place.  "Blue-green  algae  have  two  advantages  over  the  E. 
coli  which  is  commonly  used,"  said  Danielli.  "One  is  that 
the  blue-greens  are  not  inhabitants  of  human  beings,  and 
are,  therefore,  not  potential  pathogens.  The  other  is  that 
blue-green  algae  have  enormous  economic  importance, 
where  E.  coli  don't." 

"You  may  ask  why  some  scientists  are  against  recom- 
binant dna  research,"  Dr.  Hoagland  told  the  people  of 
Shrewsbury.  "Although  this  group  is  small,  but  vocal,  they 


"Cambridge  looked  bad  at  first,  but  it 
came  out  good  because  scientists  and 
laymen  communicated.  They  were 
able  to  evaluate  the  situation  without 
letting  hysterics  get  in  the  way." 


Opposite  page:  Dr.  Hudson  Hoagland,  H'72  (center), 
addressing  an  open  meeting  of  Shrewsbury  citizens 
concerned  about  recombinant  DNA  experiments 
proposed  by  the  Worcester  Foundaition  for  Experimental 
Biology. 


do  represent  a  valid  side  of  the  matter.  They  see  that  it's 
important  for  us  to  take  precautions,  so  we  won't  be 
blamed  for  another  Legionnaire's  Disease  later." 

Dr.  Hoagland  said  that  there  were  many  misconceptions 
among  laymen  about  recombinant  dna  experiments  that 
had  been  spread  through  the  press.  "The  so-called  claims 
of  'genetic  engineering'  made  by  the  press  are  largely 
garbage,"  he  said.  "Cambridge  looked  bad  at  first,  but  it 
came  out  good  because  scientists  and  laymen  communi- 
cated. They  were  able  to  evaluate  the  situation  without 
letting  hysterics  get  in  the  way." 

Robert  Cates,  a  scientist  who  specializes  in  hazard 
assessment,  said  that  people  should  be  informed  of  the 
possible  risks.  "This  controversy  hasn't  arisen  because  of 
what's  been  said  in  the  press,  but,  rather,  because  of  a  past 
record  of  people  doing  things  against  their  better  judg- 
ment." He  endorses  such  proposals  as  the  forming  of  an 
independent  residents'  committee.  After  assessing  the 
situation,  however,  he  said  that,  in  his  opinion  as  an 
expert,  he  felt  the  p-2  level  experiments  should  be  allowed 
to  proceed. 

A  member  of  the  Regional  Environmental  Council  told 
the  Shrewsbury  meeting  that  she  was  disappointed  by  the 
lack  of  a  balance  between  pro  and  con  during  the  evening's 
discussion.  Vice-Chairman  of  Selectmen  Thomas  Foley 
said  that  the  meeting  had  been  well  advertised  in  all  the 
local  media  outlets,  and  that  opposition  groups  had  been 
invited.  When  asked  why  none  of  the  vocal  groups,  such  as 
Science  for  the  People,  had  bothered  to  come  to 
Shrewsbury,  the  woman  replied  that  the  groups  probably 
hadn't  thought  that  the  meeting  was  important  enough  to 
warrant  the  trip  up  from  Boston. 

A  Shrewsbury  resident  questioned  Dr.  Hoagland  on  the 
possibility  of  a  mutation  being  spread  outside  of  the 
laboratory.  The  doctor  restated  his  belief  that  it  was 
virtually  impossible  for  a  dangerous  mutant  to  result  from 
the  proposed  experiments.  Apart  from  that,  he  said,  "It 
would  be  about  impossible  for  the  'crippled'  E.  coli  to  live 
in  the  researcher's  stomach  or  intestines,  let  alone  raw 
sewage." 

Dr.  Betty  Hoskins,  of  the  WPI  Life  Sciences  Depart- 
ment, addressed  the  meeting  on  possible  ways  of  looking 
at  the  proposed  research.  "Much  depends  on  the  benefits 
versus  the  risks.  Often  we  look  only  at  the  short  term, 
instead  of  the  long  term.  Even  if  our  basic  knowledge 
advances  can  we  control  the  potential  benefits?  We  hope 
that  they  will  outweigh  the  risks.  We  could  cause  the  risk 
of  disease.  Damage  could  be  done  to  the  environment, 
such  as  displacing  or  destroying  some  species.  Also,  by 
creating  something  artificial,  we  are  breaking  an  ethical 
barrier.  If  this  work  proceeds,  will  it  cloud  our  respect  for 
human  beings? 


WPI  Journal  /  December  1977/11 


"Will  the  WFEB  work  foster  the  start  of  less  desirable 
work  elsewhere?  It  could  become  a  matter  of  professional 
pride  to  try  to  outdo  each  other  in  our  research. 

"The  community  should  be  involved,  especially  those 
research  workers  not  working  at  the  top  levels." 

"There  is  an  awful  lot  of  foolish  competition  going  on  in 
the  laboratory/'  echoed  Danielli,  "trying  to  do  something 
before  another  laboratory  does,  and  it's  a  waste  of  time  and 
energy.  Competent  research  works  out  better  than  com- 
petitive research,  as  a  general  rule."  He  also  said  that  he 
thought  that  guidelines  for  research  and  containment 
would  be  observed.  "I  would  think  that  anybody  who 
didn't  would  be  in  very  serious  trouble  with  the  scientific 
community,  and  they  might  very  well  have  to  abandon 
science  as  a  career.  That's  a  very  powerful  sanction." 

By  far,  the  majority  of  Shrewsbury  residents  who  voiced 
their  disapproval  of  the  recombinant  dna  experiments 
said  they  held  moral  opinions.  These  people  agreed  that, 
although  they  basically  trusted  Dr.  Hoagland  and  his 
WFEB  staff,  they  could  not  approve  of  any  work  in  which 
the  basic  structure  of  a  gene  would  be  artificially  altered. 

Evidently,  the  citizens  of  Shrewsbury  have  seen  some 
potential  benefit  to  having  dna  experiments  conducted  in 
their  town,  for  the  selectmen  were  ultimately  to  vote  4-1 
against  the  formulation  of  a  town  bylaw  to  monitor 
research.  The  town's  biohazards  committee,  formed  after 
the  March  meeting,  turned  down  a  Cambridge-like  ordi- 
nance on  the  grounds  that  there  were  "no  real  problems." 
They  have  chosen,  as  one  selectman  put  it,  to  operate  on 
"mutual  trust." 

Just  who  has  the  right  to  monitor  research  is,  presently, 
up  in  the  air.  While  there  is  no  basis  for  a  town  such  as 
Shrewsbury  banning  the  various  kinds  of  research  that 
may  take  place  in  private  laboratories,  Dr.  Danielli,  while 
calling  for  much  more  comprehensive  rules,  would  sanc- 
tion such  an  action.  "I  think  that,  until  we  have  an 
international  policy,  it's  better  to  have  a  federal  guideline 
than  a  state  guideline.  On  the  other  hand,  I  don't  see  any 
reason  why,  if  the  community  doesn't  want  a  laboratory 
carrying  out  that  sort  of  program,  it  shouldn't  pass  a  bylaw 
against  it,  just  as  they  can  pass  a  bylaw  to  prevent  a  tannery 
opening  in  the  middle  of  the  city." 

Speaking  of  his  own  work  with  blue-green  algae, 
Danielli  emphasized  the  possible  benefits  of  the  research. 
"The  algae  do  quite  a  variety  of  things  that  are  potentially 
useful.  They  fix  carbon,  which  makes  them  a  potential 
food  source.  But  they  also  fix  nitrogen,  which  is  a  very 
practical  thing,  because  otherwise  nitrogen  has  to  be  fixed 
by  chemical  means,  which  has  become  enormously  ex- 
pensive. If  it  is  done  by  algae,  by  sunlight,  it  doesn't  cost 
you  a  cent. 


s 


This  is  one  of  the  P-2  classed  laboratories  at  WPI,  housed 
in  the  newly  renovated  Salisbury  Labs.  This  is  a  "medium 
security"  lab,  with  controlled  environment  and  access, 
and  it  could  be  used  for  simple  research  using  DNA. 
No  such  research  is  currently  being  done  at  WPI. 


12  /  December  1977  /  WPI  Journal 


'There  is  an  awful  lot  of  foolish 
competition  going  on  in  the 
laboratory,  trying  to  do  something 
before  another  laboratory  does,  and 
it's  a  waste  of  time  and  energy. 
Competent  research  works  out  better 
than  competitive  research,  as  a 
general  rule." 


"At  any  time,  we  may  find  ourselves  starting  up  an 
experiment  that  has  to  do  with  'genetic  novelties/  "  he 
continued,  "and  we'd  probably  work  'round  about  the  P-3 
level,  which  is  probably  not  more  rigorous  than  is  desir- 
able to  do,  anyway."  Danielli  added  that,  when  the  time 
comes,  he  will  leave  the  work  of  getting  NIH  approval  to 
members  of  the  WPI  Biohazards  Committee.  Present 
committee  members  are  Professors  Roy  Widdus  of  life 
sciences,  Douglas  Browne  of  chemistry,  and  Alvin  Weiss 
of  chemical  engineering. 

In  both  potential  risks  and  possible  benefits,  the  con- 
troversy over  recombinant  dna  research  has  outgrown 
national  boundaries.  Since  it  is  of  international  impor- 
tance,  Dr.  Danielli  would  like  to  see  the  United  Nations 
step  into  the  matter.  "I  think  that  it  should  be  an  interna- 
tional responsibility,"  he  stated.  "UNESCO  [the  United 
Nations  Educational,  Scientific,  and  Cultural  Or- 
ganization] probably  should  take  the  lead  in  this,  working 
in  conjunction  with  the  national  academies  of  science  in 
the  various  countries." 


"I  think  that  anybody  who  didn't 
follow  the  NIH  guidelines  would  be  in 
very  serious  trouble  with  the  scientific 
community  and  might  very  well  have 
to  abandon  science  as  a  career.  That's 
a  very  powerful  sanction, 


r  r 


Most  of  you  reading  this  will,  no  doubt,  come  away 
with  many  questions,  most  of  which  can  be  an- 
swered only  by  applying  your  own  moral  and  ethical 
beliefs.  Laymen  and  scientists  alike  have  become  so 
confused  over  these  many-faceted  questions  that  even 
those  directly  involved  with  the  research  no  longer  are 
sure  of  the  answers. 

Consider  the  researchers  at  the  University  of  California 
who,  earlier  this  year,  made  a  major  breakthrough  when 
they  successfully  produced  a  new  virus,  using  recombi- 
nant dna  methods,  that  would  reproduce  insulin  genes. 
While  they  and  their  colleagues  in  the  scientific  commu- 
nity were  congratulating  themselves  on  a  great  discovery, 
someone  discovered  that,  inadvertently,  they  had  broken 
the  NIH  guidelines  by  using  a  non-NIH  approved  plasmid 
in  the  experiments.  Although  the  virus  was  soon  replaced 
by  another  which  had  been  approved,  and  the  original 
virus  was,  later,  given  the  NIH's  OK,  the  "law"  had,  in  fact, 
been  broken. 

Perhaps,  someday,  this  new  and  exciting  field  will  yield 
the  ultimate  result  to  great  problems,  such  as  how  to 
increase  food  supplies  to  feed  populations  in  countries 
with  limited  farm  lands.  Perhaps  not.  Although  the  an- 
swers are  far  over  the  horizon,  the  questions  are  here,  now. 
They  demand  and  deserve  to  be  further  investigated. 


WPI  Journal  /  December  1977  /  13 


Nuclear 
medicine's 
Howard 
Dworkin 

Your  family  doctor  has  ordered  a 
brain  scan.  He  wants  to  send  you  to 
the  nuclear  medicine  facility  at  the 
local  hospital. 

At  the  word  "nuclear"  you  freeze. 
You  think  of  mushroom  clouds  and 
fallout.  You  worry  about  the  possible 
effects  of  radiation  and  wonder  if  the 
facility  can  really  help  you. 

"Doctor,  can  you  tell  me  . . .,"  you 
begin. 

The  doctor's  phone  rings.  After  he 
hangs  up,  he  turns  to  you  and  says, 
"Sorry.  I  have  to  leave.  An 
emergency." 

You  are  suddenly  alone  in  the  little 
office,  and  the  worry  grows.  "Can't 
anybody  tell  me  the  facts  about  brain 
scans,"  you  ask  yourself. 

Dr.  Howard  J.  Dworkin,  '55, 
chief  of  nuclear  medicine  at  William 
Beaumont  Hospital  in  Royal  Oak, 
Michigan,  can  tell  you  just  about 
anything  you'd  want  to  know  about 
brain  scans  or  any  other  facet  of  nu- 
clear medicine.  He  is  a  qualified  ex- 
pert in  the  field. 

Through  him  we  learn  that  in  order 
to  diagnose  your  medical  problems, 
your  doctor  needs  information  which 
is  most  easily  acquired  by  using 
isotopes  or  radioactive  compounds. 
This  is  why  he  has  referred  you  to  a 
nuclear  medicine  facility.  The  at- 
tending physician  there  has  had  spe- 
cial training  in  nuclear  medicine.  He 
has  graduated  from  a  medical  college, 
and  has  completed  years  of  intensive 
postgraduate  training  which  qualify 
him  as  an  expert  in  diagnosis.  He  has 
extensive  technical  knowledge  of  the 
machinery  employed,  as  well  as  the 
chemistry  of  radioactive  compounds, 
and  knowledge  of  nuclear  physics 
and  radiation  safety. 


One  of  the  most  frequently  per- 
formed nuclear  medicine  examina- 
tions is  a  study  of  the  brain,  according 
to  Dr.  Dworkin.  This  may  be  done 
either  with  a  scanner  or  a  camera. 
The  scanner  moves  back  and  forth  in 
straight  lines  recording  images  of  the 
emitted  radiation  as  it  moves  across 
the  part  of  your  body  (in  this  case,  the 
brain)  in  which  your  doctor  is  inter- 
ested. The  camera,  a  much  larger 
instrument,  is  able  to  record  the  radi- 
ation emitted  from  selected  body 
areas  without  moving. 

Before  either  the  scanner  or  camera 
is  put  in  operation,  a  radioactive 
compound  is  injected  into  a  vein.  The 
injection  may  be  done  while  you  are 
seated  with  your  head  next  to  the 
camera  in  order  to  identify  the  blood 
supply  to  your  brain.  Once  the  com- 
pound is  circulating  in  your  brain,  the 
front,  back,  each  side,  and  sometimes 
the  top  of  your  head  will  be  imaged  by 
the  camera  or  scanner. 


The  scan  demonstrates  both 
anatomical  and  physiological  infor- 
mation about  the  brain.  Changes  in 
local  brain  physiology  may  lead  to  an 
area  of  increased  radioactivity  recog- 
nized by  the  nuclear  physician  by  its 
pattern  of  dots.  Different  types  of 
brain  abnormalities  can  be  identified 
by  specific  dot  patterns. 

Dr.  Dworkin  feels  that  the  danger 
from  radiation  in  such  diagnostic 
tests  is  minimal.  "Nuclear  medicine 
physicians  and  technologists  are  very 
well  trained  in  radiation  safety  pro- 
cedures, and  employ  various 
methods  to  minimize  your  exposure 
to  radiation,"  he  emphasizes. 

Radioactive  compounds  are  kept 
separate  from  patient  areas,  and  lead 
barriers  are  used  to  shield  you  from 
radiation  sources.  The  amount  of 
radiation  used  in  nuclear  medicine 
examinations  is  very  small,  and  the 
doses  for  patients  are  selected  to  pro- 
vide minimal  exposure  while  still 
allowing  for  an  adequate  examina- 
tion. In  fact,  the  amount  of  radiation 
you  will  receive  is  less  than  that 
received  in  many  x-ray  examinations. 


14  /  December  1977  /  WP1  Journal 


"There  is  more  to  nuclear 
medicine  than  the  use  of  the  brain 
scan,"  says  Dr.  Dworkin.  "Actually, 
nuclear  medicine  may  be  defined  as 
that  field  of  medicine  dealing  with 
nonsealed  radioactive  materials,  used 
for  both  the  diagnosis  and  treatment 
of  human  disease."  Radioactive  drugs 
or  radiopharmaceuticals  may  be 
given  to  the  patient  by  mouth  or 
injection  and  then  pictures  are  taken 
or  measurements  made  of  various 
portions  of  the  body.  Radioactive 
chemicals  can  be  used  to  assay  the 
content  of  various  drugs  or  hormones 
in  body  fluids,  such  as  urine  or  blood. 
The  latter  application  requires  no 
administration  of  radioactivity  to  the 
patient. 

"Historically  speaking,  nuclear 
medicine  emerged  as  an  identifiable 
medical  specialty  during  the  late 
1950s  and  1960s,"  Dr.  Dworkin  con- 
tinues. In  1 97 1  the  American  Board  of 
Nuclear  Medicine  was  formed,  and  it 
is  this  body  which  examines  and  cer- 
tifies physician  competence  in  the 
total  field  of  nuclear  medicine.  The 
development  of  the  atomic  theory, 


the  discovery  of  x-rays  (Roentgen, 
1895)  and  the  identification  of 
radioactivity  (the  Curies,  1898),  all 
served  to  provide  the  scientific  basis 
needed  for  the  nuclear  medicine  field. 
The  discovery  and  description  of 
newer  radioisotopes  occurred  in  the 
1 9  30s,  and  this  process  has  continued 
up  to  the  present. 

Paralleling  these  events  was  the 
development  of  medical  instrumen- 
tation used  to  detect  and  display  the 
passage  and  distribution  of  radioac- 
tive materials  at  some  finite  distance 
from  their  place  of  residence.  The 
history  of  nuclear  medicine  is  replete 
with  the  names  of  many  famous  sci- 
entists —  many  of  them  ultimately 
being  Nobel  Prize  winners.  It  is  there- 
fore difficult  to  establish  a  single 
starting  date  for  the  day  on  which 
nuclear  medicine  began. 


The  first  administration  of  radioac- 
tive materials  to  a  human  subject 
occurred  in  the  1930s.  However, 
full-scale  application  to  patients  had 
to  await  better  means  of  production, 
which  became  available  after  devel- 
opment of  the  nuclear  reactor.  The 
reactor  is  commonly  used  to  produce 
the  various  radioisotopes  used  in  nu- 
clear medicine.  However,  another  in- 
strument, also  developed  in  the  1 9  30s 
—  the  cyclotron  —  is  now  being  used 
more  frequently  for  the  production  of 
radioactive  materials  for  human  ap- 
plication. 

Dr.  Dworkin  says  that  currently 
about  20  of  the  1 500  known 
radioisotopes  are  actively  used  in  nu- 
clear medicine.  Since  many  of  these 
isotopes  are  essential  to  the  devel- 
opment of  new  radioactive  drugs  in 
the  nuclear  medicine  field,  the  dis- 
covery and  production  of 
radioisotopes  and  their  incorporation 
into  various  drugs  continue  to  play  a 
major  role  in  the  expansion  of  nuclear 
medicine  services. 


WPJ  Journal  /  December  1911  /  15 


A  nuclear  medicine  service,  such 
as  the  one  which  Dr.  Dworkin  heads 
at  William  Beaumont  Hospital,  per- 
forms a  large  variety  of  procedures. 
Which  procedures  tend  to  be  per- 
formed most  by  a  given  nuclear  ser- 
vice will  depend  on  a  variety  of  fac- 
tors. Among  these  are  the  level  of 
sophistication  of  medicine  practiced 
in  the  surrounding  community,  the 
qualifications  and  skills  of  the  physi- 
cian in  charge  of  nuclear  medicine, 
the  services,  other  personnel,  the 
level  of  equipment  sophistication 
and  the  financial  resources  available 
to  the  medical  community.  The  size 
of  the  nuclear  medicine  service  may 
also  vary  with  certain  other  factors, 
such  as  the  size  of  the  hospital,  the 
volume  of  tests  required,  and  the  type 
and  level  of  care  provided  by  the 
hospital. 

Dr.  Dworkin  arrived  at  William 
Beaumont  Hospital  after  following  a 
somewhat  circuitous  route  from 
WPI.  "I  graduated  as  a  chemical  en- 
gineer," he  says,  "but  decided  that  I 
really  wanted  to  go  into  medicine. 
While  a  senior  at  WPI,  I  was  accepted 
at  Albany  (N.Y.)  Medical  College. 
Through  the  efforts  of  Col.  Harris, 
who  was  head  of  ROTC  at  the  time,  I 
was  able  to  delay  my  commitment  to 
serve  in  the  armed  forces  so  that  I 
could  attend  medical  school.  I'll  be 
forever  grateful  for  his  help." 

He  received  his  MD  degree  in  1959 
and  then  took  a  rotating  internship  at 
Albany  (N.Y.)  Hospital.  Following 
that,  he  decided  to  take  two  years  of 
internal  medicine  residency  at 
Rochester  (N.Y.)  General  Hospital. 
He  completed  the  residency  with  one 
year  of  training  in  the  department  of 
medicine  at  the  University  of  Michi- 
gan in  Ann  Arbor. 

"Subsequently,  I  took  a  two-year 
fellowship  in  nuclear  medicine  in  the 
department  of  nuclear  medicine  at 
University  Hospital,  which  is  also  in 
Ann  Arbor,"  Dr.  Dworkin  reports. 
"At  the  same  time,  I  took  classes  on  a 
part-time  basis,  and  in  1965  I  received 
a  master's  degree  in  radiation 
biology." 


For  a  year  he  was  an  instructor  in 
the  department  of  medicine  at  the 
University  of  Michigan.  Later  he 
went  to  the  University  of  Toronto, 
where  he  became  an  assistant  profes- 
sor, then  an  associate  professor,  and 
head  of  the  department  of  nuclear 
medicine  at  Princess  Margaret 
Hospital. 

In  1967,  honoring  his  military 
commitment,  he  became  head  of  nu- 
clear medicine  in  the  department  of 
radiology  at  National  Naval  Medical 
Center  in  Bethesda,  Maryland,  where 
he  held  the  rank  of  commander  in  the 
Medical  Corps.  "I  was  very  fortunate 
to  obtain  this  position,  since  I  had 
been  originally  drafted  into  the 
Army,  but  because  I  discovered  that 
they  needed  someone  skilled  in  nu- 
clear medicine  at  Bethesda,  I  was  able 
to  switch  from  the  Army  to  the  Navy 
with  little  difficulty,"  he  says. 

Following  his  tour  of  duty,  in  1969 
Dr.  Dworkin  accepted  the  position 
that  he  currently  holds  as  chief  of 
nuclear  medicine  at  William  Beau- 
mont Hospital,  in  Royal  Oak,  Michi- 
gan, just  north  of  Detroit.  He  is  the 
present  director  of  the  School  of  Nu- 
clear Medicine  Technology  at  the 
hospital,  a  school  which  trains  nu- 
clear medicine  technologists.  He 
serves  as  director  of  the  nuclear 
medicine  resident  training  program 
(part  of  his  department),  and  has  clin- 
ical appointments  at  Wayne  State 
University,  Michigan  State  Univer- 
sity, and  Oakland  University  (de- 
partment of  biophysics). 

Active  in  a  number  of  professional 
societies,  Dr.  Dworkin  is  president- 
elect of  the  American  College  of  Nu- 
clear Physicians,  and  a  member  of  the 
national  board  of  trustees  of  the  Soci- 
ety of  Nuclear  Medicine.  He  also 
belongs  to  AMA,  the  American  Fed- 
eration for  Clinical  Research,  the 
American  Thyroid  Association,  and 
the  Endocrine  Society,  as  well  as  Tau 
Beta  Pi,  Sigma  Xi,  and  Alpha  Omega 
scholastic  honor  societies.  He 
achieved  board  certification  in  inter- 
nal medicine  in  1966  and  in  nuclear 
medicine  in  1972. 


He  has  had  over  3 1  articles  pub- 
lished in  scientific  journals,  com- 
pleted 1 3  abstracts  and  presentations, 
and  has  been  the  author  or  co-author 
of  chapters  in  several  books.  In  1975 
he  was  a  co-  winner  of  the  Gold 
Award  in  the  educational  class  for 
"The  Free  Thyroxine  Index  by  Mea- 
surement —  A  Single  Thyroid 
Screening  Test,"  which  was  pre- 
sented before  the  American  Society 
of  Clinical  Pathologists  and  the  Col- 
lege of  American  Pathologists. 

Among  Dr.  Dworkin's  patents  is 
one  which  he  feels  came  about  as  a 
result  of  background  information  he 
received  as  a  WPI  student.  "The  pat- 
ent is  for  a  device  which  is  used  for 
tagging  radioactive  materials  to  al- 
bumin," he  says.  "The  device  is 
largely  based  on  electrolysis,  a  subject 
which  I  remember  studying  well  at 
WPI." 

Although  Dr.  Dworkin  has  been 
associated  with  numerous  colleges 
and  universities  throughout  the 
years,  it  is  WPI  which  he  credits  as 
having  set  him  in  the  right  direction. 
"My  courses  at  WPI  certainly  influ- 
enced my  choice  of  a  medical  spe- 
cialty," he  says,  "and  I  haven't  been 
disappointed.  The  field  I  work  in  has 
turned  out  to  be  a  very  nice  blend  of 
medicine  and  physical  science.  It  is  a 
field  that  has  provided  an  enjoyable 
and  rewarding  career  experience  for 
me." 


16  /  December  1977  /  WPI  Journal 


Joe  Gale 


One  hundred  and  nineteen  years  with 
a  single  family  working  in  one  place 
could  be  some  kind  of  record.  "That's 
exactly  how  many  years  my  father, 
grandfather,  two  uncles,  and  I  have 
spent  collectively  at  WPI  since 
1924,"  says  Joe  Gale,  technical  de- 
signer and  instructional  associate. 

Joe  arrived  at  WPI  in  1 946.  It  was  a 
natural  destination  for  him.  "Dad 
was  the  first  custodian  at  Higgins," 
he  says.  "He  worked  here  for  22  years. 
My  grandfather  served  as  custodian 
for  ten  years.  I  had  one  uncle  who 
worked  at  WPI  for  30  years  and 
another  for  26  years." 

In  the  beginning,  Joe  was  the  ath- 
letic field  groundskeeper  for  Build- 
ings and  Grounds.  In  1 947  he  was 
transferred  to  the  Department  of  Me- 
chanical Engineering,  where  he 
worked  with  the  late  Prof.  Carl 
Johnson  in  welding  and  metallurgy. 
Currently  he  instructs  students  in 
casting,  welding,  and  machine  shop 
operations.  During  Intersession  he  is 
involved  with  forging  techniques. 

"We  hold  classes  every  weekday," 
Joe  says.  He  gestures  toward  the  row 
of  machines  in  Washburn  shops, 
where  several  students  are  working. 
"These  students  are  on  their  own 
right  now,"  he  explains,  "because  it's 
in  between  class  periods.  They  often 
use  their  free  time  to  finish  up  over- 
flow class  work.  Some  also  have  to 
complete  prototypes  for  their  end- 
of-month  semester  projects." 

Safety  reminders  are  posted  prom- 
inently on  the  bulletin  board  in  the 
outer  hall.  One  advises  students  to 
take  off  their  rings  and  other  jewelry 
before  using  the  machines.  "We  also 
remind  them  to  wear  safety  glasses," 
says  Joe.  "Most  of  all,  we  ask  them  to 
tie  back  long  hair  and  to  tuck  in  loose 
shirts.  We  don't  want  to  have  any 
accidents." 

It  is  obvious  that  the  students  get 
along  well  with  Joe,  in  spite  of  the 
safety  warnings,  and  in  spite  of  the 
fact  that  he  can  be  exacting  in  his 
shop  instruction.  On  the  way  from 
the  shop  to  his  of fice,  several  smile, 
ask  him  how  he's  doing,  and  engage 
in  general  banter. 


"Good  kids,"  Joe  observes  later. 
"Some  of  them  are  second  generation 
students  of  mine.  Take  Peter 
Schoonmaker,  '80,"  he  says.  "I  had 
his  dad,  the  Rev.  Paul  Schoonmaker, 
'5  6,  as  a  student.  I  also  taught  Bill 
Cunneen,  '5 1,  the  father  of  Richard 
Cunneen,  '80." 

Former  students  do  not  forget  Joe 
after  they  graduate,  either.  "Alumni 
often  drop  by  the  office,"  he  reports. 
"Most  of  the  time  I  can  place  the  face, 
if  not  the  name.  Anyway,  I'm  always 
glad  to  see  them."  The  feeling  is 
obviously  mutual.  The  Class  of  195 1 
invited  him  to  their  25  th  reunion. 

Joe  has  duties  at  WPI  other  than 
those  in  Washburn.  "I've  assisted  at 
every  basketball  game  for  25  years," 
he  says,  "and  also  the  football  games. 
I  worked  with  Percy  Carpenter  before 
Coach  Pritchard  came." 

Still  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
Athletic  Department,  Joe  serves  as  a 
general  and  genial  host  for  visiting 
scouts.  He  has  been  in  charge  of  the 
press  box  since  it  was  built.  "I  have  to 
see  that  the  communications  work 
properly  and  that  refreshments  are 
available,"  he  says. 

For  his  many  years  of  loyal  service 
to  WPI,  and  for  his  unique  contribu- 
tions to  the  school,  Joe  was  awarded 
one  of  its  highest  honors.  In  197 1  he 
became  the  first  staff  member  ever 
elected  to  Skull.  Last  May  he  was 
honored  at  WPI's  first  long-service 
banquet  held  for  32  faculty  and  staff 
members  who  have  served  the  col- 
lege for  25  years  or  more. 

Off  campus  Joe  puts  on  another 
cap,  as  commanding  officer  of  the 
Worcester  Auxiliary  Police.  In  this 
post,  "Lt.  Gale"  heads  a  force  of  70 
men,  who  assist  the  Worcester  Police 


Probably  Joe's  favorite  police  duty 
is  at  Pleasant  Valley  Country  Club  in 
Sutton,  where  he  has  been  supervisor 
of  security  for  eight  PGA  men's  tour- 
naments and  four  ladies'  tourna- 
ments. The  job  isn't  easy.  During  the 
annual  tournament  he  works  up  to 
twelve  hours  a  day. 

In  1976  some  40,000  people 
showed  up  for  the  last  day  of  the 
tournament.  The  logistics  of  contain- 
ing such  crowds  might  intimidate 
some.  Joe,  however,  always  comes 
through  with  flying  colors.  Next 
summer  he'll  again  be  heading  up 
security  forces  for  the  Pleasant  Valley 
PGA  spectacular. 

"I  really  enjoy  working  the  tour- 
nament," he  confesses.  "About  99% 
of  the  spectators  are  interested  in  golf, 
sports  in  general,  and  are  well- 
mannered  for  the  most  part."  To  en- 
sure security,  Joe  has  about  30  men 
on  active  duty,  some  of  them  24 
hours  a  day.  "Men  are  stationed  on 
the  periphery  of  the  grounds,  not  only 
during  the  actual  tournament,  but 
the  day  before,  too,"  he  says. 

Through  his  work  at  Pleasant  Val- 
ley, Joe  has  become  friends  with  sev- 
eral pros  on  the  PGA  tour,  notably 
Tom  Shaw,  who  won  the  AVCO 
tournament  there.  (He  has  been  in- 
vited to  New  Year's  parties  at  Shaw's 
home  in  Florida,  but  so  far,  because  of 
his  numerous  Worcester  duties,  has 
had  to  take  a  rain  check.)  Shaw  is  also 
a  friend  of  Joe's  son,  Jack  (WPI  '70), 
head  golf  pro  at  Rochester  (N.H.) 
Country  Club. 

"Golf  is  very  much  all-in-the- 
family,"  Joe  says.  "Jack's  wife  is  Mary 
Carr  Gale,  who  was  ladies'  amateur 
champion  for  New  Hampshire  in 
1976.  Her  brother  is  Joe  Carr,  golf  pro 
at  Holden  Hills  Country  Club." 

He  laughs  and  opens  his  wallet. 
"We  may  have  another  golf  pro  on  our 
hands  in  a  few  years, "  he  says,  pulling 
out  a  picture  of  a  handsome,  husky 
baby.  "This  is  Joseph  Francis  Gale," 
he  announces.  Jack  and  Mary's  son. 
My  grandson.  Bom  October  9th.  Isn't 
he  rugged?" 

According  to  the  photo,  he  defi- 
nitely is.  Jack  Nicklaus  had  better 
look  to  his  laurels! 


\ATP1  Tnnrnnl  /  DprprnhpT  7977  /  11 


WPI  WORD  SEARCH 


by  Ruth  Trask 


There  are  56  words  pertaining  to  WPI  hidden 
in  this  puzzle.  Can  you  find  them?  Look  up, 
down,  backwards,  diagonally,  forwards,  and 
sideways  —  but  always  in  a  straight  line. 
[Words  and  letters  in  brackets  are  not  in  the 
puzzle.]  We  have  already  circled  one  word  to 
get  you  started.  Happy  hunting! 

Word  List 

1.  Alden 

2.  Arm  [and  hammer] 

3.  AtwaterKent 

4.  Black  Student  Union 


5. 

Bong  [Alden  chimes] 

6. 

Bowling  Club 

7. 

Boynton 

8. 

Cheerleaders 

9. 

Coffee  House 

10. 

Crew 

11. 

Dad  [the  guy  who  pays  the  bills] 

12. 

Daniels 

13. 

Ellsworth-Fuller 

14. 

Football 

15. 

Glee  Club 

16. 

Goat's  Head  Pub 

17. 

Goddard 

18. 

Gordon  Library 

19. 

Harrington 

20. 

Higgins 

21. 

Hillel 

22. 

Hockey  C[lub] 

23. 

IFC 

24. 

IQP 

25. 

Kaven 

26. 

Lacrosse  Clb. 

27. 

Late  [to  class?] 

28. 

Lens  [and]  Lights 

29. 

Masque 

30. 

Mass 

31. 

MD  [some  get  this  after  WPI.  Two 

adjacent  solutions.] 

32.  Nautical  Clb. 

33.  Newman  [Club] 

34.  Olin 

35.  Peddler 

36.  Pershing  Rifle[s] 

37.  [Rope]  Pull 

38.  Rule  [WPI  has  more  than  one!] 

39.  Rushfing] 

40.  Salisbury 

41 .  Sanford  Riley 

42.  Scabbard  and  Blade 

43.  Science  Fiction  Soc[iety] 

44.  SSC  [Semi-Simple  Club] 

45.  Ski  Club 

46.  Social  Co[mmittee] 

47.  SWE  [Society  of  Women  Engineers] 


48.  SPUD 

49.  Stoddard 

50.  Stratton 

51.  Student  Government 

52.  Track 

53.  Washburn 

54.  Wedge 

55.  WPI  Band 

56.  [WPI]  Newspeak 


fS 

T 

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D 

E 

N 

T 

G 

O 

V 

E 

R 

N 

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N 

T 

S 

S 

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C 

B 

S 

N 

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H 

N 

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A 

C 

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H 

18  /  December  1977  /  WPI  Journal 


RISING  ECONOMY. 


Millions  of  fine  bubbles  from 
Norton  Dome  Difiuser  Aeration 
Systems  are  giving  economy  and 
efficiency  a  lift  in  activated  sludge 
processing  around  the  world. 
These  advanced  aeration  systems 
offer  cost-effective  advantages 
right  down  the  line. 

The  big  savings  are  in 
energy  because  DDAS  oxygen 
transfer  efficiency  provides  more 
BOD  removal  per  unit  of  energy 
than  any  other  type  of  aeration  sys- 
tem-up  to  8. 9  lbs.  oxygen  trans- 
ferred per  bhp-hr.  at  standard 
conditions.  What's  more,  low  air 
volume  means  further  savings  with 
smaller  blowers,  filters,  pipes  and 
buildings. 

Installation  costs  are  low  for 
simple  DDAS  design  and  construc- 


tion. Any  type  or  size  tank. .  .new 
or  converted. .  .can  be  used. 

Capital  and  operating  costs 
are  lower  with  DDAS  single-stage 


BOD  removal  and  nitrification. 

Maintenance  costs  are  vir- 
tually eliminated  because  the 
blowers  are  the  only  moving  com- 
ponents. .  .and  they're  totally 
enclosed  and  weather-protected. 

Just  some  of  the  reasons  why 
Norton  Dome  Diffuser  Aeration 
Systems  are  on  the  rise  around  the 
world,  in  both  existing  and  ex- 
panded waste  treatment  plants. 
Find  out  how  they  can  lower  your 
capital  and  operating  costs.  Write 
for  new  Bulletin  519  or  give  us  a  call 
(617)  853-1000.  Norton  Company. 
Aeration  Systems.  New  Bond 
Street.  Worcester,  MA  01606. 


NORTON 


The  information  on  which  these  class  notes 
and  obituaries  are  based  was  received  at 
the  WPI  Alumni  Office  before  November 
21.  Material  received  after  that  date  will  be 
used  in  future  issues  of  the  WPI  Journal. 


1933 

After  37  years  of  public  service,  A.  Rodney 
Klebart  has  retired  as  town  engineer  in 
Webster,  Mass.  He  had  been  town  en- 
gineer since  1960,  having  previously 
served  as  assistant  engineer  since  1 939.  He 
is  also  superintendent  of  the  town  sewer 
department  and  secondary  sewage  treat- 
ment plant.  In  addition,  he  serves  as  Web- 
ster's representative  to  the  Central  Mas- 
sachusetts Regional  Planning  Commission, 
clerk  of  the  zoning  board  of  appeals,  a 
member  of  the  town's  bylaw  committee, 
and  chairman  of  the  East  Village  Sewer 
Construction  Committee. 

1939 

Gleason  Jewett  works  as  a  technical  repre- 
sentative at  Standard  Mfg.  Co.,  Inc.  in 
Dallas,  Texas. 

1941 

Frederick  Benn,  who  retired  as  an  account 
executive  from  Norton  Co.  in  April,  is  now 
president  of  Frederick  Benn  &  Associates  in 
Carmel,  Calif.  Not  only  is  he  a  manufactur- 
er's representative  and  agent,  he  also 
teaches  business  courses  at  Monterey 
Peninsula  College  and  Hartnell  College. 

1942 

Roy  Bourgault,  professor  of  mechanical 
engineering  at  WPI,  was  recently  elected 
secretary  of  the  materials  division  of  the 
American  Society  for  Engineering  Educa- 
tion. 


20/  December  1977  /  WPI  Journal 


1943 

Everett  Ambrose  has  taken  early  retirement 
from  Monsanto  Co.  after  32  years  of  ser- 
vice. He  has  now  begun  a  second  career  as 
a  packaging  staff  member  in  the  operations 
engineering  department  with  the  Plastic 
Beverage  Bottle  Division  of  the  Continental 
Can  Co.  in  Merrimack,  N.H.  He  resides  in 
Simsbury,  Conn,  and  writes  that  he  enjoys 
it  there  very  much. . . .  Jackson  Durkee, 
consulting  structural  engineer,  has  joined 
the  firm  of  Modjeski  and  Masters  in  Harris- 
burg,  Pa.  as  a  general  partner.  His  recent 
experience  includes  ten  years  as  chief 
bridge  engineer  at  Bethlehem  Steel  Corpo- 
ration in  the  Fabricated  Steel  Construction 
Division.  Durkee,  who  resides  in 
Bethlehem,  Pa.,  has  a  visiting  professorship 
in  the  department  of  structural  engineering 
at  Cornell  University. 

Victor  Kohman  has  been  promoted. 
Presently  he  is  concerned  with  state  reg- 
ulatory matters  in  the  Bell-Independent 
Relations  section.  His  responsibilities  lie  in 
the  mechanization  of  cost  study  set- 
tlements —  that  is,  the  dollar  settlement 
amount  between  the  23  Bell  System 
operating  companies  and  the  1500-plus 
independent  companies,  for  mutual  use  of 
each  other's  lines  and  equipment.  Last  year 
total  settlements  were  $2.96  billion. . . . 
Raymond  Matthews  was  recently  named 
plant  manager  for  the  Robertshaw  Con- 
trols Company  Tempstat  Division  in 
Hinsdale,  N.H.  He  will  be  responsible  for 
the  facility's  daily  operation.  He  has  been 
chief  engineer  for  Tempstat  since  1974. 
The  division  manufactures  temperature 
and  pressure  relief  valves  for  gas  and  elec- 
tric water  heating  and  a  line  of  ball  type 
valves  for  industrial  application. 

1946 

Dr.  John  Lott  Brown,  a  WPI  trustee  and 
director  of  the  Center  for  Visual  Science  at 
the  University  of  Rochester,  has  been 
named  president  of  the  University  of  South 
Florida  in  Tampa.  He  received  his  MA  from 
Temple  University  and  his  PhD  from  Co- 
lumbia University.  He  takes  over  his  new 
post  at  the  33,000-student  university  in 
January. 

1949 

Robert  Amsden,  formerly  an  electronic  en- 
gineer for  the  Naval  Electric  Systems  Com- 
mand, Washington,  D.C.,  retired  in  April 
and  is  currently  residing  in  Las  Vegas, 
Nevada. . . .  George  Dewire  holds  the  post 
of  marketing  manager  at  Harris  Corp.,  RF 
Communications  Division,  in  Rochester, 
N.Y. . . .  John  Snyder  has  been  named  as  a 
sales  associate  in  real  estate  at  Patrick  L. 
Hedden  Company  in  Warren,  N.J.  He  had 
served  as  a  marketing  manager  and  plan- 
ning coordinator  for  Union  Carbide's  chem- 
icals and  plastics  division  for  24  years.  Most 
recently  he  was  with  TRW  Crescent  Wire  & 
Cable  and  Phelps  Dodge  International 
Corp. 


1950 

Tejinder  Singh  currently  serves  as  assistant 
general  manager  of  refining  at  Bharat  Pe- 
troleum Corporation  Limited  refinery  in 
Bombay,  India.  He  is  concerned  with  the 
operations,  engineering,  installation,  and 
marine  work  at  the  refinery.  Singh's  daugh- 
ter, Kiran,  is  married  to  an  opthalmologist 
who  is  an  assistant  professor  at  the  Univer- 
sity of  Maryland.  His  son,  Dipinder,  is  in  the 
third  year  of  college. 

1951 

^■Married:  Selim  Temel  and  Mary  A.  Tip- 
per in  Greenwich,  Connecticut  on  October 
9, 1 977.  The  bride  attended  New  York 
School  of  Interior  Design  and  graduated 
from  the  State  University  of  New  York  at 
Purchase.  She  owns  and  operates  the  Dec- 
otique,  a  furniture  and  collector's  con- 
signment shop  in  Greenwich.  The  groom, 
who  has  studied  at  Newark  College  of 
Engineering,  is  co-founder,  vice  president, 
and  secretary  of  the  Microphase  Corp.  in 
Cos  Cob.  The  company  designs  and  man- 
ufactures microwave  electronic  compo- 
nents and  subsystems  for  the  defense  and 
aerospace  industries. 

William  Haslett  is  a  research  specialist 
for  Fisher  Controls  in  Marshalltown,  Iowa. 

1955 

Kirby  Ducayet  III,  administrative  manager 
with  Schweitzer  Division  of  the  Kimberly 
Clark  Corp.  since  1 973,  has  been  promoted 
to  the  Forest  Products  Business  Division  of 
Kimberly  Clark  in  Redding,  Calif.  Ducayet  is 
a  trustee  of  the  Lee  (Mass.)  Savings  Bank 
and  the  Berkshire  County  Heart  Associa- 
tion. He  is  also  vice  chairman  of  the  town 
finance  committee. 

1956 

Michael  Gordon  has  been  appointed  direc- 
tor of  aircraft  marketing  in  the  Kearfott 
Division  of  the  Singer  Company.  He  will  be 
responsible  for  directing  the  division's 
marketing — sales  efforts  for  aircraft- 
related  systems.  Since  joining  the  firm  in 
1957,  he  has  held  a  number  of  posts, 
including  that  of  western  region  sales  man- 
ager, supervisor  of  missile  systems  market- 
ing, and  senior  development  sales  engineer 
and  contract  coordinator.  He  belongs  to 
the  American  Institute  of  Aeronautics  and 
Astronautics  and  the  Association  of  the 
U.S.  Army.  He  was  cofounder  of  the 
Southern  California  Association  of  Profes- 
sional Representatives. 

Robert  Skelton  serves  as  manufacturing 
planning  engineer  for  Information  Han- 
dling Services  of  Englewood,  Colorado. 


A  meeting  of  minds 
still  needs  some  rules 

by  Fred  Kardon  of  The  Gazette  Staff 
Reprinted  by  permission  of  the  Worcester 
Evening  Gazette 


Francis  Wiesman,  '29,  has  a  way 
with  words.  The  correct  way. 

Wiesman,  70,  is  a  certified  par- 
liamentarian, an  expert  in  rules,  pro- 
cedures and  debates. 

Wiesman,  who  taught  penman- 
ship, general  science,  English,  busi- 
ness and  general  math  and  geometry 
in  his  38  years  as  a  teacher  —  from 
1 932  to  1 970  —  at  North  and  Com- 
merce High  School,  is  one  of  only 
nine  registered  members  of  the  Na- 
tional Association  of  Parliamentar- 
ians in  New  England. 

He  is  one  of  five  parliamentarians 
in  Massachusetts  certified  by  the 
American  Institute  of  Parliamentar- 
ians. 

"There  are  not, "  he  said  with  a  grin, 
"a  whole  lot  of  us  around." 

Wiesman  said  he  became  inter- 
ested in  parliamentary  procedure  in 
the  mid-1960s  "because  I  had  an  op- 
portunity to  attend  quite  a  few  differ- 
ent meetings  —  social  groups  and 
whatever  —  and  I  found  out  first- 
hand how  poorly  they  were  being 
run." 

"I  found  that  almost  all  the  people 
involved  with  these  organizations  did 
not  know  how  to  correctly  run  a 
meeting. 

"And  since  the  members  did  not 
know  the  rules,  most  of  the  mistakes 
were  never  corrected,"  Wiesman 
added. 

Wiesman  said  too  often  the  officers 
of  a  club  will  say  "let's  get  the  work 
done;  to  heck  with  the  rules"  and  the 
rights  of  the  members  are  violated.  It 
is  Wiesman's  job  to  see  that  these 
rights  are  not  violated. 

As  a  free-lance  parliamentarian, 
Wiesman  is  consultant  to  several 
state  and  local  organizations  as  a 
bylaws  interpreter. 

He  attends  conventions,  offers  ad- 
vice to  groups  —  for  a  fee  —  that  are 
revising  bylaws  and  in  general 
"makes  sure  things  are  run  according 
to  the  book." 


Or  books,  in  Wiesman's  case. 
His  "bibles  of  the  trade"  include 
"Robert's  Rules  of  Order," 
"Cushman's  Rules  of  Order," 
and  "Demeter's  Manual  of  Par- 
liamentary Law  and  Procedure." 

Wiesman  said  one  of  the  problems 
with  being  hired  as  a  parliamentarian 
is  that  "a  group  will  ask  for  help  in 
revising  bylaws  and  when  you  make 
suggestions  they  tell  you,  'You  can't 
do  that.' " 

He  said,  "Everybody  knows  your 
job  better  than  you  do." 

Wiesman,  who  also  teaches  night 
courses  in  parliamentary  procedure, 
said  it  is  the  larger  organizations  that 
desperately  need  help  in  running 
meetings. 

He  said  following  prescribed  rules 
is  not  a  big  problem  in  a  small  club, 
"but  when  you  get  a  group  with  200 
members  and  $5,000  in  the  treasury, 
then  you  have  to  be  pretty  careful 
about  following  rules. 

"I  have  seen  situations,"  Wiesman 
said,  "where  the  presiding  officer  of  a 
club  will  violate  every  rule  in  the 
book,  make  up  his  own  rules  and 
then  violate  them." 


Wiesman,  who  has  consulted  for 
the  Boston  Teachers  Union,  the  Mas- 
sachusetts Federation  of  Teachers, 
and  the  Postal  Workers  Union,  is 
assisting  in  bylaws  revision  for  the 
Massachusetts  Nurses  Association. 

"When  working  with  bylaws,  or 
any  kind  of  regulations,  you  have  to 
be  careful  not  to  make  them  too 
simple,"  Wiesman  said. 

"A  very  simple  rule  is  'I  am  law' 
and  that  gives  you  a  dictatorship.  So 
simplicity  isn't  always  beneficial," 
he  added. 

Wiesman  said  working  with  small 
groups  is  very  easy.  He  laughed  and 
added,  "If  you  have  a  club  with  only 
two  people,  the  biggest  one  is  au- 
tomatically the  boss  and  it  solves  all 
problems." 

Wiesman  said  while  his  advice  is 
not  always  accepted,  even  when 
asked  for,  he  enjoys  the  work. 

Maintaining  order  is  important,  he 
added.  He  was  a  teacher  long  enough 
to  realize  that. 

Quoting  the  late  Col.  Henry  M. 
Robert,  author  of  the  original 
"Robert's  Rules  of  Order,"  Wiesman 
said,  "When  there  is  no  law,  but  every 
man  does  what  is  right  in  his  own 
eyes,  there  is  the  least  of  real  liberty." 


If  we  know  about  it... 


Alumni  often  ask  where  the  news  in 
"Your  class  and  others"  comes  from. 
Often  they  phrase  the  question  more 
like,  "How  come  you  didn't  include  this 
thing  that  happened  to  me  (or,  to  my 
buddy)  ?  Lots  of  people  would  like  to 
hear  about  it." 

The  only  answer  to  that  is,  we'd  like 
to  hear  about  it  too,  and  until  we  do  we 
can't  print  it.  Most  of  the  news  here 
is  based  on  three  sources  of  informa- 
tion: newspaper  (and  occasionally 
magazine)  clippings  which  are  sent 
to  us  by  an  agency;  press  releases 
and  other  information  coming  from 
organizations  and  corporations;  and 
personal  notes  or  letters  directly  from 
alumni  or  their  families. 


This  explains  several  things  about 
the  content  of  the  class  notes.  Some 
alumni  have  complained  that  the 
section  is  top  heavy  in  news  of  pro- 
motions, new  jobs,  and  other  business- 
related  activity.  And  these  are  precisely 
the  sort  of  news  items  that  corporate 
public  relations  offices  tell  us  and  the 
newspapers  about  with  care  and  regu- 
larity. The  information  tends  to  be 
short  and  somewhat  impersonal,  and, 
unfortunately,  this  can't  help  but  carry 
over  to  the  class  notes  themselves. 

When  we  hear  directly  from  an  in- 
dividual alumnus,  we  often  have  much 
more  to  tell  about  his  family  and  non- 
business-related  activities,  and 
because  we  know  more  about  the 


person,  we  can  tell  it  with  more 
warmth. 

So  the  next  time  you  ask  yourself 
why  we  didn't  run  a  note  about  your 
classmate  Joe  and  what's  going  on  in 
his  life,  don't  stop  there:  Drop  the 
Journal  a  note  and  then  we  can  share 
the  news  with  the  rest  of  your  class- 
mates. 

In  this  issue,  we're  including  a  reply 
card  you  can  use  to  let  us  know  some- 
thing about  yourself  or  another 
alumnus.  With  your  help,  we  can 
make  these  class  notes  more  lively 
and  give  broader  coverage  to  alumni 
activities.  But  only  if  we  know  about  it. 


1957 

Edward  Dennett  has  been  named  vice  pres- 
ident and  director  of  marketing  of  the 
Sangamo  Energy  Management  Division, 
Atlanta,  Georgia.  He  joined  the  firm  in 
1957  as  a  sales  engineer  and  has  had 
several  promotions  since.  In  January  he 
became  vice  president  of  national  sales  in 
the  energy  management  division.  The  divi- 
sion is  a  leading  producer  of  centralized 
load  management  systems,  watt-hour  and 
demand  meters,  capacitors,  controllers, 
and  survey  recorders.  It  is  part  of  Sangamo 
Weston,  Inc.,  asubsidiaryof  Schlumberger, 
Ltd. 


1959 

^■Married:  Thomas  J.  Hill  to  Miss  Bonita  S. 
Mulligan  in  Tewksbury,  Massachusetts  on 
November  2, 1977.  The  bride  graduated 
from  Tewksbury  Hospital  School  of  Practi- 
cal Nursing  and  is  a  licensed  practical  nurse 
at  St.  Joseph's  Hospital.  Her  husband  is 
with  AVCO  in  Wilmington,  Mass. 


Dr.  Joseph  Bronzino,  director  of  the 
biomedical  engineering  program  at  Trinity 
College,  Hartford,  Conn.,  has  written  a 
book,  Technology  For  Patient  Care:  Appli- 
cations For  Today,  Implications  For  Tomor- 
row, which  was  published  by  C.  Mosby  in 
June.  The  book  is  an  introduction  to 
technology  in  patient  care  designed  for 
those  students  and  practitioners  who  have 
no  background  in  engineering  or  advanced 
mathematics.  Bronzino  is  also  under  con- 
tract to  Addison-Wesley  to  produce 
another  text  on  computer  applications  in 
medical  technology  in  the  next  couple  of 
years. . . .  Morgan  Ely  works  as  a  subcon- 
tract field  engineer  for  Bechtel  Power  Corp. 
in  Pottstown,  Pa.  He  is  a  lieutenant  com- 
mander in  the  Navy  Civil  Engineer  Corps, 
USNR-R. 

1961 

^■Married:  Richard  H.  Nelson  and  Kay  K. 

Wilson  last  March.  Nelson  works  for  Harris 
ESD,  Melbourne,  Fla.,  where  he  serves  as 
program  manager  for  electro-optic  pro- 
grams. 

Philip  Crimmins  has  joined  SCM  Corpo- 
ration's Allied  Paper  Division  as  lightweight 
paper  specialty  manager  of  Allied's  New 
York  sales  office.  He  will  be  responsible  for 
developing  sales  of  specialty  non- 
publishing  items  that  use  lightweight 
paper.  Allied  is  the  nation's  leading  manu- 
facturer of  lightweight  papers.  .  .  .  Doug 
Gladstone  holds  the  post  of  supervising 
structural  engineer  at  the  Boston  office  of 
United  Engineers  and  Constructors,  Inc. 
Currently  he  is  involved  in  the  design  and 
construction  of  various  industrial  projects. 
He  has  been  with  the  firm  for  ten  years — 
Thomas  Postma  is  now  a  senior  engineer  at 
Raytheon  Co.  in  Wayland,  Mass. 


1962 

Dr.  Charles  Belanger  has  moved  from  the 
cou  rtesy  staff  in  the  Department  of  Pediat- 
rics to  the  associate  staff  in  the  Department 
of  Emergency  Medicine  at  Hahnemann 
Hospital  in  Worcester.  He  has  been  a 
member  of  the  hospital  medical  staff  since 
1975. . . .  Presently  David  France  holds  the 
post  of  supervisor  of  equipment  develop- 
ment at  GTE/Sylvania  in  Hillsboro,  N.H. . . . 
Richard  Frost  was  recently  named  division 
superintendent  of  lines  for  Massachusetts 
Electric  in  North  Andover,  a  subsidiary  of 
New  England  Electric.  After  joining  New 
England  Power  Service  Co.  in  1 965,  he  was 
located  in  Attleboro,  Southbridge, 
Westboro,  and  at  Narragansett  Electric  in 
Providence,  R.I.  Prior  to  his  promotion,  he 
was  assistant  district  superintendent  of 
transmission  and  distribution  at  Mass.  Elec- 
tric in  Lowell.  He  is  a  registered  professional 
engineer  in  Massachusetts. 


1963 

Dr.  Richard  Dominguez  currently  serves  as 
chairman  of  the  department  of  civil  en- 
gineering at  the  University  of  Maine  in 
Orono. .  . .  Norman  Fineberg  has  been 
named  a  member  of  the  law  firm  of  Wiggin 
&  Dana  in  New  Haven,  Conn.  He  holds  a 
master  of  engineering  degree  from  Yale 
and  a  law  degree  cum  laude  from  Boston 
University.  .  .  .  Arthur  Goddard  now  works 
as  a  systems  development  manager  for 
Collins  Radio  in  Newport  Beach,  Calif. . . . 


22  /  December  1977  /  WPI  Journal 


Dr.  Joseph  Mancuso  has  been  accepted  as 
a  member  of  Sales  &  Marketing  Executives 
of  greater  Boston.  He  is  with  the  manage- 
ment engineering  department  at  WPI.  . .  . 
Timothy  Shea  was  recently  appointed  by 
Westinghouse  as  project  director  for  a 
power  project  in  Cairo,  Egypt.  Previously 
he  was  a  project  site  manager  during  the 
construction  of  South  Korea's  first  atomic 
power  plant.  Shea  and  his  wife,  Susan, 
have  a  two-year-old  son,  Patrick. 

1964 

Donald  Ryder  was  the  author  of  "In-house 
aerial  lift  tests  proved  smooth,  safe"  in  the 
August  issue  of  Transmission  and  Distribu- 
tion. He  is  with  the  transportation  division 
of  Philadelphia  Electric  Co.,  where  he  has 
been  employed  since  1964. 

1965 

^■Married:  William  F.  Shields  to  Miss 
Elaine  O'Sullivan  recently  in  Canton,  Mas- 
sachusetts. Mrs.  Shields,  a  graduate  of 
Boston  College,  is  employed  by  the  Gillette 
Co.  The  groom  is  a  pilot  for  Eastern  Airlines. 

Charles  DeSimone,  Jr.,  has  been  elected 
vice  president  of  the  Society  for  Savings  in 
Windsor,  Conn.  Formerly  active  in  private 
placement  investments  and  head  of  the 
credit  division,  he  will  now  concentrate  on 
private  placement  activities  in  the  Prudent 
Investment  Division.  He  joined  the  Society 
in  1975  and  was  promoted  to  assistant  vice 
president  later  that  year.  Previously  he  was 
with  Hartford  National  Bank  &  Trust;  Elec- 
tric Boat/General  Dynamics;  and  Hamilton 
Standard.  Since  1971  he  has  been  a 
member  of  the  adjunct  faculty  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  Hartford.  .  .  .  William  Dolbow 
was  appointed  to  the  faculty  at  Notre 
Dame  College  in  Manchester,  N.H.,  where 
he  is  an  assistant  professor  of  chemistry. 
Formerly  he  was  a  research  chemist  for 
Nashua  Corporation. 

William  Hagar  holds  the  post  of  produc- 
tion engineer  at  Davidson  Rubber  Co.  in 
Farmington,  N.H. . . .  George  Kane,  SIM, 
has  been  appointed  as  assistant  public 
works  commissioner  for  administration  in 
the  Worcester  Public  Works  Department. 
Earlier  he  had  been  production  control  and 
planning  manager  at  Crompton  &  Knowles 
Corp. . . .  Chester  Sergey,  Jr.,  has  received 
the  distinguished  sales  award  of  the  Sales 
and  Marketing  Executives  of  Greater  New 
Haven  (Conn.),  a  group  whose  purpose  is 
the  promoting  of  professionalism  in  selling 
and  marketing.  Chet  has  been  with  En- 
thone,  Incorporated  for  ten  years  and  was 
honored  recently  at  the  group's  award 
banquet.  In  1976  he  had  the  highest  per- 
centage of  achievement  of  quota,  reaching 
227  percent  of  his  objective.  He  is  active 
with  the  Cub  Scouts  and  the  Girls  Scouts  as 
a  den  leader  and  as  a  sponsor  chairman, 
and  serves  as  vice  president  of  the  Water- 
bury  branch  of  the  American  Electroplaters' 
Society.  The  Sergeys  have  a  son  Philip,  10 
and  daughter  Susan,  8.  . . .  Dr.  Peter 
Welcker  II  is  currently  with  DuPont's  Exper- 
imental Station  in  Wilmington,  Delaware. 


1966 

Capt.  Eugene  Dionne  recently  received  the 
Meritorious  Service  Medal  at  Los  Angeles 
Air  Force  Station,  California.  He  was  cited 
for  outstanding  duty  performance  as  a 
spacecraft  systems  manager  at  Los  Angeles 
AFSfrom  March  17, 1974  to  Feb.  28, 1977. 
Currently  he  serves  as  a  chief  engineer  with 
the  test  division. 

1967 

Robert  Dashner  has  been  promoted  to 
manager  of  finance  and  corporate  applica- 
tions development  in  the  information  ser- 
vices department  at  Amdahl  Corporation  in 
Sunnyvale,  California.  .  .  .  Duncan  Van- 
denberg  is  a  process  engineer  at  Dow 
Corning  Corp.  in  Greensboro,  N.C. 

1968 

William  Belisle,  who  received  his  MS  in 
mechanical  engineering  from  California 
State  University  at  Long  Beach,  is  a  systems 
programmer/analyst  in  Aerospace  and  En- 
ergy Systems  at  AiResearch  Manufacturing 
Co.  Bill  and  his  wife,  Belinda,  who  recently 
earned  her  MA  in  English,  are  both  instruc- 
tors at  CSULB  and  both  are  also  officers  of 
Kappa  Delta  Pi,  a  national  honor  society  in 
education.  The  Belisles  have  two  sons, 
Michael,  41/2  and  Steven,  2. . . .  George 
Gamache  has  been  named  director  of  en- 
gineering for  Star  Market  Company.  He 
joined  Star  in  1972  as  a  project  engineer, 
and  has  since  served  as  construction  man- 
ager and  director  of  construction.  Currently 
he  is  pursuing  his  MBA  at  Babson  College. 
. . .  Donald  Holden  is  now  a  product  en- 
gineer at  Abbott  Laboratories  in  North 
Chicago,  Illinois. 

Dr.  Charles  Konopka  was  appointed  to 
the  high  school  mathematics  department  in 
Longmeadow,  Mass.  He  has  been  a  consul- 
tant to  the  Connecticut  State  Department 
of  Education. ...  Dr.  Michael  Paige  is 
employed  as  manager  of  software  in  en- 
gineering research  at  TASC  in  Reading, 
Mass. . . .  Stephen  Pytka  serves  as  a  senior 
analyst  at  Xerox  Corp.  in  Rochester,  N.Y. 
He  received  his  MBA  from  Tuck  School  at 
Dartmouth. ...  Dr.  E.  Wayne  Turnblom, 
one  of  the  youngest  professionals  ever  to 
receive  such  a  promotion  at  Kodak,  has 
been  named  as  research  laboratory  head  of 
the  special  materials  laboratory  in  the 
photomaterials  division  at  Kodak  Research 
Laboratories  in  Rochester,  N.Y.  He  joined 
the  laboratories  in  1974  as  a  research 
chemist,  photosensitive  formulations  labo- 
ratory, and  was  named  to  the  organic 
chemistry  laboratory  earlier  this  year.  He 
received  his  PhD  from  Columbia  in  1972 
and  spent  two  years  at  Princeton  as  an 
instructor  in  chemistry.  He  belongs  to  the 
American  Chemical  Society  and  Sigma  Xi. 


1969 

^■Married:  Charles  A.  Kalauskas  and  Carol 
H.  Doty  on  October  8,  1977  in  Bridgeport, 
Connecticut.  The  bride  graduated  from 
Wells  College  and  is  a  member  of  the  staff 
of  the  Boston  Symphony  Orchestra.  Her 
husband  is  the  principal  transportation 
planner  with  the  Central  Transportation 
planning  staff  in  Boston.  He  has  a  master's 
degree  in  city  planning  from  Harvard  Uni- 
versity School  of  Design. 

>Born:  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cameron  Boyd 
twin  sons  recently.  Boyd  is  a  teacher  in 
Haverhill,  Mass. ...  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  David 
E.  Jervis  their  third  child,  Amanda  Anne,  on 
July  10, 1977.  Amanda  has  two  sisters, 
Melissa  Lynn,  7  and  Katie  Beth,  5.  David  is  a 
principal  engineer  for  Digital  Equipment 
Corp.  in  Maynard,  Mass. 

Rick  Follett  serves  as  senior  engineer  at 
Raytheon  in  Bedford,  Mass. .  . .  Richard 
Furman  is  a  research  coordinator  at  Florida 
Power  &  Light  Co.  in  Miami.  .  .  .  Joel 
Greene's  law  offices  are  currently  located 

at  suite  400,  31 1  Main  St.,  Worcester 

Tom  Gurney  has  received  his  master  of 
divinity  degree  from  Gordon-Conwell 
Seminary. ...  Dr.  Robert  Kusy  has  received 
a  five-year  research  career  development 
award  from  the  National  Institute  of  Dental 
Health.  A  materials  scientist  at  the  Univer- 
sity of  North  Carolina,  he  also  serves  as 
principal  investigator  in  the  Dental  Re- 
search Center  and  as  an  assistant  professor 
of  oral  biology  in  the  orthodontics  depart- 
ment of  the  School  of  Dentistry  at  the 
University.  He  was  given  the  award  to 
continue  research  in  his  project  "Novel 
Uses  of  Materials  for  Health  Research."  His 
project  includes  the  study  of  wear-resistant 
coatings  for  orthodontic  and  orthopedic 
uses  and  the  design  of  corrective  devices 
for  treating  cleft-palate  infants. 

Kris  Nelson  holds  the  post  of  field  sales 
engineer  at  Texas  Instruments,  Attleboro, 
Mass. . . .  Robert  Stessel  owns  Advanced 
Marine  Electronics  in  Beverly,  Mass.  He 
lives  on  the  research  vessel,  "Kelpie." 


WPI  Journal  /  December  1977  /  23 


Lost  his  wax?? 

Odds  are  you'd  never  discuss  King 
Tut,  Michelangelo,  and  Dr.  Edward 
R.  Funk,  '46  all  in  the  same  conversa- 
tion. But  you  could  legitimately  do 
just  that.  The  three,  paradoxically, 
have  something  in  common  —  the 
appreciation  and  use  of  the  lost-wax 
technique. 

It  can  go  without  actually  saying 
that  King  Tut  himself  never  engaged 
in  the  process  itself,  but  his  contem- 
porary craftsmen  did,  and  he  ap- 
preciated their  creativity.  In  fact,  a 
number  of  pieces  so  cast  were  found 
among  the  many  treasures  unearthed 
in  his  tomb.  (The  ancient  Egyptians 
are  credited  with  having  invented  the 
lost-wax  technique.) 

It  is  also  believed  that  Michelan- 
gelo, the  1 6th  century  Italian  artist, 
used  the  lost-wax  process  in  creating 
several  of  his  sculptures. 

Edward  Funk  has  combined  the 
ancient  art  technique  with  modern 
metal  technology  and  come  up  with  a 
success  formula  for  the  Fine  Cast  di- 
vision of  Funk  Metallurgical  Corp.  in 
Columbus,  Ohio.  The  firm  is  one  of 
fewer  than  100  in  the  country  which 
use  the  lost-wax  technique  to  create 
precision  metal  parts  without  the  ex- 
pense of  extensive  machining. 

The  company  was  founded  in  1970 
by  Dr.  Funk  and  his  wife  Ingeborg 
(the  first  woman  member  of  the 
American  Foundryman's  Associa- 
tion), while  he  was  a  professor  at 
Ohio  State  University.  It  started  out 
small,  but  has  grown  steadily.  Cur- 
rently the  firm  employs  45  persons 
full  time  in  the  foundry  and  machine 
shop. 

In  utilizing  the  lost- wax  process, 
company  employees  make  the  part 
first  from  wax.  The  wax  part  is  then 
dipped  into  a  ceramic  slurry  which 
has  the  texture  of  heavy  cream.  After 
the  ceramic  dries,  the  wax  is  melted 
and  removed.  Molten  metal  is  then 
poured  into  the  cavity.  When  the 
metal  cools,  the  ceramic  is  broken  off 
and  the  resulting  metal  casting  is  an 
exact  duplicate  of  the  original  wax 
object. 


The  technique  is  used  to  save 
money.  It  is  possible  to  cast  with 
precision  parts  which  previously  re- 
quired extensive  machining,  grind- 
ing, or  welding  to  achieve  the  re- 
quired high  degree  of  precision, 
within  2/1000  of  an  inch.  The  process 
makes  it  possible  to  create  parts 
which  previously  could  not  be  made 
in  one  piece. 

Dr.  Funk's  company  makes  prod- 
ucts ranging  from  metal  hip  implants 
for  surgery  to  parts  for  Boeing  747 
toilets.  It  also  makes  parts  for  com- 
puters, custom  coaches,  mining  ma- 
chines, and  dentists'  tools.  Because 
some  customers  want  their  castings 
assembled  further,  a  machine  shop 
and  assembly  plant  known  as  Borg 
Industries  has  been  attached  to  the 
FineCast  plant  to  meet  their  needs. 

The  company  can  create  special 
products.  Working  with  Swiss  en- 
gineers, Dr.  Funk  developed  a  device 
now  used  worldwide  by  industries 
filling  everything  from  beer  barrels  to 
supertankers.  It  operates  on  the  prin- 
ciple of  a  tuning  fork.  When  the  tank 
contents  rise  toward  the  top,  the  op- 
eration of  the  tuning  fork  is  affected. 


This  triggers  a  switch  which  turns  off 
the  pumps. 

After  graduating  from  WPI  in  1 946 
with  his  bs  in  aeronautical  engineer- 
ing, Dr.  Funk  attended  Harvard 
Graduate  School  of  Business  Admin- 
istration. He  received  his  msme  and 
his  doctorate  in  metallurgy  from 
MIT. 

He  was  employed  by  Goodyear 
Aerospace  Corp.,  Akron,  for  a  time 
and  then  became  cof  ounder  and  pres- 
ident of  Johnston  &  Funk  Titanium 
Corp.  in  Wooster.  The  firm  manufac- 
tured precision  wire  in  titanium,  zir- 
conium, and  other  metals.  In  1 95  9  he 
sold  the  business  and  in  1 960  founded 
Astro  Metallurgical  Corp.,  also  in 
Wooster.  (Astro  Metallurgical  is  the 
world's  foremost  manufacturer  of 
chemical  process  equipment  made 
from  titanium.)  In  1965,  after  a  corpo- 
rate merger,  he  left  the  company  and 
joined  the  department  of  welding  en- 
gineering at  Ohio  State  as  an  as- 
sociate professor. 

Dr.  Funk  is  a  member  of  SAE,  Tau 
Beta  Pi,  Sigma  Xi,  and  Skull.  From 
1969  to  1974  he  was  a  WPI  trustee. 
He  is  the  father  of  Dan  Funk,  '77. 


24  /  December  1977  /  WPI  Journal 


"At  Du  Pont  you  don't  get  lost 
in  a  big  company  atmosphere 

If  s  very  personal? 


—  George  D.  Peterson     BS,  Chemical  Engineering 


"Du  Pont  is  a  big  com- 
pany but  it's  broken  down  into 
satellites.  So  you  don't  get  lost 
in  a  big-company  atmosphere. 
It's  very  personal,  and  I  think  the 
people  are  top-notch. 

"I  started  in  technical 
here  at  the  Belle  Plant  in  West 
Virginia.  Now  I'm  a  production 
supervisor.  Production  is  solv- 
ing problems  on  a  day-to-day 
basis.  I  like  working  under  that 
kind  of  pressure.  When  things 


work  out,  it's  very  rewarding.  So 
is  working  with  people.  I'm 
responsible  for  helping  22  peo- 
ple do  their  jobs." 

George  was  recruited  by 
Du  Pont  from  the  Michigan 
Technological  University 
campus  in  1973.  He  interviewed 
about  25  companies. 

George's  story  is  typical 
of  many  Chemical,  Mechanical 
and  Electrical  Engineers  who've 
chosen  careers  at  Du  Pont. 


We  place  no  limits  on 
the  progress  our  engineers  can 
make.  And  we  place  no  limits 
on  the  contribution  they  can 
make— to  themselves,  the 
Company  or  to  society. 

If  this  sounds  like  your 
kind  of  company,  do  what 
George  Peterson  did.  Talk  to  the 
Du  Pont  representative  who 
visits  your  campus.  Or  write: 
Du  Pont  Company,  Room 
35972,  Wilmington,  DE  19898. 


At  Du  Pont. .  .there's  a  world  of  things  YOG  can  do  something  about. 


o    U  S   PAT  ft  T  M   L>f  f 


An  Equal  Opportunity  Employer,  M/F 


Annual 


Basketball 
Alumni  Night 


WPI  vs.  COLBY 


February  4th,  8  p^m. 


Reception  following  the  game 
in  Harrington  Auditorium 


1976 

^■Married:  Andre  J.  Bissonnette  and  Miss 
Joan  M.  MacDaniel  in  Bridgeport,  Connect- 
icut on  October  15,  1977.  A  registered 
nurse,  the  bride  graduated  from  the  Uni- 
versity of  Bridgeport  and  attended  Sacred 
Heart  University.  Her  husband  is  an  assist- 
ant manager  at  Stamford  Superior  Drug 
Co.  He  is  also  studying  for  his  MBA  at  the 
University  of  Bridgeport. .  .  .  Robert  L. 
Gray,  Jr.,  and  Miss  Shari  A.  Richardson 
recently  in  Essex  Junction,  Vermont.  Mrs. 
Gray  is  a  Becker  graduate  and  a  secretary  at 
Pepsi  Cola  corporate  headquarters  in  Pur- 
chase, N.Y.  The  groom  works  for  Union 
Carbide-Linde  Division  in  North  Tar- 
rytown,  N.Y. . . .  James  H.  Hohorst  to  Miss 
Barbara  A.  Ridlon  on  September  3, 1977  in 
Flemington,  New  Jersey.  The  bride  at- 
tended Emory  University  and  is  currently 
completing  her  studies  at  New  York  Uni- 
versity. The  bridegroom  works  for  the 
Foreign  Exchange  Department  of  Citibank 
in  New  York  City. 

^-Married:  Steven  M.  Maynard  and  Miss 
Pamela  M.  Baradine  on  October  15, 1977 
in  Stratford,  Connecticut.  Mrs.  Maynard  is 
a  business  research  analyst  with  Southern 
New  England  Telephone  Co.  The  bride- 
groom is  with  Field  Concrete  Pipe  Co.  . . . 
Miss  Elizabeth  Papandrea  and  Leonard  J. 
Lariviere,  78  on  August  21 ,  1977  in 
Worcester.  Mrs.  Lariviere,  who  received 
her  BSCE  from  WPI,  is  an  assistant  sales 
engineer  at  Westinghouse  Power  Systems 
Laboratories  in  Framingham,  Mass.  The 
groom  is  majoring  in  civil  engineering. ... 
John  J.  Smith  and  Miss  Susan  Partridge  in 
Weymouth,  Massachusetts  on  October  1 , 
1977.  The  bride  graduated  from  the  Uni- 
versity of  Massachusetts  at  Amherst.  The 
groom  is  a  biomedical  engineer  working  for 
his  PhD  in  pharmacology  at  the  University 
of  Buffalo. 

Paula  Delaney  has  been  named  registrar 
of  Daniel  Webster  College,  a  division  of 
New  England  Aeronautical  Institute.  Earlier 
she  had  been  with  the  New  York  Tele- 
phone Company. . . .  Johnny  Dieters  works 
for  Electric  Boat  in  Groton,  Conn. . .  . 
Sidney  Formal  was  recently  transferred  to 
the  U.S.  Army  Corps  of  Engineers  in  the 
Chicago  district.  Formerly  he  was  in 
Louisiana. . . .  James  Galvin  holds  the  post 
of  cost  engineer  at  Bechtel  Power  Corp.  in 
Ann  Arbor,  Michigan.  .  .  .  David  Graham  is 
a  mathematics  and  science  teacher  at 
Blackstone  Valley  Regional  Vocational 
Technical  High  School  in  Upton,  Mass. . . . 
Bruce  Haffty  was  pictured  in  a  recent  issue 
of  the  National  Enquirer  wearing  a  device 
which  he,  Peter  Kotilainen,  74  and  Dr. 
David  Spodick  of  the  UMass  Medical 
School  developed  to  help  diagnose  abnor- 
mal heart  functions.  The  portable  recording 
system  may  be  worn  by  a  patient  so  his 
heart  can  be  monitored  under  real-life  con- 
ditions for  up  to  24  hours  instead  of  under 
laboratory  conditions  alone. 

Richard  Hansen  is  a  manufacturing  en- 
gineer for  Westinghouse  in  Boston. .  . . 


28  /  December  1977  /  WPI  Journal 


Enjoy  college 


Education  not  only  makes  life  more  interesting  but  eventu- 
ally brings  more  influence  in  society  than  can  be  expected 
by  those  who  have  never  bothered  to  read,  study,  listen,  and 
reflect  on  the  pleasure  and  pain  of  it  all.  That  includes  influ- 
ence as  articulate  citizens,  customers,  and  investors. 

Nevertheless,  the  truth  in  this  may  not  be  apparent  right 
out  of  college  when  a  desire  for  steady  income  leads  some 
B.A.'s  to  come  to  us  with  a  major  in,  say,  political  science  or 
Romance  languages,  seeking  a  start  toward  an  executive 
career.  We  listen  and  then  ask,  "Are  you  a  born  salesperson 
and  how  can  you  prove  it?" 

In  a  way,  that  question  reflects  our  own  limitations.  For  a 
person  well  educated  in  something  other  than  technical 
fields,  it  is  usually  only  in  sales  that  we  can  match  qualifi- 
cations to  openings. 

For  you,  who  may  have  lost  out  on  some  of  the  pure 
pleasure  and  sheer  fun  of  college  because  of  the  kind  of 


technical  courses  you've  had  to  grind  away  at,  the  choice  can 
be  wider.  Sales  is  just  one  possibility.  You  can  also  consider 
research,  development,  design,  manufacturing,  and  various 
combinations  of  those.  Decision-makers  throughout  our  or- 
ganization, in  work  often  far  removed  from  the  subject  mat- 
ter of  a  technical  curriculum,  first  attracted  interest  by  their 
success  in  coping  with  technical  problems.  Then,  having 
demonstrated  an  ability  to  lead,  they  exercised  their  option 
to  move  on  to  broader  responsibilities.  That  sort  of  choice, 
for  the  outset  of  a  career  and  later,  is  earned  in  courses 
where  quantitative  thinking  rather  than  personal  opinion  is 
demanded. 

This  includes  choice  from  among  other  technologically 
oriented  organizations  just  as  good  as  we  are  for  an  inter- 
esting life.  If  it's  us  you  want  to  challenge,  so  signify  to 
Business  and  Technical  Personnel,  Kodak,  Rochester,  N.Y. 
14650. 


An  equal-opportunity  employer  (f/m)  manufacturing  photographic 

products,  fibers,  plastics,  and  chemicals  with  plants  in  Rochester,  N.Y., 

Kingsport,  Tenn.,  Windsor,  Colo.,  Longview,  Tex.,  Columbia,  S.C., 

Batesville,  Ark.,  and  a  sales  force  all  over  the  U.S.A. 


WPI  Journal  /  December  1977  /  29 


MORGAN 

CONSTRUCTION  COMPANY 


15  Belmont  Street,  Worcester,   Mass.  01605 

Serving  the  Ferrous  and  Non- Ferrous  World  Markets  since  1888  as 
Engineers  and  Manufacturers  of  Rolling  Mills,  Morgoil  Bearings, 
Wire  Drawing  Machinery  and  Furnace  Equipment 


jamesbury 

0    I  manufacturers  of 

^-^  Double-Seal  ®  Ball  Valves 

Wafer-Sphere®  Butterfly  Valves 

Actuators 

Control  Devices 

Jamesbury  Corp.  •  640  Lincoln  Street  •  Worcester,  Mass.  01605 


Continuing  with  Clairol,  John  Heid  has 
been  transferred  to  Camarillo,  Calif.  .  .  . 
Thomas  Keenan  has  been  appointed  direc- 
tor of  engineering  and  operations  at  Ver- 
mont Yankee  Nuclear  Power  Corp.  in  Rut- 
land. Prior  to  his  promotion,  he  had  served 
as  plant  engineering  department  manager 
and  was  responsible  for  providing  en- 
gineering services  to  a  number  of  nuclear 

plants,  including  Vermont  Yankee 2/Lt. 

Steven  Landry  works  as  an  organic  research 
chemist  with  the  U.S.  Army  in  Edgewood, 
Md. .  .  .  Charles  Lauzon  has  received  his 
MS  in  chemical  engineering  from  the  Uni- 
versity of  Michigan  which  he  attended  on  a 
fellowship.  Currently  he  is  employed  by 
Union  Carbide  in  Bound  Brook,  N.J. , . . 
Michelle  McCuire  serves  as  assistant  sales 
engineer  at  Westinghouse  in  Hartford, 
Conn. .  .  .  Lenny  Meyer  is  with  Sikorsky 
Aircraft  in  Stratford,  Conn.  .  .  .  Ronald 
Stadden  teaches  math  and  science  at 
Gray-New  Gloucester  (Me.)  High  School. 


1977 

^■Married:  Dana  Homer  and  Miss  Laura 
Klingler  on  October  15,  1977  in  Hudson, 
Massachusetts.  Mrs.  Homer  is  a  sopho- 
more at  Bridgewater  State  College,  where 
she  is  majoring  in  special  education.  Her 
husband  is  with  W.  R.  Grace  Co.  of  Cam- 
bridge, Mass. . . .  Gary  M.  Kuba  to  Miss 
Helen  R.  Bostwick  recently  in  Randolph, 
Massachusetts.  The  bride,  a  teacher, 
graduated  from  Worcester  State  College 
with  a  degree  in  psychology  and  education. 
The  groom  is  a  computer  engineer  and 
consultant  with  Online  Applications  in 
Hudson,  N.H. . . .  John  A.  Richmond  to 
Miss  Janet  M..  Dowell  recently  in  Pomfret, 


Connecticut.  Mrs.  Richmond  graduated 
from  Annhurst  College  in  May.  Her  hus- 
band, a  graduate  of  the  Computer  Process- 
ing Institute  in  Hartford,  is  a  computer 
programmer-analyst  at  NADS  in  Putnam. 
^■Married:  William  Scothon  to  Miss 
Donna  D'Ambra  in  Cumberland,  Rhode 
Island  on  October  22, 1977.  The  bride 
graduated  from  Sawyer  School  of  Business 
and  is  a  legal  secretary  with  Hinckley,  Allen, 
Salisbury,  and  Parsons.  The  bridegroom 
works  for  J.H.  Lynch  &  Sons,  Inc. . . . 
Stephen  P.  Russell  and  Karen  A.  Kerr  in 
Braintree,  Massachusetts  on  August  6, 
1977.  Mrs.  Russell  attended  Bryant  Col- 
lege. Her  husband  is  studying  for  his  MSEE 

at  the  University  of  Colorado  in  Boulder 

Lt.  Theodore  J.  Tamburro  and  Miss  Judith 
A.  Ruel  on  October  15,  1977  in  Chicopee, 
Massachusetts.  The  bride  graduated  from 
Holyoke  Community  College.  Her  hus- 
band, who  has  completed  the  Officers 
Training  School  course,  is  presently 
stationed  in  Washington,  D.C.  .  .  .  2/Lt. 
Bruce  P.  Wright  and  Miss  Maryellen  T. 
Thornton  in  Northboro,  Massachusetts  on 
October  7,  1977.  Mrs.  Wright  is  a  second 
lieutenant  in  the  U.S.  Army  stationed  with 
the  Institute  for  Military  Assistance  at  Fort 
Bragg,  N.C.  She  graduated  from  Worcester 
State  College.  The  groom  is  a  platoon 
leader  with  the  First  Cavalry  Division,  U.S. 
Army  at  Fort  Hood,  Texas,  where  he  was 
recently  presented  with  the  Expert  Infan- 
tryman badge  (the  Army's  highest  non- 
combat  proficiency  award  for  infantry- 
men). 

Raad  Al-Awqati  is  a  mechanical  engineer 
for  Mohamad  Al-Bahan  in  Kuwait. . .  . 
Jeffrey  Baumer  has  joined  Engelhard  In- 
dustries in  Plainville,  Mass.,  where  he  is  a 
mechanical  engineer  in  melting,  extrusion, 
wire  drawing  and  ring  fabrication.  The 
Plainville  plant  is  the  largest  precious  metals 
facility  in  the  United  States. . . .  Robert 
Bowser  has  accepted  employment  as  a 
civilian  engineer  with  the  Navy  department 

in  Arlington,  Va William  Cronin,  Jr.,  is  a 

video  engineer  at  Andersen  Laboratories, 
Microtime  division,  in  Bloomfield,  Conn. 
. . .  Bill  Cunningham  is  a  service  consultant 

for  AT  &  T  Long  Lines  in  Hartford,  Conn 

Marc  DeVoe,  who  is  located  in  Boca  Raton, 
Fla.,  is  employed  by  IBM. 

James  Leighton  works  for  Raytheon  mis- 
sile system  division  in  Bedford,  Mass. . . . 
Richard  Mazmanian  has  received  a  $250 
fourth  prize  award  from  the  James  F.  Lin- 
coln Arc  Welding  Foundation  for  his  entry 
in  the  foundation's  national  1977  Student 
Engineering  Design  Competition.  His  entry 
described  the  analysis,  design,  and  con- 
struction of  a  17-foot  boat  trailer. . . .  Paul 
McLoughlin  is  studying  for  his  master's 
degree  in  education  at  Assumption  Col- 
lege. After  classes,  he  pedals  his  unicycle  to 
work  at  the  Holiday  Inn  on  Southbridge 
Street  in  Worcester.  .  .  .  Christopher 
Thomas  has  joined  Estee  Lauder,  Inc.  as  a 
staff  industrial  engineer  in  Melville,  N.Y. 


30/  December  1911  /  WPI  Journal 


Ernest  C.  Morse,  '05,  a  retired  merchandis- 
ing and  public  relations  counsel  for  Lock- 
hart  International,  died  on  September  24, 
1977,  in  Montague,  Massachusetts.  He 
was  92  years  old. 

He  was  born  on  December  1 1 ,  1884  in 
Lebanon,  N.H.  After  graduating  as  an  elec- 
trical engineer  from  WPI,  he  was  employed 
by  Westinghouse  as  an  industrial  and  sales 
engineer.  In  1 91 8  he  was  named  director  of 
sales  for  the  U.S.  War  Department,  and 
was  in  charge  of  selling  items  such  as 
surplus  anti-fogging  gel  used  with  gas 
masks,  horse  harnesses,  and  smokeless 
powder  plants. 

During  1919  and  1920  he  and  his  staff, 
representing  the  U.S.,  helped  supply 
France,  Belgium,  and  Poland  with  the  kinds 
of  surplus  that  they  wanted.  As  a  result, 
Belgium  and  Poland  gave  Mr.  Morse  and 
his  staff  a  government  decoration.  He  also 
received  the  Distinguished  Service  Medal 
from  the  U.S.  War  Department. 

Mr.  Morse  was  president  of  the  Foreign 
Trade  Supply  Corp.  in  1921  and  1922. 
Later  he  was  with  the  Cotton  Textile  Insti- 
tute, American  Bemberg  Co.,  Associated 
Wool  Industries,  and  Lockhart  Interna- 
tional, from  which  he  retired  in  1955.  From 
1951  to  1961  he  did  free-lance  editorial 
work  for  technical  magazines.  He  belonged 
to  AIEE,  the  U.S.  Institute  of  Textile  Re- 
search, and  the  Masons. 

Asa  P.  Nutter,  '14,  died  on  April  26, 1977, 
in  Lockport,  New  York. 

He  was  born  on  May  22,  1892  in  Swift- 
water,  N.H.  In  1914  he  graduated  with  his 
BS  in  mechanical  engineering  from  WPI. 
During  his  career  he  was  with  Norton  Co., 
Parker  Young  Co.,  Brown  Co.,  and  Upton 
Fiberboard  Co.  He  had  also  served  as  an 
appraiser  for  the  City  of  Lockport,  a  post 
from  which  he  retired  in  1961 . 

Mr.  Nutter  belonged  to  Sigma  Phi  Epsi- 
lon,  the  Masons,  and  the  Exchange  Club. 


Arthur  W.  Peters,  '14,  died  recently  in 
Concord,  Massachusetts.  He  was  88. 

On  Nov.  27,  1888  he  was  born  in  Clin- 
ton. In  1914  he  received  his  BSME  from 
WPI.  He  had  worked  for  Surface  Combus- 
tion Corp.,  George  J.  Hagan  Co.,  Ingalls 
Shephard,  and  Chevrolet.  In  1960  he  re- 
tired as  a  research  engineer  from  Surface 
Combustion  Corp.  He  belonged  to  Phi 
Sigma  Kappa. 

Philip  C.  Pray,  '17,  of  Rye  Beach,  New 
Hampshire,  passed  away  recently. 

He  was  born  on  March  15,  1895  in 
Orono,  Me.  In  1917  he  graduated  as  an 
electrical  engineer  from  WPI.  For  many 
years  he  was  with  the  New  England  Power 
Co.,  prior  to  his  retirement.  He  belonged  to 
Sigma  Phi  Epsilon,  and  the  Masons. 

Elliot  W.  Burbank,  '20,  died  in  Wolfeboro, 
New  Hampshire  on  September  5, 1977, 
following  a  brief  illness. 

He  was  born  in  Sandwich,  Mass.  on  July 
8,  1896.  After  studying  at  WPI,  he  joined 
the  U.S.  Navy  during  World  War  I  and 
continued  his  education  at  Harvard.  In 
1932  he  graduated  from  the  University  of 
New  Hampshire.  From  1932  until  1948  he 
served  the  public  schools  of  Charlestown 
and  Hanover.  At  his  retirement  he  was 
principal  of  Nute  Academy  in  Milton. 

Mr.  Burbank  was  a  charter  member  and 
past  president  of  the  Alton  Historical  Soci- 
ety and  treasurer  of  the  Harold  S.  Gilman 
Historical  Museum. 

Harold  S.  Woodward,  '20,  of  West  Red- 
ding, Connecticut  died  on  June  20,  1977. 

He  was  born  in  Worcester  on  July  15, 
1899,  and  was  later  a  student  at  WPI.  In 
1922  he  graduated  from  Cornell  University 
as  a  civil  engineer.  In  1923  he  received  his 
MS  from  Cornell. 

Following  graduation  he  worked  for  the 
Atlantic  Fruit  Co.  in  Cuba  doing  railroad 
surveying.  For  two  years  he  was  with 
Schenck  &  Williams,  architects  in  Dayton, 
Ohio.  He  then  joined  Seelye,  Stevenson, 
Value  &  Kuecht,  New  York  City,  where  he 
was  named  engineer-in-charge  and  part- 
ner. One  of  the  35  buildings  he  designed 
was  Payne  Whitney  Gymnasium  at  Yale 
University.  He  was  also  associated  with 
Stran-Steel  Corp.  and  served  as  chief  struc- 
tural engineer  for  a  large  chain  store  or- 
ganization. 

Ralph  L.  Draper,  '21,  died  in  Lawrence, 
Massachusetts  on  November  5, 1977,  fol- 
lowing a  short  illness.  He  was  81  years  old. 

A  native  of  Warren,  N.H.,  he  was  born 
on  August  23,  1896.  He  received  his  BSME 
in  1 92 1 .  From  1 923  until  1 962  he  was  with 
John  W.  Bolton  &  Sons  (Bolton  Emerson 
Co.)  of  Lawrence,  Mass.  During  his  career 
he  served  as  draftsman,  order  supervisor, 
production  engineer,  division  superintend- 
ent, and  chief  production  engineer  at  the 
company.  He  retired  in  1962. 


Mr.  Draper  belonged  to  ASTME, 
Lambda  Chi  Alpha,  and  served  on  the 
board  of  directors  of  the  Andover  Home  for 
the  Aged  and  the  Andover  Fireman's  Relief 
Association.  He  was  an  army  veteran  of 
World  War  I. 

Thaddeus  J.  Brusnicki,  '22,  a  developer  of 
the  M14  rifle,  died  on  September  4,  1977, 
at  his  home  in  Springfield,  Massachusetts. 
He  was  79  years  old. 

He  was  born  in  Krakow,  Poland  on  July  4, 
1898.  In  1922  he  graduated  as  a  mechan- 
ical engineer  from  WPI.  During  his  lifetime 
he  was  with  U.S.  Envelope  and  Milton 
Bradley  Co.  He  retired  in  1968  as  chief 
engineer  at  Springfield  Armory. 

Mr.  Brusnicki  was  past  president  of  the 
Polish  Relief  Association,  a  member  of  the 
National  Association  of  Retired  Federal 
Employees,  and  of  the  Pilgrim  Pistol  and 
Rifle  Club.  He  was  twice  commander  and 
manager  of  the  American  Legion  in 
Springfield. 

Freeman  P.  Butler,  '22,  died  at  the  Veter- 
an's Administration  Center  in  Togus, 
Maine,  on  October  20,  1977,  following  a 
long  illness. 

Anativeof  Waltham,  Mass.,  he  was  born 
on  June  1 1 ,  1896.  During  World  War  I,  he 
served  in  the  5th  Field  Artillery.  After 
graduating  as  a  chemist  from  WPI,  he 
worked  for  Atlantic  Refining  Co.,  Philadel- 
phia; A.D.  Little,  Tiverton,  R.I.;  and  U.S. 
Rubber  Reclaiming  Co.  in  Buffalo,  N.Y. 
From  1933  to  1955,  when  he  retired,  he 
was  with  the  U.S.  Post  Office  in  Augusta, 
Me. 

Mr.  Butler  belonged  to  Phi  Gamma  Del- 
ta, the  American  Legion,  and  was  a  life 
member  of  the  Disabled  American  Veter- 
ans. He  was  a  former  secretary-treasurer  of 
the  Philadelphia  chapter  of  the  Alumni 
Association. 

Solomon  Hurowitz,  '22,  president  of  Tech 
Pharmacy,  Highland  St.,  Worcester,  died 
on  October  10, 1977,  at  the  age  of  76. 

He  was  born  in  Smoleon,  Russia  on 
August  14, 1901 ,  and  lived  in  Worcester 
for  over  70  years.  In  1922  he  graduated  as 
a  chemist  from  WPI.  He  owned  Tech 
Pharmacy  since  1923. 

Mr.  Hurowitz,  a  member  of  AEPi,  was  a 
founder  and  treasurer  of  Yeshiva  Achei 
Timimim,  a  life  member  of  its  board  of 
directors,  and  cochairman  of  the  Chevra 
Gemmorah.  He  was  a  founder  of  Tifereth 
Israel  Synagogue,  a  member  of  Beth  Israel 
Synagogue,  Sons  of  Jacob  Synagogue, 
Temple  Emanuel,  Worcester  Zionist  Or- 
ganization, B'nai  B'rith,  Level  Lodge  of 
Masons,  and  the  Massachusetts  State 
Pharmaceutical  Association. 

An  incorporator  of  Hahnemann  Hospi- 
tal, he  was  also  a  former  member  of  the 
board  of  directors  of  the  Worcester  County 
Music  Association.  He  enjoyed  playing 
cello  as  a  hobby.  His  identical  twin  brother, 
Max  Hurowitz,  '23,  passed  away  on  March 

15,  1977. 

WPI  Journal  /  December  1911  /  31 


Francis  C.  Bragg,  '24,  a  retired  professor  of 
mechanical  engineering  at  Georgia  Insti- 
tute of  Technology,  passed  away  on  Oc- 
tober 20,  1977,  in  Dennisport,  Mas- 
sachusetts. He  was  76  years  old. 

He  retired  from  Georgia  Tech  in  1969. 
Previously  he  had  taught  at  Syracuse  Uni- 
versity and  North  Carolina  State  College. 
He  had  also  been  with  U.S.  Rubber  Co., 
and  Dwight  P.  Robinson  &  Co.,  Inc. 

Prof.  Bragg  was  born  in  Watertown, 
Mass.  on  July  1 ,  1901  and  received  his 
BSME  in  1924.  He  belonged  to  Phi  Gamma 
Delta,  the  Masons,  Tau  Beta  Pi,  and  Sigma 
Xi.  He  was  a  member  of  ASME,  ASEE,  the 
Society  for  Experimental  Stress  Analysis, 
ASTM,  and  the  North  Carolina  Society  of 
Engineers.  For  many  years  he  served  as 
secretary-treasurer  of  the  Southeastern 
Chapter  of  the  Alumni  Association. 

Edward  F.  Kennedy, '24,  of  Melrose,  Mas- 
sachusetts, passed  away  on  February  27, 
1977. 

He  was  born  on  March  10, 1 902  in  West 
Boylston,  Mass.  In  1924  he  received  his 
BSEE  from  WPI.  For  a  number  of  years  he 
was  with  New  England  Electric  &  Oil  Co., 
Maiden,  Mass.,  where  he  was  assistant  to 
the  president. 

Carl  G.  Hammar,  '26,  died  in  Woonsocket, 
Rhode  Island  on  September  24, 1977. 

A  native  of  New  Britain,  Conn.,  he  was 
born  on  April  1, 1905.  Following  his  gradu- 
ation as  a  mechanical  engineer  from  WPI, 
he  joined  Western  Electric  &  Mfg.  Co.,  and, 
later,  Kendall  Mills.  He  had  served  as  assist- 
ant plant  manager  of  the  Slatersville  (R.I.) 
Finishing  Co.  He  retired  thirty  years  ago. 

He  belonged  to  Theta  Chi,  Tau  Beta  Pi, 
and  Sigma  Xi.  His  son,  C.  Allen  Hammar, 
graduated  from  WPI  in  1954. 

S.  Allan  Jacobs,  '26,  retired  chairman  of  the 
board  of  Phelps  Dodge  Industries,  died 
September  29, 1977,  at  his  home  in  Fort 
Wayne,  Indiana. 

He  was  born  on  Nov.  4, 1903  in  Dudley, 
Mass.  and  graduated  from  WPI  as  an  elec- 
trical engineer  in  1926.  He  joined  Phelps 
Dodge  as  a  salesman  in  1926  and  rose  to 
several  leadership  positions  during  his  44 
years  with  the  company.  He  retired  as 
chairman  of  the  board  in  1971. 

Mr.  Jacobs  and  several  associates,  includ- 
ing an  uncle  (George  Jacobs,  1900,  de- 
ceased) formed  Inca  Manufacturing  Co., 
which  became  a  division  of  Phelps  Dodge 
in  1930.  After  serving  as  sales  manager  of 
the  Inca  Division,  he  was  elected  vice  presi- 
dent of  Phelps  Dodge  Copper  Products 
Corp.  in  1941 .  He  also  served  the  Phelps 
Dodge  magnet  wire  operation  as  its  chief 
executive  officer  from  1941  to  1970.  Later 
he  was  named  president  and  chairman  of 
the  board  after  the  operations  were  incor- 
porated as  Phelps  Dodge  Magnet  Wire 
Corp. 


A  member  of  Phi  Sigma  Kappa,  Mr. 
Jacobs  was  also  a  director  of  the  Fort 
Wayne  Foundation,  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce,  Taxpayers  Research  Associa- 
tion, Indiana-Purdue  Foundation  of  Fort 
Wayne,  and  Lincoln  National  Bank  &  Trust 
Co. 

Russell  J.  LeBosquet,  '30,  of  Belfast, 
Maine,  passed  away  on  August  1 1 ,  1977. 

He  was  born  on  March  31 ,  1908  in 
Somerville,  Mass.  After  studying  chemical 
engineering  at  WPI,  he  later  attended  the 
University  of  Minnesota  where  he  received 
his  BEE.  For  many  years  he  was  with  Wis- 
consin Power  &  Light  Co.  in  Madison,  from 
which  he  retired  several  years  ago.  He 
belonged  to  Theta  Chi  and  served  in  the 
U.S.  Army  during  World  War  II.  He  also 
belonged  to  AIEE  and  the  Wisconsin  Soci- 
ety of  Professional  Engineers. 
John  A.  McMahon,  '34,  of  Old  Saybrook, 
Connecticut,  died  while  sailing  his 
custom-built  boat,  the  Heritage,  last  sum- 
mer. 

A  native  of  New  Haven,  Conn.,  he  was 
born  on  August  4, 1913.  He  received  his 
BSEE  from  WPI  in  1934.  During  his  career 
he  was  associated  with  Connecticut  Light  & 
Power  Co.,  Connecticut  Valley  Electric  Ex- 
change, and  Northeast  Utilities  Service  Co. 
(CONVEX),  where  he  had  been  superin- 
tendent of  systems  operations.  He  be- 
longed to  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon. 

Thomas  M.  Bonnar,  '38,  an  assistant  vice 
president  of  Eastman  Kodak  Company, 
Rochester,  New  York,  died  on  May  5, 
1977,  at  the  age  of  61. 

He  joined  Kodak's  credit  department  in 
1938  and  later  that  year  transferred  to 
Kodak  Park,  where  he  was  named  cost 
engineer  of  the  accounting  department  in 
1939.  In  1949  he  became  manager  of  gross 
profit  accounting.  In  1956  he  was  named 
to  an  administrative  training  assignment  in 
Canada.  Subsequently  he  became  adminis- 
trative assistant,  cost  coordinator  for  U.S. 
plants,  and  comptroller  for  the  Apparatus 
and  Optical  Division.  Since  1970  he  served 
as  an  assistant  vice  president  of  Eastman 
Kodak  Company  and  as  director  of  ad- 
ministrative services. 

Mr.  Bonnar  was  born  on  October  19, 
1 91 5  in  New  Bedford,  Mass.  He  attended 
WPI  and  Bentley  School  of  Accounting  and 
Finance.  A  member  of  Phi  Sigma  Kappa,  he 
also  was  past  president  of  the  Genesee 
Hospital,  a  member  of  the  Rochester 
Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  director  of 
Eastman  Savings  and  Loan  Association. 


Kenneth  G.  Merriam,  '35,  professor 
emeritus  of  mechanical  engineering  at 
WPI,  died  suddenly  on  October  17, 1977  in 
Worcester  only  a  few  days  after  the  an- 
nouncement of  the  first  appointee  to  the 
Merriam  professorship.  The  professorship 
was  recently  established  to  honor  him  by 
an  anonymous  gift  of  $500,000  from  one 
of  his  former  students. 

Prof.  Merriam  attended  the  departmen- 
tal staff  meeting  in  October  when  Dr. 
Raymond  R.  Hagglund,  '56,  was  intro- 
duced as  the  first  Merriam  Professor. 
Hagglund  was  one  of  his  students  and, 
later,  a  teaching  colleague. 

A  member  of  the  WPI  faculty  from  1923 
until  his  retirement  in  1969,  Prof.  Merriam 
headed  from  1927  to  1957  the 
aeromechanics  program,  which  produced 
some  of  today's  top  leaders  in  the  aviation 
and  space  industries. 

He  received  his  BSME  from  MIT  in  1922 
and  his  master's  degree  from  WPI  in  1935. 
In  1922  and  1923  he  taught  at  the  Univer- 
sity of  Maine.  Later  he  taught  evening 
classes  at  Worcester  Junior  College  for 
fifteen  years.  In  the  1930's  he  did  pioneer- 
ing work  on  pitot-static  tubes,  widely  used 
in  measuring  aircraft  speed. 

He  joined  the  Army  Reserve  in  1922, 
went  into  active  duty  during  World  War  II 
when  he  received  a  Legion  of  Merit  and  the 
Army  Commendation  Ribbon,  and  retired 
as  a  colonel  from  active  service  in  1946. 
After  the  war  he  was  a  consultant  to  the 
Operations  Research  Office  for  the  gov- 
ernment for  three  years.  A  registered  pro- 
fessional engineer  in  Massachusetts,  he 
had  operated  the  Curtis  Flying  School  and 
the  civilian  pilot  training  program  for  three 
years  prior  to  World  War  II. 

Prof.  Merriam  was  awarded  an  honorary 
doctorate  in  engineering  from  WPI  in  1 964 
and  was  an  associate  fellow  of  IAS  and 
AIAA.  In  1961  he  was  presented  with  a 
citation  for  outstanding  teaching  at  WPI  by 
the  trustees.  He  was  a  past  president  of  the 
WPI  chapter  of  Sigma  Xi,  a  life  member  and 
fellow  of  ASME,  a  member  of  Tau  Beta  Pi, 
Pi  Tau  Sigma,  and  Theta  Upsilon  Omega. 
He  was  a  life  member  of  ASEE,  was  listed  in 
"Who's  Who  in  America,"  elected  to  the 
Wisdom  Hall  of  Fame,  and  presented  with 
the  Wisdom  Award  of  Honor  in  1970.  He 
belonged  to  Sigma  Phi  Epsilon  and  was 
elected  as  an  honorary  member  of  the  class 
of  1926. 

Prof.  Merriam,  75,  was  a  native  of  Bel- 
fast, Maine. 

John  E.  Vandersea,  '60,  an  engineering 
manager  for  IBM  in  Poughkeepsie,  New 
York,  for  14  years,  died  on  October  8, 
1977.  He  was  born  on  July  31,  1938  in 
Whitinsville,  Mass.  In  1960,  he  graduated 
with  his  BSEE  from  WPI.  From  1960  to 
1962  he  was  with  Raytheon.  Later  he 
joined  IBM,  where  he  was  employed  at  the 
time  of  his  death.  He  belonged  to  Lambda 
Chi  Alpha. 


32  /  December  1977  /  WPI  Journal 


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FEBRUARY  1978 


UIPp 


The  Hazzard  \ears 


Volume  81,  no.  5C 


February  1978 


3  On  the  hill ...  it  snowed,  oh  yes! 
8  Sports  .  .  .  Here's  the  pitch  .  . . 

8  Feedback 

9  Alumni  Association  . . .  Class  reps  for  the  Council 

10  The  Hazzard  years 

A  look  at  the  impact  and  achievements  of  WPI's  eleventh 
president 

22  The  ultimate  dragon? 

Ruth  Trask  spends  Intersession  learning  how  to  redesign 
dragons.  Dragons?! 

26  Who's  who  on  campus  . . .  van  A 

28  Your  class  and  others 

29  Class  of  1927,  50th  reunion 

31   Curtis  Ambler's  fire  trucks. .  .A  grown  man  who  still  plays  with 
fire  trucks.  Big  ones. 

38  Completed  Careers 


Editor:  H.  Russell  Kay 

Alumni  Information  Editor:  Ruth  S.  Trask 

Publications  Committee:  Walter  B.  Dennen, 
Jr.,  '51,  chairman;  Donald  F.  Berth,  '57; 
Leonard  Brzozowski,  74;  Robert  Davis,  '46; 
Robert  C.  Gosling,  '68;  Enfried  T.  Larson,  '22; 
Roger  N.  Perry,  Jr.,  '45;  Rev.  Edward  I. 
Swanson,  '45 

Design:  H.  Russell  Kay 

Typesetting:  Davis  Press,  Worcester,  Ma. 

Printing:  The  House  of  Offset,  Somerville,  Ma. 


Address  all  correspondence  regarding  editorial 

content  or  advertising  to  the  Editor,  WPI  Journal, 

Worcester  Polytechnic  Institute,  Worcester,  Ma. 

01609. 

Telephone  [617]  753-1411 

The  WPI  Journal  is  published  for  the  Alumni 
Association  by  Worcester  Polytechnic  Institute. 
Copyright  ©  197S  by  Worcester  Polytechnic 
Institute;  all  rights  reserved. 

The  WPI  Journal  is  published  six  times  a  year,  in 
August,  September  (catalog  issue),  October, 
December,  February,  and  April.  Second  class 
postage  paid  at  Worcester,  Ma. 
Postmaster:  Please  send  Form  3579  to:  Alumni 
Association,  Worcester  Polytechnic  Institute, 
Worcester,  Ma.  01609. 


WPI  ALUMNI  ASSOCIATION 

President:  W.  A.  Julian,  '49 

Vice  presidents:  J.H.  McCabe,  '68; 
R.  D.  Gelling,  '63 

Secretary-treasurer:  S.J.  Hebert,  '66 

Past  president:  F.  S.  Harvey,  '37 

Executive  Committee  members-at-large: 
W.  B.  Dennen,  Jr.,  '51 ;  R.  A.  Davis,  '53; 
J.  A.  Palley,  '46;  A.  C.  Flyer,  '45 

Fund  Board:  P.  H.  Horstmann,  '55,  chairman; 
G.  A.  Anderson,  '51 ;  H.  I.  Nelson,  '54;  L  H. 
White,  '41 ;  H.  Styskal,  Jr.,  '50;  C.  J.  Lindegren, 
'39;  R.  B.  Kennedy,  '65. 


WPI  Journal  I  February  1978  1 1 


fX 


It  snowed . . . 


by  Russell  Kay 

During  the  middle  of  Monday  morn- 
ing on  February  6,  it  began  to  snow 
and  the  wind  started  blowing.  Some 
30  hours  later  the  storm  finally 
stopped,  leaving  over  two  feet  of  new 
snow  behind,  with  the  average  drifts 
being  six  to  eight  feet  high.  And  while 
Worcester  was  spared  the  devastation 
of  the  seacoast  towns  and  the  incred- 
ible traffic  snow-in  of  Route  128, 
there  was  still  an  enormous  volume 
of  snow  to  be  dealt  with.  Governor 
Dukakis  declared  a  statewide 
emergency,  including  an  absolute 
ban  on  motorized  travel  except  for 
essential  services,  that  lasted  in 
Worcester  until  Friday. 

According  to  meteorologists,  the 
Blizzard  of  '78  was  the  biggest  ever  to 
hit  New  England.  It  managed  to  set 
another  record,  too.  It  shattered 
WPI's  long-standing  policy  of  never 
closing  because  of  weather  condi- 
tions. 

(Physics  Professor  Ralph  Heller  re- 
calls that  once,  during  President 
Harry  Storke's  early  days,  he  closed 
WPI  for  a  snowstorm.  But  Storke  was 
quickly  informed  of  WPI's  "tradi- 
tion" and  from  then  until  February  7, 
1978,  the  Institute  always  opened 
during  bad  weather.  Staff  might  be  let 


fcgpii  1 ,  tpJlgP 


go  early  in  the  day,  but  the  school 
would  have  been  opened.  Another 
weather  incident,  from  the  editor's 
first  winter  at  WPI,  occurred  when 
President  Hazzard,  apparently  upset 
by  an  unusual  amount  of  absence  and 
lateness  during  the  heavy  snows  that 
year,  issued  a  memorandum  referring 
to  "the  recent  rash  of  snowstorms." 
That  brought  forth  an  answering 
note,  written  anonymously,  which 
said  that  the  "rash  of  snowstorms" 
was  something  we  usually  call  "win- 
ter" here  in  New  England!) 


During  the  late  afternoon  on  Mon- 
day, things  got  to  looking  pretty 
ominous  outside.  The  wind  was 
howling  at  40  and  50  miles  an  hour 
(in  Boston  they  recorded  gusts  over 
90!),  the  snow  kept  on  coming  (up, 
down,  and  sideways),  and  most 
people  left  campus  early.  Many  didn't 
bother  to  leave,  because  of  the  dis- 
tances involved.  Economics  professor 
Lyle  Wimmergren  decided  not  to  try 
to  get  home  to  southern  New  Hamp- 
shire. English  professor  Ed  Hayes 
didn't  figure  he  could  make  it  to 
Whitinsville.  And  so  it  went.  Some 
others  (including  yr.  editor)  tried  to 
drive  home  just  within  the  city  of 
Worcester  and,  after  hours  on  the 
streets,  limped  back  to  the  safety  of 
the  campus. 


Many  cars  were  nearly  buried  by  the 
drifting  snow . . . 


Many  of  these  refugees  found  shel- 
ter with  friends  or  faculty  who  lived 
nearby.  Some,  like  physics  professor 
Dick  Tuft,  spent  the  night  on  a  couch 
in  one  of  the  campus  buildings. 
Others  found  lodgings  with  students. 

At  breakfast  Tuesday  morning,  the 
student  dining  room  was  unusually 
busy.  It  was,  in  fact,  the  only  place 
around  one  could  eat.  The  storm  con- 
tinued throughout  the  day,  some- 
times abating  for  a  bit  but  never  stop- 
ping. The  wind  blew  and  carved  the 
snow  into  strange  shapes  and  awe- 
some drifts.  The  floor-to-ceiling  win- 
dows of  the  Wedge  were,  at  times, 
more  than  half  covered  with  drifting 
snow.  Yet  other  spots  were  com- 
pletely free  of  snow,  right  down  to 
bare  ground.  All  according  to  the  way 
that  furious  wind  happened  to  blow. 

Norman  Rossi,  food  services  direc- 
tor, was  snowed  in  for  the  duration, 
and  at  times  he  feared  that  food 
supplies  might  run  out  as  the  dining 
rooms  enjoyed  a  record  business.  But 
new  stocks  arrived,  on  the  heels  of  a 
snowplow,  before  it  came  down  to 
peanut  butter  sandwiches  for  all. 


WPI  journal  I  February  197813 


Fuel  oil  for  the  WPI  power  plant 
became  a  major  concern  at  one  point, 
as  the  stored  supply  ran  dangerously 
low.  Steam  was  cut  off  from  all  unoc- 
cupied buildings.  Finally,  Norton 
Company  diverted  a  tank  truck  load 
of  their  oil  to  the  campus  so  that  the 
dormitories  could  remain  heated. 

It  may  be  trite,  but  it  is  nonetheless 
true,  that  events  such  as  this  blizzard 
tend  to  bring  out  the  best  in  most 
people  (and  the  worst  in  just  a  few). 
Faced  with  the  sudden  shock  of  the 
storm,  confronted  with  a  common 
enemy,  people  tend  to  forget  their 
differences  and  pull  together,  work- 
ing to  keep  the  common  enterprise 
going.  That  was  nowhere  more  true 
than  at  WPI. 

Commenting  on  the  storm,  Dean 
of  Student  Affairs  Donald  Reutlinger 
said  that  "during  the  blizzard 
emergency,  cooperation  throughout 


the  campus  was  splendid,  but  special 
thanks  for  providing  early,  essential 
services  are  due  to  several  people  who 
kept  the  campus  going.  Gardner 
Pierce  and  his  tireless  Plant  Services 
crews,  who  did  such  a  great  job  of 
clearing  the  snow;  Norman  Rossi  and 
his  dining  hall  staff,  with  hastily  re- 
cruited student  helpers,  who  kept 
people  on  campus  well  fed;  Mrs. 
Brophy  in  Health  Services;  Al  En- 
gland, Mike  Montecalvo,  and  George 
Sullivan  of  the  campus  police,-  Glenn 
DeLuca  and  Debby  McGarry  in  Stu- 
dent Affairs;  and  the  several  people 
who  ran  the  switchboard,  handling 
all  sorts  of  calls.  Many  other  people 
were  extremely  helpful,  but  without 
these  named  here,  those  three  days 
could  have  been  a  disaster  instead  of 
just  an  emergency." 


The  job  of  clearing  the  snow  was 
handled  by  a  grounds  crew  that  just 
never  quit.  Beginning  about  5  a.m. 
Tuesday,  they  worked  around  the 
clock  for  essentially  the  whole  rest  of 
the  week.  With  the  aid  of  a  borrowed 
front-end  loader,  they  constructed  a 
snow  mountain  nearly  twenty  feet 
high  at  one  end  of  the  quadrangle,  and 
the  beech  tree  between  Higgins  and 
Alden  was  soon  invisible  from  many 
angles.  With  shovels  and  plows,  they 
kept  pushing  the  snow  back,  clearing 
out  entrances  and  walkways. 

Combating  boredom  became  a  real 
problem  for  many  of  our  resident 
students  beginning  Tuesday.  The 
high  drifts  alongside  the  Wedge  at- 
tracted innumerable  jumpers  to  the 
low  roof,  thence  to  leap  over  the  edge 
and  see  if  they  got  stuck!  Tuesday 
night,  as  the  storm  finally  passed, 
students  cleared  a  "lane"  down  one 


4  /  February  1 978 1  WPI  Journal 


This  snowbank  was 
nearly  picked  up  by  a  front-end 
loader  until  the  operator  realized  it 
had  an  antenna  in  the  middle! 


side  of  Institute  Road  in  back  of  San- 
ford  Riley  down  to  glare  ice.  Then 
they  started  skiing  down  the  hill . . . 
but  without  benefit  of  skis.  Some 
came  down  on  their  backs,  others  on 
trays  "borrowed"  from  the  cafeteria, 
and  many  kept  on  their  feet  all  the 
way  . . .  until  they  hit  the  snowbank 
at  the  end,  however,  when  they  pro- 
ceeded tail  over  teakettle  through  the 
air.  The  Infirmary  was  kept  busy 
treating  sprains,  scrapes,  and  a  few 
fractures  resulting  from  these  ac- 
tivities. The  Goat's  Head  Pub  enjoyed 
its  best  business  ever,  and  the 
Cinematech  movie  Wednesday  night 
played  to  a  packed  house. 

Wednesday  morning  came  with 
clear  blue  skies  and  bright  sun  —  so 
bright  that  it  hurt  the  eyes  to  go 
outside  without  sunglasses  or  gog- 
gles. As  I  wandered  around  campus, 
taking  the  photographs  that  accom- 
pany this  article,  I  was  amazed  at  just 
how  far  the  job  of  clearing  and  plow- 
ing had  progressed.  I  went  down  to 
the  parking  lot  below  Gordon  Library 
to  see  if  my  car  was  accessible,  and  I 
found  that  it  had  been  pushed  free  and 
plowed  out.  (It  wouldn't  start,  how- 
ever, and  one  look  under  the  hood 
gave  a  clue:  it  was  packed  full  of 
snow.)  Don  Peterson,  one  of  the 
groundskeepers,  pointed  out  another 
car  that  was  somewhat  less  fortunate 
than  mine.  All  you  could  see  of  it  was 
the  lone  spike  of  the  radio  antenna . . . 
and  it  was  well  that  that  showed, 
because  one  of  the  front-end  loaders 
almost  tried  to  pick  it  up  until  the 
sharp-eyed  driver  realized  he  had 
more  than  just  a  snowbank  to  con- 
tend with. 


_«__^_— _______ 


■ 


>« 


WPI  journal  I  February  197815 


I 


The  parking  lot  below  Gordon  Li- 
brary, largely  cleared  out  and  usable 
on  Wednesday. 


For  the  many  whose  cars  were  reluc- 
tant to  get  going  after  the  storm,  this 
was  a  common  situation. 


6 1  February  1 978  I WPI  journal 


As  my  wife  and  I  started  the  four- 
mile  walk  home,  we  went  out  onto 
Salisbury  Street,  which  was  down  to 
about  i.i  lanes  wide.  Two  cars  could 
barely  pass  ...  if  they  were  both 
small.  We  decided  to  hitchhike,  and 
got  two  rides  up  Park  Avenue  and 
West  Boylston  Street.  What  was  most 
amazing  about  this  was  that,  while 
traffic  was  moderate  under  the  condi- 
tions, almost  nobody  refused  to  stop 
and  offer  a  ride.  One  driver  told  of 
spending  Monday  night  at  Food  Vil- 
lage, one  of  Worcester's  largest 
supermarkets.  "It  wasn't  bad  at  all," 
he  said.  "They  gave  us  shelter,  plus 
coffee  and  doughnuts  all  night  and 
eggs  in  the  morning.  The  people  there 
couldn't  have  been  nicer." 

As  WPI  reopened  on  Friday,  park- 
ing was  the  most  critical  problem.  At 
the  best  of  times,  WPI  doesn't  have 
quite  enough  parking  spaces  to  ac- 
commodate faculty,  staff,  and  the 
large  number  of  commuting  stu- 
dents. But  this  wasn't  the  best  of 
times.  The  many  and  large  snow  piles 
had  shrunk  the  capacity  of  campus 
lots  alarmingly.  The  City  of  Worces- 
ter had  apparently  forgotten  that 
West  Street  was  a  public  road,  for 
they  plowed  one  lane  through  it  once 
and  never  came  back.  That  meant 
that  another  40  spaces  were  unavail- 
able. 

With  an  estimated  60  percent  of 
normal  parking  spaces  available, 
car-pooling  was  an  absolute  neces- 
sity. And,  as  if  tailor-made,  a  student 
interactive  project  came  into  view. 
Three  students  had  been  working  all 
year  on  an  energy-saving  project  de- 
signed to  promote  car-pooling  by 
making  it  easy  for  people  to  get  in 
touch  with  other  staff  members  from 
the  same  area.  The  three  students, 
Daniel  Casey,  James  Mastalerz,  and 
Thomas  Rockwood,  all  '79,  had 
reached  the  point  of  having  computer 
printouts  ready  for  the  131  people 
who  had  filled  out  their  initial  ques- 
tionnaire. These  were  quickly  dis- 
tributed as  an  important  way  to  save 
space  on  campus. 


As  this  Journal  goes  to  press,  rather 
later  than  expected  because  of  THE 
BLIZZARD,  it  is  a  week  since  the 
snow  stopped.  The  city  . . .  and  the 
campus  . . .  are  still  digging  out. 


West  Street  at  the  top  of  the  hill,  with 
Salisbury  on  the  right.  The  city  never 
did  come  hack  to  finish  the  job,  and 
it  was  left  for  WPI's  plant  services 
crews  to  widen  the  street. 


This  is  the  broad  expanse  of  Salis- 
bury Street  on  Wednesday  morning, 
after  the  storm.  Atwater  Kent  and 
Goddard  are  on  the  left  side. 


WPI  Journal  I  February  19781  7 


Here's  the 
pitch . . . 

Paul  G.  Josephson,  '77,  a  star  pitcher 
at  WPI  for  four  years,  has  been  signed 
by  the  Montreal  Expos. 

"Paul  is  the  first  WPI  alumnus  ever 
to  be  drafted  by  a  major  league 
baseball  organization,"  says  Charles 
McNulty,  WPI  baseball  coach.  "We  all 
wish  him  the  best  of  luck." 

While  at  WPI,  Josephson,  a  side- 
arm  pitcher,  started  29  games 
and  completed  22.  His  era  during  his 
last  three  years  was  2.42,  and  as  a 
sophomore  it  was  1.96.  Over  a  four- 
year  period  he  struck  out  155  and 
walked  87. 

Josephson  was  a  tenth-round  draft 
choice  of  the  Expos.  He  was  signed  on 
January  1 5  th.  In  late  February  he  is 
slated  to  attend  spring  training  with 
the  club  in  Daytona,  Forida. 

He  feels  it  was  pure  luck  that  he 
was  ever  seen  to  be  signed.  "I  was 
working  for  General  Dynamics- 
Electric  Boat  in  Groton,  Conn.,"  he 
says,  "when  suddenly  I  was  laid  off. 
So,  in  November  I  decided  to  attend  a 
baseball  camp  in  Clearwater, 
Florida." 

The  camp  lasted  five  days.  "And  for 
four  of  those  five  days  it  rained,"  he 
explains.  "I  did  manage  to  pitch  two 
innings  during  an  intra- squad  game, 
however."  (He  is  currently  changing 
his  motion  to  a  %  style  of  pitching.) 

Those  two  innings  proved  to  a 
turning  point  for  him.  Expos  scout 
Larry  Beamarth,  who  is  also  the 
Expos  minor  league  pitching  instruc- 


tor and  a  former  New  York  Mets 
pitcher,  was  watching.  He  liked 
Josephson  well  enough  to  recom- 
mend that  he  be  signed  and  sent  to 
spring  training. 

"What  happens  in  Daytona  will 
definitely  affect  my  future," 
Josephson  says.  "Tentatively,  I  ex- 
pect to  play  with  the  Expos  minor 
Class  A  affiliate  in  Jamestown,  N.Y. 
in  the  New  York-Perm  League  after 
spring  training." 

There  is  always  a  chance,  of  course, 
that  Josephson's  good  luck  will  con- 
tinue. He  may  pitch  so  well  in  Day- 
tona that  he'll  begin  his  professional 
career  as  a  starter  for  Montreal. 

It's  happened  before — with  Mark 
Fidrych  and  Detroit.  And  Mark  and 
Paul  pitched  against  each  other  in  high 
school.  Good  luck,  Paul! 


Kudos 

Dear  Friend:  From  time  to  time  I  have 
commented  favorably  on  the  splen- 
did job  you  and  your  staff  are  doing. 
This  latest  issue  is  outstanding. 

"The  DNA  dilemma"  is  well  writ- 
ten and  meaningful  to  me  in  several 
ways.  Having  lived  in  Shrewsbury  for 
twenty-one  years  until  1962, 1  can 
appreciate  some  of  the  jumbo 
mumbo  my  friend  Hudson  Hoagland 
must  have  had  to  parry. 

I  am  reminded  of  Galileo's  scien- 
tific entanglement  with  some  papal 
"bull"  in  the  1630s. 

Daniels  must  have  done  a  tongue- 
in-cheek  when  he  stated  "... 
Shrewsbury  residents  who  voiced 
their  disapproval . .  .  said  they  held 
moral  reasons."  Sounds  like  religious 
undertones. 


The  article  on  my  respected  class- 
mate, Francis  Wiesman,  '29,  was 
another  highlight  to  us.  We  have 
known  Frank  since  high  school  days. 

I  am  enclosing  a  check  for  $5.00. 
Please  send  me  two  more  copies  of 
the  WPI  Journal  for  December  1977. 

Congratulations  again  and  keep  up 
the  good  work. 

Arthur  W.  Knight,  '29 
Lower  Waterford,  Vermont 

Editor:  Just  a  note  to  tell  you  how 
impressed  my  husband  and  I  were 
with  the  most  recent  issue  of  the  WPI 
Journal.  The  variety  of  areas  and 
levels  of  interest  kept  my  attention 
from  front  cover  to  back,  and  it  was  — 
in  my  opinion  —  one  of  the  most 
absorbing  alumni  magazines  that  I 
have  read  in  many  moons.  Your  lay- 
out and  photographic  planning  are 
always  excellent,  but  the  variety 
really  added  the  spice.  Bravo! 

—  from  a  reader  of  Bowdoin,  Ober- 
lin,  University  of  Pennsylvania,  and 
Harvard  alumni  mailings  — 
Kay  Wear  Draper 
Groton,  Massachusetts 


8  I  February  1 978  I  WPI  journal 


treasurer  of  the  Alumni  Association. 
"The  response  was  most  gratifying 
and  reassuring.  The  representatives 
elected  are  super  and  the  strong  voter 
response  has  reaffirmed  that  alumni 
want  to  be  involved  with  WPI." 


Council  has  new 
representatives 
from  classes 

The  WPI  Alumni  Association  has 
taken  a  step  in  a  new  direction  and 
the  key  word  is  "involvement." 

As  a  direct  result  of  the  implemen- 
tation of  proposals  put  forth  in  the 
recent  Organizational  Study  Report, 
the  Alumni  Association  has 
broadened  its  scope  of  representation 
by  reorganizing  the  Alumni  Council 
to  include  representatives  from  each 
class. 

Formerly,  Alumni  Council  repre- 
sentation was  done  proportionately 
on  a  purely  regional  basis.  The  pres- 
ent Council  consists  of  one  member 
from  each  organized  club  and  one 
representative  from  each  class. 

The  Alumni  Council  is  the  govern- 
ing body  of  the  Alumni  Association 
and  sets  policy  and  directions  for 
alumni  programs  and  activities.  For 
instance,  the  Organizational  Study 
Report,  frequently  referred  to  as  the 
"Densmore  Report"  after  its  chair- 
man, William  P.  Densmore,  '45,  is  an 
example  of  the  Council's  establishing 
new  directions  so  that  the  Associa- 
tion can  better  serve  its  two  con- 
stituencies, the  individual  alumni 
and  the  college. 

Recently,  the  first  class  repre- 
sentatives, listed  below,  were  named 
to  the  Council  by  their  class  presi- 
dents or  elected  by  class  members 
themselves.  "In  many  cases  50  per- 
cent or  more  of  the  class  voted,"  says 
Stephen }.  Hebert,  '66,  secretary- 


Class 

50- Yr.  Assoc. 

1928 

1929 

1930 

1931 

1932 

1933 

1934 

1935 

1936 

1937 

1938 

1939 

1940 

1941 

1942 

1943 

1944 

1945 

1946 

1947 


Wayne  E.  Keith  '22 
Gabriel  O.  Bedard 
Stephen  D.  Donahue 
Carl  W.  Backstrom 
A.  Francis  Townsend 
Donald  W.  Putnam 
Robert  E.  Ferguson 
Dwight  J.  Dwinell 
Thomas  F.  McNulty 
Walter  G.  Dahlstrom 
Richard  J.  Lyman 
Robert  M.  Taft 
C.  John  Lindegren,  Jr. 
Kenneth  R.  Blaisdell 
Robert  A.  Muir 
Norman  A.  Wilson 
Behrends  Messer,  Jr. 
John  A.  Bjork 
Robert  E.  Scott 
George  R.  Morin,  Jr. 
John  G.  Hambor 


1948 
1949 
1950 
1951 
1952 
1953 
1954 
1955 
1956 
1957 
1959 
1960 
1962 
1963 
1964 
1965 
1966 
1967 
1968 
1969 
1970 
1971 
1972 
1973 
1974 
1975 
1976 
1977 


John  J.  Concordia 
James  F.  O'Regan 
Philip  A.  Wild 
John  L.  Rcid 
Philip  B.  Crommelin,  Jr. 
Henry  J.  Camosse 
Roger  R.  Osell 
Ralph  K.  Mongeon,  Jr. 
Edwin  B.  Coghlin,  Jr. 
Alfred  E.  Barry 
Philip  H.  Puddington 
John  W.  Biddle 
Richard  J.  DiBuono 
Joseph  J.  Mielinski,  Jr. 
Barry  J.  Kadets 
Patrick  T.  Moran 
Dr.  Donald  H.  Foley 
Raymond  C.  Rogers 
Robert  C.  Gosling 
Michael  W.  Noga 
Domenic  J.  Forcella,  Jr. 
Paul  B.  Popinchalk 
Lesley  Small  Zorabedian 
Robert  R.  Wood 
Lawrence  J.  Martiniano 
Frederick  J.  Cordelia 
Lynne  M.  Buckley 
Christopher  D.  Baker 


Pictured  above  are  a  few  WPI  alumni 
employed  at  Norton  Company  in 
Worcester  who  met  in  February  as  part 
of  the  recently  launched  "Corporate 
Contacts  Program"  of  the  WPI  Alumni 
Association.  Included  in  the  group, 
clockwise  horn  bottom  left,  are  Lee 
Solaroli,  '68;  Dave  Pryor,  76;  Norm 
Stotz,  '58;  Jack  Bresnahan,  '68; 
Emmanuel  Milias,  '54;  Greg  Backstrom, 
'70;  WPI  Assistant  Alumni  Director, 
Bob  Anderson;  John  Biddle,  '60; 
Dorothy  Franciscus  O'Keefe,  73;  Mark 
Dupuis,  72;  Les  Erikson,  76;  Dick 


Kennedy,  '65;  and  Bill  Densmore,  '45. 

Clark  Poland,  '48,  is  the  National 
Chairman  for  the  program  and  has 
so  far  initiated  activity  at  the  following 
corporations:  Bell  Telephone  Labora- 
tories, Inc.;  Combustion  Engineering, 
Inc.;  Electric  Boat  Division,  General 
Dynamics  Corporation;  Foxboro  Com- 
pany; Pfizer,  Inc.;  Polaroid  Corpora- 
tion; Stone  &  Webster,  Inc.;  Torrington 
Company,  Division  of  Ingersoll-Rand 
Company;  and  Pratt  &  Whitney  Air- 
craft, Division  of  United  Technologies. 


WPI  Journal  I  February  197819 


The  Hazzard 


Years  at  W  PI 


A  look  at  the  impact 
and  achievements 
of  WPI's  eleventh 
president 

by  Russell  Kay 


The  year  was  1969.  The  sorrows  of  the  past  year,  with  its  war  and  assassina- 
tions and  the  bitter  election  campaign,  were  breaking  out  in  many  ways. 
College  campuses  were  in  a  state  of  turmoil,  mostly  political,  as  the  antiwar 
movement  flourished. 

At  WPI  —  then  called  "Worcester  Tech"  —  the  student  body  (including  the 
first  two  women  undergraduates)  was  relatively  quiet;  it  was  the  faculty  who 
were  the  activists.  They  had  just  fought  for —  and  won  —  a  tenure  system 
which  gave  them  specific  rights  and  security  for  the  first  time.  Growing 
dissatisfaction  with  WPI's  academic  program  had  crystallized  in  December 
1968  with  President  Harry  Storke's  appointment  of  a  faculty  planning  commit- 
tee to  draw  up  long-range  recommendations  for  WPI's  future. 

Within  the  next  half-year,  the  group  published  two  reports,  The  Future  of 
Two  Towers  and  Two  Towers  II.  Within  another  six  months,  a  successor  group 
had  worked  out  the  final  blueprint  for  what  was  to  become  the  WPI  Plan. 

Right  into  the  middle  of  this  came  George  W.  Hazzard,  the  newly  elected 
president  of  WPI.  He  came  because  he  was  intrigued  with  the  directions  being 
taken  by  the  planning  committee.  "It  amounted  to  bringing  WPI  into  a  national 
leadership  role  for  the  twentieth  century,"  he  later  commented.  But  it  was 
apparent  that  he  would  have  to  play  a  major  role  in  bringing  about  the 
revolution. 

Now,  after  nine  action-packed  years  in  which  WPI  has  transformed  itself 
from  an  average  school  into  a  nationally  recognized  innovator  and  leader  in 
engineering  education,  George  Hazzard  is  stepping  down. 


1 0  I  WPI  Journal  I  February  1 978 


George  Hazzard  and  WPI 

In  this  review  of  George  Hazzard's  presidency  at  WPI,  one  has  to  ask  the 
question:  How  do  you  separate  the  accomplishments  of  the  individual  from 
those  of  the  college  as  a  whole?  The  Hazzard  years  present  such  a  complex 
texture  of  events  that,  while  many  individuals  stand  out  here  and  there,  the 
dominant  impression  is  of  the  collective  momentum  of  hundreds  of  faculty  and 
staff. 

Hazzard  has  commented  on  the  difficulty  of  trying  to  place  credit.  "You 
know,  the  problem  is  that  it  looks  as  if  you're  arrogating  to  yourself  credit  that 
doesn't  really  belong.  But  if  pressed,  I  would  say  that  I  think  I've  been  able  to 
open  up  participation  in  running  the  college.  This  place  used  to  be  pretty 
hierarchical  in  structure,  with  orders  coming  down  from  on  high  and  everybody 
snapping  to.  Also,  just  before  I  came,  the  faculty  put  together  the  faculty 
constitution,  and  I  think  my  encouragement  of  that  probably  helped  release 
some  energies  and  commitments  to  the  institution." 

The  WPI  Plan 

The  faculty  of  WPI  voted  full  adoption  of  the  WPI  Plan  in  1970,  with 
implementation  to  begin  in  the  71-72  school  year.  For  the  next  five  years,  one 
crisis  followed  another  as  the  various  elements  of  the  Plan  were  put  into 
operation.  First  it  was  the  seven-week  terms  that  caused  the  groans  and  screams 
(from  both  faculty  and  students),  then  came  projects,  competency  exams,  and  a 
new  advising  system  that  seemed  constantly  under  revision.  The  faculty 
workload  increased  significantly,  as  also  did  the  administrative  problems.  The 
student  population  kept  growing,  up  toward  the  once-stated  goal  of  2,000 
undergraduates  and  on  to  reach  nearly  2,400  in  1977.  And  all  the  while  there 
was  a  chorus  of  outsiders  looking  on,  expressing  skepticism,  saying  that  WPI 
had  bitten  off  much  more  than  any  institution  could  chew. 

But  looking  at  all  of  this,  how  do  you  evaluate  the  contribution  of  any  one 
individual,  including  the  president?  What  does  George  Hazzard  himself  think 
he  contributed  to  the  Plan  and  it  implementation? 

"Well,"  he  said,  "the  successor  to  the  original  planning  committee  came  to 
me,  saying  they  really  couldn't  do  much  if  they  weren't  able  to  work 
throughout  the  summer  of  1 969.  So,  as  is  often  the  case,  the  presidential  act  was 
to  provide  money  for  salaries  so  they  could  work  through  that  summer.  If  they 
hadn't  done  that,  Lord  knows  whether  we  would  have  really  gotten  far  enough 
along  so  the  faculty  could  act.  That  was  one  critical  point. 

"In  terms  of  the  mechanics  of  implementation,  full  credit  has  to  go  to  Bill 
Grogan,  who  was  on  the  firing  line.  My  role  was  to  make  Bill  Dean  of 
Undergraduate  Studies  —  and  put  him  on  the  firing  line.  That's  a  proper 
administrative  function:  getting  the  right  people  in  the  right  place  at  the  right 
time  is  critical. "  This  became  a  real  problem  for  Hazzard,  when  Dean  of  Faculty 
M.  Lawrence  "Cookie"  Price  had  to  retire  early,  for  health  reasons,  right  near 
the  beginning  of  Plan  implementation. 

Another  area  where  Hazzard  had  a  significant  effect  was  in  WPI's  relationship 
with  NSF.  "The  contacts  I  made  at  the  National  Science  Foundation,  which 
then  led  to  the  million  dollar  funding  and  the  NSF  Visiting  Committee,  was 
certainly  helpful  at  a  critical  point.  If  we  hadn't  had  that  million  dollars  from 
NSF,  we  probably  couldn't  have  done  what  we  did.  If  I  take  any  credit  there,  it's 
just  being  at  NSF,  knowing  the  right  people,  getting  their  encouragement  and 
support  for  us  to  submit  a  really  major  proposal  —  getting  their  sights  up  for  a 
really  large  dollar  figure.  But  don't  forget,  we  had  a  great  faculty  team  that  wrote 
that  proposal." 


12  I  February  1978  I  WPI  Journal 


Implementing  the  WPI  Plan  was  a  staggering  undertaking,  lust  take  a  look  at 
the  changes  that  were  made  at  WPI  during  those  six  years  of  transition: 

■  Every  course  had  to  be  reconceived  and  redesigned  to  fit  a  term  half  as  long 
and  twice  as  intense. 

■  Hundreds  of  student  projects  annually  had  to  be  created,  supervised,  and 
evaluated. 

■  New  ties  with  industry  and  governmental  agencies  had  to  be  forged  to  help 
provide  project  opportunities,  and  off-campus  project  centers  and  sites  had  to  be 
set  up. 

■  A  new  type  of  project,  linking  science  and  technology  with  social  needs  and 
human  values,  had  to  be  conceived,  tested,  refined,  and  administered  hundreds 
of  times  a  year. 

■  A  brand  new  type  of  examination  —  to  measure  competence  in  a  student's 
major  field  —  had  to  be  created  for  each  student. 

■  A  new  faculty  advising  system  had  to  be  developed  to  help  students  plan 
their  academic  programs. 

■  Faculty  had  to  learn  new  skills,  and  they  were  strongly  encouraged  to  extend 
their  interests  into  other  areas  as  interdisciplinary  work  became  more  com- 
mon. 

■  Two  new  departments  —  Life  Sciences,  and  Social  Science  and  Policy 
Studies  —  were  established  to  meet  new  needs. 

Did  Hazzard  ever  get  discouraged  in  the  face  of  the  massiveness  of  the  job  of 
getting  the  WPI  Plan  going?  "No,  I  don't  think  so.  We  have  lots  of  committed 
people,  and  I've  seen  them  tackle  and  overcome  this  obstacle  and  that  obstacle. 
I  guess  I'm  a  perpetual  optimist,  and  I  figure  that  if  we've  done  it  once  in  one 
particular  area,  then  we  ought  to  be  able  to  do  it  again  in  another  area.  We  could 
have  gotten  very  discouraged  after  listening  to  Harvard's  David  Riesman  say  we 
ought  to  have  a  revolution;  but  we  just  proceeded  merrily  on  our  way  with  the 
optimistic  assumption  that  we  could  work  things  out.  Sure,  when  you're  trying 
to  raise  the  money  you  can  get  pretty  discouraged,  but  I  don't  think  I  ever  felt 
more  than  the  normal  amount  of  work-related  discouragement." 

Growth 

Probably  the  two  words  that  best  characterize  the  Hazzard  years  at  WPI  are 
change  and  growth.  Change  was  a  constant  factor  while  the  Plan  was  being 
created,  installed,  and  made  to  work.  But  growth  has  been  pretty  constant  too. 
In  1969  there  were  1,659  undergraduates  in  a  total  student  population  of  2,176. 
At  the  beginning  of  the  1977-78  year,  undergraduate  enrollment  had  risen  to 
2,365  and  total  students  to  3,205. 

There  was  academic  growth,  too,  separate  from  the  WPI  Plan.  When  Hazzard 
arrived  at  WPI  in  1969,  computer  science  was  only  a  graduate  department. 
Now,  as  an  undergraduate  program,  it  is  the  second  most  popular  major 
declared  by  incoming  students  (although  many,  of  course,  will  change  their 
minds  as  time  goes  by). 

Besides  computer  science,  though,  two  brand-new  departments  have  been 
added  to  WPI  in  the  past  eight  years.  The  first  of  these  was  Life  Sciences,  created 
in  recognition  that  WPI  students  needed  access  to  more  than  four  biology 
courses  on  campus!  According  to  President  Hazzard,  "we  had  the  graduate 
program  in  biomedical  engineering,  and  it  just  seemed  so  important  to  create  an 
awareness  in  our  engineers  of  the  existence  and  importance  of  the  life  sciences. 


"Seventeen  presidents  have  passed 
through  the  Consortium  colleges  since 
I  arrived  in  1969.  George  is  the  only 
original  left.  But  he's  not  a  survivor. 
George  is  really  a  surpriser. 

"Just  when  I  thought  I  had  him 
completely  figured  out,  he'd  say  or  do 
something  that  made  me  know  I  had 
missed  something  else  important 
about  George.  We  were  talking  about 
his  retirement  recently,  when  he  sud- 
denly punched  the  air  and  said,  'But  we 
haven't  raised  enough  money  this 
year.'  And  he  meant  it.  He'd  restored 
the  balance,  but  it  wasn't  enough. 
Nearly  retired,  his  motor  is  still  running 
full  throttle,  and  I'm  sure  it  always 
will." 

Lawrence  E.  Fox 

Executive  Director 

Worcester  Consortium  for  Higher 

Education,  Inc. 


WPI  Journal  I  February  1978  1 13 


President  Hazzard  in  some  of  the 

myriad  official  duties  that  go  along 

with  the  office. 

Top  left,  receiving  a  donation  to  the 

college. 

Above,  at  the  dedication  of  a  new 

campus  building. 

At  left,  engaged  in  an  across-the-desk 

meeting. 


14  I  February  1 978  I  WPI  Journal 


I  want  to  give  credit  to  Bob  Plumb,  then  head  of  chemistry,  who  supported  the 
life  sciences  program  and  was  very  helpful  in  getting  the  whole  thing  started. 
'Cookie'  Price  was  also  very  helpful." 

The  second  new  department  was  Social  Science  and  Policy  Studies,  created  in 
1974.  This  was  an  important  addition  to  WPI  because  it  offered  our  students 
access  to  the  measuring  and  analytical  tools  of  the  social  sciences,  tools  which 
have  been  and  will  be  a  vital  part  of  many  interactive  projects  carried  out  under 
the  Plan.  Of  his  role  in  starting  this  department,  Hazzard  has  said,  "I  guess  I  was 
a  pretty  active  ingredient,  more  than  anybody  else,  perhaps,  although  it's  hard 
to  say  because  people  like  Boyd  and  Keil  and  Moruzzi  saw  the  need." 

One  of  Hazzard's  biggest  tasks  relating  to  the  new  departments  was  political. 
"It  meant  pointing  out  to  the  department  heads  that  if  we  put  in  a  Life  Sciences 
department  and  it  grew,  that  meant  less  growth  for  the  engineering  depart- 
ments. At  the  beginning,  everybody  had  to  understand  that  it  was  a  matter  of 
reallocating  resources  away  from  them."  Was  there  serious  opposition  on  this 
count?  "No.  Everybody  agreed  that,  so  long  as  we  didn't  reallocate  too  many  of 
their  resources,  things  would  work  out  fine." 


Finances 

One  of  the  most  persistent  and  important  jobs  facing  any  college  president  is 
the  raising  of  money  and  keeping  the  institution  above  water.  "I  don't  think 
anybody  who  comes  in  to  be  a  president  really  appreciates  the  amount  of  effort, 
the  intensity  of  effort,  that  has  to  go  into  fund-raising."  And  how  did  Hazzard 
bear  up?  "It's  like  so  many  other  things  . .  .  when  you  have  something  you 
believe  in,  you  get  to  be  a  missionary  about  it.  We  were  selling  a  good  product, 
and  it  was  fun  to  sell  it." 

These  have  been  banner  years  for  WPI  in  fund-raising.  The  just-concluded 
WPI  Plan  to  Restore  the  Balance,  a  five-year  drive,  exceeded  its  goal  by  raising 
$18.9  million,  the  largest  ever  in  WPI's  history.  In  this  fund  drive,  orchestrated 
by  University  Relations  Vice  President  Thomas  J.  Denney,  WPI  was  supported 
by  virtually  every  major  national  foundation  involved  with  higher  education: 
the  Alfred  P.  Sloan  Foundation,  the  Carnegie  Corporation,  the  National  Science 
Foundation  (which  alone  provided  more  than  $1.1  million),  the  Kresge  Founda- 
tion, the  Dana  Foundation,  the  National  Endowment  for  the  Humanities,  the 
Ford  Foundation,  the  Andrew  W.  Mellon  Foundation,  the  National  Foundation 
for  the  Arts  and  Humanities,  the  Lilly  Endowment,  and  the  Rockefeller 
Foundation. 

George  Hazzard  was  instrumental  in  achieving  this  support.  As  one  of  the 
most-traveled  spokesmen  and  salesmen  for  the  WPI  Plan,  he  pled  our  case 
wherever  there  was  a  chance  for  support.  There  are  those  who  say  that  this  was 
the  role  Hazzard  did  best  in,  representing  WPI  to  the  outside  world. 

But  raising  money  is  only  one  side  of  the  financial  picture.  On  the  other,  it  is 
the  president's  responsibility  to  see  that  it  gets  spent  wisely  and  well . . .  and  not 
too  much,  either.  When  Hazzard  became  WPI's  president,  he  took  charge  of  an 
institution  which  had  been  running  deficits  for  several  years  in  the  wake  of 
construction  of  six  major  campus  buildings  —  Daniels  Hall,  Goddard  Labora- 
tory, Gordon  Library,  Harrington  Auditorium,  Stoddard  Residence,  and  the 
Alden  Research  Laboratories'  administration  building.  He  wasn't  too  worried 
by  this.  "I  felt  that  my  time  at  Washington  University  gave  me  a  great  deal  of 
insight  into  academic  budgets  and  academic  accounting,  which  is  a  weird  and 
mysterious  field  to  most  people."  After  being  in  office  for  a  year,  Hazzard 
approved  a  one-year  freeze  on  all  salaries  at  WPI.  However  unpopular,  that 
move,  combined  with  increased  giving,  resulted  in  the  college's  first  surplus  in 
six  years  and  freed  WPI  from  having  to  borrow  against  endowment.  In  the  latest 


"I've  known  George  Hazzard  as  long 
as  he's  been  at  WPI.  I  was  on  the 
committee  that  picked  him  to  be  presi- 
dent, and  I  think  we've  been  very 
fortunate  in  having  him. 

"He's  a  most  unusual  person.  He 
seems  to  know  how  to  get  along  with 
both  students  and  faculty,  and  I  think 
he's  been  an  excellent  leader  for  the 
school.  George  has  been  a  great 
money-raiser,  and  that's  very  impor- 
tant these  days.  He's  been  very  helpful 
in  dealing  with  foundations.  Perhaps 
his  greatest  asset  is  that  he  knows  how 
to  deal  with  people.  He's  kept  the 
Board  of  Trustees  very  well  informed, 
and  he's  a  fine  man  to  work  with. 

"I'm  sorry  to  see  him  leave.  I  think 
WPI  has  been  most  fortunate  in  having 
George  Hazzard  as  president  as  long  as 
we  have." 

Milton  P.  Higgins 

Chairman,  WPI  Board  of  Trustees 


WPI  Journal  I  February  1978/15 


16  I  February  1978  I  WPI  journal 


annual  report,  it  was  announced  that,  for  the  seven  years  since  1970,  income 
and  expenses  have  just  about  balanced  out,  and  there  was  over  the  entire  period 
a  small  net  surplus  of  $2 1 7,000.  (To  put  that  figure  in  perspective,  the  operating 
budget  for  1976-77  was  $17.5  million.) 

While  a  final  report  on  the  WPI  Plan  to  Restore  the  Balance,  to  be  published  in 
the  near  future,  will  detail  the  major  expenses,  they  can  be  summarized  briefly 
here.  WPI  Plan  implementation  was  an  expensive  undertaking.  The  immense 
amount  of  work  involved  many  faculty  over  the  summers  as  well  as  during  the 
year,  faculty  involved  not  in  teaching  but  in  planning  and  structuring  elements 
of  the  WPI  Plan.  A  study  of  the  campus  indicated  that  many  physical  changes 
were  needed  to  better  serve  the  students  and  to  provide  appropriate  teaching 
and  learning  environments  for  the  new  WPI  Plan.  In  meeting  these,  two  new 
dormitory  complexes  were  built;  the  student  dining  room  and  lounge  areas 
were  enlarged  and  enhanced  by  connecting  Morgan  and  Daniels  halls,-  Sanford 
Riley,  the  oldest  dorm,  was  extensively  refurbished;  the  Bookstore  was 
enlarged  and  remodeled;  a  central  campus  post-box  system  was  created  for 
students;  and  the  Student  Affairs  Office  was  relocated  to  Daniels  Hall,  in  the 
center  of  the  "main  street"  of  the  student  living  area. 

Academic  buildings  received  considerable  attention.  Salisbury  Laboratories 
was  completely  redesigned  and  rebuilt  inside,  providing  a  commuter  lounge, 
classrooms,  laboratories,  and  offices  for  the  departments  of  Life  Sciences, 
Management,  Humanities,  and  Social  Sciences  and  Policy  Studies.  The  old 
foundry  building,  then  the  home  of  the  Buildings  and  Grounds  crews,  was 
turned  into  a  center  for  project  activity  with  workshops,  offices,  and  meeting 
rooms.  The  use  of  instructional  television  increased  by  leaps  and  bounds,  and  a 
studio  complex  and  TV  classroom  were  built  in  the  basement  of  Higgins  Lab 
while  the  rest  of  the  campus  was  wired  for  closed-circuit  TV.  And  wired  for 
more  and  more  computer  terminals,  too,  as  two  new  large  computer  systems 
(a  DECsystem-10  and  a  Univac  90/60)  were  installed  on  campus. 

Endowment  has  been  increased,  with  the  emphasis  on  increasing  student  aid 
(some  $2.4  million  added  here)  and  establishing  endowed  teaching  positions, 
which  provide  a  vehicle  for  attracting  and  rewarding  talented  faculty  without 
putting  an  extra  burden  on  operating  funds. 

As  Hazzard  steps  down  from  the  WPI  presidency,  he  leaves  the  Institute  in 
better  health  —  educational  and  financial  —  than  when  he  came.  To  be  sure, 
there's  never  enough  money,  at  WPI  as  everywhere  else,  to  do  all  the  things  that 
need  doing  and  that  we  want  to  do.  The  whole  matter  of  salaries,  for  example, 
raises  problems  in  competing  with  industry  and  other  universities  for  talented 
faculty  and  staff.  That's  a  problem  that  Hazzard  has  wrestled  with,  on  and  off, 
for  years,  and  it's  one  that  his  successor  will  have  to  confront,  too. 

But  the  school  is  financially  sound,  and  its  leadership  position  in  engineering 
education  will  be  an  important  factor  in  maintaining  that  soundness. 

Whimsy 

Hazzard's  sense  of  humor  has  been  well  known  on  campus,  especially  by  the 
many  who  have  felt  the  sharp  edge  of  his  wit.  Always  one  to  revel  in  the  cut  and 
slash  of  wordplay,  his  reputation  as  the  campus's  chief  needier  is  secure.  So 
secure  that  Helen  Bugdenovitch,  his  secretary,  gave  him  a  real  needle  one 
Christmas. 

One  recent  example  is  contained  in  the  following  exchange  of  memoranda 
between  the  president  and  a  faculty  committee  secretary: 

Minutes  of  the  Committee  on  Appointments  and  Promo- 
tions: . . .  The  Committee  did  not  find  the  candidate's 
qualifications  inconsistent  with  the  criteria. . . . 
(signed)  Secretary 


Dear  Professor :  Do  you  always  like  the  double 

negative? 

(signed)  President 

Dear  President:  Our  resident  logicians  deny  that  the 
sentence  in  question  includes  a  double  negative  in  the 
sense  that  it  could  be  replaced  logically  by  a  positive  one  as 
an  exact  equivalent.  The  sentence  "John  is  not  unhappy" 
does  not  mean  that  John  is  happy.  In  brief,  a  positive  belief 
was  expressed  with  extreme  delicacy  of  phraseology. 

Such  artistry  permits  many  interpretations.  For  exam- 
ples, the  Committee  may  be  too  legalistically  inclined  to 
make  any  firm  statement  without  having  definitive  proof 
in  support  of  it  available  —  or  it  may  be  too  dense  to  find  an 
existing  inconsistency  —  or  it  may  be  too  diplomatic 
(highly  unlikely)  to  say  so  if  it  found  one  —  or  . . . 

The  Committe  authorizes  me  to  say  that  it  would  not 
assert  that  none  of  these  interpretations  is  neither  correct 
nor  incorrect. 

With  apologies  to  M.  Python,  I  remain 
Not  insincerely  yours, 
Secretary 

Dear  Professor:  Given  your  comments,  which  are  not 
entirely  unclear  in  their  implications,  I  am  not  uninclined 
to  hope  for  a  less  than  unsatisfactory  elucidation  for  all  of 
us  at  the  next  Flying  Circus  (faculty  meeting). 

Not  unappreciatively  yours, 

President 


George  Hazzard  and  the  broader  higher  education 
community 

WPI  exists  in  a  universe  of  institutions  of  higher  learning,  both  public  and 
private.  That  universe  has  been  an  important  stamping  ground  to  George 
Hazzard. 

The  Worcester  Consortium  for  Higher  Education  was  created  shortly  before 
Hazzard  came  to  WPI.  It  has  grown  and  fostered  cooperation  among  member 
institutions,  and  WPI,  under  first  Harry  Storke  and  then  George  Hazzard,  has 
been  one  of  its  prime  leaders.  Consortia  are  difficult  animals  to  deal  with  at 
best,  because  every  member  has  his  own  interests  at  heart  and  is  not  very 
anxious  to  give  up  anything.  In  reflecting  on  the  Worcester  Consortium, 
President  Hazzard  comments:  "It's  sort  of  like  trying  to  bring  a  bunch  of 
positively  charged  particles  together.  You  think  you  have  them  all  in  a  box  and 
they  repel  each  other  away  again.  But  we  work  away  at  it.  It's  probably  one  of 
the  more  successful  consortia,  but  no  consortium  I've  ever  seen  is  fully 
effective." 

He  sees  lean  times  ahead.  "Things  are  going  to  get  worse  in  the  Consortium 
because  of  the  inevitable  decline  in  enrollments,  which  means  everybody  will 
be  fighting  for  students.  When  economic  pressures  exist,  friendships  tend  to 
evaporate.  I  think  it  will  be  harder  to  make  the  Consortium  effective  in  the  next 
ten  years  than  it  was  in  the  last  ten." 

For  several  years,  the  presidents  of  WPI,  Clark  University,  and  Holy  Cross 
have  been  meeting,  looking  for  ways  in  which  the  "big  three"  could  cooperate. 
"We've  tried  very  hard  to  share  things,  but  it's  been  hard  to  do.  Not  from  lack  of 
good  will,  but  simply  because  we've  been  unable  to  find  real  or  apparent 


"When  I  first  met  George  Hazzard,  it 
wasn't  as  college  president,  nor  was  it 
as  a  person  to  be  interviewed.  He  had 
been  chosen  as  a  faculty  affiliate  for 
my  dormitory  floor,  a  fact  that  had 
most  of  us  wondering  what  the  out- 
come would  be.  We  weren't  quite 
prepared  for  what  we  saw:  instead  of 
the  medium-height,  imposing, 
business-suited  executive  we  ex- 
pected, we  were  greeted  by  a  tall, 
lanky  man  whose  only  imposition  was 
a  rather  loud  tie  (a  piece  of  apparel  I 
later  discovered  he  was  uniquely  fond 
of).  Most  of  us  bordered  between  call- 
ing him  'Dr.  Hazzard,'  or  'Mr.  Presi- 
dent,' but,  when  we  asked  him  his 
preference  he  simply  said  'Call  me 
George.'  I  decided  to  take  him  seri- 
ously. 

"Since  that  first  encounter  I  have 
spoken  with  George  on  many  occa- 
sions; some  of  them  social,  some  of 
them  not.  I  have  interviewed  him  on 
many  subjects,  and  actually  got  him  to 
sit  in  front  of  a  TV  camera  for  one. 
While  he  was  an  unconvincing  ham, 
I'm  sure  he  has  potential  as  a  guest 
replacement  for  Johnny  Carson.  My 
universal  feeling  after  these  interviews 
has  been  that  George  is  a  politician  at 
heart.  You  can  feel  stonewalled  or  you 
can  feel  your  cause  taken  to  heart,  but 
you  can  never  be  sure.  Sometimes  you 
think  he  hasn't  got  his  eyes  on  the 
important  things;  later  you  realize  that 
he  has  been  watching  all  along.  His 
actions  are  not  always  seen,  and  it  can 
be  difficult  to  tell  from  the  outcome  of 
a  situation  what  he  has  done.  Yet, 
what  he  really  believes  he  will  say  out 
loud,  well  defined.  It  seems  a  curious 
mixture  to  me. 

"He  had  a  tough  job  as  president 
during  the  inception  of  the  Plan. 
Perhaps  it  was  a  good  mixture  after  all. 
At  least,  it  has  carried  us  to  a  viable 
point,  and  that  reflects  well  on  George 
Hazzard. 

"So  do  his  ties." 

Rory  O'Connor,  78 

Past  editor,  WPI  Newspeak 


economic  and  intellectual  benefits.  It's  something  like  Egyptian  President 
Sadat  and  Israeli  Prime  Minister  Begin:  good  intentions  are  fine,  but  the  details 
tend  to  make  life  very  difficult." 


"George  Hazzard  was  the  right  man  at 
the  right  time  for  independent  higher 
education  in  Massachusetts.  During 
his  term  —  1 975-76  —  as  chairman  of 
AICUM,  the  Association  of  Indepen- 
dent Colleges  and  Universities  in  Mas- 
sachusetts, he  sharpened  the  objec- 
tives of  the  organization  and  he  took 
the  lead  in  implementing  them.  A 
familiar  presence  on  Beacon  Hill,  he 
gained  the  confidence  and  respect  of 
state  officials,  many  of  whom  were 
bemused  to  find  a  college  president 
who  spoke  briskly  and  unambiguously, 
was  not  turned  aside  by  soft  answers, 
and  still  believed  a  straight  line  was  the 
shortest  and  best  route  between  two 
points.  His  leadership  compelled  the 
attention  of  legislative  leaders  and  the 
confidence  of  his  fellow  college  and 
university  presidents  because  it  was 
based,  as  might  be  expected,  on  know- 
ing his  facts,  knowing  his  ground,  and 
knowing  what  he  wanted  to  achieve. 

"His  influence  was  equally  pervasive 
in  the  creation  of  the  National  Associa- 
tion of  Independent  Colleges  and  Uni- 
versities. Indeed,  it  led  to  his  only 
miscalculation,  but  he  even  turned  that 
to  triumph.  He  went  with  a  group  of 
other  college  presidents  for  lunch  at 
the  home  of  President  Barbara  Newell 
of  Wellesley  College  on  a  snowy  day  in 
1977.  When  the  group  adjourned 
after  advising  President  Newell  about 
her  duties  as  a  new  director  of  NAICU, 
the  only  car  stuck  in  the  snow  was 
President  Hazzard's.  He  was  equal  to 
the  occasion,  however,  and  directed 
rescue  operations  from  behind  the 
steering  wheel.  His  car  was  success- 
fully freed  and  pushed  to  safer  ground 
...  by  five  of  his  fellow  college  presi- 
dents. In  many  ways  this  symbolizes 
the  way  his  fellow  workers  in  the  vine- 
yard feel  about  George:  for  anybody 
else  they'd  have  called  AAA. 

18  I  February  1978  I  WP1  Journal 


Statewide 

One  of  George  Hazzard's  major  activities  has  been  with  the  Association  of 
Independent  Colleges  and  Universities  in  Massachusetts  (AICUM).  This 
organization  serves  to  coordinate  the  activities  of  the  private  colleges  in  the 
state,  making  them  aware  of  legislative  situations,  both  good  and  bad,  and 
lobbying  for  the  interests  of  private  higher  education  in  the  state.  George 
Hazzard  took  a  major  role  in  the  organization  and  helped  bring  it  into  a  sharp 
focus,  seeing  that  it  was  run  with  a  professional  executive  structure.  Hazzard 
served  as  president  of  AICUM  in  1975-76. 

These  kinds  of  jobs,  which  bring  wider  publicity  and  visibility  to  the 
individuals  involved,  can  be  a  strong  temptation.  Says  Hazzard:  "I  have  a  strong 
belief  that  too  many  presidents  and  deans  get  involved  in  professional  society 
activities  which  may  be  useful  but  which  don't  directly  serve  an  interest  of  the 
institution.  I  tried  to  be  careful  not  to  get  mixed  up  with  too  many  of  these  that 
would  take  me  off  the  campus.  They're  fun  to  do,  but  not  very  useful  to  WPI. 
That's  why  AICUM  was  so  important.  It  could  really  help  WPI." 

Indeed,  AICUM  has  accomplished  a  lot.  It  was  instrumental  in  getting  the 
state's  constitution  amended  to  permit  state  support  of  private  higher  educa- 
tional institutions.  Indeed,  AICUM's  thrust  has  been  primarily  directed  toward 
affording  all  Massachusetts  students  the  freedom  of  choice  and  opportunity  in 
higher  education,  and  not  to  limit  taxpayer  support  only  to  public  institutions. 
As  a  result,  the  state  legislature  has  recently  passed  a  bill  providing  for  grants  to 
Massachusetts  residents  attending  private  colleges,  in  amounts  equal  to  what 
the  private  college  would  normally  award  itself,  and  including  a  matching  grant 
directly  to  the  institution.  AICUM  has  actively  supported  a  continuing 
dialogue  between  public  and  private  institutions,  and  in  1973  sponsored  a 
nationally  acclaimed  "Public- Private  Forum,"  which  brought  together  presi- 
dents of  both  types  of  institutions. 

Much  of  AICUM's  work  has  been  defensive  in  nature.  One  example  occurred 
a  few  years  ago  when  a  chemical  fire  broke  out  in  a  Paxton  school  chemistry  lab. 
The  state  fire  marshal  immediately  ordered  all  school  chemistry  labs  to  install 
deluge  showers  at  regular,  closely  spaced  intervals.  This  move,  which  would 
have  cost  millions  across  the  state,  didn't  really  address  the  main  problem, 
which  was  supervision  and  prevention.  AICUM  staffer  James  True  and  WPI 
chemistry  head  Robert  Plumb  worked  together  with  the  regulating  authorities 
and  finally  got  a  solution  that  was  good  for  all  concerned.  In  another  example, 
AICUM  supported  repeal  of  the  state  meals  tax  as  it  was  applied  to  college 
students  living  in  dormitories  (and  only  students  in  private  colleges,  at  that!). 
The  organization  argued  that  this  was  equivalent  to  taxing  family  meals.  This 
fight,  supported  by  students  across  the  state,  was  lost  when  the  legislature 
chose  not  to  exempt  college  students. 

Nationally 

The  other  organization  that  has  felt  the  presence  of  George  Hazzard  is  the 
Association  of  American  Colleges.  "I  chose  that  one  because  I  felt  that  WPI's 
form  of  engineering  education  was  a  real  basic  liberal  education.  AAC  is 
focused  on  liberal  education,  and  they've  been  pretty  effective  in  disseminating 
that  theme  around  the  country.  By  being  a  part  of  the  group,  I  could  indirectly 
spread  WPI's  philosophy  and  accomplishments  and  achieve  greater  national 
recognition  for  the  college." 


Hazzard  feels  very  strongly  about  this  view  of  liberal  education  at  WPI.  He 
promoted  the  use  of  Sir  Eric  Ashby's  term  technological  humanist,  which  he 
uses  to  describe  the  kind  of  graduate  the  WPI  Plan  is  trying  to  produce.  Hazzard 
has  spoken  and  written  so  many  times  about  this  that  he  has  become  a  national 
spokesman  for  the  new  breed  of  engineering  education  that  started  here  at  WPI. 


The  Personal  George  Hazzard 

Being  president  of  WPI  has  kept  George  Hazzard  busy,  but  it  hasn't  been  his 
whole  life  by  any  means.  He's  been  very  active  in  working  for  other  organiza- 
tions, too.  He  has  served  as  a  trustee  of  St.  Lawrence  University,  Memorial 
Hospital,  People's  Bank,  and  as  a  director  of  the  Worcester  Area  Chamber  of 
Commerce,  Riley  Company  (Chicago),  St.  Vincent  Hospital  Research  Founda- 
tion, and  State  Mutual  Life  Assurance  Company  of  America. 

As  if  this  wasn't  enough  involvement,  his  wife  Jean  Hazzard  has  also  been 
active  in  community  affairs.  She  has  been  president  of  the  Child  Guidance 
Association  of  Worcester,  chairman  of  the  Allen  Fund  Committee  of  Commu- 
nity Services,  and  president  of  the  Social  Service  Corporation,  all  of  which 
relate  to  her  training  as  a  psychologist.  Jean  Hazzard  has  also  been  a  trustee  of 
the  Worcester  Community  School  of  the  Performing  Arts  and  a  director  of 
Worcester  County  National  Bank.  In  1976,  she  was  one  of  five  women  honored 
by  the  Worcester  Young  Women's  Christian  Association  as  being  "first  in  her 
field."  She  was  cited  as  being  a  model  of  a  woman  who  can  combine  home  and 
family  life  with  a  career  and/or  public  service. 

George  comments:  "While  Jean  has  been  a  gracious  hostess,  opening  our 
home  to  alumni,  students,  and  faculty,  her  focus  has  been  on  social  services  in 
the  city,  where  she's  led  an  independent  career.  In  one  sense,  she  has  relieved 
me  of  some  responsibilities  by  picking  up  a  lot  of  the  community  service 
functions  which  I  just  didn't  have  time  to  perform.  Then  too,  we  attend  an 
awful  lot  of  parties  and  other  affairs  as  a  couple,  and  I  look  on  that  as  basically 
being  public  relations  for  the  college.  Getting  to  know  people  is  important. 
Tom  Denney  has  pointed  out  that  people  give  to  people  rather  than  to 
institutions.  That  is,  while  the  institution  must  have  a  good  reputation,  the 
person  representing  the  institution  is  very  important  to  the  donor." 

After  living  for  nine  years  in  Jeppson  House,  WPI's  home  for  its  presidents, 
the  Hazzards  will  be  moving  to  a  new  home  in  nearby  Petersham,  Mas- 
sachusetts. Although  he  has  nothing  definite  planned  for  the  immediate  future, 
he  expects  to  do  some  part-time  consulting  work  in  the  general  area  of  higher 
education.  He  hopes  also  to  have  some  more  time  for  his  gardening,  and  perhaps 
to  be  able  to  get  down  to  serious  color  photography  and  color  printing  more  than 
twice  a  year,  which  is  about  all  he  can  fit  in  as  president.  He'll  probably  have  to 
find  a  new  tennis  partner  other  than  current  neighbor  (and  dean  of  faculty)  Ray 
Bolz.  And  now,  just  maybe,  there'll  be  time  enough  to  read  all  those  things  he 
wants  to  read. 

As  he  retires  from  the  WPI  presidency,  George  Hazzard  will  probably  relax  a 
bit.  But  don't  bet  on  him  slowing  down. 


'Above  all,  politicians  and  educators 
alike  have  always  been  acutely  aware 
of  George's  possession  and  use  of  one 
of  the  most  finely  tuned  baloney  (to  be 
polite)  detectors  known  to  western 
man.  Coupled  with  a  mordant  wit,  this 
ability  to  penetrate  sophistry  and  dis- 
perse blather  made  George  a  formida- 
ble antagonist  in  a  variety  of  educa- 
tional and  other  public  arenas. 

"At  AICUM,  when  we  think  of 
George,  we  think  of  a  man  who  gave 
us  fresh  insights,  who  always  had  time 
for  a  word  of  encou  ragement  and  who 
inspired  loyalty  simply  because  of  the 
loyalty  which  he  gave.  I  don't  think 
we'd  want  to  play  tennis  with  him,  but 
we'd  follow  him  anywhere  else. 

"On  the  matter  of  tennis,  one  day 
George  swung  into  an  AICUM  meet- 
ing on  crutches,  explaining  how  he  had 
injured  his  knee  playing  tennis.  There- 
upon one  of  his  fellow  college  presi- 
dents chided  him  for  not  knowing, 
after  years  in  office,  one  of  the  first 
rules  of  college  administration:  a  presi- 
dent should  never  play  any  game  that 
putsaweapon  inthehandsof  adean." 

Frank  A.  Tredinnick,  Jr. 
Executive  Vice  President 
Association  of  Independent 
Colleges  and  Universities 
in  Massachusetts 


WPI  Journal  I  February  1978 1 19 


Some  reflections  on  being  WPI  president 


"The  arrival  of  George  and  Jean  Haz- 
zard  on  the  WPI  campus  nine  years 
ago  was  the  harbinger  of  a  renaissance 
which  has  transformed  engineering 
and  science  undergraduate  education 
as  never  before  at  any  institution  any- 
where in  the  world. 

"Although  the  previous  president 
had  challenged  the  faculty  to  be  in- 
novative and  daring  in  plotting  a  pos- 
sible new  course  for  the  WPI  cur- 
riculum, the  outcome  was  only  a  hazy 
dream  in  the  minds  of  most.  That  this 
dream  has  become  a  notable  reality, 
titled  so  simply  'The  WPI  Plan,'  is  the 
outstanding  accomplishment  of  the 
Hazzard  administration,  with  great 
credit  due  the  entire  WPI  team. 

"For  WPI  to  achieve  this  remarkable 
evolutionary  educational  break- 
through required  unusually  talented 
leadership.  Who  else  would  have 
coined  the  phrase  which  is  exactly  right 
for  our  graduates  —  'technological 
humanists'?  Only  our  fine  president, 
George  Hazzard." 


Paul  S.  Morgan 
Vice  Chairman 
Board  of  Trustees 


Just  what  does  it  mean  to  be  president  of  a  college,  or  president  of  WPI?  At  one 
time,  not  too  long  ago,  a  college  presidency  carried  with  it  much  prestige  and 
high  social  status.  Then,  in  the  late  1960s  and  early  1970s,  as  the  problems 
multiplied  enormously  and  the  prestige  withered  away,  it  became  all  too  often 
some  kind  of  bad  joke:  "No  one  wants  to  be  a  college  president  anymore." 
Presidential  search  committees  sometimes  had  to  reconvene  their  delibera- 
tions two  or  three  times  as  the  desirable  candidates  proved  not  to  be  interested 
in  the  job.  The  wheel  seems  to  be  turning  back  now,  but  some  questions  must 
remain. 

George  Hazzard  came  to  WPI  right  in  the  middle  of  this  period  of  unrest  and 
discontent.  How  does  he  feel  about  his  job,  and  how  does  he  think  WPI 
compares  with  other  places? 

"In  the  first  place,"  Hazzard  says,  "being  a  president  at  WPI  is  somewhat 
different  from  being  president  at  a  liberal  arts  college  or  at  a  major  university. 
There  has  been,  here  at  WPI,  a  unanimity  of  goals  that  you  just  don't  find  in 
many  of  those  other  places.  When  the  troubles  of  1 970  appeared,  the  faculty  and 
administration  here  joined  together.  At  most  other  institutions  faculty  mem- 
bers were  agitating  and  developing  student  antagonisms  to  the  way  things  were 
done.  Because  of  that  one  factor,  agreement  on  goals,  my  job  here  has  been  an 
awful  lot  easier  in  terms  of  getting  things  done. 

"I  think  the  rewards  here  have  been  unusual,  too.  I  was  here  at  a  time  when  a 
program  was  developing  that  clearly  could  have  a  major  impact  if  it  succeeded. 
And  there  was  really  a  lot  of  motivation  to  make  it  succeed  because,  if  it  did,  we 
would  be  highly  visible.  In  fact,  I've  always  been  pleased  because  I  made  the 
choice  not  to  be  a  finalist  in  a  liberal  arts  college  presidency  search  at  the  time 
the  job  was  offered  to  me  here.  I  did  that  because  while  WPI,  as  an  independent 
engineering  school,  is  not  unique  (there  are  about  a  dozen  others),  the  impact  it 
could  have  could  really  be  unique.  A  lot  of  the  things  that  a  liberal  arts  college 
president  would  do  are  aimed  at  maintaining  the  status  quo;  whereas  here  at 
WPI  we  have  been  creating  something  really  new  and  exciting.  That's  all  in 
addition  to  the  usual  kinds  of  rewards  —  satisfaction  with  balancing  the  budget, 
adding  faculty,  increasing  the  number  of  students  or  getting  better  students. 
Those  things  can  happen  at  any  institution,  but  WPI  offered  something  much 
more.  I  think  I've  been  unusually  fortunate  in  the  administrative  groups  and 
faculty  groups  I've  had  to  work  with,  and  that's  made  my  job  very,  very  pleasant 
. . .  even  though  we've  had  our  little  tiffs  and  differences,  of  course." 

But  it  can't  all  be  a  bed  of  roses,  right?  Even  for  a  gardener  like  George 
Hazzard.  "No  one's  perfect,  though  we  don't  like  to  admit  it.  I  think  the  few 
things  I  would  do  over  have  to  do  with  people.  Also,  I  would  like  to  have 
succeeded  more  in  bringing  Clark  and  WPI  closer  together." 

The  future  for  WPI 

Last  June,  when  President  Hazzard  announced  his  plans  to  retire,  he  com- 
mented that  "these  have  been  very  exciting  and  very  satisfying  years  for  Mrs. 
Hazzard  and  me.  When  we  arrived  in  1969,  the  WPI  Plan  was  a  magnificent 
concept  just  beginning  to  take  its  final  form.  Ahead  of  us  then  lay  the  task  of 
completing  the  details  and  implementing  what  is  clearly  one  of  the  most 
significant  educational  innovations  in  our  time.  Today  the  WPI  Plan  is  a 
working  reality.  The  implementation  phase  is  behind  us.  I  believe  that  the  time 
has  come  for  me  to  step  aside  so  that  a  new  president  may  lead  WPI  through  the 
next  stage  of  its  continuing  development." 


20  I  February  1978  I  WPI  journal 


UH 


Above,  George  and  Jean  Hazzard  relaxing  in  their  new  home 

in  Petersham. 

At  right,  outdoor  work  in  the  new  garden. 


Just  what  sorts  of  problems  does  Hazzard  expect  his  successor  will  have  to 
face  in  that  next  stage  ahead? 

"There  are  three  major  problems.  One,  of  course,  is  just  to  continue  to  raise  a 
lot  of  money,  in  what  may  or  may  not  prove  to  be  a  difficult  environment.  You 
just  can't  tell.  All  you  really  know  is,  there's  never  enough  money!  The  second 
problem,  related  because  it  costs  money,  is  to  solve  the  problem  of  faculty 
renewal:  more  faculty,  more  time  off,  more  substitute  faculty.  The  present 
faculty  have  been  putting  in  an  incredible  amount  of  work  for  years  on  end,  and 
they  can't  be  expected  to  keep  it  up. 

"The  third  major  challenge  is  finding  the  next  plateau  to  climb  to.  We  have 
innovated,  we  have  got  things  on  line,  we  have  a  program  in  place.  The  faculty 
and  staff  have  worked  very  hard  to  reach  a  goal  —  and,  in  effect,  we  have  reached 
it.  Now  we  have  to  establish  some  new  goals  to  challenge  us  for  the  future. 
That,  I  think,  is  going  to  be  the  big  problem." 


WPI  Journal  I  February  1 978  1 21 


LTIMATE 


RAGON??! 


by  Ruth  S.  Trask 


w, 


ell,  it's  about  time!  The  Chinese  began  talking 
about  dragons  nearly  6000  years  ago  and  finally  somebody 
has  done  something  about  them.  Genetically  speaking, 
that  is. 

It  took  Intersession  1978  and  the  colorful  imaginations 
of  Dr.  James  Danielli  and  Dr.  Richard  Beschle  of  the  Life 
Sciences  Department,  who  offered  a  unique  two-day 
course,  "Dragons:  Their  Redesign." 

In  discussing  the  concept  of  the  mythical  beast,  the 
thirty  students  in  the  class  agreed  that  there  is  a  strong 
similarity  between  dragons  and  dinosaurs.  There  is  abso- 
lutely no  evidence,  however,  that  man  ever  saw  living, 
breathing  dinosaurs,  which  became  extinct  about  70  mil- 
lion years  ago.  The  first  mention  of  dragons  came  from  the 
Chinese  around  4000  B.C.,  long  after  the  demise  of  the 
dinosaurs.  Dinosaur  bones  were  not  even  unearthed  and 
reassembled  until  the  last  100  years.  When  the  bones  were 
first  discovered,  they  were  put  together  to  resemble  drag- 
ons, so  entrenched  had  the  idea  of  dragons  become. 

Dragons  have  long  existed  in  literature  throughout  the 
world.  The  Western  dragon  has  scales,  can  breathe  fire, 
occasionally  employs  wings  and  mental  telepathy,  eats 
people  at  night,  loves  to  guard  treasure,  and  has  been 
known  to  do  hard  work.  The  Eastern  dragon  can  fly 
without  wings,  has  skin  that  shines  at  night  and  a  pearl 
fixed  beneath  his  chin.  Sometimes  he  is  fierce,  sometimes 
timid.  The  chief  difference  between  him  and  his  Western 
counterpart  is  that  he  breathes  out  mist  instead  of  fire. 

It  is  thought  that  no  remains  of  dragons  have  been  found 
because  they  probably  caused  their  own  destruction  by 
self-immolation.  Any  left-over  bones  were  crunched  up 
and  eaten  by  jackals.  The  remaining  bone  chips  were  used 
for  baby  vulture  food. 


Today,  dragons  are  alive  and  well  in  literature  and 
entertainment.  Note  the  dragon  in  The  Hobbit,  the  best 
selling  modern  children's  classic,  and  the  disappearing 
beast  in  the  Disney  production  of  "Pete's  Dragon"  which 
appeared  at  neighborhood  theaters  over  the  holidays. 

Dragons,  then,  not  only  exist  in  the  minds  of  millions; 
they  are  also  big  business.  They  might  become  even  bigger 
business  if  they  could  be  redesigned  genetically  to  make 
the  best  use  of  their  basic  characteristics.  For  example,  the 
fire  belched  from  a  Western  dragon  could  prove  to  be  a 
valuable  heat  source,  while  the  mists  expelled  from  the 
Eastern  dragon  might  solve  drought  problems  in  desert 
areas.  The  beasts  themselves  have  virtually  no  control 
over  their  expulsion  of  fire  and  mist.  In  the  light  of  such 
massive  lack  of  control  by  dragons  over  their  various 
bodily  functions,  Danielli  and  Beschle  proposed  that  each 
student  design  his  own  personal  dragon  so  that  it  could 
best  perform  specific,  useful  tasks  —  with  built-in,  genetic 
controls,  of  course. 

In  order  to  design  a  proper  dragon,  one  must  have  at  least 
a  thumbnail  knowledge  of  the  history  of  dinosaur  evolu- 
tion. About  450  million  years  ago,  fish,  which  then  had 
both  scales  and  lungs,  inhabited  the  oceans.  A  hundred 
million  years  later  amphibians  pulled  themselves  up  out 
of  the  water  and  began  dragging  themselves  across  the 
ground  on  their  bellies.  Then,  came  the  reptiles.  Some, 
like  the  dinosaurs,  had  legs  and  grew  to  be  fifty  feet  long. 
They  had  an  efficient  heart  and  lungs,  a  high  metabolic 
rate,  and  were  not  nearly  as  cold  blooded  or  as  stupid  as 
history  has  led  us  to  believe. 

Basically,  the  dinosaur  developed  from  a  fish  which  had 
paired  fins.  (So  did  we!)  In  the  dinosaur,  the  paired  fins 
became  four  limbs.  Some  beasts  used  all  four  legs  for 
walking.  Others  assumed  the  upright  position,  then  used 
two  hind  limbs  for  walking  and  two  fore  limbs  for  grasping 


22  I  February  1978  I  WPI  Journal 


and  balancing  like  the  kangaroo.  The  kangaroo-type  di- 
nosaur began  to  develop  a  skin  flap  between  his  puny 
fore  limbs  and  his  body,  which  gave  his  body  a  gliding  type 
of  lift.  Eventually  the  skin  flap  grew  until  the  dinosaur  had 
a  wing  span  of  forty  feet.  With  a  body  mass  of  only  sixty 
pounds,  the  giant  wings,  although  he  could  not  flap  them, 
allowed  the  dinosaur  to  glide  and  soar  in  wind  currents. 

Although  it  is  doubtful  that  the  average  dinosaur  could 
produce  flame,  it  is  certain  that  no  self-respecting  Western 
dragon  would  ever  step  out  of  his  den  without  a  working 
flame-thrower.  Dragons  are  expected  to  belch  flame.  It's  a 
part  of  their  mystique.  Not  only  can  the  dragon  flame 
sizzle  unwary  foes,  its  noxious  fumes  can  make  them  drop 
in  their  tracks. 

In  a  word,  dragon  internal  combusion  stinks.  Among  the 
gases  produced  during  the  process  are  methane,  propane, 
hydrogen,  ethylene,  and  ether.  When  superheated,  H2S 
makes  the  most  repellent  stench  of  all.  Obviously,  none  of 
this  gas  and  heat  production  does  much  for  the  dragon's 
social  life.  It  could,  however,  be  put  to  good  use  commer- 
cially. 

For  example,  the  ethylene  could  help  ripen  fruit;  the 
heat  could  help  run  a  cold  storage  plant,  warm  homes,  or 
melt  ice  and  snow.  The  flame-throwing  mechanism  could 
be  used  in  warfare,  in  consuming  garbage  or  stripping  paint 
from  houses.  The  hot  air  could  be  used  by  a  hot-air  balloon 
taxi  service.  The  innate  telepathic  characteristic  of  the 
dragon  could  also  be  brought  into  play  in  concert  with  all 
of  these  uses.  Intuitively  the  dragon  would  know  when  to 
start  and  stop  doing  a  given  task,  so  it  could  be  done  most 
efficiently. 

The  problem  for  the  students  was  to  find  genetic 
methods  of  controlling  the  dragon's  ignition  and  combus- 
tion systems,  and  to  redesign  his  body  structure,  if  neces- 
sary, so  that  form  could  best  support  function.  For  in- 
stance, if  one  really  wanted  his  dinosaur  to  fly  instead  of 
merely  soaring  on  skin  flaps,  the  addition  of  feathers  might 
be  worth  considering. 

In  redesigning  the  dragon,  one  of  the  first  steps  might  be 
to  reduce  the  animal's  overall  energy  requirement.  (Con- 
stant ignition  and  combustion  must  be  exhausting! )  This 
might  be  done  by  implantation  of  electrical  wires,  or  the 
addition  of  nerve  cells  or  carbon  filaments  with  living 
cells.  Perhaps  his  stomach  could  be  removed  to  improve 
his  digestion.  Humans  have  found  ways  to  live  without 
stomachs. 

Combustion  is  a  very  complicated  process.  The  rate  of 
reaction  is  important.  It  depends  on  temperature  and  is 
affected  by  a  series  of  catalysts  and  inhibitors.  A  lot  of 
things  are  happening  interdependently  and  can  produce  a 
mess.  The  dragon  lives  with  just  such  a  mess. 


The  electric  eel,  however,  has  gotten  his  ignition  and 
combustion  problems  pretty  much  under  control.  In  fact,  a 
good  sized  electric  eel  in  Africa  or  in  the  Amazon,  can 
produce  500  to  600  volts  of  electricity  and  is  able  to  light 
up  a  50  to  60  watt  bulb  through  his  specialized  muscle 
cells.  The  muscle  cells  are  arranged  in  stacks.  With 
thousands  of  such  cells  occurring  in  rows,  high  voltage  is 
obtained.  Perhaps  such  a  system  could  be  introduced  into 
dragons. 

The  dragon  cells  would  have  to  be  kept  cool.  Reflective 
material,  such  as  layers  of  separated  metal  foil,  could  do 
the  trick.  Aluminum  foil  also  might  be  used.  Tiny  bubble 
spheres  without  too  many  points  of  contact,  would  proba- 
bly work  if  something  agreeable  could  be  found  to  keep  the 
bubbles  together. 

The  ultimate  dragon  will  undoubtedly  be  redesigned 
through  pure  genetic  engineering,  rather  than  add-on 
technology.  To  understand  how  this  might  be  done,  note 
first  that  he  belongs  to  a  species,  a  group  of  organisms 
which  have  the  same  genetic  programming  principle  or 
sets  of  principles.  Programming,  as  everyone  knows,  can 
be  subject  to  change,  and  there  are  a  number  of  mecha- 
nisms available  for  changing  these  genetic  programs.  For 
instance,  genes  can  transfer  through  loose  pieces  of  dna, 
viruses,  and  plasmids,  spontaneously  adding  new  genes  to 
organisms.  In  mating,  the  process  is  completed  with 
existing  genes,  or  mutants  of  existing  genes.  It  is  possible 
to  construct  new  genes  and  chromosomes,  but  it  is 
generally  too  complicated  a  process  to  start  from  scratch. 

In  redesigning  the  dragon's  nervous  system,  one  must  be 
aware  of  a  number  of  things:  each  nerve  joins  at  a  junction 
called  a  synapse,  and  information  can  pass  in  only  one 
direction  at  this  junction;  synapses  never  occur  by  them- 
selves, but  meet  where  a  number  of  fibers  impinge  on  a 
single  nerve  (convergence);  while  in  divergence  a  number 
of  different  nerve  cells  derive  information  from  a  single 
source.  A  new  substance  has  been  found  that  encourages 
nerve  growth.  Possibly  the  use  of  this  could  be  helpful  in 
revamping  the  dragon's  nervous  system. 


24  I  February  1 978  I  WPI  Journal 


There  are  several  ways  to  transfer  genes,  which  are  made 
up  of  dna,  from  one  cell  to  another.  One  very  successful 
method  is  to  add  cells  to  an  embryo.  Another  is  to  fuse 
cells  with  the  characteristic  gene  which  is  to  be  em- 
phasized or  reproduced.  Then  there  is  cell  uptake  when 
little  cells,  with  the  desired  characteristics,  are  put  into 
larger  cells.  Co-growth  of  genes  occurs  when  dna  is 
transferred  by  a  natural  process.  The  introduction  of 
viruses  and  plasmids  can  shift  genes  to  other  cells,  a 
technique  which  has  been  proved  to  be  very  accurate. 
Through  chemical  synthesis,  it  is  possible  to  create  brand 
new  genes,  especially  when  an  enzyme  is  added  to  make 
the  various  groups  of  dna  stay  together. 

Before  sending  the  students  off  to  their  drawing  boards 
and  typewriters  armed  with  genetic  information  and  a 
dragon  book  reading  list,  Dr.  Danielli  and  Dr.  Beschle 
reminded  them  to  take  a  conventional  dragon  and  make  it 
better.  They  stressed  the  importance  of  good  design,  the 
right  configuration,  and  the  necessity  of  putting  social 
restraints  on  their  hypothetical  beasts.  What  they  wanted, 
they  said,  were  some  clever  ways  of  doing  new  things 
effectively. 

So  informed,  class  members  tossed  around  proposed 
uses  for  tamed  dragons  as  watch  dogs,  air  taxis,  domestic 
heaters,  snow  removers,  telepathic  interplanetary  com- 
munications centers,  garbage  disposals,  fertilizers,  street 
lights,  fortune  tellers,  secret  weapons,  cooks,  gamblers, 
and  airport  security  personnel. 


In  this  writer's  view,  a  mid-sized  dragon  with  feathered 
wings  and  sharp  eyes,  could  ride  shot  gun  for  Rudolph  and 
Santa  on  Christmas  Eve.  He  would  sit  in  a  special  seat  at 
the  back  of  the  sleigh,  where  he  could  keep  watch  over  the 
bags  of  toys.  (Dragons  love  to  guard  treasure! )  As  the  sleigh 
stopped  above  each  house,  the  dragons's  inherent  mental 
telepathy  would  allow  him  to  tell  Santa  exactly  what  gift 
each  child  wanted.  Then,  he  would  swoop  down  on  his 
fine,  feathered  wings,  and  with  a  single  blast  of  his 
flame-thrower,  melt  the  ice  off  of  the  house  top  so  Santa 
wouldn't  slip. 

In  order  to  save  the  sleigh,  the  toys,  Santa,  and  the 
reindeer  from  going  up  in  smoke  during  the  trip,  the 
dragon,  whose  seat  would  be  at  the  very  back,  would 
breathe  his  fire  into  a  large,  wishbone-shaped,  heat- 
resistant  glass  tube,  which  would  extend  up  as  far  as 
Rudolph.  The  tube  would  provide  illumination  brighter 
than  Rudolph's  red  nose.  It  would  also  provide  welcome 
warmth  in  snow  country.  While  over  the  tropics,  Santa 
could  throw  an  asbestos  blanket  over  the  tube  to  cut  the 
heat.  (The  dragon,  by  the  way,  would  have  acquired  his 
improved  flying  capabilities  and  keen  eyesight  from  spe- 
cialized American  eagle  cells  added  to  his  dna  when  he 
was  in  the  embryonic  stage.) 

All  in  all,  Christmas  Eve  would  be  run  far  more  effi- 
ciently. Santa  Claus  wouldn't  have  to  waste  time  worry- 
ing about  poor  visibility,  cold  feet,  the  Grinch's  stealing 
his  toys,  slipping  on  icy  roof  tops,  or  mixing  up  gifts.  He'd 
finish  all  of  his  deliveries  much  faster. 

The  only  problem  might  be  that,  with  such  early 
deliveries,  some  children  might  still  be  awake  when  Santa 
arrived.  They  might  hear  a  creature  stirring  up  on  the  roof 
and  investigate.  Not  Dancer!  Not  Prancer!  Not  even  a 
mouse!  What  self-respecting  parent  is  ever  going  to  believe 
that  a  feathered,  fire-breathing  dragon  is  de-icing  the  roof 
on  . . .  Christmas  Eve?  Now,  if  it  were  New  Year's  Eve  — 
well,  maybe. 


WPI  journal  I  February  1 978 1 25 


van  A 


Prof.  John  van  Alstyne  will  tell  you 
that  he  came  to  WPI  in  1 96 1  to  teach 
mathematics  for  one  year  only. 

"I  had  another  teaching  job  all  lined 
up  for  the  following  year/'  he  ex- 
plains. "WPI  was  going  to  be  a  brief, 
interim  experience.  I'd  never  taught 
at  an  engineering  school  before,  and  I 
had  no  idea  whether  I'd  fit  in  or  not." 

Today,  seventeen  years  later,  he 
not  only  continues  to  teach,  he  has 
become  the  Dean  of  Academic  Advis- 
ing, and  was  one  of  the  original  ar- 
chitects of  the  WPI  Plan.  The  life  of 
every  WPI  student,  professor,  and 
administrator  has  been  touched  by 
him.  Although  he  would  be  the  last  to 
admit  it,  John  van  Alstyne  is  more 
than  a  mere  campus  cog.  He  is  a 
prime  mover. 


For  example,  one  of  his  current 
major  responsibilities  is  setting  up 
the  complete  academic  schedule  for 
WPI.  This  means  that  he  has  to  de- 
cide at  what  time  the  various  classes 
will  be  held  and  which  of  some  2500 
students  will  be  scheduled  for  each 
class  section.  His  scheduling  person- 
ally affects  every  student  and  profes- 
sor on  campus. 

"I  try  very  hard  not  to  put  an  out- 
of-town  commuter  into  an  eight 
o'clock  class  during  the  winter 
months,"  he  says.  "I  don't  like  to 
have  to  put  someone  who  works  in 
the  cafeteria  at  lunch  time  into  a  one 
o'clock  class,  either."  He  also  en- 
deavors to  tailor  schedules  to  fit  the 
requirements  of  handicapped  stu- 
dents. 

Since  he  still  teaches  250  students 
a  quarter  of  the  time,  and  has  numer- 
ous advisees,  Prof,  van  Alstyne  gets  to 
know  many  of  the  students  well. 
"Knowing  them  personally  and  being 
familiar  with  their  needs  and  wishes 
is  most  helpful  when  I  set  up 
schedules  in  the  spring,"  he  says.  The 
personalized  process  is  more  individ- 
ually effective  than  a  computer- 
scheduling  set-up  could  ever  be. 

Prof,  van  Alstyne 's  concern  for  the 
individual  student  and  his  selfless 
devotion  to  his  advisees  are  legend  at 
WPI.  He  always  makes  time  for 
everyone  —  whether  it  be  at  6: 30 
a.m.,  midnight,  or  on  weekends. 

Roger  Perry,  '45,  director  of  public 
relations,  used  to  have  an  office  di- 
rectly across  from  Prof,  van 
Alstyne's.  He  likes  to  tell  this  story 
about  his  colleague:  "It  was  a  typical 
pre-registration  day.  Long  lines  of 
students  extended  down  the  corridor 
to  John's  office.  Finally,  at  noon,  the 
hall  emptied.  I  knew  that  John  must 
be  bone  tired  and  ready  for  a  break. 
Then  I  heard  a  voice  saying,  'Prof, 
van  Alstyne,  could  I  please  see  you  for 
a  minute?'  and  John's  prompt,  affir- 
mative reply.  The  'minute'  lasted 
more  than  half  an  hour.  I  knew  that 
John  had  missed  his  lunch.  Again.  As 
usual,  he  had  put  the  needs  of  a 
student  before  his  own." 

Missed  meals  mean  little  to  Prof, 
van  Alstyne.  He  thoroughly  enjoys 
his  contact  with  students  and  con- 
fesses that  they  help  him  more  than 


he  helps  them.  "I  consider  myself  as 
everybody's  great  grandfather,"  he 
says,  smiling.  "My  advisees  ask  me 
all  kinds  of  questions:  'What  should  I 
major  in? '  'Do  you  know  a  good  eye 
doctor?'  'I'm  having  trouble  with  my 
parents  (girl  friend,  siblings,  room- 
mate, etc.)  What  should  I  do?'  They 
inquire  so  often  about  graduate 
schools,  that  I've  prepared  a  special 
graduate  school  fact  sheet  for 
juniors." 

It  does  not  take  long  for  incoming 
students  to  learn  who  is  on  their  side, 
who  will  point  them  in  the  right 
direction,  and  who  will  be  there  to 
catch  them  should  the  bottom  fall 
out.  Prof,  van  Alstyne  heads  the  list. 
Upon  hearing  that  his  freshman 
friend  had  drawn  van  Alstyne  for  an 
adviser,  a  sophomore  was  heard  to 
remark,  "Oh,  wow!  van  A.?  You've 
got  it  made.  How  did  you  manage  to 
get  so  lucky?"  The  students  know 
who  has  their  best  interests  at  heart. 

Sometimes  those  best  interests 
prove  to  be  not  strictly  academic  in 
nature.  "A  number  of  students  and 
alumni  ask  me  about  insurance  and 
financial  planning,"  he  reports. 
"That's  what  I  get  for  mentioning  in 
class  that  I  once  worked  as  a  "ghost 
writer"  for  the  First  National  City 
Bank  of  New  York." 

A  ghost  writer? 

He  laughs  and  explains.  "After 
World  War  II,  I  was  hired  to  write  100 
letters  a  day  for  bank  executives  who 
had  little  writing  ability.  My  fellow 
letter  writers  were  a  diverse,  interests 
ing  group.  They  included  a  valedicto- 
rian from  Harvard,  a  salutatorian 
from  Stanford,  and  a  couple  of  people 
who  never  completed  high  school. 

"I  also  had  eight  private  inves- 
tigators working  for  me  at  the  bank.  It 
was  our  responsibility  to  look  into 
the  credit  ratings  of  various  com- 
panies in  this  country  and  abroad  in 
the  interest  of  furthering  world  trade. 

"The  job  was  fascinating.  I  earned  a 
good  salary  and  learned  a  lot  about 
investments.  In  fact,  earnings  from 
my  bank  job  enabled  me  financially 
to  change  my  career  to  teaching  late 
in  the  game.  Switching  to  teaching 
cut  my  income  directly  in  half." 

So  teaching  hadn't  always  been  his 
ultimate  goal? 


26 1  February  1978 1  WPI  journal 


"Oh,  no.  Originally  I  wanted  to  be 
an  architect.  To  design  buildings  to 
reflect  the  culture  in  which  we  live. 
However,  while  still  an  under- 
graduate at  Hamilton,  I  was  pushed 
into  teaching.  At  the  time,  I  thought 
it  was  the  last  thing  that  I  ever 
wanted  to  do." 

John  van  Alstyne  was  a  senior  at 
Hamilton  College  during  World  War 
II.  "It  took  me  two  and  a  half  years  to 
get  through  that  last  year,"  he  says, 
"because  I  was  asked  to  teach  math- 
ematics and  meteorology  to  Air 
Force  students.  I  taught  between  8 
a.m.  and  noon,  i  p.m.  and  5  p.m.,  and  7 
and  9  p.m.  five  days  a  week.  My 
students  included  farmers,  coal  min- 
ers, and  recruits  from  the  Chicago 
slums.  They  really  wanted  to  learn. 
About  25  of  them  went  on  to  ad- 
vanced degrees.  I  still  hear  from  sev- 
eral of  them." 

At  Hamilton,  he  majored  in  math- 
ematics, but  also  studied  English  and 
German.  He  won  a  full  year's  schol- 
arship there  in  German.  Later,  he 
attended  graduate  school  at  Prince- 
ton. In  1952  he  received  his  master's 
degree  from  Columbia. 

After  graduating  from  Columbia  he 
joined  the  bank  for  three  years,  and 
then  returned  to  Hamilton,  where  he 
taught  for  thirteen  years.  ("In  1961 1 
left  Hamilton.  I  was  the  first  tenured 
faculty  member  ever  to  quit  at  the 
college.") 


"It  was  during  my  years  at  Hamil- 
ton that  President  Hazzard  and  I 
nearly  crossed  paths.  We  both  be- 
longed to  professional  societies  and 
were  named  to  separate  committees 
to  upgrade  the  New  York  State  cer- 
tification requirements  for  teachers.  I 
was  on  the  mathematics  committee, 
and  he  was  on  the  physics  committee 
at  precisely  the  same  time.  The  two 
committees  didn't  meet  jointly, 
however,  so  we  never  realized  until 
years  later  that  we  had  so  narrowly 
missed  meeting."  Prof,  van  Alstyne 
was  subsequently  asked  to  be  one  of 
the  writers  of  the  New  York  State 
Regents  Scholarship  Examination. 

It  was  after  he  arrived  at  WPI  that 
Prof,  van  Alstyne  discovered  how  the 
Regents  exam  that  he  had  helped  to 
prepare  was  working  out.  He  learned 
that  one  of  his  advisees  had  scored 
high  on  the  exam  and  congratulated 
him.  "Oh,  that  exam,"  the  student 
complained.  "It  was  tough.  A  terror. 
The  questions  were  awfully  dif- 
ficult." 

"Give  me  some  examples,"  Prof, 
van  Alstyne  said.  The  student  obliged 
him,  repeating  practically  word  for 
word  the  questions  that  he  had  de- 
vised a  few  years  before. 

Did  he  tell  the  student  that  he  was 
the  author  of  the  exam?  "No.  Some- 
times it's  better  to  be  discreet,"  he 
confides. 

He  still  believes  in  giving  rugged 
exams.  He  likes  to  make  his  students 
think.  He  agrees  with  Alfred  North 
Whitehead  that  no  question  requiring 
a  yes  or  no  answer  is  worth  asking. 

"With  one  notable  exception,"  he 
says  with  a  grin.  "When  I  asked 
someone  to  marry  me,  I  wanted  a  yes 
or  no  answer.  Immediately." 

Prof,  van  Alstyne's  writing  ability, 
his  creative  talents,  and  his  genius  for 
organization  were  noted  early  on  at 
WPI.  He  was  a  member  of  both  the 
appointed  and  the  elected  commit- 
tees that  created  the  WPI  Plan. 

"I  enjoyed  working  on  the  Plan 
very  much,"  he  says.  "It  was  exciting 
looking  to  the  future  of  WPI.  It  was 
also  rewarding  to  work  with  people 
who  had  such  wide-ranging  interests. 
Three  faculty  members  on  the  com- 
mittee could  read  the  prologue  to 
Chaucer's  Canterbury  Tales  in  the 


original  old  English.  Can  you  imagine 
that — at  an  engineering  school?" 
(Prof,  van  Alstyne  can  also  read  Mal- 
ory's Mort  d' Arthur  in  the  original.  "I 
learned  how  to  do  it  in  order  to  pass 
the  time  away  when  I  was  sick  years 
ago,"  he  explains.) 

As  valuable  as  Prof,  van  Alstyne 
has  been  in  helping  to  shape  the  Plan, 
it  is  his  service  on  behalf  of  the  stu- 
dents that  has  proved  to  be  his  most 
valuable  contribution  to  the  school. 
The  students,  many  of  whom  he  has 
personally  befriended,  affectionately 
refer  to  him  as  "Chips"  behind  his 
back,  sensing  his  similarity  to  the 
sympathetic  teacher  in  the  movie 
"Goodbye,  Mr.  Chips."  They  have 
also  accorded  him  their  highest  hon- 
ors by  voting  him  into  Skull  and 
dedicating  the  senior  yearbook  to 
him. 

He  is  aware  that  many  of  their 
academic  problems  are  manifesta- 
tions of  other  problems.  "So  often  a 
student  who  is  struggling  academi- 
cally will  come  to  me  and  say,  'I  have 
a  friend  who  is  in  trouble.  What 
would  you  advise  him  to  do?'  It  goes 
without  saying  that  he,  himself,  is 
the  friend.  When  somebody  lingers  in 
my  office  after  asking  a  few  initial 
questions,  that's  a  clue  something  is 
bothering  him  besides  grades.  And 
when  someone  starts  to  leave,  and 
cries  at  the  door ..."  There  are  nights 
when  John  van  Alstyne  does  not 
sleep. 

But  there  are  rewards.  He  gets 
grateful  letters  from  transfer  students 
and  alumni.  He  is  proudest  of  the 
fourteen  former  students  who  have 
gotten  best  teacher  awards  on  their 
respective  campuses.  "Currently  I 
have  more  than  100  former  students 
teaching  in  colleges  and  medical 
schools,"  he  reports. 

Seventeen  years  ago  M.  Lawrence 
Price,  '30  (dean  emeritus  of  the  fac- 
ulty) and  Richard  N.  Cobb  (professor 
emeritus,  mathematics)  interviewed 
John  van  Alstyne  for  a  post  as  as- 
sociate professor  of  mathematics. 

"I  was  thoroughly  impressed  with 
both  men,"  says  Prof,  van  Alstyne.  "I 
also  liked  the  office  personnel,  the 
students,  and  the  campus  itself.  WPI, 
I  decided,  would  be  a  very  nice  place 
to  teach.  For  a  year." 


WPI  Journal  l  February  1 978  1 27 


1913 

William  Stults  writes:  "Still  drive  my  car 
and  get  around  some.  Made  three  trips  to 
North  Carolina  last  summer  and  one  to 
Florida  in  the  spring." 

1928 

Francis  King,  who  retired  last  spring  as 
manager  of  the  Holyoke  (Mass.)  Gas  & 
Electric  Department,  currently  serves  as 
president  of  the  Massachusetts  Municipal 
Wholesale  Electric  Company  (MMWEC). 
MMWEC,  a  cooperative  of  more  than  two 
dozen  municipally  run  utilities,  recently 
signed  a  contract  with  GE  for  $55  million 
worth  of  equipment  for  a  new  power  plant 
which  is  scheduled  to  start  generating 
power  in  Ludlow  by  1982. 

The  oil-fired  power  plant  is  being  built  at 
Stony  Brook  Energy  Center  on  land  that 
was  formerly  part  of  the  mostly  defunct 
Westover  Air  Force  Base.  The  contract  is 
expected  to  provide  250  new  jobs  in  Lud- 
low. The  plant  will  be  the  first  major  power 
generator  in  New  England  built  through 
cooperative  efforts  of  publicly  held  utilities. 
Gov.  Michael  Dukakis  said  the  contract 
would  aid  the  state's  economy  and  provide 
an  efficient  new  source  of  electrical  power. 

1929 

J.  Bernard  Joseph  and  his  wife  have  moved 
into  a  condominium  on  the  Gulf  of  Mexico 
at  Fort  Myers  Beach  on  Estero  Island.  "Our 
health  seems  to  be  better  here,"  he  writes. 
.  .  .  The  Arthur  Knights  are  considering 
moving  from  their  15-acre  mini-estate  in 
Lower  Waterford,  Vt.  "We  will  stay  in  this 
area,  however,  within  easy  walking  dis- 
tance of  libraries,  museums,  and  shops." 


.  .  .  During  the  warm  months  Carleton 
Nims  keeps  busy  gardening,  mowing  the 
lawn,  and  raking  leaves.  Recently,  with 
another  man,  he  built  an  addition  to  a  tool 
shed.  He  says  that  between  December  and 
April  he  hibernates. 

1930 

Edward  Milde,  who  retired  several  years 
ago  as  technical  staff  engineer  in  hydraulics 
at  Sperry-Vickers,  continues  to  do  some 
hydraulic  consulting  work  part  time.  He  is 
located  in  Bloomfield  Hills,  Michigan,  and 
keeps  busy  working  around  his  house  and 
acre  lot.  He  also  enjoys  taking  short  trips. 

1931 

Joseph  Bunevith  has  retired  from  the  Wel- 
fare Department  of  the  Commonwealth  of 
Massachusetts. 

1934 

Luther  Leavitt,  who  formally  retired  last 
August,  currently  serves  as  a  state  officer  in 
the  Sons  of  the  American  Revolution.  The 
Leavitts  maintain  homes  in  Cleveland 
Heights  and  Ogunquit,  Me.  One  daughter 
is  in  her  second  year  of  medical  school  at 
Case  Western  Reserve.  "To  provide  her 
with  malpractice  legal  protection  in  the 
future,  our  second  daughter  is  completing 
Dickinson  Law  School  in  June,"  he  writes. 

In  December,  Paul  J.  Sullivan, 
superintendent-director  of  the  Blackstone 
Valley  Regional  Vocational  Technical  High 
School  (Upton,  Mass.),  was  honored  at  a 
retirement  party  in  Northboro  which  was 
attended  by  350  persons.  He  had  served  in 
the  post  for  fourteen  years,  and  said  that 
his  part  in  the  planning  of  the  school  had 
been  most  rewarding  and  afforded  him  his 
greatest  challenge  and  his  greatest  satisfac- 
tion. During  his  retirement  the  Sullivans 
hope  to  start  new  interests  and  indulge  in 
one  of  their  favorite  old  ones,  travel. 

1936 

Bill  Maine  retired  in  August.  He  had  been  a 
plant  engineer  for  Torrington  (Conn.)  Co. 
He  and  his  wife,  Evalyn,  now  have  a  nice 
home  close  to  Columbia  Lake  in  Connect- 
icut with  ample  garden  area  and  plenty  of 
yard  to  maintain. 


1938 

Tom  O'Neil  serves  as  a  resident  mechanical 
engineer  for  Kuljian  Corp.  and  is  presently 
helping  to  construct  a  power  plant  in  Am- 
man, Jordan. 

1939 

William  Lyhne,  Jr.  holds  the  post  of  assist- 
ant director  of  reports  at  American  Man- 
agement Association,  New  York  City. 

1940 

George  Bingham,  who  was  chief  engineer 
at  Bonneville,  has  joined  Ebasco  Services, 
Inc.,  Portland,  Oregon,  as  regional  man- 
ager. . . .  Zareh  Martin  is  an  instructor  in 
management  at  Northeastern  University  in 
Boston  and  also  teaches  high  school 
courses. . . .  Dick  Scharmann  is  very  active 
in  his  retirement.  He  has  been  doing  some 
contract  work  for  the  Navy. . . .  After  31 
years  with  the  Avionics  Division  at  ITT, 
Thomas  Wingardner  has  retired.  He  is  re- 
siding in  East  Dennis,  Mass. 

1946 

John  Goeller  presently  serves  as  manager 
of  the  World  Trade  Systems  Center  in  San 
Jose,  California. . . .  John  Lee  has  received 
his  master  of  arts  degree  in  teaching  from 
Bridgewater  State  College.  He  continues 
teaching  at  Plymouth-Carver  Regional 
High  School.  His  son,  who  graduated  from 
Massachusetts  Maritime  recently,  is  now 
on  a  tug,  "The  Braden  Point." 

1949 

Continuing  with  Turner  Construction  Co., 
Russell  Bradlaw  has  returned  from  Paki- 
stan and  is  now  on  assignment  at  the 
company's  New  York  office. . . .  Harold 
Gibbons  has  retired  from  Westinghouse. 

1950 

George  Barna  presently  holds  the  position 
of  director  of  engineering  at  Singer-Link  in 
Binghamton,  N.Y. 

1951 

John  Marley  was  co-author  of  "Automo- 
tive electronics  II:  the  microprocessor  is  in" 
which  appeared  in  the  November  issue  of 
IEEE  Spectrum.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
technical  staff  of  Motorola's  IC  Division, 
assigned  to  the  automotive  systems  task 
force.  For  six  years  he  has  dealt  with  the 
partitioning  and  identification  of  automo- 
tive custom  integrated  circuits  and  spe- 
cialized central-processor-unit  chips  for  au- 
tomotive electronic  systems.  Previously  he 
had  worked  for  ITT  Laboratories  and  Hazel- 
tine  Research  Corporation. 


28  I  February  1 978 1 WPI  Journal 


Class  of  1927 


Our  fiftieth  reunion!  It  was  truly  a  glorious 
regathering  with  no  assist,  may  we  add, 
from  the  weatherman  who  found  fit  to 
clobber  us  with  a  typical  New  England 
Nor'easter,  presumably  for  the  benefit  of 
far-travelling  Purdy  Meigs  (from  New 
Mexico  where  it  rarely  rains)  and  Pete 
Whittemore  (from  California  then  plagued 
by  drought).  Not  to  be  outdone  by  these 
wayfarers  from  remote  distances  came  Bob 
Johnson  from  Arizona,  Vic  Hill  and  Nick 
Nahigian  from  Florida,  and  Charlie  Mac- 
Lennan  arrived  from  River  John,  Nova 
Scotia,  representing  our  North  Country 
cousins  of  Canada. 

One  can  suppose  that  every  WPI  alum- 
nus entertains  the  honest  conviction  that 
his  class  was  the  very  best  of  all  classes  and 
that  his  classmates  were  the  salt  of  the 
earth,  none  better.  In  that  conviction  he 
would  be  absolutely  right.  It  would  perhaps 
be  difficult  for  any  God-fearing  and  virtu- 
ous alumnus  (and  the  class  of  1927  was 
particularly  God-fearing  and  virtuous ...  or 
almost  so)  not  to  feel  a  close  kinship  with 
his  colleagues  with  whom  he  spent  so 
many  happy  days  and  years  of  learning 
together,  competing  together,  raising  a 
little  hell  together,  and  making  the  transi- 
tion from  youth  to  manhood  together. 

Wonderful  years  indeed  were  those  un- 
dergraduate days  we  shared  in  that  so- 
long-ago  era  of  the  mid-twenties.  Perhaps 
more  than  a  bit  of  what  we  have  since 
viewed  with  nostalgia  was  recaptured  in 
the  June  days  of  our  Fiftieth  Reunion. 

Forgive  our  enthusiasm,  if  we  sound 
repetitious,  these  few  days  celebrating  our 
50th  Reunion  were  a  very  happy  experi- 
ence—  from  theThursday  evening  Recep- 


tion, hosted  so  graciously  by  President  and 
Mrs.  Hazzard,  at  their  charming  home  (the 
Jeppson  House),  through  to  the  Alumni 
Luncheon  and  Annual  Meeting  at  Morgan 
Hall  on  Saturday  noon.  The  spirit  engen- 
dered at  the  President's  home  was  con- 
tinued, Thursday  evening,  in  the  Great  Hall 
of  Higgins  House,  where  we  were  served  a 
delightful  roast  beef  dinner  as  guests  of  the 
Alumni  Association.  During  the  evening, 
the  Association  presented  each  member 
with  a  copy  of  "Two  Towers"  (the  story  of 
Worcester  Tech  1865-1965),  which  is  a 
well  written  history,  that  all  Tech  men  will 
enjoy  and  be  proud  to  own.  The  highlight 
of  the  evening  was  the  comments  by  Presi- 
dent Hazzard  and  his  personal  congratula- 
tions to  each  member,  upon  the  individual 
delivery  of  a  beautifully  crimson  colored, 
leather  bound  "presentation  of  Worcester 
Polytechnic  Institute  in  recognition  of  Fifty 
Years  of  service  and  loyalty  to  his  college." 
Cliff  Fahlstrom,  as  chairman  of  the  50th 
Reunion  Committee,  expressed  the  thanks 
and  appreciation  of  the  class  of  '27  to  the 
Alumni  Association  and  to  President  Haz- 
zard. 

Friday  was  a  busy  day,  with  visits  with 
classmates,  Campus  Tou rs  (which  for  those 
who  haven't  been  back  is  an  eye-opener),  a 
buffet  luncheon  at  Morgan  Hall  followed 
by  a  presentation  on  "WPI  Today"  under 
the  direction  of  Dean  Grogan  as  moderator 
with  a  panel  of  faculty  and  students. 

The  high  spot,  for  most,  had  to  be  our 
Class  Reunion  Social  Hour  and  Dinner  at 
the  Isaiah  Thomas  room  of  the  Sheraton 
Lincoln  Inn,  where  several  of  our  members 
had  rooms  during  reunion.  This  festive  and 
joyous  occasion  was  sobered  a  bit,  to  be 
sure,  in  a  pause  of  tribute  to  the  classmates 
of  old,  no  longer  with  us  but  whom  some 
day  we  shall  meet  again  at  the  river.  This 
cheerful  and  happy  gathering,  as  with  all 
other  reunion  events,  had  added  grace  and 


charm,  by  the  attendance  of  the  lovely 
wives  of  the  many  classmates  who  brought 
their  spouses. 

The  only  class  business  of  any  conse- 
quence arose  from  the  suggestion  that  the 
class  might  possibly  be  more  easily  repre- 
sented by  members  living  closer  to  WPI  and 
thus  be  more  readily  available  to  serve  the 
members  whenever  the  occasions  arose. 
The  suggestion  was  endorsed  by  two 
former  class  officers.  It  was  thus  voted  that 
to  serve  as  Class  Officers  would  be  Cliff 
Fahlstrom,  President;  Phil  MacArdle,  Vice 
President;  Ed  Cahalen,  Treasurer;  Bill 
Rauha,  Secretary. 

As  will  be  evident,  a  picture  of  the  50th 
Reunion  Class  was  taken.  Some  of  us,  to  be 
sure,  have  perhaps  changed  a  bit  and  all  of 
us  have  gotten  a  lot  smarter,  and  some  of 
us  have  gotten  better  looking,  or  heavier, 
or  grayer,  or  balder,  or  whatever.  But, 
basically,  none  of  us  has  changed  much  at 
all  and  from  the  picture  one  should  easily 
recognize  (Top  Row,  I.  to  r.)  Wahlin,  Mac- 
Lennon,  Hoaglund,  Rauha,  Nahigyan, 
Meigs,  Swenson,  Bob  Johnson,  Fred 
Pomeroy,  Manning,  Eus  Merrill;  and  (Bot- 
tom Row,  I.  to  r.)  Parmelee,  Bob  Parker, 
Dean  Merrill,  Bush,  Whittemore,  Stephen- 
son, Hill,  King,  Beth,  Southwick,  Searle, 
Fahlstrom,  MacArdle,  Charly  Parker,  Lewis, 
Cahalen. 

(Editor's  Note:  Because  of  an  unfortunate  series 
of  delays,  this  account  of  the  50th  Reunion,  last 
June,  of  the  Class  of  1 927  has  not  been  ready  for 
publication  until  now.  We  hope  this  story  will 
bring  back  warm  memories  for  those  who  were 
there,  and  we  hope  even  more  that  it  will  be 
interesting  and  enjoyable  for  those  class  mem- 
bers who  weren  't  able  to  make  it  back  to  campus 
for  the  reunion.  Best  wishes  to  all.) 


WPI  Journal  i  February  1 978 1 29 


1953 

Ted  Fritz,  Jr.  serves  as  a  manager  of  prod- 
uct development  for  Armstrong  Rubber  in 
New  Haven,  Connecticut. . . .  Gene  Kucin- 
kas,  who  has  several  important  process 
control  "firsts"  to  his  credit,  has  joined 
Arthur  D.  Little,  Inc.  Formerly  with  LFE 
Corporation  and  the  Foxboro  Co.,  he  is 
now  a  member  of  the  Electronics  Systems 
section  of  the  Cambridge-based  research, 
engineering,  and  management  consulting 
firm.  Among  his  original  digital  systems 
applications  was  the  first  industrial  use  of 
TV  as  a  video  display  device  for  computer 
output  and  the  first  digital  monitor  and 
control  system  for  the  tire  industry.  In  1969 
he  founded  Total  Systems  Computer,  Inc., 
which  was  acquired  in  1972  by  the  LFE 
Corporation.  He  is  a  registered  professional 
engineer  in  Massachusetts. 

1954 

F.  Raymond  Anderson,  SIM,  is  with  the 
Heald  Division  of  Cincinnati  Milacron  in 
Worcester. . . .  Leigh  Hickcox  has  been 
elected  vice  president  of  Capintec,  Inc.  and 
general  manager  of  Capintec  Systems  Divi- 
sion. He  will  be  responsible  for  all  functions 
related  to  computer-based  systems  mar- 
keted by  Capintec,  such  as  the  Radiation 
Therapy  Planning  System.  Formerly  he  was 
product  manager  for  the  firm's  radiation 
dosimetry  product  line.  Before  joining 
Capintec  in  1976,  he  was  marketing  and 
sales  manager  for  Science  Accessories 
Corp.  He  had  also  been  product  manager 
for  Picker  Corp.  (nuclear  physics  instru- 
ments) and  Philips  Electronic  Instruments 
(nuclear  products),  as  well  as  regional  sales 
engineer  at  Packard  Instruments  Corp.  He 
received  his  MBA  from  Harvard  University. 
The  Hickcoxes  have  three  children. 

Donald  McEwan  was  recently  named 
president  of  ITT  Avionics  Division  in  Nutley, 
N.J.  He  is  responsible  for  organizing,  plan- 
ning and  directing  operations  of  the  divi- 
sion which  is  engaged  in  design,  develop- 
ment, and  production  of  integrated  com- 
munication, navigation,  and  identification 
systems,  and  electronic  defense  systems  for 
aircraft,  ships,  and  ground-based  applica- 
tions. In  1974  he  was  elected  vice  presi- 
dent. Since  1976  he  has  served  as  vice 
president  and  director  of  operations  and 
has  been  responsible  for  organizing,  plan- 
ning, and  directing  activities  of  the  en- 
gineering, manufacturing,  procurement, 
product  assurance,  and  program  manage- 
ment departments.  He  joined  ITT  in  1956. 
The  McEwans  have  a  daughter,  Pamela, 
and  two  sons,  Jeffrey  and  Donald,  Jr. . . . 
Harry  Mirick  presently  holds  the  post  of 
business  manager  at  Digital  Equipment 
Corp.  in  Acton,  Mass. .  .  .  After  serving  for 
many  years  with  Crompton  &  Knowles, 
most  recently  as  chief  engineer,  Howard 
Nelson  has  now  joined  Jamesbury  Corp.  of 
Worcester  as  a  senior  engineer.  Howard 
also  serves  as  a  member  of  WPI's  Alumni 
Fund  Board  and  is  National  Phonothon 
Chairman. 


1955 

Louis  Axtman,  Jr.  is  with  the  Corps  of 
Engineers  in  Maynard,  Mass.,  where  he  is 
resident  engineer  in  the  support  group. . . . 
Stanley  Clevenger  is  with  Spectra  Interna- 
tional, Inc.  in  Portland,  Oregon. 

1956 

Robert  R.  Baer  is  a  self-employed  marketing 
consultant  in  Colorado  Springs,  Colorado. 

1957 

Philip  Backlund  serves  as  an  environmental 
energy  superintendent  for  FMC  Corpora- 
tion, South  Charleston,  W.V. . . .  Susan 
Kimberly  Beckett,  17,  daughter  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Robert  Beckett,  has  been  named 
Pennsylvania's  Junior  Miss  for  1978.  She 
was  awarded  $5,600  in  scholarship  money, 
which  she  plans  to  use  this  year  when  she 
enrolls  at  Grove  City  College  to  study  man- 
agement engineering.  Susan,  who  com- 
peted against  39  other  contestants,  also 
won  the  youth  fitness,  poise  and  appear- 
ance Kraft  Hostess  Awards,  and  the 
McGlinn  Photo  Award  during  the  competi- 
tion. She  did  an  interpretative  dance  to  the 
music  of  "The  Lord's  Prayer"  for  her  talent 
role.  For  community  service  she  coaches  a 
Little  League  girls'  softball  team  and  is  a 
Leukemia  Association  volunteer.  In  high 
school  she  is  treasurer  of  the  senior  class, 
president  of  the  Future  Business  Leaders  of 
America  Club,  a  member  of  student  gov- 
ernment and  the  Honor  Society.  In  May  she 
will  compete  in  the  America  Junior  Miss 
Pageant  in  Mobile,  Alabama. 

John  "Bill"  Braley,  Jr.  is  with  Mosley 
Machinery  Co.  in  Waco,  Texas. . . .  Ralph 
Schlenker  holds  the  post  of  manager  of 
engineering  technology  for  Esso  Engineer- 
ing Division  (Europe)  Ltd.  in  New  Maiden, 
Surrey,  England. 


1959 

George  Fotiades  owns  and  manages 
Webster  House  Restaurant  in  Worcester. 
.  .  .  Burton  Siegal,  SIM,  has  been  pro- 
moted to  vice  president  of  sales  for  Nylco 
Corporation  and  for  its  Delco  Division.  He 
has  been  identified  with  Delco  since  1970, 
first  as  a  field  salesman,  later  as  product 
manager,  and  most  recently  as  sales  man- 
ager. Previously  he  was  president  and  gen- 
eral manager  of  Empire  Rubber  Corp.  of 
Worcester  until  it  was  acquired  by  Worthen 
Industries  in  1969.  In  his  new  post,  he  will 
be  responsible  for  product  development 
activities  as  well  as  marketing  and  sales  of 
Delco  products.  The  line  consists  of  Del- 
Soft  cushioning  foams,  Velvet-Glow 
counter  pocket  materials,  Delco  thermo 
counters,  and  other  lining  materials. 


1961 

Robert  Hale  is  a  specialist  on  the  technical 
staff  of  the  Aerojet  Electro  Systems  Co.  in 
Azusa,  Calif. 

1962 

^■Married:  Ralph  H.  Griswold  to  Miss 
Erenay  J.  Dickson  in  Wellesley,  Mas- 
sachusetts on  September  24, 1977.  Mrs. 
Griswold  graduated  from  Penrhos  College, 
Colwyn  Bay,  North  Wales,  United  King- 
dom; St.  George's,  Montreaux,  Switzer- 
land; and  Whitehall  Secretarial  College, 
Eastbourne,  Sussex,  England.  She  is  an 
administrative  staff  assistant  at  MIT.  The 
bridegroom  is  with  the  Chemical  Plastics 
Division  of  General  Tire  &  Rubber  Co., 
Lawrence,  Mass. 

Daniel  Brosnahan,  Jr.  holds  the  post  of 
manager  of  software  services  for  the 
northeast  region  of  Interdata,  a  division  of 
Perkin-Elmer  Corp.  in  Oceanport,  N.J. . . . 
Lawrence  Compton  was  recently  elected  a 
partner  in  Peat,  Marwick  and  Mitchell  Co., 
an  accounting  firm.  He  received  his  BS  in 
business  administration  from  Babson  Col- 
lege. . . .  Giacomo  Corvini  is  employed  as  a 
supervisor  of  process  design  and  technical 
service  at  Union  Carbide  Corp.  in  Tar- 
rytown,  N.Y. 

William  Krein  has  been  reelected  as 
treasurer  of  the  United  Cerebral  Palsy  As- 
sociation of  Schenectady,  N.Y.  He  has 
served  on  the  board  of  directors  since  1 974 
and  has  been  treasurer  for  the  organization 
since  1975.  Presently  he  is  manager  of  the 
finance  and  division  support  operation  in 
GE's  Installation  and  Service  Engineering 
Division.  He  is  responsible  for  financial 
management  within  the  division  and  also 
manages  the  division's  projects  engineer- 
ing operation  (power  plant  design)  and 
support  activities,  including  contract  ad- 
ministration, marketing,  communication, 
training,  quality  and  safety  assurance,  and 
information  systems.  He  has  served  as  a 
coach  for  the  Schenectady  Youth  Hockey 
Association  since  its  inception  in  1974. 

Recently  Donald  Mongeon  was  pro- 
moted to  metallurgical  engineer  for  sheet 
and  strip  products  in  the  metallurgical  en- 
gineering section  of  the  steel  operations 
department  at  Bethlehem  (Pa.)  Steel  Cor- 
poration. He  joined  the  firm  through  its 
Loop  management  training  program  in 
1 962  and  was  assigned  to  the  Lackawanna 
(NY)  plant  metallurgical  department.  He 
was  promoted  to  metallurgical  service  en- 
gineer there  in  1964  and  in  1972  was 
named  chief  inspector  in  the  metallurgical 
inspection  section.  He  was  promoted  to 
assistant  metallurgist,  metallurgical  inspec- 
tion, in  1974.  Most  recently  he  was  metal- 
lurgical supervisor  in  the  hot  strip  mill  and 
galvanize  section. . . .  Stephen  Phillips  is 
with  the  Hyde  Park  Paper  Division  of  Dia- 
mond International  in  Hyde  Park,  Mass. 


*..■'  *  •* 


•    u 


/ 


Curtis  Ambler's  fire  trucks 


E.  Curtis  Ambler,  '42  tends  "Buf- 
falos,"  not  the  kind  with  four  legs, 
but  the  kind  with  four  wheels.  Buf- 
falo pumper  fire  trucks,  to  be  exact  — 
vintage  1929. 

Antique  fire  truck  tending  came 
about  naturally  enough  for  Ambler. 
For  thirty  years  he  has  served  as  a 
volunteer  fireman  in  Newington, 
Connecticut,  where  he  has  seen  his 
share  of  firefighting  and  resue  work. 
Four  years  ago,  he  and  another  volun- 
teer fireman,  Dick  Shailer,  bought 
their  own  fire  truck,  a  1 9 1 6  Seagrave 
pumper  truck,  considered  a  classic  by 
fire  buffs.  Not  long  afterward  they 
acquired  a  1932  ladder  truck. 

"Dick  and  I  not  only  liked  the 
trucks  as  they  were,"  Ambler  says, 
"we  also  thought  that  they  should  be 
preserved  to  depict  the  history  of 
firefighting." 

Soon  Ambler  and  Shailer  dis- 
covered that  they  were  not  alone  in 
their  desire  to  further  the  fire  truck 
preservation  project.  "A  number  of 
people  wanted  to  help  out,"  Ambler 
reports.  "We  were  delighted,  because 
we  realized  that  we  couldn't  manage 
the  job  as  well  by  ourselves." 

The  result  of  this  outside  interest 
was  the  formation  of  the  Newington 
Antique  Fire  Apparatus  Association 
(nafa),  an  organization  of  some 
twenty  men  who  are  dedicated  to  the 
care  and  maintenance  of  old  fire  ap- 


paratus. One  of  the  organization's 
first  successes  was  the  location  of  a 
more  suitable  garage  for  the  two  ve- 
hicles, which  had  been  temporarily 
housed  at  Newington  Volunteer  Fire 
Department  headquarters. 

"There  was  only  one  problem  with 
the  new  garage,"  Ambler  says.  "It  was 
forty  feet  long  and  the  ladder  truck 
alone  is  fifty-five  feet  long,  nafa 
members  helped  to  remedy  the  situa- 
tion by  building  a  forty-foot  addi- 
tion." 

Now,  even  with  the  addition,  the 
garage  is  a  bit  snug.  A  1922  Model  T 
delivery  wagon,  painted  fire  engine 
red  and  fitted  up  with  auxiliary  lad- 
ders and  equipment,  was  recently  ac- 
quired and  is  stored  there.  Also,  last 
summer  the  town  of  Newington 
turned  over  two  1929  Buffalo  pumper 
trucks  to  the  care  of  nafa.  The  Buf- 
falos  had  been  in  service  in 
Newington  ever  since  the  town's  fire 
department  was  organized  in  1929, 
and  had  recently  been  maintained  by 
the  Civil  Defense  Fire  Division  for 
emergency  use.  nafa  squeezed  them 
into  its  garage  and  promised  to  keep 
them  in  operating  condition  so  they 
could  be  on  call  should  a  disaster 
occur. 

nafa  members  pride  themselves  in 
their  maintenance  and  repair  of  the 
antique  vehicles.  "Many  replace- 


ment parts  no  longer  exist,"  Ambler 
relates.  "So  we  make  our  own 
whenever  we  can."  Tires  present  one 
of  the  worst  problems,  but  old  fire- 
hose has  been  donated  by  the  town 
fire  department  so  that  the  trucks 
may  be  properly  equipped. 

In  spite  of  obvious  difficulties, 
nafa  has  managed  to  keep  all  of  the 
trucks  in  perfect  working  condition. 
The  1 91 6  Seagrave,  which  was  in  use 
in  Springfield,  Mass.  from  191 6  to 
1 949  and  later  used  as  a  standby 
water  pump  by  the  Springfield  Water 
Department  until  the  early  1960s, 
still  pumps  its  750  gpm  rating.  The 
1932  ladder  truck  puts  up  its  spring- 
raised  ladder  in  six  seconds.  The  red 
Model  T  delivery  wagon  runs  well, 
and  is  often  driven  by  Curt's  daugh- 
ter, Rosalind,  in  parades. 

Ambler  serves  as  chief  of  the 
Newington  Antique  Fire  Apparatus 
Association.  He  is  also  manager  of 
engineering  in  the  Industrial  Hard- 
ware Division  of  The  Stanley  Works, 
a  Newington  town  councilman,  and 
a  member  of  the  board  of  Newington 
Children's  Hospital.  His  love  of  organ 
music  led  him  to  install  a  pipe  organ 
in  his  home. 

But  nafa  is  perhaps  the  closest  to 
his  heart,  "nafa  is  truly  a  family 
affair,"  he  says.  "The  wives  and 
families  of  association  members  go 
along  with  them  on  parade  jaunts  and 
fire  brigade  competitions  all  over 
New  England,  nafa,"  he  concludes, 
"is  strictly  for  fun." 


WP1  Journal  I  February  1978131 


1963 

Joseph  DeBeaumont  is  employed  as  a 
senior  associate  engineer  at  IBM  (SCD  Divi- 
sion) in  Kingston,  N.Y. ...  Dr.  Robert 
Desmond,  head  of  the  mechanical  en- 
gineering department  at  Rochester  Insti- 
tute of  Technology,  has  just  completed  an 
engineering  textbook  entitled  Engineering 
Heat  Transfer.  Over  thirty  schools  have 
already  adopted  it  in  its  first  year  of  availa- 
bility. . .  .  Robert  Elwell  is  a  senior  software 
engineer  at  Digital  Equipment  Corp.  in 
Maynard,  Mass. . . .  Lawrence  Escott  has 
changed  careers.  He  has  left  data  process- 
ing and  presently  works  as  a  security 
analyst  for  Fitch  Investors  Service.  . .  . 
Richard  Garvais  is  director  of  materials  at 
Wilson  Sporting  Goods  in  River  Grove,  III. 
He  and  his  wife,  Carol,  have  two  children, 
Ricky,  11,  and  Susan,  8. 

Dr.  Richard  Kashnow  has  been  ap- 
pointed as  manager  of  the  liaison  operation 
at  GE's  Research  and  Development  Center 
in  Schenectady,  N.Y.  He  will  direct  the 
activities  of  liaison  scientists,  who  advise 
the  center  of  the  technical  needs  of  GE's 
operating  sectors  and  evaluate  the  pro- 
grams for  application  to  various  company 
components.  Since  1 970  he  has  conducted 
research  on  liquid  crystals  which  are  now 
finding  widespread  application  in  elec- 
tronic watches,  advertising  panels,  and  var- 
ious instruments.  He  has  received  several 
patents,  and  has  written  some  twenty 
technical  publications.  In  1975  he  was 
named  liaison  scientist  for  the  major 
appliance  business  group  and  in  1977  a 
staff  member  of  the  Corporate  Technology 
Study.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Kashnow  have  two 
sons. 

John  Pisinski,  Jr.  is  now  assistant  general 
manager  of  the  Bag  Division's  Plastics 
Group  for  Union  Camp  Corporation.  He 
became  affiliated  with  the  firm  in  1963  and 
was  previously  manager  of  the  company's 
bag  plant  in  Richmond,  Va.  In  his  new  post 
he  will  be  headquartered  in  Providence,  R.I. 
. . .  Paul  Ulcickas  has  been  promoted  to 
engineer  in  charge  of  tubular  high  intensity 
discharge  lamp  development  at  Sylvania  in 
Manchester,  N.H. 

1964 

Major  Robert  Najaka,  a  flight  commander 
with  the  U.S.  Air  Force,  is  currently 
stationed  at  Mather  AFB  in  Sacramento, 
Calif. . . .  Michael  Penti  is  a  project  man- 
ager in  the  industrial  division  at  Vappi 
Company  in  Cambridge,  Mass.  The  Pentis 
have  three  sons,  Patrick,  Brian,  and  Paul. 
.  .  .  Bob  Rounds,  Jr.  is  entering  his  third 
year  as  a  manufacturers  agent  in  Illinois, 
Iowa,  and  Wisconsin.  His  firm,  Rounds 
Technical  Sales,  Wheaton,  Illinois,  sells  hy- 
draulic components  to  OEM's. . . .  Peter 
Tancredi  has  been  promoted  to  vice  presi- 
dent of  the  environmental  engineering  di- 
vision at  Camp  Dresser  &  McKee  Inc., 
Denver,  Colo.  Formerly  a  company  project 


manager,  he  has  been  responsible  for  the 
design  of  several  sanitary  intercepting  sew- 
ers, storm  sewers,  and  water  mains,  and  for 
project  scheduling,  budget  monitoring, 
specification  writing,  and  personnel  man- 
agement. He  is  a  professional  engineer  in 
Colorado  and  belongs  to  ASCE,  the  Water 
Pollution  Control  Federation,  the  Consult- 
ing Engineers  Council  of  Colorado,  and  the 
Rocky  Mountain  Section  of  the  Water  Pol- 
lution Control  Association.  The  Tancredis 
have  three  children,  Karen,  David,  and 
Joseph. . . .  Thomas  Zagryn,  personnel 
development  supervisor  at  Pratt  &  Whitney 
Aircraft,  recently  served  as  a  staff  loaned 
executive  for  the  United  Way  of  Greater 
Hartford  fund  drive.  He  and  eleven  other 
"borrowed"  executives  from  Hartford  area 
organizations,  helped  to  raise  over 
$200,000  in  the  commercial  sector  of 
the  campaign.  From  1975  through  1977  he 
had  served  as  department  coordinator  at 
Pratt  &  Whitney  for  the  campaign.  Pres- 
ently he  is  financial  secretary  of  the  Bristol 
Polish  American  Citizens  Club.  He  is  past 
vice  president  and  director  of  the  Bristol 
Musicians  Association. 

1965 

Nils  Ericksen  is  now  the  general  manager 
of  Okemo  Mountain  ski  area  in  Ludlow,  Vt. 
He  helped  form  the  Mountain  Division  of 
Dufresne-Henry  Engineering  Corp.  of 
Springfield  (Vt.)  and  has  been  involved  in 
the  development  of  a  number  of  ski  areas, 
snow-making  operations  (including 
Okemo's)  and  real  estate  and  industrial 
projects.  He  is  a  technical  editor  of  Ski  Area 
Management  Magazine,  a  licensed  tram- 
way inspector  in  Massachusetts,  and  holds 
engineering  licenses  in  Vermont,  Colorado, 
and  Virginia.  He  and  his  wife,  Pam,  have  a 
daughter. . .  .  Benjamin  Surowiecki  holds 
the  post  of  plant  manager  for  Loctite  in 
Puerto  Rico.  He  resides  in  Mayaguez. . . . 
Robert  Cahill  has  been  appointed  vice  pres- 
ident of  sales  and  marketing  of  SGL  Homa- 
lite,  a  division  of  SGL  Industries,  Wil- 
mington, Delaware.  He  had  been  sales 
manager  since  1975.  Earlier  he  was  with 
the  Navy  as  a  lieutenant  and  in  the  Sea- 
bees.  In  Vietnam  he  was  wounded  in  action 
and  received  the  Navy  Commendation 
Medal.  He  received  his  MBA  degree  in 
marketing  from  the  Wharton  School  of 
Finance,  University  of  Pennsylvania,  in 
1971 ,  and  joined  Hilti  Fastening  Systems 
where  he  rose  to  the  position  of  product 
manager.  In  1975  he  joined  Homalite  as 
sales  manager.  The  Cahills  have  a  daugh- 
ter, Emma,  2,  and  a  son,  Robert,  six  months 
old. 

1966 

Stanley  Livingston  works  for  Watkins 
Johnson  in  Palo  Alto,  Calif.  . .  .  Currently 
Leonard  Weckel  is  a  chemical  engineer  at 
Spotts,  Stevens  &  McCoy  in  Wyomissing, 
Pa. 


1967 

^Married:  Frank  T.  Jodaitis  to  Miss  Carol 
A.  Gass  on  November  26, 1977  in  Kings- 
ton, Pennsylvania.  Mrs.  Jodaitis  received 
her  BA  from  Wilkes  College  and  her  MEd 
from  Boston  College.  Her  husband  is  an 
administrator  for  the  town  of  Manchester 
(Conn.)  Water  and  Sewer  Department. 

►fiorn:  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  L.  Stumpp 
a  daughter  Suzanne  Beth  on  December  29, 
1977.  John  is  an  electronic  engineer  with 
the  Department  of  Defense  in  Fort  Meade, 
Maryland. 

Charles  Foskett  has  been  promoted 
from  vice  president  and  general  manager 
to  president  of  Digilab,  Inc.  in  Cambridge, 
Mass.  He  originally  joined  Block  Engineer- 
ing, parent  company  of  Digilab.  When 
Digilab  was  formed  in  1969,  he  became 
involved  in  the  development  of  software 
systems  for  the  new  company.  In  1970  he 
was  named  vice  president  and  director  of 
manufacturing  and  engineering.  In  1975 
he  became  general  manager. . . .  William 
Pratt  serves  as  an  outside  plant  associate  at 
New  England  Telephone  in  Portland, 
Maine. 

1968 

Donald  Bergstrom  works  as  a  project  en- 
gineer at  Westvaco  Corp.  in  Wickliffe,  Ky. 
.  .  .  Robert  Gemmer  is  a  research  chemist  at 

American  Cyanamid  in  Stamford,  Conn 

William  Hawkins  holds  the  position  of 
project  engineer  at  the  Naval  Underwater 
Systems  Center  in  New  London,  Conn.  He 
is  also  government  in-plant  representative 
at  Honeywell  of  West  Covina,  Calif.  Last 
year  he  received  his  MS  in  ocean  engineer- 
ing from  the  University  of  Rhode  Island 

Tom  Marmen,  MNS,  serves  as  engineering 
manager  at  Digital  Equipment  Corp., 

Worcester David  Morris  is  employed  as 

a  technical  specialist  at  Betz  Laboratories  in 

West  Springfield,  Mass Mario  Zampieri 

is  a  project  engineer  for  Brown  &  Root,  Inc., 
Oak  Brook,  Illinois. 

1969 

^■Married:  Donald  B.  Esson  and  Beverly  J. 
Nash  on  October  15, 1977  in  Lancaster, 
New  Hampshire.  The  bride  graduated  from 
Bates  College  and  the  University  of  Rhode 
Island.  She  was  employed  by  Weegar-Pride 
Book  Co.  Her  husband  is  with  Pratt  & 
Whitney  Aircraft,  East  Hartford,  Conn, 
where  he  is  a  senior  materials  engineer.  In 
1972  he  received  his  MS  in  materials  sci- 
ence from  WPI. . . .  Douglas  J.  George  and 
Miss  Linda  J.  Cavanaugh  in  Norwood, 
Massachusetts  on  December  10, 1977. 
Mrs.  George,  who  is  employed  at  Mas- 
sachusetts Financial  Services,  Boston, 
graduated  from  the  Chandler  School  for 
Women  and  the  Academie  Moderne.  The 
bridegroom  earned  his  MBA  at  Babson 
College.  He  is  with  George  Associates  in 
Needham. 


32  I  February  1 978  I  WPI  Journal 


>Born:  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barry  Shiffrin  a 
daughter  Erica  Leigh  on  August  4,  1977. 

Normand  Bachand  holds  the  post  of  staff 
psychologist  at  the  Clinton  County  Mental 
Health  Clinic  in  Pittsburgh,  N.Y.  He  was 
slated  to  receive  his  PhD  in  clinical  psychol- 
ogy from  Wayne  State  University  in  De- 
cember. . . .  John  Thompson  serves  as  vice 
president  and  controller  of  Stowe  Wood- 
ward Co.  in  Newton,  Mass. 

1970 

^■Married:  J.  Randall  Huber  and  Miss 
Dorothy  B.  LaMarca  on  October  30,  1977 
in  Melrose,  Massachusetts.  The  bride 
graduated  from  Wilfred  Academy  and  at- 
tended Berklee  School  of  Music.  She  is  a 
co-owner  of  Mam'selle  Hair  Design  and 
the  Chop  Shop  in  Melrose.  Her  husband  is 
with  Bayside  Engineering  in  Boston. 

John  Cattel  has  been  promoted  to  dis- 
trict service  manager  at  Riley  Stoker  Corp. 
in  Worcester. .  .  .  Paul  Dresser  has  com- 
pleted his  initial  training  at  Delta  Air  Lines 
training  school  at  the  Hartsfield  Atlanta 
International  Airport  and  is  now  assigned 
to  the  airline's  Boston  pilot  base  as  a  second 
officer.  The  Dressers  have  a  son,  Douglas 
Paul. . . .  James  Ford  works  as  an  assistant 
actuary  at  State  Mutual  Life  Assurance  Co., 
Worcester. . . .  Francis  Vernile  was  recently 
named  vice  president  of  Fraioli-Blum- 
Yesselman  of  New  England,  a  Hartford 
(Conn.)  structural  engineering  firm.  Frank, 
a  registered  professional  engineer  in  Con- 
necticut, has  been  affiliated  with  the  firm 
since  1972.  He  has  a  master's  degree  from 
the  University  of  Connecticut.  .  . .  Alan 
Zabarsky  has  been  appointed  to  the  new 
position  of  resource  manager,  antenna  sys- 
tems, at  Motorola  Corp.  in  Rolling 
Meadows,  III.  Last  year  he  joined  Motorola 
as  quality  assurance  manager.  Previously 
he  was  with  Bell  Labs.,  Holmdel,  N.J.  He 
has  a  master's  degree  from  Columbia  Uni- 
versity. 

1971 

^■Married:  Alan  H.  Shapiro  and  Miss  Deb- 
orah T.  Hall  on  September  10, 1977  in  New 
York.  The  bride  graduated  from  Skidmore 
College  and  RIT.  The  couple  is  residing  in 
Santa  Fe,  New  Mexico. 

Dick  Arena  has  become  associated  with 
Martin  Marietta  Aluminum  as  an  account 
executive.  His  responsibilities  include  sales 
of  forging  and  extrusions  to  aerospace 
ordnance  and  commercial  manufacturers 
in  the  territory  bounded  by  Michigan  and 
Indiana  on  the  west,  Virginia,  West  Vir- 
ginia, and  Kentucky  on  the  south,  and  by 
Quebec  and  Ontario  Provinces  to  the 
north. 

Presently  Barry  Belanger  serves  as  a  sys- 
tems design  engineer  for  GE  Medical  Sys- 
tems in  Milwaukee.  .  .  .  Gary  Berlin  has 
joined  Norton  Co.,  Worcester,  as  a  quality 
control  engineer  in  the  industrial  ceramics 
division.  Formerly  he  was  a  development 


MORGAN 

CONSTRUCTION  COMPANY 


15  Belmont  Street.  Worcester,   Mass.  01605 

Serving  the  Ferrous  and  Non- Ferrous  World  Markets  since  1888  as 
Engineers  and  Manufacturers  of  Rolling  Mills,  Morgoil  Bearings, 
Wire  Drawing  Machinery  and  Furnace  Equipment 


jamesbury 

p    I  manufacturers  of  v 

^-^  Double-Seal  ®  Ball  Valves 

Wafer-Sphere®  Butterfly  Valves 

Actuators 

Control  Devices 

Jamesbury  Corp  •  640  Lincoln  Street  •  Worcester.  Mass  01605 


engineer  at  United  Nuclear  Corp.  of  Un- 
casville,  Conn. . .  .  Nathaniel  Ericson  holds 
the  post  of  supervisor  of  systems  at  Conti- 
nental Can,  Merrimack,  N.H. . . .  Thomas 
Kaminski  is  a  teaching  assistant  at  the 
University  of  Wisconsin,  where  he  is  a  PhD 

candidate Ben  Katcoff  has  been  named 

corporate  benefits  manager  at  Polaroid 
Corp.  in  Cambridge,  Mass.  With  Polaroid 
for  nearly  seven  years,  he  has  charge  of 
disability  programs,  workers  compensa- 
tion, retirement  benefits,  profit  sharing, 
and  pensions.  He  also  handles  medical 
benefits,  dental  insurance,  Blue  Cross 
plans,  life  insurance,  and  travel  accident 
insurance. 


Dr.  James  Kaufman  has  been  appointed 
an  associate  professor  of  chemistry  at  Curry 
College  in  Milton,  Mass.,  where  he  will  also 
serve  as  head  coach  of  the  men's  and 
women's  soccer  teams.  For  the  past  four 
years  he  conducted  a  vigorous  research 
program  in  the  areas  of  hydrocarbon  oxida- 
tion, dehydrohalogenation,  and  thermal 
and  photolytic  halogenations  at  Dow 
Chemical  in  Wayland,  Mass.  Earlier  he  had 
taught  at  Westfield  State  College  and  WPI, 
where  he  was  a  postdoctoral  fellow.  He  is  a 
former  Clark  University  varsity  soccer 
coach  and  WPI  junior  varsity  coach.  A 
member  of  Sigma  Xi,  he  also  was  a  Petro- 
leum Research  Fund  Fellow,  and  a  member 
of  Phi  Lambda  Upsilon.  For  the  past  six 
years,  he  has  played  for  Worcester  Scans 
Soccer  Club.  Previously  he  was  a  soccer- 
style  kicker  for  the  Nashua  Colts  in  the  New 

England  Professional  Football  League 

Myles  Kleper,  program  manager  for  Wal- 
den  Research,  a  division  of  Abcor  located  in 
Wilmington,  Mass.,  is  currently  an  MBA 
candidate  at  Northeastern  University.  His 
wife,  Judith  Izen  Kleper,  is  a  graduate  stu- 
dent at  Harvard  School  of  Public  Health. 


WPI  Journal  I  February  1 978 1 33 


Schwieger  Award  to 
Nicholas  Moffa 

On  January  24,  WPI  and  the  School  of 
Industrial  Management  presented 
Nicholas  S.  Moffa,  president  of  Bay 
State  Abrasives,  with  the  Albert  J. 
Schwieger  Award  for  outstanding 
achievement  as  a  businessman  and  a 
concerned  citizen. 

The  citation  called  Moffa  "a  mod- 
ern day  Horatio  Alger  who  has  suc- 
cessfully combined  business  talents 
and  a  concern  for  people."  It  further 
stated  that  "your  contributions  to  the 
success  of  Bay  State  Abrasives  have 


come  in  a  multitude  of  ways  during 
many  years  of  superior  service,  both 
domestically  and  internationally. 
Your  dedication  and  quiet  but  firm 
leadership,  coupled  with  an  ability 
and  desire  to  explore  new  methods, 
ideas  and  management  skills,  have 
been  an  inspiration  to  your  co- 
workers and  a  source  of  pride  to  all 
who  know  you." 


Ralph  Reddick,  a  candidate  for  a  mas- 
ter's degree  in  music  composition  at  New 
York's  Eastman  School  of  Music,  presently 
performs  in  the  Erhard-Reddick  Double 
Bass  Duo.  Recently  he  and  Erhard  spent 
two  days  giving  string  bass  clinics  for  music 
students  at  Thomaston  (Conn.)  High 
School.  Reddick,  who  received  his  bachelor 
of  music  degree  in  composition  from  the 
University  of  Connecticut  last  year,  is  now 
studying  bass  with  James  B.  VanDemark. 
He  has  written  works  for  voice  with 
chamber  ensembles,  piano,  small  ensem- 
bles, and  solo  percussion,  and  has  com- 
posed larger  orchestral  and  choral  works. 
He  taught  theory,  studied,  and  performed 
in  Siena,  Italy  at  special  summer  music 
programs  held  in  1974  and  1976. 

Stanley  Sotek  is  a  manufacturing  en- 
gineer at  Anderson  Power  Products,  Inc.,  in 
Boston. . .  .  Albert  Stromquist  serves  as  a 
staff  geologist  at  Amerada  Hess  Corp.  in 
New  York  City.  He  is  involved  with  interna- 
tional petroleum  exploration.  He  and  his 
wife  Elaine,  a  graduate  of  NYU  and  UMass, 
reside  in  New  York. 

1972 

^-Married:  Thomas  W.  Staehr  and  Miss 
Jean  H.  Keller  in  Scottsboro,  Alabama  on 
November  5,  1977.  The  groom  is  with 
Townsend  and  Bottum  of  Ann  Arbor, 
Michigan. 

Andrew  Glazier  is  presently  a  graduate 
student  at  the  University  of  New  Hamp- 
shire in  Durham.  .  .  .  Bruce  Hall  is  an 
electrical  engineering  contract  adminis- 
trator (civil  service)  for  the  Navy  at 
Portsmouth  (N.H.)  Naval  Shipyard. .  . . 
Henry  Greene  teaches  mathematics  at 


34 1  February  1 978 1  WPI  Journal 


Salisbury  (Md.)  State  College. .  .  .  Walter 
Mcllveen  is  now  a  project  engineer  at 
Smith,  Hinchman  &  Grylls  in  Detroit, 
Michigan. . . .  Steven  Packard,  who  re- 
ceived his  diploma  in  Christian  studies  from 
Regent  College,  Vancouver,  B.C.  last  May, 
currently  serves  as  a  process  engineer  at 
Owens/Corning  Fiberglas  in  Huntingdon, 
Pa. 

Gary  Rand  works  as  an  electrical  design 
engineer  for  Compugraphic  Corporation, 
Wilmington,  Mass. 

1973 

^■Married:  Thomas  Bileski  to  Miss  Pamela 
C.  Bess  on  October  29, 1977  in  Fenton, 
Missouri.  Mrs.  Bileski  attended 
Washington  University.  The  groom  is  a 
field  and  sales  engineer  with  Texas  Instru- 
ments of  Dallas. . . .  Gary  F.  Selden  and 
Linda  B.  Freeman  on  October  8,  1977  in 
Schenectady,  New  York.  The  bride 
graduated  from  Mohawk  Valley  Commu- 
nity College  and  serves  as  a  legal  secretary 
at  GE  Research  and  Development  Center  in 
Schenectady.  Her  husband,  who  is  working 
for  his  PhD  in  materials  science  at  RPI,  is  a 
composite  materials  engineer  for  GE  at  the 
Center. 

Theodore  Covert,  SIM,  of  Norton  Com- 
pany has  been  named  manager  of  the 
Industrial  Ceramics  Division's  new  igniter 
plant  in  Milford,  N.H.  He  joined  the  division 
in  1960  and  served  most  recently  as  chief 
project  engineer.  In  his  new  post  he  will  be 
concerned  with  the  firm's  electro-ceramic 
igniter,  which  is  used  as  an  energy-saving 
replacement  for  standing  pilot  lights  in  gas 
appliances. 


Dr.  David  Hubbell  is  a  resident  in  obstet- 
rics and  gynecology  at  the  Naval  Regional 
Medical  Center  in  San  Diego,  Calif. 

Dave  and  Ellen  Moomaw  have  taken  up 
hang  gliding.  They  spent  part  of  November 
just  three  miles  south  of  Kitty  Hawk,  which 
because  of  the  high  dunes,  proved  to  be  a 
fantastic  site  for  their  early  flights.  Dave 
earned  his  Hang  II  and  Ellen  got  her  Hang  I. 
Dave  has  developed  a  new  urethane 
prosthetic  hoof-like  foot  for  his  leg  that 
does  not  require  a  shoe.  It  was  designed  for 
walking  the  dunes  during  the  hang  gliding 
lessons,  but  has  proved  to  be  so  comfort- 
able that  he  continues  to  wear  it  full  time. 
The  Moomaws  are  incorporated  as  En- 
ginique  Creations.  Dave  is  president  and 
chief  engineer  and  Ellen  is  business  man- 
ager and  chief  "gopher." 

Richard  Page  is  a  project  engineer  at 
Schneider,  Inc.,  Pittsburgh,  Pa.  The  Pages 
have  a  daughter,  a  year  and  a  half  old. . . . 
John  Stasaitis,  Jr.  works  for  United  En- 
gineers &  Constructors,  Inc.,  Boston,  Mass. 

1974 

^■Married:  George  Ranney  and  Elizabeth 
C.  Venable  of  Charleston,  West  Virginia  on 
August  6, 1977.  James  Edwards  partici- 
pated in  the  wedding  service.  Mrs.  Ranney 
attended  Fairmont  State  College  and  is  a 
secretary  for  the  West  Virginia  Department 
of  Highways.  The  bridegroom  is  with  Du- 
Pont  at  the  firm's  biochemicals  plant  in 
Belle,  W.Va.,  where  he  works  in  environ- 
mental control William  G.  Gunther  and 

Miss  Maureen  A.  Corcoran  on  January  7, 
1978  in  Branford,  Connecticut.  The  bride 
received  a  BS  degree  in  horticulture  from 
the  University  of  Rhode  Island  at  Kingston. 
Her  husband  is  a  plant  manager  with 
George  Schmitt  &  Co.  in  Branford.  . . . 


RISING  ECONOMY. 


Millions  of  fine  bubbles  from 
Norton  Dome  Diffuser  Aeration 
Systems  are  giving  economy  and 
efficiency  a  lift  in  activated  sludge 
processing  around  the  world. 
These  advanced  aeration  systems 
offer  cost-effective  advantages 
right  down  the  line. 

The  big  savings  are  in 
energy  because  DDAS  oxygen 
transfer  efficiency  provides  more 
BOD  removal  per  unit  of  energy 
than  any  other  type  of  aeration  sys- 
tem-up  to  8. 9  lbs.  oxygen  trans- 
ferredper  bhp-hr.  at  standard 
conditions.  What's  more,  low  air 
volume  means  further  savings  with 
smaller  blowers,  filters,  pipes  and 
buildings. 

Installation  costs  are  low  for 
simple  DDAS  design  and  construc- 


tion. Any  type  or  size  tank. .  .new 
or  converted. .  .can  be  used. 

Capital  and  operating  costs 
are  lower  with  DDAS  single-stage 


BOD  removal  and  nitrification. 

Maintenance  costs  are  vir- 
tually eliminated  because  the 
blowers  are  the  only  moving  com- 
ponents. .  .and  they're  totally 
enclosed  and  weather-protected. 

Just  some  of  the  reasons  why 
Norton  Dome  Diffuser  Aeration 
Systems  are  on  the  rise  around  the 
world,  in  both  existing  and  ex- 
panded waste  treatment  plants. 
Find  out  how  they  can  lower  your 
capital  and  operating  costs.  Write 
for  new  Bulletin  519  or  give  us  a  call 
(617)  853-1000.  Norton  Company, 
Aeration  Systems.  New  Bond 
Street,  Worcester,  MA  01606. 


NORTON 


Suzanne  Haughey  Carroll,  MNS,  has 
been  named  as  the  state  representative  to 
the  West  Brookfield  (Mass.)  Housing  Au- 
thority. . . .  Charlie  Dodd  presently  serves 
as  a  manufacturing  engineer  at  Hitchiner 
Manufacturing  in  Milford,  N.H.  His  wife 
Annie  McPartland  Dodd,  75,  is  a  project 
engineerfor  Anheuser  Busch  in  Merrimack, 
N.H. . . .  Joseph  Downey,  Jr.  works  as  a 
technical  services  representative  for  HNU 
Systems,  Inc.  in  Newton,  Mass. . . .  Joseph 
Caffen,  a  controls  engineer  for  UOP/Air 
Correction  Division,  Darien,  Conn.,  is  now 
active  as  a  start-up  engineer  for  UOP  SO2 
Scrubbing  System  at  Petersburg  Generat- 
ing Station,  Indiana Brother  James 

Morabito,  MNS,  serves  as  a  deacon  at  St. 
Leo's  Parish  in  Columbus,  Ohio. . . .  Con- 
tinuing with  Veeder-Root  Co.,  Craig  Tyler 
is  now  service  manager  for  the  petroleum 
division.  He  resides  in  Rocky  Hill,  Conn — 
David  Washburn  is  a  sanitary  engineer  for 
the  U.S.  Fish  and  Wildlife  Service  in  New- 
ton Corner,  Mass. 

1975 

^Married:  Stephen  A.  Caggiano  to  Deb- 
orah A.  Cyr  in  Norwood,  Massachusetts  on 
October  22, 1977.  The  bride  graduated 
from  the  University  of  Massachusetts  in 
Amherst  and  is  a  development  technician 
at  Corning  Medical,  Medfield,  Mass.  Her 
husband  is  with  AFI,  Inc.  in  Newtonville — 
Glen  D.  Richardson  and  Miss  Cynthia 
Specht  in  Watertown,  Massachusetts  re- 
cently. Mrs.  Richardson,  a  graduate  of 
Ohio  Wesleyan  University,  works  for  the 
Children's  Hospital  Medical  Center  in  Bos- 
ton. The  groom  is  employed  by  Richardson 

Electric  Co.,  Inc.  of  Waltham Alexander 

V.  Vogt  to  Miss  Colette  L.  Farland  recently 
in  Manchester,  New  Hampshire.  The  bride 
graduated  from  the  University  of  New 
Hampshire  with  a  degree  in  interpersonal 
communications.  She  had  been  employed 
by  Amoskeag  Savings  Bank.  Her  husband  is 
with  Stone  &  Webster. 

Karen  Arbige  was  appointed  vice  presi- 
dent of  Casher  Associates,  Inc.  of  Brook- 
line,  Mass.  on  October  1  st.  The  company  is 
concerned  with  data  processing  and  man- 
agement consulting.  .  . .  Presently  Peter 
Arcoma  serves  as  a  resident  engineer  for 
Stauffer  Chemical  Co.  of  Dobbs  Ferry,  N.Y. 
. . .  Robert  Bradley  holds  the  post  of 
product  support  specialist  at  Digital  Equip- 
ment Corp.,  Maynard,  Mass. . . .  Christo- 
pher Danker  is  with  Electronized  Chemical 
in  Burlington,  Mass. .  .  .  Continuing  with 
Monsanto  Co.,  Mario  DiGiovanni  is  now 
taking  a  four-month  leave  of  absence  from 
his  home  office,  while  on  temporary  as- 
signment at  the  firm's  Avon  plant  in  Mar- 
tinez, Calif.  He  is  a  process  engineer  in  the 
technical  services  department  of  Monsan- 
to's  Wm.  G.  Krummrich  plant  in  Sauget,  III., 
across  the  Mississippi  River  from  St.  Louis, 
Mo.  Also,  he  is  attending  Washington  Uni- 
versity Graduate  School,  part  time,  where 
he  is  working  for  his  MS  in  chemical- 
materials  engineering. 

36  I  February  1 978  I  WPI  Journal 


Michael  Duda  is  doing  graduate  work  at 
Colorado  State  University  in  Fort  Collins. 
.  .  .  John  Greenstreet  is  an  engineering 
field  representative  for  GE  in  Syracuse,  N.Y. 
. . .  Frederick  Greulich  holds  tine  post  of 
manufacturing  manager  at  Procter  & 
Gamble  in  Quincy,  Mass. . . .  Richard 
Jackson  works  as  a  community  planner  for 

CUPPAD  in  Escanaba,  Michigan James 

Reynolds,  SIM,  has  been  appointed  trea- 
surer of  Jamesbury  Corp.,  Worcester.  He 
joined  the  manufacturer  of  ball  and  but- 
terfly valves  in  1965  and  has  held  several 
administrative  positions  including,  most  re- 
cently, that  of  assistant  treasurer.  He  be- 
longs to  the  National  Association  of  Ac- 
countants. . . .  Todd  Whitaker  is  with  the 
Naval  Underwater  Systems  Center  in  New 
London,  Conn. 

David  Salomaki  works  as  a  development 
engineer  at  Hewlett  Packard  in  Cupertino, 
California. . . .  David  Schwartz  serves  as  an 
area  engineer  at  Daniel  Int.  Corp.  in  Fulton, 
Missouri. 

1976 

^■Married:  David  P.  Keenan  and  Miss  Ruth 
E.  Levy  on  August  20, 1977  in  Norwell, 
Massachusetts.  Mrs.  Keenan  is  a  scientist 
with  Science  Applications,  Inc.  Her  hus- 
band is  stationed  as  a  Coast  Guard  officer 
with  the  Bureau  of  Transportation  in 

Washington,  DC Thomas  J.  McAloon 

and  Miss  Kathleen  A.  Coyle  on  January  7, 
1978  in  Providence,  Rhode  Island.  Mrs. 
McAloon  attended  North  Adams  (Mass.) 
State  College.  The  groom  received  his  mas- 
ter's degree  in  environmental  engineering 
from  the  University  of  Massachusetts.  The 
McAloons  are  residing  in  the  Philippines 
where  they  are  serving  in  the  Peace  Corps. 

David  Chabot  is  a  systems  programmer 
at  Periphonics  Corp.  in  Bohemia,  N.Y. .  . . 
Norman  Gariepy  recently  earned  his  mas- 
ter's degree  in  accounting  from  Northeast- 
ern University's  Graduate  School  of  Profes- 
sional Accounting,  Boston.  As  part  of  the 
program,  he  worked  for  the  firm  of  Touche 
Ross  &  Co.,  where  he  is  now  a  staff  ac- 
countant. .  . .  Bill  Johnson  continues  as  a 
field  secretary  for  Phi  Gamma  Delta  Frater- 
nity. Headquarters  are  located  in 
Lexington,  Ky. . . .  Paul  Kalenian  is  presi- 
dentoftheG&SMill,  Inc.,  a  new  company 
in  Northboro,  Mass.,  which  has  developed 
a  line  of  unique,  high-efficiency  wood- 
burning  furnaces  for  commercial  and  in- 
dustrial use.  Created  by  Kalenian  over  the 
past  year  and  a  half,  the  heavy-duty  fur- 
naces are  designed  to  produce  from 
200,000  to  1 ,500,000  BTU's  per  hour  burn- 
ing four  foot  lengths  of  unsplit,  dried,  or 
green  wood.  The  furnaces  have  to  be 
stoked  only  once  every  12  hours,  are  ther- 
mostatically controlled,  and  operate  at  a 
cost  reduction  of  75%  compared  to  current 
oil-heat  rates. 

Zeses  Karoutas  and  his  wife,  Stephanie, 
have  received  their  master's  degrees  from 
Virginia  Polytechnic  Institute  and  State 


University.  Mrs.  Karoutas  is  a  Greek  lan- 
guage bilingual  teacher  in  Hartford,  Conn. 
Her  husband,  who  received  his  master's 
degree  in  nuclear  engineering,  is  a  nuclear 
reactor  design  engineer  for  Combustion 
Engineering  Co.,  Windsor,  Conn. . . . 
Thomas  May  is  a  district  engineer  in  train- 
ing at  the  Torrington  Co.  in  South  Bend, 
Ind. . .  .  James  Nolan  is  an  associate 
engineer  at  Raytheon  Corporation's 
equipment  development  labs  in  Sudbury, 
Mass. . . .  Raymond  Robey  works  as  a 
research  engineer  at  Arthur  D.  Little,  Inc.,  in 
Cambridge,  Mass. 

1977 

^Married:  Scott  M.  Sieburth  to  Miss  Col- 
leen M.  Doyle  on  December  17,  1977  in 
Cold  Spring,  New  York.  The  bride  attended 
Becker  and  graduated  from  Worcester 
State  College.  The  groom  is  a  graduate 
student  at  Harvard  University. 

2/Lt.  Timothy  Ascani  recently  completed 
an  infantry  officer  basic  course  in  the  U.S. 
Army  Infantry  School  in  Fort  Benning,  Ga. 
.  .  .  Paul  Avakian  has  accepted  a  post  in  the 
manufacturing  engineering  department  at 
Data  General  Corp.  in  Southboro  where  he 
is  a  test  engineer. . . .  David  Bolin  is  a 
graduate  student  in  the  PhD  chemistry 
program  at  MIT. . . .  Andrew  Clancy  works 
for  Western  Electric  in  North  Andover, 
Mass. .  . .  Currently  William  Cloutier,  Jr. 
serves  as  an  assistant  engineer  for  Ebasco 
Services,  Inc.  in  New  York  City. .  .  .  Asta 
Dabrila  is  a  loss  prevention  consultant  at 
Factory  Mutual  Engineering  in  Norwood, 
Mass. . . .  Kenneth  Fox  is  employed  as  an 
associate  systems  proposal  specialist  at  the 
Foxboro  (Mass.)  Company. . . .  Thomas 
Grautski  is  a  production  supervisor  for 
Estee  Lauder  in  Melville,  N.Y. 

Jon  Hammarstrom  works  for  Polaroid  in 
Norwood,  Mass.  .  .  .  Terry  Heinold  holds 
the  post  of  vice  president  and  part  owner  of 
New  England  Recycling  in  Leominster, 
Mass.  He  serves  as  commissioner  of  the 
Sterling  Softball  League,  manager  of 
Greenmeadow  Recreation  Field,  and  super- 
intendent of  Pratt's  Pond  Watershed.  . . . 
Gary  Kuba  is  a  computer  consultant  and 
analyst  for  Interactive  Systems,  Inc.,  in 
Boston. .  .  .  Gary  Loeb  is  presently  a 
supervisory  trainee  for  Niagara  Mohawk 
Power  Corp.  at  the  Albany'(N.Y.)  genera- 
tion plant.  He  holds  the  office  of  marshal  at 
Washington  Lodge  No.  85,  F.  &  A.M.  in 
Albany.  .  .  .  Kathy  Molony  is  a  project 
engineer  at  Clairol,  Inc.,  in  Stamford,  Conn. 
. .  .  Richard  Wheeler  holds  the  position  of 
product  sales  representative  for  the  Fire- 
stone Plastics  Company,  a  division  of  the 
Firestone  Fire  &  Rubber  Company  located 
in  Pottstown,  Pa.  His  market  responsibility 
makes  it  necessary  for  him  to  travel  in 
nearly  every  state  east  of  the  Mississippi 
River.  The  company  is  involved  with 
polyvinyl  chloride  film  and  sheeting. 


"Recognizably  distinct  quality^  our  president  tells 
financial  analysts,  and  Kodak  engineers  have  to  provide  it 


That  phrase  states  our  strategy  flat  out. 

We  know  it  succeeds,  if  only  we  can  get  help. 
Good  engineers  are  the  kind  of  help  we  need. 
They  devise,  design,  make,  and  market  things 
that  work  well  and  are  obviously  worth  the 
money  the  world's  people  give  for  them. 

Examples  from  the  recent  past,  the  now, 
and  the  near  future: 

•  Made-in-the-U.S.A.  Kodak  pocket 
cameras  good  enough  to  have  1.4  million  of 
them  shooting  pictures  in  Japan,  where  only  . 
35-mm  "status"  cameras  are  said  to  sell. 

•  Several  million  Kodak  instant  cameras 
now  making  color  prints  that  don't  smudge 
and  don't  require  peeling  anything  off  to 
throw  away. 

•  Lens/color  film  combinations  so  fast  that 
no  more  light  is  needed  for  photography  than 
for  reading  a  menu. 

•  Xerographic  film  that  has  its  light 
sensitivity  turned  on  and  off  electrically, 
develops  in  seconds,  and  can  do  it  over  and  over 
again  for  adding  image. 

•  Copier-duplicators  and  sensitized  products 
that  make  the  distribution  of  information  on 
paper  much  simpler  than  it  used  to  be. 


•  Simple,  quick,  low-cost  ways  of  retrieving 
microfilm  images  bearing  detail  too  voluminous 
to  keep  on  paper. 

•  An  extension  of  certain  special 
technologies  of  ours  far  beyond  the  image 
business  to  the  even  more  vital  business  of 
blood  chemistry. 

•  New  knowledge  about  dyes  and  fibers, 
which  molecules  cling  to  which  and  what 
they  do  to  light. 

•  New  environmentally  acceptable  solvents 
which  help  customers  formulate  coatings  that 
meet  stringent  air-pollution  standards. 

In  explaining  our  game  plan  on  such  matters, 
we  stress  one  theme  that  connects  everything 
together:  recognizably  distinct  quality.  The 
world  does  recognize  Kodak  quality,  and  we 
need  very  good  engineers  to  provide  it  at  a 
price  the  world  can  afford  to  pay. 

If  you  are  confident  you  will  turn  into  a 
very,  very  good  chemical,  mechanical,  electrical, 
or  industrial  engineer,  and  would  like  a  chance 
to  plot  your  own  growth  in  a  major  league, 
begin  by  telling  us  what  makes  you  confident. 
Tell  Business  and  Technical  Personnel,  Kodak, 
Rochester,  N.Y.  14650. 


An  equal-opportunity  employer  (f/m)  manufacturing  photographic 

products,  fibers,  plastics,  and  chemicals  with  plants  in  Rochester,  N.Y., 

Kingsport,  Tenn.,  Windsor,  Colo.,  Longview,  Tex.,  Columbia,  S.C., 

Batesville,  Ark.,  and  a  sales  force  all  over  the  U.S.A. 


James  B.  Lowell,  '07,  founder,  president 
and  treasurer  of  the  former  J.  B.  Lowell, 
Inc.,  builders  and  engineers,  died  De- 
cember 16,  1977  in  Oakdale,  Mas- 
sachusetts. He  was  92. 

He  was  born  on  Aug.  23,  1885  in 
Worcester.  After  studying  chemistry  at 
WPI ,  he  went  to  Colorado  School  of  Mines, 
graduating  as  a  metallurgical  engineer  in 
1908.  During  his  career  he  was  with 
George  A.  Fuller  Co.,  Mills  Woven  Car- 
tridge Belt  Co.,  New  England  Foundation 
Co.,  and  Lowell-Whipple  Co.  From  1939to 
1959  he  owned  and  operated  J.  B.  Lowell, 
Inc.  Later  he  served  the  firm  as  a  consul- 
tant. 

Mr.  Lowell  belonged  to  Phi  Gamma  Del- 
ta, Tau  Beta  Pi,  ASCE  (life  member),  the 
Boston  Society  of  Civil  Engineers,  and  the 
Masons.  He  was  a  past  vestryman  of  All 
Saints  Episcopal  Church  and  served  on  the 
Council  of  the  Episcopal  Diocese  of  West- 
ern Massachusetts.  An  honorary  director  of 
the  Worcester  Fresh  Air  Fund,  Inc.,  and 
honorary  trustee  of  Worcester  County  In- 
stitution for  Savings,  he  also  was  a  former 
board  member  of  the  Worcester  Science 
Museum,  Goddard  House,  and  the 
Worcester  Girl  Scout  Council. 

He  was  a  corporator  of  the  Worcester 
Boys'  Club,  served  on  the  members  council 
of  the  Worcester  Art  Museum,  and  had 
belonged  to  the  Worcester  Club,  Midas 
Club,  University  Club,  and  Tatnuck  Coun- 
try Club.  An  author,  he  had  written  for 
several  technical  publications  on  engineer- 
ing. He  was  the  father-in-law  of  William  P. 
Densmore,  '45. 

William  T.  Donath, '11,  of  Pawtucket, 
Rhode  Island  passed  away  on  September 
30, 1977.  He  graduated  from  WPI  as  a 
mechanical  engineer.  For  many  years  he 
was  a  night  superintendent  at  Coats  & 
Clark,  Inc.,  Pawtucket.  He  belonged  to 
Sigma  Phi  Epsilon. 


38  I  February  1 978  I  WPI  Journal 


Harry  C.  Thompson,  '15,  died  in  Hanover, 
New  Hampshire  on  August  29,  1977  fol- 
lowing a  long  illness. 

He  was  born  in  Ludlow,  Vt.  on  March  31 , 
1893.  He  received  his  general  science  de- 
gree from  WPI  in  1915.  For  a  number  of 
years  he  was  in  the  research  department  at 
General  Electric  in  Schenectady,  N.Y. 

Mrs.  Jean  Gras  writes  that  her  father, 
Donald  D.  Simonds,  '08,  died  in  Bur- 
lington, Vermont  at  the  age  of  92  on 
January  29,  1978.  "He  prepared  his 
obituary  in  1972  for  future  use,"  she  says. 
"Atthe  time  he  was  still  typingon  his  1912 
typewriter.  I  would  also  like  you  to  know 
that  he  requested  that  memorial  donations 
be  made  to  the  WPI  Scholarship  Fund,"  she 
continues.  "WPI  meant  a  great  deal  to  him. 
If  all  alumni  felt  as  strongly  as  Dad  did,  your 
worries  would  be  over.  I  have  been  inter- 
ested in  reading  the  Journal  recently.  It 
sounds  as  though  the  college  is  a  vibrant 
institution." 

Simonds  was  born  in  Westminster,  Mass. 
on  October  20, 1885.  In  1908  he 
graduated  with  his  BSME  from  WPI.  Fol- 
lowing graduation,  he  went  with  Reed  & 
Prince  Mfg.  Co.  in  Worcester,  where  he 
was  machine  shop  foreman  for  four  years. 
He  then  became  superintendent  of  the 
fibre  case  division  for  Bird  &  Son  in  East 
Walpole,  Mass. 

In  1916  he  helped  form  the  Reed  Small 
Tool  Works  in  Worcester,  a  firm  which 
manufactured  micrometers.  He  served  the 
company  as  secretary  and  manager.  Dur- 
ing the  depression  he  withdrew  from  Reed 
and  joined  the  George  C.  Whitney  Co.  as 
assistant  to  the  president.  In  1942  he  re- 
turned to  his  old  business  which  had 
merged  with  the  Reed  Rolled  Thread  Die 
Co.  He  retired  in  1 962  after  having  served  a 
total  of  thirty-three  years  with  the  com- 
pany. 

Mr.  Simonds  belonged  to  Theta  Chi,  and 
for  four  years  was  a  national  officer  of  the 
fraternity.  In  1917  he  was  instrumental  in 
acquiring  a  home  for  WPI's  Epsilon  Chap- 
ter. In  1964  he  was  chairman  of  the  fund- 
raising  campaign  to  expand  the  facilities  of 
the  chapter  house.  He  was  a  York  Rite 
Mason  and  a  member  of  the  Shrine.  For  six 
years  he  served  as  superintendent  of  the 
Sunday  School  and  for  eight  years  as  a  clerk 
of  the  church  for  the  First  Baptist  Church  in 
Worcester.  He  was  a  past  president  of  the 
Worcester  County  Chapter  of  the  Alumni 
Association  and  a  former  president  of  the 
Tech  Old-Timers. 

During  the  past  few  years,  Mr.  Simonds 
had  made  his  home  with  his  daughter,  Mrs. 
Alfred  Gras,  in  South  Hero,  Vt. 


George  C.  Graham,  '13,  an  inventor  who 
held  over  50  patents,  died  in  Paramus,  New 
Jersey  on  October  27, 1977.  He  was  86. 

Among  his  earliest  inventions  was  a 
washing  machine,  which  was  produced  by 
the  Acca  Corp.  of  Milwaukee.  He  also 
designed  an  electric  ice  box  and  became  a 
pioneer  in  installing  home  refrigeration  in 
this  country.  In  1959  he  put  a  special 
fuel-injection  system  into  a  1957  Chevrolet 
and  later  designed  an  air  compressor  that 
was  sold  to  the  Scovill  Manufacturing  Co. 
of  Waterbury,  Conn.  His  last  patent  (1972) 
was  for  a  fuel  pump  for  automobile  en- 
gines. 

Prior  to  the  depression,  Mr.  Graham 
owned  and  operated  Beaudette  &  Graham 
Co.  of  Boston,  one  of  the  largest  appliance 
businesses  in  New  England.  After  the  de- 
pression he  became  national  sales  manager 
of  W.  S.  Libby  Co.  of  Lewiston,  Me.,  from 
which  he  retired  in  1956.  He  then  turned  to 
full-time  inventing. 

Mr.  Graham  was  born  on  Oct.  30,  1890 
in  Pueblo,  Colo.  In  1913  he  received  his 
BSEE  from  WPI.  He  belonged  to  Tau  Beta 
Pi,  Sigma  Xi,  and  was  a  32nd  degree  Ma- 
son. He  was  the  father  of  George  C. 
Graham,  Jr.  of  the  class  of  1939. 

Frederick  E.  Wood,  '18,  died  in  Hingham, 
Massachusetts  on  November  21 ,  1977  at 
the  age  of  85. 

A  native  of  Springfield,  Mass.,  he  was 
born  on  July  10,  1892.  He  attended  WPI 
and  was  a  World  War  I  Army  Air  Force 
veteran.  Prior  to  his  retirement  in  1958,  he 
had  been  employed  as  a  mechanical  en- 
gineer at  National  Blank  Book  Co.  of 
Holyoke  for  thirty  years.  He  belonged  to 
SAE,  the  Masons,  and  the  Golden  Age 
Club. 

Paul  D.  Woodbury,  '21,  of  Richmond,  Vir- 
ginia died  of  cardiac  arrest  on  September 
27,1977. 

He  was  born  on  July  1, 1899  in  Charlton, 
Mass.,  and  received  his  BSEE  from  WPI  in 
1921 .  During  his  career  he  was  associated 
with  New  England  Telephone  &  Telegraph 
Co.,  Westinghouse,  Copperweld  Steel  Co., 
Birmingham  Galvanizing  Co.,  McGraw  Hill, 
Metro  Products  Co.,  and  Buildings  Equip- 
ment &  Supply  Corp.  He  was  a  Scottish  Rite 
Mason,  a  Shriner,  and  an  Army  veteran  of 
World  War  II. 


Judson  M.  Goodnow,  '23,  retired  president 
of  Huntington,  Goodnow,  Connors,  Inc.  of 
Wellesley  (insurance  brokers),  died  in  Hol- 
den,  Massachusetts  on  December  8,  1977. 
He  was  76. 

Before  entering  the  insurance  business  in 
1945,  he  was  an  engineer  in  the  New 
England  office  of  the  Improved  Risk  Mutu- 
als  Co.  of  Boston.  He  was  born  on  August 
27,  1901  in  Northbridge,  Mass.  and  later 
became  a  student  at  WPI. 
WPI. 

He  was  a  member  of  Phi  Sigma  Kappa, 
the  First  Congregational  Church  of  Prince- 
ton, the  Princeton  Historical  Society,  the 
Princeton  School  Committee,  Organic 
Garden  Club,  the  New  England  Mutual 
Agents  Association,  and  the  Independent 
Agents  and  Brokers  Association  of  Mas- 
sachusetts. A  trustee  of  the  Princeton  Li- 
brary, he  also  served  as  chairman  of  the 
Republican  Town  Committee,  of  Scout 
Troop  I,  and  the  Heart  Fund.  He  was  a  32nd 
degree  Mason,  a  member  of  the  Scottish 
Rite,  and  the  Worcester  County  Shrine 
Club. 

Forrest  E.  Wilcox,  '24,  died  in  Strong 
Memorial  Hospital  in  Rochester,  New  York 
on  June  20,  1977. 

He  was  born  on  June  10,  1903  in  Har- 
vard, Mass.  and  graduated  with  his  BS  in 
chemistry  from  WPI  in  1924.  For  many 
years  he  was  with  the  Carborundum  Co., 
where  he  served  as  manager  of  manufac- 
turing in  the  Electro  Minerals  Division  in 
Niagara  Falls,  N.Y.  He  also  was  an  income 
tax  consultant  for  H  &  R  Block  Co.  in 
Rochester. 

Mr.  Wilcox  belonged  to  the  Society  of 
Industrial  Engineers,  Sigma  Xi,  the  Niagara 
Frontier  Council  (Silver  Beaver)  BSA,  and 
the  Masons.  He  was  a  past  treasurer  of  the 
American  Baptist  Men  of  New  York  State. 

Raymond  C.  Connolly,  '26,  died  in  Port- 
land, Maine  on  December  14,  1977  at  the 
age  of  73. 

He  retired  from  the  New  England  Tele- 
phone Co.  in  1966  following  forty  years  of 
service  as  plant  manager  for  the  state  of 
Maine.  He  graduated  from  WPI  in  1926  as 
an  electrical  engineer. 

Mr.  Connolly  belonged  to  the  Masons, 
the  Shrine,  the  First  Congregational 
Church,  Theta  Chi,  and  Tau  Beta  Pi.  He  had 
been  active  with  church  work,  the  Boy 
Scouts,  the  Pioneers,  and  the  Portland  Ro- 
tary. Hewasbornon  July  3, 1904  in  Tilton, 
N.H. 


Kenneth  M.  Finlayson,  '27,  former  en- 
gineer for  the  Worcester  County  Engineer- 
ing Department,  passed  away  on  Decem- 
ber 16, 1977.  He  was  73. 

He  retired  from  the  Worcester  County 
Engineering  Department  three  years  ago 
after  forty-seven  years  of  service.  A  regis- 
tered professional  engineer  and  land  sur- 
veyor, he  also  belonged  to  the  Massa- 
chusetts Highway  Association  and  the 
County  Engineers  Association.  He  was  a 
director  of  the  Association  of  County  En- 
gineering Personnel. 

Mr.  Finlayson  was  born  on  Dec.  14, 1904 
in  Worcester.  In  1927  he  graduated  from 
WPI  as  an  electrical  engineer. 

Wilbur  H.  Perry,  '28,  a  retired  research 
technician  in  the  physics  department  at  the 
John  Hopkins  University,  died  on  January 
4, 1978  in  the  Greater  Baltimore  (MD) 
Medical  Center  after  a  long  illness.  He  was 
72. 

In  1973  he  retired  from  the  university 
after  more  than  forty  years  as  an  expert  in 
spectroscopy.  He  was  honored  for  his  work 
by  the  Optical  Society  of  America  and  by 
the  Smithsonian  Institution. 

Mr.  Perry  was  a  former  member  of  the 
administrative  board  of  the  Towson  United 
Methodist  Church,  a  past  president  of  the 
Methodist  Men,  and  a  former  treasurer  of 
the  Washington  Chapter  of  the  Alumni 
Association.  He  belonged  to  the  Optical 
Society  of  America  and  Sigma  Phi  Epsilon. 
He  was  born  in  Woodstock,  Vt.  on  July  9, 
1905  and  later  studied  at  WPI. 


Milton  A.  Swanson,  '28,  of  Nutley,  New 
Jersey  passed  away  on  September  26, 
1977. 

He  was  born  on  June  19,  1906  in 
Brockton,  Mass.  and  graduated  as  an  elec- 
trical engineer  in  1928.  For  forty  years  he 
was  with  the  Public  Service  Electric  and  Gas 
Co.  of  Newark,  N.J.,  from  which  he  retired 
four  years  ago  as  a  senior  engineer.  He 
belonged  to  Theta  Chi,  the  American  Gas 
Association,  and  served  as  a  former  presi- 
dent of  the  Northern  New  Jersey  Chapter 
of  the  Alumni  Association. 

William  W.  Jasper,  Jr.,  '30,  retired  general 
manager  of  Wickwire-Spencer  Steel  Co., 
Clinton  Division  of  Colorado  Fuel  and  Iron, 
died  December  28, 1977  in  Worcester.  He 
was  71. 

A  Worcester  native,  he  was  born  on 
September  8, 1 906.  He  earned  his  BSME  in 
1930.  Prior  to  joining  Wickwire,  from 
which  he  retired  six  years  ago  following 
eighteen  years  of  service,  he  was  with 
Athena  Steel  Co.  He  had  been  chairman  of 
the  Zoning  Appeals  Board  in  Lancaster, 
Mass. 

Theodore  L.  Fish,  '31 ,  a  retired  engineer  for 
Columbia  Bicycle  Manufacturing  Co., 
passed  away  at  his  home  in  Chester,  Mas- 
sachusetts on  November  20, 1977  at  the 
age  of  72. 

Born  in  West  Springfield,  Mass.,  on  April 
1 , 1 905,  he  later  graduated  as  a  mechanical 
engineer  from  WPI.  During  his  career  he 
was  with  Rising  Paper  Co.,  Champion 
Paper  &  Fibre  Co.,  Bird  &  Sons  Co.,  and 
Brightwater  Paper  Co.  He  was  chief  power 
engineer  for  Columbia  Mfg.  Co.  in 
Westfield,  Mass. 

Mr.  Fish,  a  registered  professional  en- 
gineer, belonged  to  the  National  Associa- 
tion of  Power  Engineers  and  the  Engineer- 
ing Society  of  Western  Massachusetts.  He 
was  a  library  trustee  in  Chester  and  a 
director  of  the  Westfield  River  Watershed 
Association.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Gateway  Regional  School  Committee  and 
the  Western  Hampden  Historical  Society 
Museum  Committee,  and  had  served  as 
auditor  of  the  Blandford  Historical  Society. 


WPI  Journal  I  February  1 978 1 39 


John  U.  Tillan,  '32,  of  Mayfield  Village, 
Ohio  died  on  August  20, 1977  after  a 
lingering  illness. 

He  was  born  June  18, 191 1  in  Fitchburg. 
In  1932  he  graduated  as  a  civil  engineer 
from  WPI.  During  his  career  he  was  with 
Fuller  Construction  Co.,  Whitman,  Re- 
quardt  and  Smith,  A.  G.  McKee  Co.,  and 
H.  K.  Ferguson  Co.  His  specialty  was  with 
oil  refineries,  which  led  to  varied  travel 
assignments. 

Lloyd  C.  Crane,  '33'  retired  educator,  died 
in  Northfield,  Vermont  on  December  30, 
1977  at  the  age  of  67. 

He  was  born  in  Worcester  on  October 
17, 1910  and  attended  WPI.  He  graduated 
from  Clark  University,  where  he  also  re- 
ceived his  master's  degree.  In  1938  he 
taught  and  was  named  principal  at 
Waitsfield  (Vt.)  High  School.  From  1942  to 
1949  he  was  principal  and  a  teacher  at 
Swanton  High  School,  and  from  1949  to 
1956  he  held  the  same  posts  at  Northfield 
High  School.  From  1956  until  his  retire- 
ment in  1965,  he  was  associated  with  the 
psychology  and  education  departments  at 
Norwich  University. 

Mr.  Crane  was  a  village  trustee  for  fif- 
teen years,  a  former  member  of  the  North- 
field  Conversational  Club,  the  Rotary  Club, 
and  the  Vermont  Headmasters'  Associa- 
tion. He  had  been  town  moderator  in 
Swanton. 

Francis  L.  Collins,  Jr.,  '36,  of  Somerset, 
Massachusetts,  treasurer  of  F.  L.  Collins  & 
Sons,  Inc.,  died  on  November  14,  1977. 

He  was  born  August  14,  1912  in  Fall 
River,  Mass.  and  later  was  a  student  at 
WPI.  In  1933  he  joined  his  father  in  the 
construction  business.  In  1937,  when  the 
firm  was  incorporated  as  F.  L.  Collins  & 
Sons,  Inc.,  he  became  treasurer  and  a  co- 
owner.  The  company  has  constructed 
many  schools  and  churches,  as  well  as  the 
B.M.C.  Durfee  Trust  Bank  building  in  Fall 
River  and  the  Sheraton-Islander  in  New- 
port. 

During  World  War  II  he  was  a  warrant 
officer  with  a  Seabee  unit  of  the  Navy  and 
participated  in  the  invasions  of  Salerno, 
North  Africa,  and  Normandy. 

He  was  a  past  president  of  the  Rotary 
Club  and  vice  president  and  a  director  of 
the  Lafayette  Cooperative  Bank. 


Philip  D.  Bartlett,  '40,  a  senior  manage- 
ment engineer  for  Polaroid  Corp.,  died 
November  28, 1977  in  Massachusetts 
General  Hospital,  Boston,  Massachusetts. 
He  was  60  years  old. 

He  had  worked  for  Polaroid  for  twenty- 
eight  years.  Earlier  he  had  been  with  the 
Torrington  Co.,  Machine  Design  As- 
sociates, Wilson  Engineering,  Norton  Co., 
and  McGowan  Engineering. 

Mr.  Bartlett,  who  was  born  on  October 
6, 1917  in  Greenwich,  Mass.,  received  his 
BSME  from  WPI  in  1940.  He  also  received 
master's  degrees  from  MIT  and  Babson 
Institute.  He  belonged  to  Phi  Sigma  Kappa, 
Tau  Beta  Pi,  and  Sigma  Xi. 

Dr.  Yazbeck  T.  Sarkees,  '47,  associate  pro- 
fessor of  electrical  engineering  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  Buffalo,  died  on  October  15, 
1 977  in  Buffalo,  New  York  at  the  age  of  56. 

On  the  university  faculty  since  1954, 
Prof.  Sarkees  was  a  member  of  the  Ameri- 
can Institute  of  Electrical  and  Electronic 
Engineers  and  the  New  York  State  Society 
of  Professional  Engineers. 

He  was  born  on  August  26, 1921  in 
Niagara  Falls,  N.Y.  and  graduated  as  an 
electrical  engineer  from  WPI.  He  served  in 
the  U.S.  Navy.  In  Buffalo,  the  Yazbeck  T. 
Sarkees  Cub  Scout  Memorial  Campership 
Fund  has  been  established  in  his  memory. 

Dr.  Norman  W.  Cook,  '68,  president  of 
Cook  Builder's  Supply,  died  in  West 
Springfield,  Massachusetts  on  November 
12,  1977  at  the  age  of  34. 

He  was  born  on  December  27,  1942  in 
Springfield,  Mass.  He  received  his  BA  de- 
gree from  Middlebury  College,  and  then 
earned  his  master's  and  PhD  at  WPI. 

Dr.  Cook  was  a  former  president  of  West 
Springfield  Rotary  Club  and  a  member  of 
the  Chamber  of  Commerce.  He  belonged 
to  Sigma  Xi. 


40 1  February  1 978  I  WPI  Journal 


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UIPp 


Volume  81,  no.  6 


April  1978 


3  Football  stays! 

The  trustee  committee  report  is  in,  and  a  new  athletic  director  is 
named 

5  Alumni  Association 

6  Cookie  Price,  1908-1978 

8  Walt  Disney's  technological  world 

John  Spolowich,  78,  examines  the  social  impact  of  the 
technology  developed  by  the  Walt  Disney  empire,  and  specu- 
lates about  its  implications  for  the  future. 

Special  Insert: 

The  WPI  Plan  to  Restore  the  Balance: 

A  Final  Report 

20  The  bookstore  man 

22  Organic  movements 

24  Your  class  and  others 

25  Positive  news  about  negative  feedback 
32  Completed  careers 


Editor:  H.  Russell  Kay 

Alumni  Information  Editor:  Ruth  S.  Trask 

Publications  Committee:  Walter  B.  Dennen, 
Jr.,  '51,  chairman;  Donald  F.  Berth,  '57; 
Leonard  Brzozowski,  74;  Robert  Davis,  '46; 
Robert  C.  Gosling,  '68;  Enfried  T.  Larson,  '22; 
Roger  N.  Perry,  Jr.,  '45;  Rev.  Edward  I. 
Swanson,  '45 

Design:  H.  Russell  Kay 

Typesetting:  Davis  Press,  Worcester,  Ma. 

Printing:  The  House  of  Offset,  Somerville,  Ma. 


Address  all  correspondence  regarding  editorial 

content  or  advertising  to  the  Editor,  WPI  Journal, 

Worcester  Polytechnic  Institute,  Worcester,  Ma. 

01609. 

Telephone  [617)753-1411 

The  WPI  Journal  is  published  for  the  Alumni 
Association  by  Worcester  Polytechnic  Institute. 
Copyright  ©  1978  by  Worcester  Polytechnic 
Institute.  All  rights  reserved. 

The  WPI  Journal  is  published  six  times  a  year,  in 
August,  September  (catalog  issue),  October, 
December,  February,  and  April.  Second  class 
postage  paid  at  Worcester,  Ma. 
Postmaster:  Please  send  Form  3579  to:  Alumni 
Association,  Worcester  Polytechnic  Institute, 
Worcester,  Ma.  01609. 


WPI  ALUMNI  ASSOCIATION 

President:  William  A.  Julian,  '49 

Vice  presidents:  John  H.  McCabe,  '68;  Ralph  D. 
Gelling,  '63 

Secretary-treasurer:  Stephen  J.  Hebert,  '66 

Past  president:  Francis  S.  Harvey,  '37 

Executive  Committee  members- at-large: 
Walter  B.  Dennen,  Jr.,  '51 ;  Richard  A.  Davis,  '53 ; 
Julius  A.  Palley,  '46;  Anson  C.  Fyler,  '45 

Fund  Board:  Peter  H.  Horstmann,  '55, 
chairman;  G.  Albert  Anderson,  '51 ;  Howard  I. 
Nelson,  '54;  Leonard  H.  White,  '41;  Henry 
Styskal,  Jr.,  '50;  C.  John  Lindegren,  '39;  Richard 
B.  Kennedy,  '65 


The  WPI  Journal  I  April  1978    1 


Football  stays! 


In  the  December  issue  of  this  maga- 
zine, we  talked  about  a  reexamina- 
tion of  WPI's  football  program  by  a 
trustee  committee.  We  described  the 
passions  aroused  on  campus  in  sup- 
port of  maintaining  the  sport. 

It  seems  we  hit  a  nerve.  Alumni 
secretary  Steve  Hebert,  '66,  in  recent 
trips  visiting  alumni,  reported  that 
only  one  person  failed  to  ask  him 
what  the  status  of  the  football  ques- 
tion was.  We  even  received  a  letter  to 
the  editor  about  it,  which  is,  frankly, 
a  rare  occurrence  these  days. 

Well,  sports  fans,  the  jury  is  in  and 
the  verdict  is:  Football  stays,  and 
we're  going  to  try  to  do  it  better. 

In  early  February,  committee 
chairman  Raymond  J.  Forkey,  '40, 
announced  the  group's  recom- 
mendations to  the  Board.  They  pro- 
posed seven  points,  which  were 
adopted  by  the  Trustees'  Executive 
Committee: 


■  Employ  a  qualified  football  coach. 

■  Reject  the  practice  of  tenure  for 
football  coaches,  giving  a  three- 
year  contract  to  the  new  football 
coach.  At  the  end  of  that  period, 
the  coach's  performance  would  be 
reviewed. 

■  Upgrade  the  quality  of  the  football 
program  to  be  more  consistent 
with  WPI's  other  accomplish- 
ments. 

■  Remain  in  NCAA's  Division  III 
but  at  the  same  time  avoid  New 
England's  strongest  teams,  perhaps 
scheduling  one  or  two  games  out- 
side the  region. 

■  Follow  the  recommendations  of 
the  1975  Trustees  Committee 
Report  on  Athletics,  which  rec- 
ommended greater  financial  aid  for 
athletes. 

■  Place  more  emphasis  on  recruiting 
of  football  players. 

■  Seek  greater  cooperation  between 
the  college  administration  and  the 
football  program. 

Many  questions  still  remain  unan- 
swered, of  course.  The  1975  report 
referred  to  above  contained,  in  prin- 
ciple, many  of  the  same  recom- 
mendations, yet  nothing  much  hap- 
pened. The  team  continued  to  lose. 
So  what's  different  about  this  new 
report? 

For  one  thing,  chairman  Forkey 
insists  that  this  is  a  total  package, 
that  it  won't  work  unless  all  the 
recommendations  are  carried  out. 
lust  hiring  a  new  coach  won't  make 
the  difference,  Forkey  said 


Emphasis  is  going  to  have  to  be  put 
on  stronger  recruitment  of  players, 
which  means  more  time  for  the 
coach  to  recruit,  and  more  financial 
aid  for  him  to  offer.  This  seems  to  be 
at  the  heart  of  the  recommendation 
for  "cooperation  between  the  admin- 
istration and  the  football  program." 
There  have  been,  over  the  past  few 
years,  some  differences  of  opinion  on 
campus  regarding  the  disbursement 
of  financial  aid  to  student-athletes. 
While  all  aid  at  WPI  (and  all  NCAA 
Division  HI  schools)  is  awarded  solely 
on  the  basis  of  proven  financial  need, 
the  aid  can  take  many  forms:  direct 
grants  (scholarships),  loans,  and  em- 
ployment, and  usually  a  mix  of  all 
three  types  in  varying  proportions. 
What  the  trustees  would  like  to  see, 
apparently,  is  more  dollars  available 
to  football  players  in  the  form  of 
direct  grants.  This  was  clearly  ex- 
pressed by  retiring  athletic  director 
Bob  Pritchard,  who  said,  "Sometimes 
the  aid  that  they  are  willing  to  grant  is 
not  high  enough  to  compete  with  the 
aid  given  by  some  of  our  opponents.  I 
hope  now  that  the  money  given  will 
be  in  outright  scholarships  up  to  the 
full  need  of  the  athlete." 

This  financial  aid  issue  has  aroused 
some  questioning  opposition  from 
certain  other  students.  WPI  News- 
peak  editor  Tom  Daniels  argued 
eloquently  against  special  considera- 
tion for  football  players:  "What  sin- 
gles football  players  out?  Why  not  do 
the  same  thing  for  basketball, 
baseball,  and  wrestling?  Why  don't 

The  WPI  Journal  I  April  197813 


Student  Government  officers,  club 
leaders,  fraternity  presidents,  and, 
yes,  newspaper  editors,  get  extra 
help? 

"Where  is  this  extra  financial  need 
money  going  to  come  from?  Every 
year,  we're  told  that  there  just  isn't 
enough  to  go  around  and  fill  every- 
body's need.  All  I  can  guess  is  that 
we'll  all  have  to  take  a  cut. 

"...  What  I'm  getting  at  is  that 
football  isn't  the  matter  of  life  and 
death  to  this  campus  that  it's  been 
made  out  to  be.  It  plays  a  supporting 
role  but,  as  such,  is  on  an  equal 
footing  with  a  lot  of  other  things  that 
don't  tend  to  get  priorities." 

But  there's  no  question  that,  for  all 
the  fault  one  might  find  with  the 
emphasis  on  and  investment  in  foot- 
ball, this  sport  does  mean  a  lot  to  a 
great  many  people.  It  maintains  a 
hold  on  people  that  other  sports  don't 
seem  to  match.  It's  not  everything, 
but  it's  important. 

This  was  apparent  early  on  to  the 
football  committee.  They  quickly 
decided  that  the  program  should  con- 
tinue, and  then  turned  their  attention 
to  ways  of  improving  it.  In  Forkey's 
words,  it  became  "something  of  a 
financial  question,  whether  there 
were  things  we  could  do  to  get  the 
most  out  of  what  is  WPI's  most  costly 
sport." 


Now  that  the  decision  has  been 
announced,  two  men  will  play  im- 
portant roles  in  making  it  work.  One 
is  the  yet- to-be-appointed  head  foot- 
ball coach.  The  other,  who  will  hire 
him,  is  George  Flood,  recently  named 
to  succeed  Bob  Pritchard  and  become 
WPI's  third  athletic  director  in  62 
years. 

George  Flood  is  currently  director 
of  general  physical  education  at  the 
University  of  Massachusetts  in 
Amherst.  Before  taking  that  position 
two  years  ago,  he  coached  football  at 
UMass,  and  spent  seven  years  as  head 
football  coach  and  athletic  director  at 
Union  College.  He  has  also  coached 
in  secondary  schools. 

His  background  is  very  strong  in 
football.  "I've  been  involved  with  the 
sport  since  I  began  to  play  football  in 
junior  high,  back  in  1944,"  Flood 
recounts.  "I've  been  directly  involved 
in  coaching  in  nearly  all  my  profes- 
sional career,  mostly  as  a  head  coach. 
It  means  a  lot  to  me.  I  picked  a  town 
to  live  in,  near  Amherst,  partly  on  the 
basis  that  the  school  system  offered 
football.  I  wanted  my  kids  to  have 
that  choice." 


And  Flood  is  excited  about  WPI.  "I 
hoped  I  might  be  hired  before  the 
football  committee  made  its  report, 
so  I  could  give  some  input.  When 
they  announced  the  decision  to  im- 
prove the  program,  I  was  really 
happy."  Asked  to  discuss  his  goals  for 
WPI  football,  he  said,  "Well,  we're 
not  out  after  bowl  bids!  And  at  a 
small  college  you  just  can't  aim  for 
year-in-year-out  undefeated  seasons, 
either.  What  we  want  is  to  be  com- 
petitive. I'm  really  concerned  about 
what  the  individual  players  can  get 
out  of  football:  they  should  be  able  to 
get  a  lot  of  satisfaction  from  the  team. 
If  not,  and  they're  trying,  then  we've 
let  them  down.  So  what  we  want  to 
do  is  field  a  football  team  that  every- 
body —  students,  players,  alumni  — 
can  be  proud  of." 


4  I  April  19781  The  WPI  journal 


Trustee  nominations  now  being 
received 

Each  year  the  WPI  Alumni  Associa- 
tion has  the  opportunity  to  nominate 
three  alumni  to  five-year  terms  as 
Alumni  Term  members  of  the  WPI 
Board  of  Trustees.  C.  Eugene  Center 
'30  of  Pittsburgh,  PA,  Chairman  of 
the  Alumni  Association's  Trustee 
Search  Committee,  has  recently  an- 
nounced that  his  committee  is  now- 
receiving  petitions  for  consideration 
and  nomination  for  the  terms  begin- 
ning in  July  1979.  Alumni  may  sub- 
mit petitions  on  or  before  May  1  5, 
1978,  and  they  should  be  mailed  to 
Mr.  Center,  c  0  the  WPI  Alumni  Of- 
fice, Alden  Memorial,  Worcester, 
MA  01609.  Questions  regarding  pro- 
cedures for  the  formal  submission  of 
proposals  should  be  directed  to 
Stephen  J.  Hebert  '66,  Alumni  Direc- 
tor at  WPI  (  [7/753-1411). 

Two  current  members  of  the  Board 
are  eligible  for  renomination  this  year 
for  additional  five-year  terms.  They 
are  C.  Marshall  Dann  '  3  5 ,  a  partner  in 
Dann,  Dorfman,  Herrell  &  Skillman, 
123  South  Broad  Street,  Philadelphia, 
PA  01909,  and  Hilliard  W.  Page  '41,  a 
Senior  Consultant  and  Director  of 
International  Energy  Associates  Lim- 
ited, 2600  Virginia  Avenue,  N.W., 
Washington,  DC  20037.  In  addition, 
at  least  two  more  alumni  must  be 
proposed  for  the  ballot  which  will  be 
voted  upon  by  the  WPI  Alumni 
Council  on  October  22,  1978. 


JUNE  8-11,1978 


1918  1928 

1923  1933    1943 

7%     1938 
1953    1^8  4* 


ALSO- 

Save  the  dates 
October  20, 21, 22 

Homecoming  & 

Alumni  Eadership 
Weekend 


The  WPI  Journal   April  1978   5 


Cookie  Price,  1908-1978 


"For  Cookie  Price,  WPI  was  his  life," 
Dean  William  Grogan,  '46  said 
recently  in  a  tribute  to  his  long-time 
colleague.  "From  the  day  he  entered 
WPI  as  a  freshman  until  the  day  he 
died,  his  devotion  to  the  college  was 
boundless." 

M.  Lawrence  Price,  '30,  vice  pres- 
ident emeritus  at  WPI,  "Cookie"  to 
his  many  friends,  died  on  April  2, 
1978  in  Worcester.  At  the  time  of  his 
death,  he  was  still  actively  involved 
in  a  student  research  project  at  his 
home  in  Paxton. 

"For  the  past  two  years,  he  had 
been  advising  some  thirty  students 
on  the  feasibility  of  alternative  en- 
ergy," notes  Roger  Borden,  '61,  as- 
sociate professor  of  mechanical  en- 
gineering. Prof.  Borden,  who  worked 
with  Dean  Price  on  the  project, 
recalls  how  Cookie  had  designed  and 
built  a  laboratory  building  at  his 
home  with  his  advisees.  Ultimately, 
the  group  developed  a  system  for  pro- 
viding energy  for  home  use  by  means 
of  a  windmill  and  solar  panels.  The 
windmill,  of  innovative  design,  is 
currently  undergoing  further  tests  at 
WPI. 

Dean  Price,  vice  president 
emeritus,  dean  emeritus  of  the  fac- 
ulty, and  professor  emeritus  of  me- 
chanical engineering,  retired  in  1972 
following  forty-two  years  of  service. 
He  joined  the  WPI  faculty  as  an  in- 
structor, after  graduating  as  a  me- 
chanical engineer  in  1930.  He 
received  his  MSME  from  WPI  in 
1934.  In  1937,  he  was  promoted  to 
assistant  professor.  He  became  a  full 
professor  in  1 945  and  head  of  the 
department  of  mechanical  engineer- 
ing in  1 95  6.  He  was  named  dean  of 
the  faculty  in  1 9  5  7  and  vice  president 
of  the  college  in  1962,  positions 
which  he  held  simultaneously. 

Prof.  Donald  Zwiep,  head  of  the 
department  of  mechanical  engineer- 
ing, recalls  Cookie  and  his  years  of 
service  at  WPI:  "From  the  time  I  first 
became  acquainted  with  him  in  1 95  7, 
I  observed  that  he  exhibited  two 


complementary  strengths  which  I 
soon  used  as  a  yardstick  to  measure 
other  professional  people  —  his  total 
concern  for  fairness  in  his  dealings 
with  faculty  and  students,  and  his 
distinctive  ability  to  provide  solu- 
tions to  difficult  technical  problems. 
In  the  first  instance,  his  superb  han- 
dling of  potentially  volatile  situa- 
tions during  the  Viet  Nam  conflict 
enabled  the  members  of  the  WPI 
community  to  retain  a  mutual 
respect  while  recognizing  that  a  wide 
divergence  of  opinion  existed.  In  the 
second  instance,  his  pioneering  work 
in  the  use  of  photoelasticity  tech- 
niques in  stress  analysis  was  instru- 
mental in  the  formation  of  a  new 
professional  organization,  the  Society 
for  Experimental  Stress  Analysis. 

"All  of  us  in  the  mechanical  en- 
gineering department  who  knew  him 
and  worked  with  him  realize  that  we 
have  lost  a  friend  and  colleague.  But, 
he  will  not  be  forgotten.  The  basic 
foundations  for  excellence  in  en- 
gineering education,  which  he  articu- 
lated in  such  a  dedicated  and  under- 
standable way,  whether  it  was  his 
teaching  of  the  design  of  machine 
elements  or  his  endorsement  to  the 
faculty  of  the  WPI  Plan,  are  time- 
less." 

Also  speaking  of  Dean  Price's  con- 
tributions to  the  college,  Dean  Gro- 
gan  said,  "He  played  a  pivotal  role  in 
so  many  critical  issues  in  the  history 
of  WPI  that  it  is  difficult  to  even  begin 
to  fathom  their  impact.  A  fine  teacher 
himself,  he  was  always  deeply  con- 
cerned with  the  quality  of  under- 
graduate education  at  WPI,  and  for 
years  before  the  Plan  he  did  every- 
thing in  his  power  to  encourage  the 
faculty  to  improve  the  process  of  edu- 
cation. The  teaching  workshops  of 
the  early  '60s,  the  first  representative 
faculty  curriculum  study  committee 
of  the  mid  '60s,  and  the  WPI  Planning 
Committee  of  1968-70  all  benefited 
enormously  from  his  active  support 
and  encouragement. 

"Perhaps,  in  retrospect,  the  most 


6  /  April  1 978  I  The  WPI  Journal 


dramatic  personal  demonstration  of 
his  leadership  and  deep  human  un- 
derstanding came  during  the 
passion-filled  days  of  campus  turmoil 
that  followed  the  Cambodian  inva- 
sion and  Kent  State  shootings.  Hour 
after  hour,  through  one  tense 
student-faculty  meeting  after 
another,  as  chairman  of  those  meet- 
ings his  great  sense  of  fairness  domi- 
nated the  proceedings  and  set,  not 
only  then  but  for  years  to  come,  a 
tone  which  has  marked  WPI  as  a 
college  where  a  sense  of  civility  and 
fairness  lies  deep  in  its  character. 
This  sense,  developed  by  Cookie  over 
many  years  at  WPI,  and  so  dramat- 
ically climaxed  during  those  troubled 
days,  is  one  of  his  greatest  legacies." 


Dean  Price's  many  contributions 
to  WPI  did  not  go  unrecognized  by  the 
college.  He  was  awarded  an  honorary 
doctor  of  engineering  degree  in  1958. 
In  1 97  3  he  was  named  the  recipient  of 
the  Robert  H.  Goddard  Award,  pre- 
sented annually  by  the  Alumni  Asso- 
ciation to  a  WPI  alumnus  for  "out- 
standing professional  achievement." 

Away  from  WPI,  Cookie  was  also 
an  achiever.  A  specialist  in  machine 
design,  he  served  as  consultant  on  the 
cold  rolling  of  precision  screw 
threads  and  other  forms.  He  gained 
national  recognition  in  the  field  of 
photoelasticity,  which  involves  the 
use  of  polarized  light  to  observe  stress 
concentrations  in  models  made  of 
plastics.  He  was  also  involved  with 


the  analytical,  experimental,  and  de- 
velopmental aspects  of  machine  de- 
sign, stress  analysis,  metallurgy,  pre- 
vention of  fatigue  failure,  mecha- 
nisms, lubrication,  vibration,  and 
mechanical  power  transmission 
equipment. 

He  was  a  cofounder  of  the  original 
Photoelasticity  Conference,  which 
later  developed  into  the  present  Soci- 
ety for  Experimental  Stress  Analysis. 
He  belonged  to  ASME,  ASEE,  NSPE, 
and  the  American  Gear  Manufactur- 
ers Association.  A  registered  profes- 
sional engineer  in  Massachusetts,  he 
also  served  as  an  ASME  representa- 
tive on  the  Society  of  Automotive 
Engineers  committee  on  standardiza- 
tion of  power  chains  and  sprockets, 
and  as  chairman  of  the  Diamond 
Jubilee  meeting  of  the  ASME  En- 
gineering Division.  He  delivered 
numerous  papers  before  these 
societies.  He  was  a  member  of  SAE, 
Skull,  Sigma  Xi,  Tau  Beta  Pi,  and  Pi 
Tau  Sigma. 

A  native  of  Lamed,  Kansas,  Dean 
Price  was  bom  on  Sept.  12,  1908.  For 
many  years  he  was  a  resident  of  Pax- 
ton,  Mass.,  and  had  served  on  the 
town  finance  board,  the  school  com- 
mittee (chairman  for  nine  years), 
with  the  fire  department,  and  the 
school  building  committee.  While 
with  the  recreation  committee,  he 
designed  and  helped  to  build  a 
1 ,000,000  gallon  swimming  pool,  a 
ball  field,  and  recreation  areas.  He 
was  chairman  of  the  Massachusetts 
State  Board  of  Registration  of  Profes- 
sional Engineers  and  Land  Surveyors 
and  a  member  of  the  governing  board 
of  Worcester  Junior  College. 

Dean  Price  is  survived  by  his  wife, 
Helen  Tyler  Price;  a  daughter,  Gail, 
Mrs.  Ralph  Kimball,  Jr.;  a  son,  Robert, 
of  the  class  of  1 95  9;  and  five  grand- 
children. Also  surviving  are  his 
brothers,  Carl  Price  of  Juneau  Beach, 
Fla.,  and  Dr.  Galen  Price  of  Daven- 
port, Iowa. 

Those  who  wish  may  send  contri- 
butions to  the  M.  Lawrence  Price 
Memorial  Fund  at  WPI.  It  will  be  used 
to  advance  those  educational  causes 
for  which  Cookie  worked  all  his  pro- 
fessional life. 

WPI 


The  WPI  Journal  I  April  197817 


Disney's 

technological  world 


by  John  Spolowich,  '78 


Is  there  a  person  alive  in  America  today 
who  does  not  know  who  Walt  Disney 
was,  who  hasn't  seen  a  Mickey  Mouse 
cartoon,  or  who  doesn't  own  a  Disney 
product!  Millions  of  people  have  visited 
the  Disney  parks,  and  millions  will 
likely  visit  EPCOT,  Disney's  vision  of 
the  future,  when  it  opens  in  1 979. 
However,  just  because  Disney  is  so  well 
known,  does  that  mean  he  can  be 
accepted  at  face  value,  or  are  there 
deeper  meanings  behind  the  image  of 
Walt  Disney {  This  article  explores  the 
Disney  organization  and  offers  some 
insights  into  what  just  might  become  a 
way  of  life  for  America  and  the  world. 


This  article  was  originally  done  as  an  interactive  qualify- 
ing project,  one  of  the  author's  degree  requirements.  For 
more  than  a  year,  a  number  of  students  have  been 
involved  in  various  projects  studying  aspects  and  impli- 
cations of  Disney  accomplishments  over  the  years.  Mr. 
Spolowich  concentrates  on  the  social  implications  of 
Disney's  worlds,  but  he  has  drawn  on  and  included 
significant  material  from  other  projects,  particularly 
regarding  the  history  and  animation  techniques  sections. 

All  photographs  in  this  article  copyright  ©  Walt  Disney 
Productions. 


Walter  Elias  Disney  was  bom  in  Chicago,  Illinois  on 
December  5 , 1 901 .  Besides  Walt,  his  father,  and  mother,  he 
had  three  brothers:  Roy,  Raymond,  and  Herbert;  and  a 
sister,  Ruth. 

Since  his  father  was  not  prospering  as  a  building  con- 
tractor, in  1906  Mr.  Disney  moved  his  family  to  a  farm 
near  Marceline,  Missouri,  where  Walt  and  Roy,  the 
remaining  sons  at  home,  worked  with  their  father.  While 
on  the  farm  Walt  began  to  draw.  Using  a  drawing  pad  that 
had  been  a  gift,  Walt  drew  farm  animals  and  small  wildlife. 
This  phase  of  his  life  did  not  last  long,  however;  Mr. 
Disney  again  moved  his  family,  this  time  to  Kansas  City, 
in  1910. 

Once  in  Kansas  City,  Mr.  Disney  bought  a  newspaper 
delivery  service,  and  once  again  his  sons  were  pressed  into 
service.  Despite  the  hard  life,  Walt  developed  an  even 
greater  interest  in  drawing  and  theatrical  expression.  By 
the  age  of  fourteen  Walt  was  allowed  to  enroll  in  art  classes 
at  the  Kansas  City  Art  Institute. 

In  191 7,  the  Disney  family  moved  to  Chicago.  Walt, 
however,  remained  in  Kansas  City  to  finish  school,  staying 
with  his  brother  Roy.  That  summer  Walt  worked  on  the 
Santa  Fe  Railroad,  developing  an  interest  in  trains  that 
would  stay  with  him  for  the  rest  of  his  life.  In  the  fall,  Walt 
joined  his  family  and  attended  McKinley  High  School, 
where  he  met  a  newspaper  cartoonist,  Leroy  Gossett. 

By  this  time  World  War  I  was  in  progress  and  Roy 
Disney  had  joined  the  Navy.  Walt  would  have  liked  to 
join,  too,  but  was  under-age.  By  pleading  with  his  mother, 
his  birth  certificate  was  forged  and  he  joined  the  Red  Cross 
as  an  ambulance  driver.  Before  he  could  be  sent  overseas, 
however,  the  Armistice  was  signed.  Nevertheless,  there 
was  still  a  need  for  drivers,  and  he  was  sent  to  Neuf- 
chateau,  France. 

In  France  he  augmented  his  pay  by  drawing  fake  medals 
and  camouflaging  captured  German  helmets.  By  the  time 
his  stint  was  over,  he  had  saved  about  500  dollars. 

The  WPI  Journal  I  April  197819 


When  Walt  returned  to  the  States  in  1919,  he  was 
determined  to  become  a  commercial  artist.  He  moved 
back  to  Kansas  City  where  he  got  a  job  in  a  commercial  art 
studio.  It  was  there  that  he  met  Ubbe  "Ub"  Iwerks,  who 
later  played  an  important  part  in  Disney  Studios.  It  soon 
occurred  to  Walt  and  Ub  that  they  might  make  it  on  their 
own,  and  so  they  began  their  own  business. 

The  business  was  not  making  enough  money,  though, 
so  Walt  got  a  job  with  the  Kansas  City  Slide  Company,  a 
company  which  made  commercials  for  local  movie 
theatres.  These  were  crude  animated  films,  mainly  stop- 
action  photography  of  jointed  cardboard  figures.  Despite 
the  crude  method,  they  provided  the  Disney  team  with 
valuable  background.  Walt  soon  borrowed  a  camera  and 
attempted  some  animation  on  his  own.  He  made  several 
reels  of  short  gags  which  he  called  Laugh-O-Grams.  They 
achieved  a  local  popularity  and  again  Walt  was  able  to  go 
into  business  for  himself. 

Being  ambitious,  Walt  began  work  on  a  series  of  updated 
fairy  tales,  among  them:  Cinderella,  Jack  and  the 
Beanstalk,  and  Little  Red  Riding  Hood.  They  were  very 
well  made,  but  they  did  not  sell.  Walt's  staff  of  six  was 
forced  into  other  jobs.  In  1923  Disney  tried  to  save  his 
company  by  making  Alice's  Wonderland,  but  it  cost  so 
much  to  make  he  had  to  close  the  studio. 

In  1923,  Walt  left  Kansas  City  for  California  taking 
Alice's  Wonderland  along  as  a  sample  of  his  work.  He  was 
to  find  a  distributor,  Charles  Mintz,  and  together  with  Roy 
Disney  went  into  business  on  a  series  of  films  called  Alice 
in  Cartoonland.  He  started  to  increase  his  staff,  and  one  of 
those  he  hired,  Lillian  Bounds,  became  his  wife  in  July 
1925. 

By  1927,  Disney  had  made  nearly  60  episodes  of  the 
Alice  series,  and  decided  to  go  back  to  full  animation  (the 
Alice  series  featured  a  live  actress  as  Alice).  A  new  series 
was  begun  about  the  adventures  of  Oswald  the  Lucky 
Rabbit. 

This  proved  so  successful  that  when  Disney's  one-year 
contract  with  Mintz  ended,  Walt  made  his  way  to  New 
York  to  renew  the  contract.  Mintz,  however,  surprised 
Disney  by  decreasing  his  fees.  Mintz,  by  copyrighting  the 
Oswald  name,  controlled  it.  Mintz  had  also  convinced 
some  of  Disney's  top  artists  to  leave  Disney  and  work  for 
him.  Disney  gave  up  the  Oswald  contract,  but  he  vowed 
thereafter  to  own  full  rights  to  all  his  films. 

While  working  on  Oswald,  Disney  had  come  up  with  a 
new  idea  for  a  main  character.  Sometime  in  1 927  he  and 
Iwerks  created  a  mouse  —  Mickey  Mouse  —  who  had  a 
definite  personality  and  could  get  into  all  kinds  of  scrapes. 
While  work  on  the  Mouse  cartoons  was  still  in  progress, 
sound  hit  the  film  industry.  Walt  decided  that  if  his 
cartoons  were  to  be  successful,  they  must  have  sound,  and 
the  studio  began  developing  the  techniques  to  synchronize 
sound  with  action  for  Steamboat  Willie  (1928). 

This  was  the  beginning  of  a  successful  future  for  the 
Disney  Studios.  More  Mickey  Mouse  cartoons  appeared  in 
1929,  with  slight  changes  in  the  character  and  appearance 
of  Mickey;  he  became  less  mischievous  and  acquired 
clothes  and  shoes. 


By  1930  Mickey  Mouse  was  an  international  celebrity. 
Several  other  characters,  Minnie  Mouse  included,  had 
become  regulars  in  the  cartoons.  Meanwhile,  Disney 
constantly  demanded  improvements  in  the  quality  of  the 
animation,  and  by  1 93 1  the  cost  of  a  single  cartoon  was 
$1 3,000.  Then,  in  1932,  Disney  released  Flowers  and 
Trees,  in  color. 

The  original  footage  of  Flowers  and  Trees  was  in 
black-and-white  when  Technicolor  offered  its 
revolutionary  three-color  process.  Disney  continued  pro- 
ducing Silly  Symphonies  (his  newest  series,  of  which 
Flowers  and  Trees  was  a  part),  now  all  in  color.  In  1933 
Disney  scored  again,  this  time  with  The  Three  Little  Pigs. 
The  movie  was  a  hit  —  his  biggest  up  to  that  time  —  and 
the  title  song,  "Who's  Afraid  of  the  Big  Bad  Wolf?"  hit  the 
national  charts. 

The  Disney  Studios,  by  this  time  well  known,  con- 
tinued to  produce  more  and  more  cartoons,  introducing 
such  "stars"  as  Donald  Duck  and  Goofy.  By  1 932,  in  order 
to  maintain  the  high  quality  of  the  studio,  Disney  began  an 
art  school  to  train  his  employees.  This  school  continues  its 
work  today. 

By  1935,  Disney  was  planning  something  which  would 
revolutionize  the  motion  picture  industry  —  a  full-length 
animated  feature.  For  this  new  art  form  Disney  chose 
Snow  White  and  the  Seven  Dwarfs.  Several  things 
prompted  Disney  to  produce  full-length  animation:  one 
was  that  short  cartoons  could  never  make  much  money, 
and,  two,  he  wanted  to  create  a  type  of  animation  that 
could  have  a  more  leisurely,  magical  quality  to  it. 

After  nearly  three  years  of  work,  Snow  White  and  the 
Seven  Dwarfs  was  released  on  December  2 1, 1 937.  It  was  a 
phenomenal  success  and  Disney  was  a  hero. 

After  Snow  White  came  a  number  of  feature-length 
films:  Pinocchio  (1940),  which  utilized  new  camera  tech- 
niques; Fantasia  (1940),  with  better  colors,  multiplane 
cameras,  and  "Fantasound"  (stereo);  Bambi  (1942),  with 
many  special  effects;  and  many  others  followed.  The 
Disney  Studios  branched  out  into  live-action  motion 
pictures,  like  Mary  Poppins,  nature  films  (the  True-Life 
Adventure  series),  and  educational  movies.  Animation 
was  a  well-developed  art  by  1 942,  and  few  significant 
changes  have  occurred  since. 

By  the  1950s  Walt  Disney  had  become  a  wealthy  man. 
He  had  furthered  his  interest  in  railroads  by  constructing  a 
minature  [Vs  scale)  train  in  his  backyard,  and  was  looking 
for  something  new  and  different  to  develop.  In  1952  plans 
were  begun  for  a  well-designed  amusement  park  in 
Anaheim,  California,  to  be  called  Disneyland.  It  opened  in 
1955,  and  150  million  people  have  since  entered  its  gates. 
He  kept  up  his  work  with  movies  and  cartoons,  and  began 
plans  for  a  new  amusement  park  and  vision  of  the  future 
called  Disney  World. 

Walt  didn't  see  his  vision  complete.  Late  in  1966,  on 
December  1 5,  Walt  Disney  died.  Disney's  death  shocked 
and  saddened  the  world,  but  it  didn't  spell  the  end  for 
Disney  Enterprises.  First  his  brother  and  then  his  brother- 
in-law  took  control,  and  Disney  Studios  has  continued  to 
work  towards  fulfilling  Disney's  vision  for  the  future. 


1 0  I  April  1 978  I  The  WPI  Journal 


Animation 

To  follow  what  is  going  on  with  the  Disney  Organi- 
zation today  and  where  they  might  go  in  the  future,  it  is 
necessary  to  take  a  short  look  at  the  past.  Disney  Produc- 
tions grew  up  through  the  use  of  animation  and  its 
technological  innovations.  Through  the  use  of  advertising 
techniques  and  new  educational  processes,  Disney  paved 
the  way  for  more  startling  innovations  such  as  Disneyland 
and  Walt  Disney  World. 

Research  shows  that  younger  viewers  are  affected  by 
Disney's  animated  films  in  a  way  no  other  medium,  with 
the  exception  of  television,  approaches.  There  is  no  im- 
agining needed  to  watch  a  Mickey  Mouse  cartoon.  All  the 
imagination  is  incorporated  into  the  cartoon  itself.  Many 
teachers  and  psychologists  believe  this  can  help  the  child 
learn.  There  are  no  extraneous  lines  to  read,  no  cartoon 
bubbles  that  distract  attention  as  in  comics,  and  all  the 
symbolism  needed  to  understand  the  action  is  built  into 
the  film.  All  the  child  has  to  do  is  watch. 


Thus,  in  Disney's  use  of  fairy  tales  the  younger  viewer 
receives  the  imagery  and  story  content  more  passively 
than  if  that  child  had  to  read  a  book.  Through  this  passivity 
the  child  neither  openly  accepts  or  rejects  the  story  and 
thus  is  open  to  inner  teachings.  By  not  choosing  sides  the 
child  receives  a  fuller  understanding  of  the  issue.  As  this  is 
the  primary  object  of  education  in  the  use  of  fairy  tales,  it 
cannot  be  but  good.  As  the  fairy  tale  is  an  important  part  of 
growing  up,  the  animated  film  story  can  be  seen  as  a  very 
important  part  of  the  teaching  process,  if  only  for  the  fact 
that  children  (and  adults)  like  to  watch  cartoons.  If  a 
person  is  sincerely  interested  in  what  he  is  learning,  the 
learning  process  becomes  that  much  easier. 

Just  as  it  is  important  to  keep  the  action  going  in 
animated  films,  it  became  imperative  to  use  color  imagery 
as  it  became  available.  Technicolor,  a  company  Disney 
has  always  been  associated  with  in  the  use  of  color  for 
films,  came  out  with  a  coloring  process  for  films  in  1 92 1 .  A 
small  company  at  the  time,  Technicolor  couldn't  make 
this  process  available  until  1923.  At  that  time,  however, 
film  experts  and  critics  raved.  However,  the  first 
Technicolor  product  was  nothing  like  the  color  we  have 
today.  For  one  thing,  the  process  was  only  adaptable  to 
certain  scenes,  and,  two,  the  range  of  colors  capable  of 
being  produced  was  very  limited.  The  colors  red,  green, 
and  blue  predominated. 

However,  in  the  Technicolor  process  of  1932,  light  was 
reflected  into  its  three  component  colors:  red,  blue,  and 
green.  Then  the  light  was  run  through  a  prism  where  these 
three  colors  could  be  broken  into  as  many  shades  as  the 
eye  can  perceive.  In  Technicolor,  instead  of  having  one 
negative  to  contend  with,  there  are  three.  Shooting  a 
picture  is  done  with  one  negative  and  then  in  the 
Technicolor  labs  that  single  negative  is  treated  in  such  a 
way  as  to  form  the  three  component  colors  and  three 
negatives  which  are  then  imprinted  into  the  final  film. 

The  first  Disney  films  to  use  color  effectively  were  the 
Silly  Symphony  series.  The  use  of  color  was  so  striking  and 
effective  as  an  audience-drawer  that  they  out-played  the 
Mickey  Mouse  cartoons,  which  were  in  black-and-white. 
The  first  big  hit  with  Technicolor,  however,  was  The 
Three  Little  Pigs,  released  in  1933.  This  film  had  such  an 
effect  on  depression-era  America  that  Disney  immediately 
adopted  the  Technicolor  process  for  all  his  films.  With  the 
release  in  1 940  of  Fantasia  the  full  potential  of  color  was 
realized.  Disney  still  uses  the  Technicolor  process  today, 
even  though  there  are  others  available. 

The  sound  in  Disney's  films  was  done  by  him  and  his 
studios.  In  the  early  days  of  animation,  all  noises  had  to  be 
timed  to  the  action  and  reproduced  on  the  spot,  similar  to 
drama  on  radio.  Such  things  as  the  forest  fire  in  Bambi 
were  produced  by  crinkling  cellophane  close  to  a  micro- 
phone. Crush  a  wooden  box  and  you  had  the  sound  of 
splintering  wooden  planks.  Crashes  were  produced  by 
tumbling  boxes.  The  sound  of  someone  being  hit  on  the 
head  was  produced  by  hitting  a  head  of  cabbage  and  horses 
trotting  was  accomplished  by  means  of  halves  of  coconut 
shells.  Simple  whistles,  ratchets,  and  slide  flutes  were 
used. 


The  WPI  Journal  I  April  1978    11 


Disney  and  his  staff  managed  to  perfect  a  technique  that 
would  synchronize  sound  with  the  animation.  It  involved 
a  series  of  light  flashes  put  on  each  frame  of  film.  By 
following  the  flashes  the  sound  track  very  nearly  syn- 
chronized with  that  of  the  action. 

For  the  movie  Fantasia  Disney  engineers  developed  a 
series  of  eight  speakers  that  could  be  strategically  placed 
around  a  theater  to  reproduce  a  very  true  stereophonic 
sound.  The  effect  was  similar  to  that  employed  in  the 
more  recent  film  Earthquake!  The  setup  was  abandoned, 
however,  because  the  cost  of  setup  and  removal  prohibited 
its  use  in  all  but  a  few  theaters. 

Just  as  Disney  engineers  developed  new  sound  tech- 
niques, they  also  developed  new  techniques  in  special 
effects.  One  of  these  was  known  as  "rotoscoping."  It 
involved  filming  a  sequence  of  film  with  live  actors  that 
would  be  used  in  a  film  with  cartoon  characters.  Then  the 
animator  would  trace  the  outline  of  the  human  actors  and 
use  it  to  draw  the  animation  figures.  This  was  supposed  to 
impart  greater  naturalism  to  the  cartoons,  but  actually 
succeeded  in  producing  a  jerky  kind  of  motion.  This  is 
evident  in  films  such  as  Snow  White.  The  effects  of  rain 
and  snow  were  accomplished  by  sprinkling  water  or 
bleached  cornflakes  against  a  dark  background.  Unbeliev- 
ably enough,  this  appeared  very  real. 

Another  technique,  much  more  important,  was  the 
multiplane  camera.  This  camera  was  introduced  to  fill  a 
technical  gap.  The  animators  felt  they  had  no  way  of 
producing  depth.  Scale  distortions  occur  when  a  eel  is 
photographed  against  a  flat  background.  This  camera 
made  it  possible  to  photograph  several  levels  of  back- 
ground and  action  at  the  same  time  to  give  a  proper  sense 
of  depth.  Before  Disney,  the  size  of  the  eel  determined  the 
size  of  the  field  of  action.  (A  eel  is  a  drawing  of  a  part  of  the 
scene  on  a  transparent  acetate  base.)  Obviously,  for  some 
of  the  action  in  a  film  like  Snow  White,  the  normal  eel 
size,  9V2  x  1 2  inches,  was  too  small  to  accommodate  all  the 
characters.  In  addition  to  new,  larger  board  and  eel  sizes 
that  were  adopted,  new  inking  boards,  checking  boards, 
animation  boards,  and  the  camera  itself  had  to  be  devel- 
oped. Even  so,  the  board  size  still  proved  too  small  in  some 
instances,  and  a  method  of  photographically  reducing  the 
drawings  was  devised.  All  these  things  led  to  the  develop- 
ment of  animation  as  a  high  art  by  1 942. 

All  these  technical  innovations  are  fine,  but  they  are  not 
alone  what  made  a  Disney  animated  film  so  different  from 
any  other  producer's.  For  when  someone  thinks  of  Walt 
Disney  and  what  he  did  for  animation  and  movie-making 
in  general,  it  is  usually  in  light  of  the  way  he  made  fairy 
tales  come  alive.  But  there  was  one  period  of  Disney 
history  that  was  much  more  somber  in  nature  —  World 
War  II.  On  the  eve  of  the  war  we  were  nearly  in  a  state  of 
chaos.  Our  educational  system  was  not  equipped  to  instill 
the  state  of  mind  necessary  for  victory.  As  a  result,  the 
crippling  shortages  and  misplaced  manpower  of  the  early 
stages  of  the  war  were  anything  but  what  one  would 
expect  from  a  nation  that  was  supposed  to  play  such  an 
important  part  in  winning  the  war  for  the  Allies. 


Here  Disney  stepped  in.  Although  by  no  means 
responsible  for  our  winning  the  war,  his  efforts  did  help 
overcome  one  critical  problem:  education.  What  Disney 
did  for  the  Allied  effort  can  be  explained  simply.  He  made 
propaganda  films.  Yet  he  was  faced  with  more  problems 
than  might  first  meet  the  eye.  Never  before  had  a  film 
producer  used  his  talents  as  an  educator  in  social  change  or 
as  a  major  proponent  of  technological  progress.  His  new- 
found abilities  in  film  technology  would  be  used  to  link 
aeronautical  science  to  military  theory,  industry,  trade, 
international  relations,  agriculture,  conservation,  health, 
and  sanitation.  He  was  to  be  used  as  educator  of  the  world. 

Disney  held  enormous  power.  His  films  were  being 
viewed  by  as  many  as  100  million  people  around  the 


1 2  I  April  1 978  I  The  WPI  journal 


world.  He  was  in  a  position  where  he  could  use  his  talent 
to  control  and  change  the  attitudes  of  all  those  people. 
That  he  didn't  use  that  power  for  negative  ends  is  a  tribute 
to  the  man's  patriotism.  He  was  able  to  use  his  films  to  tell 
the  world  how  to  use  their  armies  efficiently,  how  to 
organize  their  industrial  efforts,  how  to  will  themselves  to 
win,  to  maintain  order,  and  to  make  ordinary-seeming 
people  and  things  appear  vital  to  the  war  effort.  People 
were  taught  how  to  ration  themselves,  how  to  promote 
goodwill  among  other  countries,  how  to  understand 
America's  war  strategy,  just  as  they  were  used  to  arouse 
latent  national  loyalty.  And  Disney's  films  taught  these 
things  so  eloquently  that  ten-year-olds  could  understand 
them. 

By  combining  the  same  techniques  used  in  fantasy 
films,  i.e.,  the  multi-plane  camera,  color  psychology, 
frosted  eels,  animation  itself,  and  combining  this  with 
Gallup  poll  surveys,  maps  and  diagrams,  and  appeals  to 
authority  and  human  values,  Disney  was  able  to  make  one 
outstanding  contribution  to  the  war  effort.  This  was  in  a 
film  called  Victory  Through  Air  Power.  It  centered  around 
a  complex  military  concept,  that  of  long-range  bombing, 
but  it  was  presented  to  the  public  so  as  not  to  appear  too 
pedagogic.  Disney  showed  that  industry,  on  its  own,  had 
brought  the  necessary  technology  of  bombing  to  such  a 
state  that,  properly  applied,  the  technique  could  end  the 
war  in  two  years  with  victory  going  to  the  Allies.  One  of 
the  film's  main  points  was  that  military  men  tended  to 
thwart  those  efforts  which  would  make  their  own  theories 
defunct.  The  film  had  such  an  effect  on  the  American 
people  and  on  the  executive  branch  that  the  concept  was 
put  into  practice.  The  result  is  well  known. 

By  proving  his  two  main  points,  the  cost  in  manpower  to 
fight  a  conventional  war,  and  that  the  American  people 
had  inherited  the  most  powerful  technological  civilization 
in  the  world,  Disney  was  able  to  implant  in  American 
minds  a  very  important  point:  it  was  better  to  spill  our 
nation's  gasoline  than  to  spill  our  nation's  blood. 

Disney's  abilities  in  propaganda  filming  were  so  great 
that  there  is  a  certain  horror  in  the  recollection.  If  Disney 
had  chosen  personal  power  rather  than  national  spirit  as 
his  motivation,  he  could  have  been  a  major  threat  to  Allied 
victory.  What  the  Japanese  could  have  done  with  a  man 
like  Disney  on  their  side  is  frightening  to  consider.  Dis- 
ney's medium  of  construction  could  easily  have  been 
turned  into  a  medium  of  destruction. 

Disney's  educational  abilities  were  a  direct  extension  of 
his  animation  abilities.  Just  as  many  movements  of  many 
cartoon  figures  were  necessary  to  give  an  air  of  simplicity 
and  magic,  many  factors  in  our  social  institutions  and 
technologies  combined  together  to  promote  the  instruc- 
tion of  our  people.  As  a  result,  Disney  directed  his  greatest 
film  of  all :  the  panorama  of  the  construction  of  peace  and  a 
new  Magic  Kingdom. 

Once  Disney  had  perfected  the  theory  of  education  in 
animation,  he  was  ready  to  perfect  the  image  of  what  we 
have  come  to  recognize  as  Walt  Disney  Productions.  In 
order  to  do  this  he  had  to  advertise.  And  in  this  advertising, 
he  managed  to  commercialize  his  work.  There  is  no  better 


way  to  illustrate  this  commercialism  than  to  talk  of  the 
symbol  of  Disney  Productions:  Mickey  Mouse. 

What  makes  Mickey  Mouse  more  popular  than  any  of 
the  other  Disney  characters?  Was  it  because  he  was  the 
first,  or  was  it  because  he  is  the  best  known?  Several 
decades  ago  perhaps  one  could  say  that  many  people  had 
not  been  exposed  to  such  characters  as  Donald  Duck, 
Dumbo,  and  Goofy,  but  nowadays  most  people  are  famil- 
iar with  these  characters,  too.  No,  I  think  the  popularity  of 
Mickey  Mouse  is  due  to  commercialism,  something 
which  Disney,  intentionally  or  not,  has  succeeded  in 
giving  us.  Disneyland  and  Disney  World  are  both  elabora- 
tions on  this  theme.  This  is  not  to  say  that  commercialism 
is  evil;  we  more  or  less  take  it  for  granted.  Commercialism 
is,  after  all,  the  way  we  sell  our  products.  It  is  natural  in  a 
capitalistic  society.  But  does  Mickey  have  to  be  a  part  of  it? 
I  think  perhaps  Mickey  Mouse  has  become  so  much  a  part 
of  our  language,  and  indeed  is  so  much  a  part  of  our  own 
fantasylands,  precisely  because  of  it. 

One  result  of  the  vast  commercialism  that  launched 
Mickey  is  that  he  has  become  an  accepted  part  of  our 
society,  so  much  so  that  Mrs.  Nixon  could  give  Mrs. 
Brezhnev  a  Mickey  Mouse  watch  and  it  would  be  under- 
stood as  an  honorable  gift.  Another  enduring  thing  about 
Mickey  is  that  he  has  stood  the  test  of  time.  His  creator  is 
long  dead,  and  yet  Mickey  is  not  yet  nostalgia.  At  the  first 
annual  nostalgia  fair  held  in  New  York,  Mickey  was  not 
even  mentioned.  He  has  not  gone  the  way  of  other  cartoon 
characters,  not  even  such  recent  ones  as  Bugs  Bunny  and 
Porky  Pig,  of  whom  no  films  have  been  made  in  quite  a 
while. 

Mickey  endures  because  he  was  sold.  So  much  and  in  so 
many  products  that  a  game  show  on  television  can  now 
ask  his  name  in  Spanish  and  expect  to  get  an  answer.  Sold 
enough  to  bring  over  one  hundred  dollars  for  a  watch  that 
bears  his  picture.  It  is  extremely  unlikely  that  any  of  us  has 
not  seen  something  that  doesn't  have  a  picture  of  Mickey 
on  it,  be  it  a  hat  with  ears,  a  drinking  glass,  a  magazine.  He 
is  known,  and  loved,  worldwide.  His  popularity  is  due  to 
the  commercialism  that  turned  an  ordinarily  dirty  little 
creature  into  an  object  of  fun  and  fantasy.  His  is  the  power 
to  bounce  back,  in  advertising  and  in  "life." 


The  WPI  Journal  I  April  1978113 


Disneyland,  Disney  World  and  EPCOT 


When  Disneyland  opened  in  i  95  5 ,  it  might  have  seemed 
like  the  culminating  point  of  Disney's  work.  The  theme 
park,  so  named  because  the  park  consists  of  seven  areas, 
each  with  its  own  special  theme,  includes:  Fantasy  land, 
Frontierland,  Adventureland,  Tomorrowland,  New  Or- 
leans Square,  Main  Street,  and  Bear  Country.  Each  of  these 
areas  is  designed  to  create  a  certain  atmosphere  and 
contains  amusements,  exhibits,  and  other  attractions 
which  underline  the  theme  of  the  area.  Many  of  the 
attractions  are  based  on  characters  and  stories  from  Dis- 
ney's films. 

Fantasyland  is  primarily  the  haven  of  the  animated 
story.  Such  attractions  as  Snow  White  and  the  Seven 
Dwarfs,  Peter  Pan,  and  Dumbo  are  represented  here,  as 


well  as  the  "It's  a  Small  World"  exhibit,  seen  by  millions  at 
the  1964  New  York  World's  Fair.  Adventureland  derives 
from  the  Disney  "True  Nature  Adventure"  films  and 
features  jungle  rides  and  the  Enchanted  Tiki  Room,  named 
for  its  robot-like  audio-animatronical  birds,  flowers,  and 
Tikis.  Frontierland  represents  the  United  States  in  its  Wild 
West  days.  Among  its  features  are  such  things  as  an 
operating  Mississippi  River  type  steamboat.  Other  parts  of 
Frontierland  are  geared  towards  the  gold  rush  days  and 
pioneers  like  Davy  Crockett.  Tomorrowland  features  the 
future,  including:  Space  Mountain  (a  roller-coaster  sort  of 
ride  that  simulates  space  flight),  Circle- Vision  360°  (Dis- 
ney's patented  theater  in  the  round),  and  an  audio- 
animatronics  production  of  the  musical  history  of 


141  April  1978  I  The  Wl'I  journal 


>ti> 


America.  New  Orleans  Square  is  just  what  the  name 
implies,  a  re-creation  of  nineteenth  century  New  Orleans, 
and  features  a  pirate  ride  and  a  haunted  mansion.  Main 
Street  is  a  re-creation  of  a  typical  main  street  in  the  1 890s. 
Bear  Country  is  the  scene  of  the  Country  Bear  Jamboree,  a 
musical  revue  with  robot  animals.  In  each  of  the  areas 
there  are  themed  restaurants,  souvenir  stands,  and 
refreshment  stands. 

Several  new  attractions  are  in  the  works,  framed  around 
a  seven-year  master  plan.  A  new  area  called  Circusland 
would  be  a  circus  peopled  with  audio-animatronical 
players  and  animals,  and  featuring  Mickey  Mouse  car- 
toons from  the  1920s  and  30s. 

Disneyland  is  highly  successful,  and  has  become  the 
model  on  which  many  new  amusement  parks  are  built.  I 
stress  the  word  amusement  because  Disneyland  is  a  small 
park  of  305  acres.  It  does  not  have  the  expansion  pos- 
sibilities that  Walt  Disney  World  has.  Nevertheless,  Dis- 
neyland has  proved  to  be  a  consistent  money-maker, 
increasing  revenues  nearly  $40  million  from  1 972-1 976 
while  increasing  attendance  600,000.  On  June  22,  1976 
Disneyland  hosted  its  1 50  millionth  guest.  Yet,  the  at- 
tendance is  still  largely  composed  of  California  residents. 
This  makes  it  different  from  Walt  Disney  World,  which 
relies  on  out-of-state  attendance. 

When  Walt  Disney  World  opened  in  1971  in  Orlando, 
Florida,  many  people  thought  it  would  be  just  another 
Disneyland.  They  couldn't  have  been  further  from  the 
truth.  Walt  Disney  World  (hereafter  called  WDW)  is  huge, 
encompassing  an  area  of  about  27,000  acres,  over  42  square 
miles.  To  give  an  idea  of  this  size,  WDW  is  nearly  twice  the 
size  of  Manhattan.  The  theme  park  itself  is  nearly  ten 
times  the  size  of  Disneyland.  Its  principal  attractions  are 
much  the  same,  but  in  WDW  the  Country  Bear  Jamboree 
is  not  a  separate  area,  and  Liberty  Square  replaces  New 
Orleans  Square. 

Like  Disneyland,  WDW  is  extremely  popular,  with  1976 
revenues  of  nearly  $25  5  million.  That  same  year,  at- 
tendance was  1 3  million,  some  3  million  more  than  went 
to  Disneyland.  What  is  phenomenal,  though,  is  that  from 
1972  to  1976  WDW  nearly  doubled  their  revenues  while 
raising  attendance  by  only  one-fourth. 

The  reason  for  this  increase  is  partly  due  to  the  fact  that 
WDW  is  a  total  recreational  area.  Besides  the  Magic 
Kingdom,  there  are  numerous  camping  facilities,  such  as 
Fort  Wilderness  and  River  Country.  River  Country  fea- 
tures such  things  as  a  260-foot  water  slide,  rope  swings, 
and  swimming  pools.  When  River  Country  opened  in  1 976 
it  hosted  420,000  guests  in  its  first  four  months.  (This  was 
with  89  percent  occupancy).  There  are  also  three  major 
hotels  in  WDW.  The  Contemporary  is  an  A-frame  type 
building,  with  its  center  open  to  allow  the  monorail  to  pass 
through  it.  The  Polynesian  Village  is  a  hotel  themed  to  the 
South  Seas  and  features  such  things  as  luaus  and 
Olympic-sized  swimming  pools.  The  Golf  Resort  is  just 
what  the  name  implies;  it  is  built  around  several  challeng- 
ing 1 8-hole  courses.  One  of  these,  the  Magnolia  course, 
hosts  a  PGA  tournament.  These  hotels  have  an  average 
occupancy  of  97  percent. 


If  there  is  any  one  thing  which  sets  WDW  apart  from 
other  amusement  parks,  it  is  the  use  of  technology  to 
boost  the  entertainment.  One  of  the  most  striking  uses  of 
technology  in  both  Disney  theme  parks  is  the  intelligent 
use  of  mass  transport.  Such  diverse  means  of  transporta- 
tion as  monorails,  WEDway  People  Movers,  skyrides, 
steam  trains,  and  boats  are  used  to  move  people  from  place 
to  place.  The  monorail  at  WDW  travels  the  perimeter  of 
the  Magic  Kingdom,  giving  the  rider  a  preview  of  the  park. 
The  WEDway  People  Mover,  named  for  Walt  Disney,  is 
essentially  a  train-on- wheels.  It  does  not  run  on  gasoline, 
though,  but  rather  on  electric  power  or  alternative  fuels 
like  alcohol.  The  steam  train  also  circles  the  park  in 
WDW,  but  such  rides  as  the  skyride,  a  gondola  strung  on 
cables,  merely  provide  transport  from  one  theme  area  to 
another.  The  main  emphasis  on  such  transport  technology 
is  that  it  be  clean,  cheap,  and  effective.  In  WDW  all  these 
goals  are  accomplished. 

One  must  remember  that  large  sections  of  the  parks  are 
geared  to  water,  and  that  Disney  Productions  maintains  a 
large  fleet.  While  many  of  the  boats  are  small  power  boats, 
or  those  used  in  rides,  WDW  still  has  enough  boats  to  hold 
claim  to  the  ninth  largest  navy  in  the  world  (in  tonnage), 
an  incredible  achievement  for  a  single  company. 

The  transportation  shop  at  WDW  employs  some  1,200 
craftsmen.  There,  all  the  various  vehicles  are  kept  in 
working  order  and  new  ones  built.  In  1 97  5,  for  example,  in 
the  shop's  drydock,  a  1 50-ton  ferryboat  was  under  con- 
struction. This  shop,  by  the  way,  uses  more  fiberglass  than 
any  other  manufacturing  activity  in  the  world. 

On  an  equal  footing  with  transportation  are  the  robotics. 
WDW  "employs"  thousands  of  them.  Audio-animatronics 
is  a  complex  word  meaning  talking  robots.  These  can  take 
any  shape,  from  President  Lincoln  talking  in  the  Hall  of 
Presidents  to  an  enchanted  alligator  at  the  Tiki  Room  to 
Mickey  Mouse  in  the  Mickey  Mouse  Revue.  These  robots 
are  mainly  stationary.  They  do  not  move  by  themselves, 
although  they  can  "walk"  across  preprogrammed  tracks. 
They  are  capable  of  as  many  as  1 1,000  separate  move- 
ments, some  of  which  are  startling  to  viewers,  such  as  the 
scratching  of  an  itch. 

Audio-animatronics  are  essentially  a  combination  of 
wax  museum  figures  with  an  inner  core  of  microelec- 
tronics. They  utilize  computer-programming  to  make 
them  move.  They  are  so  realistic  that  they  even  sweat  (due 
to  a  type  of  oil  in  their  plastic  skins).  Basically,  the 
audio-animatronic  figures  are  programmable  —  that  is, 
they  are  programmed  to  sing  or  talk.  Their  lips  are  synched 
to  the  song  or  speech,  and  a  push  of  a  button  activates 
them.  They  cannot  as  yet  move  independently,  by  them- 
selves. Nor  can  they  think.  However,  it  is  conceivable  that 
in  a  few  years  they  could  be  programmed  to  perform 
menial  tasks  in  place  of  human  employment. 

Aside  from  such  obvious  uses  of  technology,  the  theme 
parks  discreetly  make  use  of  other  technology  which  is 
years  ahead  of  its  time.  This  is  especially  true  with  the 
AVAC  rubbish  disposal  system,  which  features  primary, 
secondary,  and  tertiary  controls.  The  activated  sludge  used 
in  the  third-stage  treatment  is  also  used  to  fertilize  fields. 


The  WPI  Journal  April  1978115 


This  mariculture  has  made  it  possible  to  increase  the  yield 
of  soybeans  from  600  pounds  per  acre  to  nearly  thirteen 
times  that  amount.  In  addition,  the  sludge  has  proved  to  be 
an  excellent  source  of  protein  for  cattle.  Another  use  of 
technology  is  being  tested  in  the  water  control  center  that 
Disney  Productions  manages.  Projects  are  being  devised  to 
take  waste  gas  (methane)  and  use  it  to  drive  the  same 
turbines  which  treat  the  water  in  the  first  place. 

Another  planning  feature  of  WDW  is  one  which  the 
public  probably  doesn't  even  realize  exists.  All  deliveries 
and  utilities  are  underground,  as  are  all  workshops,  com- 
puters, electronics  gear,  and  lighting  controls.  Even  the 
fireworks  which  are  seen  every  evening  are  set  off  under- 
ground. Underneath  WDW  is  a  maze  of  corridors  which 
connect  shops  and  offices,  and  provide  access  to  attrac- 
tions for  employees,  who  travel  long  distances  in  electric 
carts  when  necessary. 

Also  underground  is  the  unique  waste  disposal  system. 
Although  the  garbage  cans  in  WDW  might  appear  normal, 
many  of  them  are  linked  to  the  AVAC  system  by  a  series  of 
tubes  which  act  like  vacuum  cleaners.  These  suck  in 
trash,  process  it  through  circular  blades  that  separate 
organic  trash  from  inorganic  trash  and  also  chop  the  trash 
into  smaller  pieces  that  are  easier  to  treat. 

Physically,  the  theme  parks  are  marvels  of  engineering. 
They  have  both  used  canals  to  provide  water  as  well  as 
land  recreation.  WDW  includes  one  of  the  world's  largest 
aviaries,  as  well  as  hiking  trails  and  fishing  spots.  In  WDW 
one  can  buy  or  rent  condominiums,  cabins,  cottages,  and 


boats.  The  Lake  Buena  Vista  complex  includes  some  200 
homes  that  are  water-oriented  and  another  18-hole  golf 
course.  The  homes  are  located  adjacent  to  WDW  in  and 
around  a  1,200  acre  area  of  man-made  lakes,  canals,  and 
channels.  In  1976  the  Lake  Buena  Vista  shopping  village 
hosted  some  two  million  people,  who  visited  some  29 
unique  shops  and  four  restaurants.  At  the  site  the  Disney 
people  built  a  1 50- ton  Mississippi  river  showboat  that 
houses  three  restaurants,  a  Dixieland  show  bar,  and  exclu- 
sive private  dining  rooms. 

What  might  not  be  so  obvious  is  that  WDW  is  a  marvel 
of  efficiency  and  behavioral  planning.  The  social  technol- 
ogy involved  in  creating  WDW  ranges  from  studies  on 
waiting  in  line  to  the  "clean"  look  that  WDW  has. 
Prominent  in  the  use  of  social  technology  is  the  appear- 
ance of  the  park.  Every  night,  every  single  sidewalk, 
walkway,  and  vehicle  is  checked  for  defects  and  fixed  if 
necessary.  Everything  is  cleaned  every  night,  and  that 
includes  removing  chewing  gum  and  washing  all  the 
windows  in  WDW.  There  are  innumerable  maintenance 
men  throughout  WDW,  some  of  which  follow  crowds 
around  merely  to  pick  up  trash  that  is  littered.  A  striking 
feature  of  WDW  is  that  it  is  spotless. 

Other  social  technology  includes  the  use  of  color,  the 
right  mix  of  fantasy  and  reality,  and  the  friendliness  of 
employees.  Granted  it  is  hard  to  look  at  such  things 
objectively,  but  the  fact  remains  that  WDW  is  more  than 
an  amusement  park.  It,  hopefully,  offers  something  for 
everyone. 


1 6  I  April  19781  The  WPI  journal 


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In  1970,  WPI,  then  a  four-year  engineer- 
ing and  science  college  of  the  most  rigidly 
traditionalist  type,  was  transformed  by 
vote  of  the  faculty  into  an  entirely  new 
institution  with  a  completely  different 
goal:  the  education  of  "technological 
humanists."  a  new  breed  of  engineers  and 
scientists  with  an  active  appreciation  of 
the  social  sciences  and  the  humanities, 
with  an  awareness  of  the  world's  scope 
and  complexity  and  with  a  grasp  of  the 
larger  societal  implications  of  their  cho- 
sen professional  roles. 

To  implement  that  goal,  the  faculty 
created  a  new  academic  curriculum  based 
on  four  degree  requirements.  This  new 
educational  program,  known  as  the  WPI 
Plan,  places  the  responsibility  on  each 
student  to  design  his  or  her  academic 
program  with  the  help  of  a  faculty  ad- 
visor. The  WPI  Plan  requires  a  demon- 
stration of  competency  and  successful 
completion  of  two  independent  problem- 
solving  situations  called  "projects." 

From  the  very  outset  of  the  WPI  Plan,  it 
was  clear  that  the  fundamental  and  mas- 
sive changes  required  would  be  costly  in 
both  time  and  money.  WPFs  resolve  to 
change  and  to  grow  academically,  com- 
bined with  an  uncertain  economy,  the 
steadily  rising  costs  of  almost  all  goods 
and  services,  and  the  inability  of  most 
students  to  pay  fully  for  their  education, 
resulted  in  a  major  imbalance  between 
WPFs  ambitious  goals  and  its  fiscal  pos- 
ture at  that  point. 

To  surmount  that  ominous  fiscal 
reality,  the  Trustees  recognized  the  need 
to  mount  a  major  fund  raising  program  of 
heretofore  unheard-of  proportions  in 
WPFs  long  and  distinguished  history. 


Appropriately,  this  five-year  effort  of- 
ficially was  designated  as  The  WPI  Plan 
to  Restore  the  Balance  campaign.  By 
virtue  of  astute  and  thorough  planning, 
many  of  the  ingredients  necessary  for 
success  were  "built  in"  to  the  campaign's 
structure  even  before  the  first  dollar  was 
raised. 

Because  the  '60s  had  seen  a  major 
expansion  of  our  academic  facilities  in- 
cluding construction  of  Olin  Hall,  God- 
dard  Laboratories,  and  Gordon  Library 
as  well  as  a  major  athletic  facility,  Har- 
rington Auditorium,  the  Trustees'  Com- 
mittee for  Planning  and  Resources 
quickly  recognized  that  improving  the 
quality  of  student  life  was  one  of  the  most 
pressing  needs  facing  the  college.  The 
decision  was  made  to  increase  dormitory 
space  and  create  a  student  life  center  by 
renovating  the  first  floors  of  Morgan  Hall 
and  Daniels  Hall  and  linking  these  build- 
ings together.  Thus  the  top  physical  facil- 
ity priorities  of  the  Plan  to  Restore  the 
Balance  were  established.  Others  in- 
cluded the  renovation  of  Salisbury 
Laboratories  and  Boynton  Hall. 

Our  architectural  planners  were  quick 
to  point  out  that  we  were  creating  vehicu- 
lar traffic  in  the  heart  of  our  campus  by 
locating  our  Buildings  and  Grounds  De- 
partment in  what  was  the  old  Foundry 
Building.  Following  their  recom- 
mendations, the  Foundry  Building  was 
remodeled  to  serve  as  a  Project  Center, 
and  the  campaign  to  green  the  campus 
was  launched.  The  results  of  this  effort 
are  highly  visible  on  the  east  campus 
which  has  been  restored  to  pedestrians 
and  beautified  through  walkways,  plazas, 
terraces,  and  plantings. 


16 


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Having  faced  a  series  of  annual  deficits, 
the  Trustees  were  concerned  and  deter- 
mined that  additional  funds  be  raised  to 
reduce  the  pressure  on  the  annual  operat- 
ing budget,  thus  an  endowment  objective 
of  $4.1  million  was  established  for  the 
campaign.  In  spite  of  our  success  in  rais- 
ing new  endowment  money,  a  falling 
stock  market  and  continuing  inflation 
have  not  substantially  reduced  the  pres- 
sures on  the  operational  budget.  We 
have,  however,  managed  to  increase  the 
endowment  and  stay  just  a  bit  ahead  of 
inflation. 

The  WPI  Plan  emphasis  on  practical 
experience  and  learning  through  doing  in 
the  laboratory  coupled  with  an  enlarged 
student  enrollment  created  a  problem  of 
equipment  replacement  and  upgrading.  In 
addition,  the  rapid  changes  in  technology 
made  it  imperative  we  update  our  equip- 
ment. Recognizing  this  need  we  set  a 
campaign  objective  of  $1  million. 

When  the  campaign  was  launched,  the 
concept  of  the  WPI  Plan  was  well  under- 
stood by  ourfaculty.  It,  however,  was  not 
clear  as  to  what  the  attendant  cost  would 
be  to  accomplish  our  stated  objectives. 
Thus,  the  Plan  to  Restore  the  Balance  was 
launched  knowing  that  we  would  need  to 
raise  money  to  implement  the  WPI  Plan 
but  not  knowing  precisely  what  we  would 
need  it  for  or  when.  Our  success  in  at- 
tracting grants  from  major  national  foun- 
dations amounted  to  $1.9  million,  which 
was  critical  in  the  successful  implementa- 
tion of  the  WPI  Plan. 


Looking  at  proposed  plans  for  the 
campus  back  in  1972,  at  the  start  of  the 
campaign,  are,  from  left,  Milton  P. 
Higgins,  chairman  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees;  Paul  S.  Morgan,  chairman  of 
the  WPI  Plan  to  Restore  the  Balance; 
and  Irving  James  Donahue,  '44,  national 
chairman  of  the  campaign. 


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Physical  Facilities 

Goal:  $7,903,400 
Achieved:  $7,502,107 


Among  the  components  of  the  campaign, 
the  highest  priority  was  given  to  improv- 
ing the  quality  of  the  learning  environ- 
ment at  WPI  through  construction  of  new 
physical  facilities  where  needed  and  by 
renovating  and  restoring  others. 

Generous  early  grants  from  the 
Ellsworth  and  Fuller  Foundations  al- 
lowed us  to  raze  property  on  Institute 
Road  across  from  the  campus  and  to 
begin  construction  of  two  new  residence 
centers  in  1972. 

When  finished  in  the  fall  of  1973,  the 
two  residence  centers  provided  modern 
town-house  style  living  accommodations 
for  196  students.  They  also  became  the 
first  visible  evidence  of  WPFs  commit- 
ment to  a  successful  campaign  of  unprec- 
edented magnitude. 

The  Wedge,  connecting  Morgan  and 
Daniels  Halls,  signaled  the  completion  of 
a  badly  needed  student  life  center,  includ- 
ing a  substantially  enlarged  student  dining 
room  and  kitchen,  a  campus  post  office 
and  game  rooms,  and  larger  quarters  for 
the  Bookstore.  This  new  setting  en- 
hanced the  visual  appearance  of  the  cam- 
pus and  created  a  '"Campus  Main  Street" 
for  students,  faculty,  and  staff. 


With  student  projects  at  the  heart  of  the 
WPI  Plan,  a  Project  Center  became  a 
most  urgent  need.  A  grant  of  $150,000 
from  the  Kresge  Foundation  in  1973  un- 
derwrote the  cost  of  transforming  the  old 
Foundry  Building  into  a  useful  and  effi- 
cient headquarters  for  student  projects. 

One  of  the  most  extensive  programs 
involving  physical  facilities  was  the  trans- 
formation of  Salisbury  Laboratories  into 
a  modern  academic  center.  Aided  sub- 
stantially by  a  major  grant  from  the 
George  I.  Alden  Trust,  the  interior  of 
Salisbury  was  converted  into  a  functional 
center  for  interdisciplinary  learning  in- 
cluding 4  classrooms,  25  laboratories,  3 
lecture  halls,  4  seminar  and  conference 
rooms,  offices  for  54  faculty  members, 
and  several  student  lounges  and  study 
areas.  Built  in  1888,  the  '"new"  Salisbury 
Laboratories  were  formally  rededicated 
in  September,  1976. 

Sanford  Riley  Hall,  our  oldest  dormito- 
ry, was  completely  renovated  to  provide 
comfortable  and  attractive  student  living 
quarters  which  conform  to  current  build- 
ing codes.  By  acting  as  our  own  contrac- 
tor on  this  project,  WPI  realized  cost 
savings  of  approximately  $100,000. 


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16 


At  top.  Looking  through  one  of  the 
courtyards  in  the  Fuller  Residence 
toward  Sanford  Riley  Hall:  WPls  oldest 
and  newest  student  housing. 
Above  left,  "The  Wedge"  connecting 
Morgan  Hall  with  Daniels  Hall.  This  link 
is  the  keystone  of  the  student  life 
"campus  main  street"  concept. 
Above  right,  the  dining  hall  (with  a 
refurbished  kitchen)  was  rebuilt  as  a  part 
of  the  Plan  to  Restore  the  Balance,  and 
offers  more  capacity  and  increased 
flexibility. 


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SALISBURY   LABORATORIES 

Named  in  honor  of 

STEPHEN  SALISBURY  II 

a  founder  of  the  Institute  and  first  chairman 

of  its  Board  of  Trustees,  this  building 
is  the  gift  of  his  son,  Stephen  Salisbury  III. 

From  1865  to  1905,  the  Salisbury  family  provided 

WPI  with  exemplary  leadership.  Their  generosity 

included  a  gift  of  the  land  for  the  campus. 

Extensive  interior  renovations  were  made 

possible  by  the  generous  support  of  alumni 

ind  friends  and  a  major  grant  from  the 

George  I.  Alden  Trust. 

Professor  Alden.  a  member  of  the  original 

faculty,  was  a  colleague  of  Stephen  Salisbury  II. 

rheir  dedicated  and  untiring  efforts  to  advance 

qrowth  and  development  of  the  Institute 

jtefully  and  permanently  acKnowledged. 

-rstone  Laid-1888  Rededicated-1976 


At  left,  the  magnificent  central  staircase/ 

skylight  that  breathes  life  into  the  new 

Salisbury  Laboratories,  and  provides 

natural  light  even  down  into  the  lower 

levels. 

Below,  one  of  the  new  life  sciences 

laboratories  in  Salisbury. 


16 


Top:  Guess  what  building  this  is?  It's 
Boynton  Hall  in  an  early  stage  of  the 
nearly-finished  reconstruction. 
At  bottom,  the  pedestrian  mall  between 
Boynton,  Washburn,  Stratton,  the 
Project  Center,  and  the  Power  Plant. 
Just  a  few  years  ago,  this  was  a  crude 
alley  used  mostly  for  parking  and 
jammed  with  cars. 


Boynton  Hall,  constructed  in  1868  as 
the  college's  first  building,  has  undergone 
a  complete  structural,  mechanical,  and 
electrical  system  restoration.  The  build- 
ing's attractive  granite  exterior  has  been 
preserved,  and  Boynton  will  soon  house 
most  WPI  administrative  offices  in  a  com- 
fortable, modern  setting. 

Extracurricular  activities  were  not 
overlooked  when  our  campaign  priorities 
were  established.  Among  several  related 
projects,  PTRB  funds  included  construc- 
tion of  four  new  tennis  courts  adjacent  to 
A.J.  Knight  Field. 

Among  the  most  conspicuously  pleas- 
ing results  of  the  campaign,  "the  greening 
of  the  campus"  has  been  accomplished  in 
several  areas  which  make  the  campus 
attractive  at  every  season  of  the  year. 

The  once  austere  alley  between  Strat- 
ton and  the  power  plant  used  to  be  a 
popular  parking  area  for  faculty  and  staff. 
Now.  it  is  a  handsome,  attractive  pedes- 
trian mall  with  raised  beds  of  flowers, 
shrubs,  and  trees. 

Freeman  Plaza,  the  area  between 
Salisbury.  Washburn,  Gordon  Library, 
and  the  Project  Center,  is  now  the  attrac- 
tive centerpiece  of  our  campus.  Our 
success  in  creating  a  better  educational 
environment  through  attractive  campus 
landscaping  was  recognized  by  a  special 
award  from  the  Massachusetts  Office  of 
Environmental  Affairs. 

One  final  element  of  the  "greening" 
master  plan  —  the  closing  and  landscap- 
ing of  West  Street  —  remains  to  be 
accomplished.  Following  a  temporary 
closing  of  the  street  in  1974.  we  withdrew 
our  petition.  Once  the  reconstruction  of 
Lincoln  Square  is  completed,  we  plan  to 
resubmit  and  hope  that  favorable  action 
by  the  City  will  allow  us  to  complete  "the 
greening  of  the  campus. ' ' 


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Endowment 

Goal:  $4,100,000 
Achieved:  $4,226,553 


The  indispensable  cornerstone  of  the 
WPI  Plan  has  been  the  remarkable  dedi- 
cation of  our  faculty  to  this  college.  Their 
commitment  conceived  and  nurtured  the 
Plan  and  their  boundless  energy  has  made 
it  workable.  Building  on  these  unique 
strengths,  we  set  out  to  attract  and  to 
retain  other  superior  teachers  who  will 
lead  our  students  toward  the  self-reliance 
and  self-confidence  which  the  Plan  en- 
courages. 

Our  goal  was  to  establish  two  endowed 
faculty  chairs  and  at  least  two  distin- 
guished instructorships.  A  substantial  gift 
from  an  anonymous  alumnus  endowed  a 
chair  in  Mechanical  Engineering  in  honor 
of  Professor  K.  G.  Merriam,oneof  WPI's 
best  known  and  best  liked  former 
teachers  who  died  in  1977.  Two  distin- 
guished instructorships  were  made  possi- 
ble by  generous  grants  from  Morgan- 
Worcester,  Inc.,  and  the  Riley  Company, 
who  funded  an  instructorship  named  in 
memory  of  Edmund  Rothemich,  Class  of 
1934.  A  third  distinguished  instructorship 
was  funded  with  a  bequest  from  the  estate 
of  Wilber  C.  Searle,  Class  of  1907.  We 
continue  to  seek  funding  for  at  least  one 
additional  chair. 

$2.4  million  has  been  added  to  endow- 
ment for  student  financial  aid.  It's  dif- 
ficult to  imagine  a  better  use  for  these 
reasons:  WPI  currently  provides  more 
than  $2.2  million  in  grants  and  loans  to 
students  each  year  —  the  equivalent  of 
nearly  $1,000  for  every  undergraduate 
enrolled. 


16 


8 


Books  and  Equipment 

Goal. $1,000,000 
Achieved:  $751,075 


In  a  college  of  science  and  technology  like 
WPI,  the  quality  of  education  depends 
directly  upon  the  availability  of  books  and 
modem  laboratory  equipment.  Fortu- 
nately, gifts  of  more  than  $750,000  helped 
us  to  secure  some  of  the  most  modern 
equipment  available,  including  a  trans- 
mission electron  microscope  and  impor- 
tant additions  for  the  growing  Life  Sci- 
ences department. 

Other  gifts  enabled  us  to  build  a  modern 
TV  studio  and  to  create  TV  carrels  for 
individual  personalized  instruction  where 
each  student  may  review  a  subject  or 
problem  until  he  or  she  has  mastered  it. 
Campaign  funds  also  were  used  to  expand 
collections  in  Gordon  Library. 


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WPI  Plan  Implementation     Operational  Funds 


Goal:  $2,176,600 
Achieve d:  $2,533,234 


Goal:  $3,320,000 
Achieved:  $3,877,663 


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From  the  outset,  the  unique  and  innova- 
tive components  of  the  WPI  Plan  at- 
tracted a  great  deal  of  notice  both  within 
and  outside  the  academic  community. 
Much  of  this  favorable  notice  was  trans- 
lated into  tangible  and  generous  support 
for  the  considerable  costs  of  implement- 
ing the  Plan.  We  received  the  largest  grant 
made  by  the  National  Science  Founda- 
tion's College  Science  Improvement  Pro- 
gram for  undergraduate  education.  Other 
major  grants  in  support  of  educational 
programs  under  the  WPI  Plan  were  made 
by  the  Sloan  Foundation;  the  Carnegie 
Corporation;  the  Ford  Foundation;  the 
Andrew  W.  Mellon  Foundation;  the  Na- 
tional Endowment  for  the  Humanities; 
the  National  Foundation  for  Arts  and 
Humanities;  the  Lilly  Endowment;  and 
the  Rockefeller  Foundation. 

The  aggregate  total  contributed  during 
the  campaign  for  implementing  the  WPI 
Plan  and  related  academic  programs  ex- 
ceeded $2.5  million. 


When  the  goals  for  the  campaign  were 
established,  the  trustees  recognized  two 
related  facts  of  equal  importance:  ( 1)  that 
the  broad  scope  of  WPFs  educational  and 
other  programs  would  move  ahead  at  an 
accelerated  pace,  and  (2)  that  the  costs  of 
day-to-day  operations  would  not  remain 
constant,  but  would  probably  increase 
significantly  over  the  five-year  period. 

Accordingly,  we  established  a  min- 
imum goal  of  $3.3  million  to  accommo- 
date the  impact  of  inflation  and  other 
costs.  This  estimate  proved  to  be  con- 
servative: the  five-year  total  of  gifts  for 
current  operations  came  to  nearly  $3.9 
million,  including  more  than  $460,000  of 
new  endowment  income. 


26 


10 


Epilogue 


The  concept  of  a  horizontal 
student  union  or  ''Main  Street"  has  suc- 
ceeded beyond  our  fondest  expectations. 
Alden  Memorial  provides  an  excellent 
site  for  concerts,  films,  and  lectures  and  is 
physically  linked  to  Sanford  Riley  which 
has  been  completely  renovated.  Its  lower 
level  houses  a  much  used  pub  which 
frequently  offers  weekend  entertainment. 
Proceeding  down  Main  Street  we  find  the 
bookstore,  post  office,  computer  termi- 
nals and  Dean  of  Students  Office  located 
on  the  first  floor  of  Daniels  Hall  linked  by 
the  Wedge  which  has  quickly  become  a 
campus  meeting  and  gathering  point  for 
residents  as  well  as  commuter  students. 
The  improved  dining  and  snack  bar 
facilities  in  Morgan  Hall  round  out  our 
Student  Union. 

To  the  north  of  "Main  Street"  are 
located  the  athletic  facilities  and  Alumni 
Gymnasium  and  Harrington  Auditorium, 
while  to  the  south  are  located  the  new 
Ellsworth,  Fuller  and  Stoddard  residence 
centers. 

The  decision  to  renovate  existing  build- 
ings has  been  applauded  by  the  WPI 
community,  architects,  and  economists. 
Renovation,  although  plagued  by  restric- 
tive regulations,  has  proven  to  be  less 
costly  than  demolition  and  rebuilding. 
Salisbury  Laboratories  is  a  magnificent 
example  of  how  an  imaginative  architect 
can  rejuvenate  an  old  building.  Boynton 
Hall,  which  has  graced  the  Worcester 
scene  for  over  a  century,  will  continue  to 
do  so  for  the  next  while  providing  modern 
and  efficient  administrative  offices. 


Our  increased  endowment  which  we 
had  hoped  would  provide  us  with  a  new 
resource  has  been  somewhat  reduced  be- 
cause of  the  combined  pressures  of  infla- 
tion and  disappointing  performances  in 
the  investment  markets  over  the  past  five 
years.  Our  disappointment,  however,  is 
tempered  by  the  satisfaction  we  have 
knowing  we  have  substantially  increased 
the  endowment,  and  if  we  had  not,  our 
fiscal  problems  would  be  magnified. 

The  optimism  of  our  faculty  when  they 
voted  to  adopt  the  WPI  Plan  has  been 
confirmed  by  their  hard  work  and  gener- 
ous funding  from  a  number  of  founda- 
tions. Merging  these  interests  and  ener- 
gies has  resulted  in  an  educational  plan 
which  has  been  recognized  and 
applauded  throughout  the  country. 

No  story  about  the  Plan  to  Restore  the 
Balance  would  be  complete  without  full 
and  unqualified  tribute  to  the  WPI  family. 
Our  Trustees  and  alumni  provided  vi- 
sionary leadership  coupled  with  generous 
support.  The  immediate  WPI  family,  fac- 
ulty, and  administration  never  once 
stopped  telling  the  WPI  story  to  both  on 
and  off  campus  guests  in  a  convincing  and 
compelling  way.  Foundation  officials 
often  expressed  incredulity  when  first 
hearing  the  WPI  story.  However,  without 
exception,  after  a  campus  visit  they  left 
not  only  converted  but  advocates. 

There  is  a  maxim  in  fund  raising  circles 
that  donors  do  not  give  to  institutions. 
Never  has  that  maxim  been  more  visibly 
demonstrated  than  our  recent  campaign. 
People  gave  and  gave  generously  to  WPI 
because  of  the  creative  minds  that  con- 
ceived the  WPI  Plan,  because  of  the  able 
students  who  time  and  time  again  demon- 
strated it  was  working,  and  because  of  the 
Trustees  and  alumni  leaders  who  worked 
without  pause  and  gave  so  generously. 
The  campaign  succeeded  because  the 
WPI  family  believed  in  the  Institute.  As  a 
result  of  these  efforts,  today  WPI  faces  an 
uncertain  future  with  confidence  .  .  . 
confidence  based  on  the  knowledge  that 
the  real  strength  of  the  Institute  is  not  the 
buildings  but  rather  the  people  who  are 
the  WPI  faculty. 

An  Honor  Roll  of  all  volunteers  and 
donors  has  been  placed  in  the  WPI  Ar- 
chives, which  are  held  in  Gordon  Library. 


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Where  the  gifts  came  from 


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Source 

Alumni 

Annual  Fund 

Capital 

Bequests 


Corporations 

Foundations 

Friends 
Capital 
Bequests 

Parents 

Other 

New  Endowment  Income 

Government 

Total 


$  1,055,664 
1,618,242 
3,002,666 

$  5,676,572 
$  2,421,859 
$  5,906,601 

$      871,136 
689,053 

$  1,560,189 
$  98,362 
$  69,328 
$  462,414 
$  2,720,203 
$18,915,528 


Percentage  of  the  Total 


5.58 
8.56 

15.87 


30.01 
12.80 
31.23 


4.61 
3.64 


8.25 
.52 
.37 

2.44 
14.38 


100.00 


16 


Where  the  gifts  went 


Facilities 

Endowment 

Equipment  &  Books 

WPI  Plan  Implementation 

Other  Restricted  Gifts 

Unrestricted  Gifts 

Applied  to  Facilities 
Temporarily  Applied  to  Funds 
Functioning  as  Endowment 

Current  Operations 

Grand  Total 


Revised 
(2/76) 
Goal 

$  7,903,400 

4,100,000 

1,000,000 

1,693,640 

482,960 


3,320,000 


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$18,500,000 


Pledges  & 
Cash 

Received 

ir- 

$  6,855,524 

4,275,699 

754,075 

1,963,261 

589.973 

3 

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3,877,663 

$18,915,528 

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Gift  Report 


Approximate 

Number 

Size  of  Pledge 

Number  Needed 

Goal 

Received 

December  30,  1977 

000,000  and 

over 

4 

$  5,000,000 

3 

$  4,422,214.13 

500,000  to  1 ,000,000 

5 

2,500,000 

3 

2,032,294.00 

250,000  to 

500.000 

8 

2,250,000 

6 

2,063,282.01 

100,000  to 

250,000 

13 

1 ,250,000 

20 

3,081,405.65 

50,000  to 

100,000 

25 

1,250,000 

19 

1,287,835.02 

25.000  to 

50,000 

40 

1,000,000 

27 

892,177.80 

10,000  to 

25,000 

100 

1 ,000,000 

28 

417,371.22 

5,000  to 

10,000 

180 

900,000 

45 

283,194.14 

under 
nniversary  ( 

5,000 
Gifts 

Numerous 

825,000 

2,632 

332,561.03 
225,530.07 

$15,975,000 

2,783 

$15,037,865.07 

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1976-77 

Alumni  Fund 
Development  Fund 

1975-76 

Alumni  Fund 
Development  Fund 

1974-75 

Alumni  Fund 
Development  Fund 

1973-74 

Alumni  Fund 
Development  Fund 

1972-73 

Alumni  Fund 
Development  Fund 

New  Endowment  Income 


Grand  Total 

WPI  Plan  to  Restore 

the  Balance 


Numerous 
Donors 

Numerous 
Donors 

Numerous 
Donors 

Numerous 
Donors 

Numerous 
Donors 


$  2,525,000 


$18,500,000 


Numerous 
Donors 

Numerous 
Donors 

Numerous 
Donors 

Numerous 
Donors 

Numerous 
Donors 


284,919.62 
288,854.16 

147,137.91 
290,930.63 

191,818.52 
200,546.34 

192,693.13 

844,353.33 

240,351.98 
733,643.13 

462,414.26 


$  3,877.663.01 


$18,915,528.08 


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At  left,  this  aerial  view  shows  two  different  eras  in 
transportation  coexisting  nicely. 

Below,  some  of  the  "audioanimatronic"  robots  in  the  Hall 
of  Presidents. 


The  question  remains:  Does  it  offer  everything?  Is  it  true 
that  Disneyland  and  WDW  make  up  a  kind  of  Orwellian 
world  of  the  present?  Or  did  they  just  evolve  to  become  a 
modern  classic  of  fraud  amid  the  rigors  of  one's  daily  life? 
For  one  thing,  they  cater  not  to  the  people  that  most  need 
escape  (the  poor),  but  rather  to  the  relatively  affluent 
middle  classes,  who  already  have  a  great  variety  of  escapes. 

Yet  going  to  Disneyland  or  WDW  is  a  wholly  different 
experience.  One  steps  out  of  the  Florida  landscape  into  a 
fairy-tale  world  embracing  almost  as  much  of  one's  imagi- 
nation as  is  possible  —  provided  that  imagination  is  clean 
and  wholesome.  Is  this  paradise?  We  can  go  to  a  haunted 
house,  a  pirate  ship,  into  the  Wild  West,  or  step  into  the 
future,  and  still  not  see  ourselves.  We  can  have  our  own 
fantasies  with  no  one  bothering  us.  Yet  there  is  a  subtle 
conditioning  that  takes  place.  There  can  be  no  variation  on 
the  fantasies. 

This  paradise  is  artificial,  and  therefore,  small.  There  is 
no  hunting,  wars,  riots,  bar  brawls,  terrorism,  disease,  vice, 
gambling,  natural  disaster,  blood,  gore,  or  death  in  the 
tjieme  parks.  And  thece  is  no  sex,  real  or  implied.  The 
theme  parks  are  far  from  approaching  realism  except  in  the 
heroic,  second-hand  accounts.  In  short,  there  is  nothing  in 
them  that  makes  life,  as  we  know  it,  interesting.  There  is 
nothing  to  complain  about.  We  are  only  passive  onlookers. 
The  theme  parks  are  a  dream.  Is  this  Big  Brother  or  Brave 


New  World?  It  is  definitely  efficiency  and  behavioral 
planning. 

Yet,  obviously,  someone  is  doing  something  right. 
There  are  plans  in  the  works  for  a  similar  theme  park  in 
Japan.  Besides  this  park,  to  be  located  in  Tokyo  Bay,  there 
are  plans  for  a  "World  Bazaar,"  which  would  combine 
international  shopping  with  fine  dining  and  a  variety  of 
entertainment.  There  has  also  been  mention  of  a  WDW- 
type  theme  park  in  Egypt. 

Other  future  plans  call  for  the  ultimate  Walt  Disney 
dream  to  be  fulfilled.  This  is  EPCOT  (Experimental  Pro- 
totype Community  Of  Tomorrow).  Originally  planned  as 
a  sort  of  futuristic  city,  EPCOT  has  evolved  into  a  plan  for 
world  brotherhood  and  peace  achieved  through  education 
and  technology.  Disney  Productions  has  high  hopes  for 
EPCOT.  It  is  hoped  that  EPCOT  will  be:  ( 1 ),  a  proving 
ground  for  new  concepts  in  space,  health,  energy,  transpor- 
tation, agriculture,  communications  and  the  arts;  (2),  a 
creative  forum  for  business  leaders,  government  and 
academia  that  would  be  on-going;  (3),  an  information- 
education  center  utilizing  new  communication  tech- 
niques; and  (4),  a  permanent  international  people-to- 
people  exchange  of  ideas,  advancing  the  cause  of  world 
understanding. 

A  major  part  of  EPCOT  will  be  the  World  Showcase. 
This  is  designed  to  be  a  kind  of  permanent  world's  fair, 
with  Disney-like  attractions,  different  foods,  and  culture 
reflected  in  each  exhibit.  Each  exhibit  would  be  the  same 
size  and  each  would  be  assisted  equally  in  planning  a  main 
attraction,  a  shopping  center  featuring  the  country's  prod- 
ucts, and  a  restaurant  themed  to  the  country.  As  of  now, 
Disney  representatives  have  visited  31  countries,  and  it  is 
hoped  that  50  countries  will  take  part  in  the  initial 
opening  of  the  project. 

Integral  with  the  World  Showcase  is  the  EPCOT  Future 
World  Theme  Center,  which  would  feature  technology  of 
the  future  today.  This  would  include  its  role  as  com- 
municator of  new  ideas  and  as  a  research  center.  Also 
included  in  EPCOT  would  be  an  international  youth 
center,  a  running  seminar  that  would  teach  young  people 
from  around  the  world.  The  youth  center  is  hoped  to 
provide  an  educational  background  for  tomorrow's  lead- 
ers. The  international  exchange  of  ideas  gained  in  operat- 
ing EPCOT  and  the  World  Showcase  would  alone  justify 
its  existence. 

As  it  is,  the  countries  involved  would  take  out  a  lease  for 
their  exhibit.  In  exchange  they  would  get  Disney  help  in 
planning  and  designing  their  exhibit.  They  would  also  get 
services  and  utilities  free.  As  in  the  theme  parks,  where 
many  leading  U.S.  companies  maintain  exhibits,  the 
American  exhibit  is  being  offered  to  U.S.  companies. 


The  WPI  Journal  I  April  1 978  1 1 7 


The  Future  of  Disney 

Early  last  spring,  another  member  of  the  Dis- 
ney'sWorlds  IQP  did  a  survey  of  Worcester  residents  on 
their  feelings  toward  Walt  Disney  and  his  works.  The 
reply  was  strong,  and  definite  ideas  were  voiced  as  to  what 
Walt  Disney  was  and  what  Disney  Productions  is  now. 
What  was  found  out  was  that  nearly  everyone  had  heard  of 
Disney,  some  of  his  animated  characters,  Disneyland  and 
Disney  World.  Disney  was  well  liked;  in  fact,  no  one  had 
anything  bad  to  say  about  him.  He  was  well  known,  and 
encountered  everywhere  one  looked.  It  would  seem  as 
though  Walt  Disney  could  do  no  wrong. 

Well,  I  don't  agree.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  people 
are  in  the  habit  of  calling  Disney's  far-flung  fields  of 
endeavor  an  empire,  because  that  is  not  far  from  the  truth. 
Take,  for  example,  the  mystery-shrouded  Mineral  King 
project.  Disney  exerted  enough  pressure,  and  dollars,  to 
convince  Governor  Reagan  of  California  that  the  best 
thing  he  could  do  for  a  national  park  was  to  run  a  road 
through  it,  spoiling  its  natural  beauty.  Now  Reagan  is  not  a 
weakling  to  be  pressured  lightly,  and  certainly  was  not  at 
the  time  of  the  offer.  Is  it  merely  a  question  of  "money 
talks  and  politicians  walk"?  I  think  Disney  had  a  lot  more 
going  for  him  than  his  money.  The  Mineral  King  project  is 
currently  tied  up  in  litigation  brought  on  by  a  Sierra  Club 
lawsuit.  Somehow,  Disney  is  not  involved. 

It  is  safe  to  say  that  Disney  Productions  controls  Or- 
lando, Florida.  Orlando  was  a  somewhat  sleepy  southern 
town  until  Disney  World  invaded  it.  It  is  now  one  of  the 
top  tourist  attractions  in  the  entire  world.  But  the  fact 
remains  that  it  is  tops  because  of  Disney,  not  the  city 
fathers.  It  was  as  though  a  dictator  took  over  in  Florida. 

The  problem,  however,  is  not  the  dictatorship,  but  the 
scope  of  its  borders.  What  Disney  did  in  Florida,  literally, 
was  set  up  a  separate  country.  He  had  Orlando  sewed  so 
tight  that  he  could  go  beyond  normal  operating  proce- 
dures. He  did  not  have  to  go  through  the  exasperation  of  an 
environmental  impact  statement;  he  did  his  own  instead. 
He  placed  WDW  so  as  to  take  advantage  of  a  separate 
governmental  district,  then  force-fed  it  with  Disney 
money  until  he  effectively  ran  it.  He  and  the  rest  of  Disney 
Productions  have  managed  to  staff  this  district  with 
Disney  personnel.  This  is  akin  to  giving  Disney  a  private 
army,  which  also  happened  because  Disney  didn't  trust 
the  security  of  the  Pinkerton  Organization. 

I  suppose  Walt  felt  that  he  owned  the  ultimate.  Not  only 
did  he  have  his  own  police  force,  navy,  highway  depart- 
ment, utilities,  and  environmental  protection  agency,  but 
he  had  complete  control  over  housing,  schools,  and  his 
Magic  Kingdom.  I  think  it  can  be  argued  that  Walt  Disney 
not  only  had  a  new  town,  but  his  own  separate  country. 
The  laws  that  govern  WDW  are  different  from  the  sur- 
rounding area,  even  the  state.  He  might  not  have  had  the 
firepower  of  a  separate  country,  but  he  had  the  tonnage.  He 
had  a  force  capable  of  reducing  the  world's  greatest  leaders 
to  mere  children.  He  had  the  most  advanced  technology  in 
the  world  backing  him  up  as  well  as  the  money  to  attract 
new  technologies. 


I  do  not  mean  to  condemn  Disney  for  his  actions,  but 
merely  to  point  out  that  Disney,  the  man,  was  much  more 
than  an  imagineer  of  fun  and  fantasy.  He  was  cold  enough 
and  shrewd  enough  to  force  his  ideas  onward  through  the 
use  of  money  and  power.  And  if  this  wipes  out  the  false 
front  of  a  great  man,  then  perhaps  it  is  time  we  knew  the 
truth,  that  the  fantasy  that  was  created  (for  what?)  cannot 
last  forever.  There  had  to  be  a  reason  why  Disney  Produc- 
tions created  a  false  image  for  Walt,  and  I  feel  it  was 
because  he  had  a  lust  for  power.  Walt  was  patriotic,  but 
only  so  far  as  his  own  goals  were  concerned. 

I  have  now  followed  Disney  for  many  weeks;  I  have 
talked  with  people  who  have  visited  Disney  World.  I  have 
come  to  understand  Disney's  vision  for  the  future.  It  is  a 
clean,  electronic,  sophisticated  technological  reality  bol- 
stered by  amusement  and  entertainment,  a  dream  world 
that  provides  an  escape  (maybe  permanent),  from  the 
reality  of  today  into  a  different  sort  of  reality,  one 
strengthened  by  technology  and  mechanics  to  provide  an 
outlet  for  human  creativity  and  education.  Disney  would 
free  us  from  the  tedium  of  everyday  life  by  using  technol- 
ogy; he  wanted  to  institute  an  automated  society  which 
would  allow  us  to  emerge  from  the  chaos  of  "now"  into  an 
existence  of  love,  kindness,  world  brotherhood,  and,  one 
supposes,  world  civilization  and  government. 

This  all  sounds  very  idealistic,  doesn't  it?  Such  world 
government  could  only  happen  after  we  were  freed  from 
having  to  worry  about  everyday  things.  This  is  not  to  say 
we  could  not  still  have  jobs  and  individual  commitments, 
but  it  would  mean  we  would  have  more  "free"  time  to  be 
educated  in  the  manner  that  Disney  has  been  pursuing  all 
along.  One  notices,  except  during  the  "duty"  years  of 
World  War  II,  that  Disney  has  stayed  clear  of  war,  poverty, 
and  other  bleak  issues.  He  has  concentrated  instead  on  the 
pure  and  innocent  of  our  world:  adventure,  fantasy, 
dreams.  No  one  ever  dreams  poverty,  war,  and  the  like,  not 
when  they  are  dreaming  about  their  own  future.  Disney's 
educational  techniques  are  at  best  propaganda  and  at  worst 
preaching.  But  at  least  this  is  positive  propaganda. 

One  might  well  ask  where  this  leaves  such  things  as  the 
human  fighting  spirit,  soldiers,  and  opposing  political 
factions,  to  say  nothing  of  religion.  There  is  obviously  no 
place  in  Disney's  future  for  anything  really  harmful  as 
defined  by  Disney.  Thus  it  may  be  necessary  to  channel 
the  energy  involved  in  such  things  into  different  areas.  In 
order  for  a  new  reality  to  appear  it  would  first  have  to  be 
induced  through  advertising;  the  theme  parks  would  have 
to  become  the  new  reality  gradually.  They  are  already 
doing  this  by  offering  the  general  public  things  which 
cannot  be  had  anywhere  else,  and  this  is  given  as  the 
gaudiest,  most  obvious,  and  ostentatious  show  ever  pro- 
duced. People  are  hypnotized  by  WDW;  no  one  can 
complain,  it  is  too  perfect  an  image.  As  in  the  case  of 
EPCOT  and  the  World  Showcase,  mutual  cooperation  on 
the  level  that  is  planned  must  gradually  replace  the  general 
view  that  no  countries  have  true  allies,  that  diplomacy  is 
the  only  thing  keeping  us  from  each  other's  throats.  This 
will  take  time,  but  the  future  is  where  it  will  happen,  so 
there  is  all  the  time  in  the  world. 


181  April  1978  I  The  WP1  journal 


Religion  would  seem  to  be  another  impediment  to 
Disney's  future.  There  is  no  reason  why  religion  should  be 
abolished,  if  indeed  such  a  thing  could  be  done.  Rather, 
prejudices  will  have  to  be  set  aside.  How  can  one  account 
for  the  bigotry  and  racism  in  even  our  own  society?  One 
can't,  of  course,  but  propaganda  (an  old  standby  of  world 
religions)  will  have  to  be  used  again. 

What  especially  strikes  me  is  the  fact  that  although 
Disney  Productions  will  make  a  fantastic  amount  of 
money  from  their  projects,  they  are  truly  sincere  in  what 
they  intend  to  do.  They  assume  what  is  basically  a 
socialistic  stance,  that  of  a  classless  society  whose  benefits 
are  available  to  all,  equally.  The  only  problem  with 
availability  is  that  it  is  a  qualitative  concept.  Apathy 
stands  in  its  way,  as  it  does  in  our  cities  today.  Some  will 
take  advantage  of  EPCOT,  some  will  not.  The  way  that 
this  might  be  righted  remains  a  mystery  to  me,  but  it  will 
have  to  be  done,  otherwise  any  of  many  situations  could 
irreparably  damage  the  fragile  balance  of  the  system. 

Take,  for  example,  the  plight  of  the  uneducated.  In  order 
for  a  world  society  to  appear  there  will  have  to  be  a 
minimum  level  of  education  imposed  on  all;  there  must  be 
a  base  to  work  from.  The  question  is:  Do  we  want  Disney's 
vision  to  be  our  own?  The  answer,  for  this  author,  is  yes. 
But  what  of  those  who  have  no  exposure  to  Disney,  for 
example,  Amazonian  tribesmen?  Are  we  willing  to  im- 
pose our  culture  on  all  people  for  the  sake  of  rewards 
perhaps  not  visible  for  years  and  years  to  come?  The 
morality  involved  in  world-scale  civilization  includes 
problems  that  will  have  to  be  faced.  We  are  talking  about 
risking  all  cultural  individuality  for  a  common  good  that  is 
highly  debatable. 


An  artist's  rendering  of  the  World  Showcase  planned  for 
Disney's  EPCOT. 


It  is  fortunate  that  Disney's  vision  would  leave  cultures 
intact,  making  them  subcultures  only  to  a  new  all- 
encompassing  culture.  It  is  therefore  an  asset  that  the 
Disney  experts  have  such  experience  in  education  through 
technology.  Technology  in  broad  terms  means  ease  in  our 
lives.  It  holds  our  interest  because  it  frees  our  minds  for 
other  things.  If  this  ease  can  be  transmuted  to  the  vision  of 
a  future  society,  then  Disney's  future  world  is  the  neces- 
sary stepping  stone  in  man's  evolution.  The  future  might 
change  us,  but  that  is  what  we  have  been  trying  to 
accomplish  all  along.  We  could  do  a  lot  worse. 

Finally,  I  feel  that  the  EPCOT  project  is  on  the  cutting 
edge  of  humanity.  It  is  as  ambitious  a  project  as  the  United 
Nations.  It  combines  the  foremost  in  technology  with  the 
minds  of  some  of  the  world's  greatest  leaders.  If  ever 
technology  can  be  reconciled  with  nature,  it  will  be  done 
here.  Disney  has  tried  to  teach  our  society  that  fantasy  and 
reality  are  not  so  far  apart.  Either  the  gap  will  be  bridged  in 
EPCOT  or  it  will  be  too  late.  While  some  governments 
have  sat  back  and  talked,  a  medium-sized  American 
company  founded  by  a  poor  Illinois  boy  is  taking  action. 
Whether  Walt  Disney  was  a  businessman,  animator, 
educator,  or  dream- maker  has  no  bearing  if  he  has  indeed 
hatched  a  vision  of  world  peace. 

UIPI 


The  WPI  Journal  April  1 978    /  9 


The 
Bookstore  Man 


"Sure.  You're  welcome  to  use  the  tele- 
phone, if  you  can  find  it,"  calls  Harry 
Thompson  from  the  inner  office  adja- 
cent to  his  in  the  WPI  bookstore.  "I'll  be 
right  back.  Just  want  to  tote  this  up  on 
the  adding  machine." 

Looking  for  the  telephone  on  the  desk 
of  Harry  C.  Thompson,  who  is  manager 
of  college  store  sales  and  services,  as 
well  as  of  the  bookstore,  can  be  an 
adventure  in  itself.  First,  one  must  look 
through  a  maze  of  college  beer  mugs, 
around  a  pile  of  marking  pens,  in  back  of 
a  mountain  of  computer  printouts,  and 
beside  a  stack  of  tumble-down  memos. 
Finally,  flushed  with  success,  the 
searcher  reaches  for  the  receiver,  but  not 
before  Harry  returns  waving  an  adding 
machine  tape. 

"Got  your  answer,"  he  announces,  a 
grin  almost  reaching  his  lips.  "We'll  be 
handling  about  9,000  textbooks  for  re- 
quired courses  for  term  D." 

He  sits  down  and  starts  tapping  on  a 
machine  that  looks  like  a  cross  between 
a  typewriter  and  a  telephone — it  has 
both  keys  and  a  dial. 

"Be  right  with  you.  Got  to  get  this 
out."  In  a  few  minutes  the  tapping 
ceases,  and  he  says,  "O.K.  What  would 
you  like  to  know?" 

Well,  it  would  be  nice  to  know  about 
that  machine.  What  is  it,  and  what  does 
it  do? 

"It's  a  Western  Union  Telex,"  Harry 
explains.  "We  can  order  from  any 
supplier  who  also  has  a  Telex  just  by 
typing  out  an  order  on  the  machine.  The 
supplier  gets  the  order  right  away. 
Speeds  up  delivery." 


WPI  had  the  Telex  installed  on  a  trial 
basis  several  years  ago  when  the 
seven-week  term  was  first  instituted.  "It 
turned  out  to  be  an  absolute  necessity," 
Harry  reports,  "because  every  seven 
weeks  we  have  to  be  assured  delivery  of 
new  texts.  Also,  it's  helpful  in  another 
area.  It  receives  every  telegram  that 
comes  on  campus." 

Harry,  himself,  arrived  on  campus  in 
1964  after  having  spent  nearly  twenty 
years  in  industry.  He  had  been  assistant 
general  sales  manager  for  a  Worcester 
manufacturing  company.  His  first  post 
at  WPI  was  as  manager  of  business  ser- 
vices. 

Today,  in  addition  to  his  regular 
bookstore  duties  of  purchasing 
textbooks  and  supplies,  he  also  buys 
items  for  the  general  WPI  community  at 
the  lowest  prices  possible  consistent 
with  good  business  practice.  Through  its 
combined  purchasing  power,  the 
bookstore  acts  as  a  purchasing  depart- 
ment for  the  acquisition  and  distribu- 
tion of  supplies. 

"We  are  responsible  for  much  more 
than  a  regular  college  bookstore,"  says 
Harry.  "For  example,  we  supply  the 
various  departments  with  office  statio- 
nery and  other  paper  goods.  Since  we 
have  no  U.S.  post  office,  as  such,  on 
campus,  we  stock  stamps  for  both  stu- 
dents and  the  staff." 

The  bookstore  also  carries  greeting 
cards,  calculators,  sundries,  souvenirs, 
and  the  popular  WPI  chairs.  "We  always 
keep  some  chairs  in  stock,"  Harry  ex- 
plains. "Because  of  high  shipping  rates, 
we  are  advising  prospective  customers 


20 1  April  19781  The  WPI  Journal 


to  pick  up  the  chairs  right  here  at  the 
bookstore  and  to  take  them  home  them- 
selves." 

The  busiest  days  for  the  bookstore  are 
the  "rushes"  which  occur  in  between 
the  five  (including  summer  school), 
seven-week  terms.  The  biggest  rush 
usually  starts  with  term  A  on  Labor 
Day.  "Inside  of  two  days  we  have  to 
furnish  over  2,000  students  with 
textbooks  and  supplies,"  says  Harry. 
"We  are  on  the  run  from  early  morning 
to  late  at  night." 

In  order  to  keep  the  bookstore  running 
smoothly  throughout  the  year,  there  are 
four  full-time  employees  and  seven 
part-time  student  employees,  who  look 
after  things.  "One  of  the  full-time  em- 
ployees does  nothing  but  handle  requisi- 
tions for  office  supplies,"  Harry  reports. 
The  students  fill  in  at  odd  hours  conve- 
nient to  their  class  schedules. 

"Say,"  he  says,  suddenly  jumping  out 
of  his  chair.  "I'm  out  of  cigarettes.  I  can't 
talk  without  smoking  a  cigarette."  He 
fishes  around  for  some  change.  "Be  right 
back." 

He  soon  returns  with  a  cigarette  in 
one  hand  and  a  cup  of  coffee  in  the  other. 
He  settles  down,  content,  in  his  chair 
and  takes  a  sip  of  coffee.  (Barbara  Hester, 
supervisor  in  the  mailroom  next  door, 
says  that  he  makes  the  "best  darned  cup 
of  coffee  on  campus.") 

Now  relaxed,  he  touches  on  his  per- 
sonal life  and  warms  to  one  of  his  favor- 
ite topics,  Alpha  Tau  Omega  fraternity. 
Harry  is  understandably  proud  of  the 
WPI  chapter.  Presently  he  is  chapter 
advisor  and  liaison  officer  of  the  local 
alumni  association.  For  the  past  several 
years,  the  WPI  chapter  of  ATO  has  won 
the  national  chapter  efficiency  award. 
"The  award  is  based  not  only  on  how 
efficiently  the  house  is  run,  but  also  on 
high  academics,"  Harry  says. 

A  member  of  Skull,  and  a  past 
member  of  the  board  of  the  Goat's  Head 
Pub,  he  is  the  current  president  of  the 
Cluverius  Society,  which  was  originally 
established  as  a  social  group  for  alumni 
of  all  fraternities.  "It's  more  or  less  an 
adult  IFC,"  he  explains. 

Back  home  in  North  Brookfield, 
Harry  has  served  as  town  moderator  for 
twenty  years.  He  is  also  trustee  of  the 
North  Brookfield  Savings  Bank.  "In  my 
spare  time  I  run  my  mini-farm — a  veg- 
etable and  flower  garden,"  he  reveals. 
His  fondness  for  plants  is  evident  in  his 
office.  On  a  high  shelf  near  a  south- 
facing  window,  are  several  pots  of  ivy. 

"Enough  about  me,"  he  says.  "Want 
to  see  the  storeroom?" 


The  storeroom  in  the  basement  of 
Daniels  is  cavernous,  windowless,  and 
ship-shape  enough  for  Captain  Queeg. 
Boxes  of  office  supplies,  reams  of  paper, 
and  stationery  are  piled  neatly  on  steel 
storage  shelves.  WPI  jackets  hang  in  a 
row  in  a  back  wall  cabinet.  A  three-foot 
display  doll  dressed  in  WPI  shorts  and 
shirt  is  stretched  out  on  a  top  shelf. 
"Can't  use  that  in  the  bookstore  now," 
says  Harry.  "We  don't  sell  that  type  of 
children's  outfit  anymore." 

On  the  way  out  of  the  storeroom,  he 
points  to  a  hand-made  sign  that  reads: 
"The  WPI  Dungeon  Bookstore."  He 
chuckles.  "That  brings  back  memories. 
When  they  were  building  the  Wedge, 
this  storeroom  was  the  bookstore.  We 
were  down  here  underground  for  two 
terms.  It  was  quite  an  experience.  We 
were  glad  to  get  back  upstairs." 

In  order  to  keep  the  paper  supplies  in 
storage  in  good  condition,  a  de- 
humidifier  is  run  constantly;  in  order  to 
thwart  fire,  there  is  a  sprinkler  system 
overhead;  and  in  order  to  deter  break- 
ins,  a  sonar  system  has  been  installed. 
"Any  unauthorized  movement  in  either 
the  bookstore  or  storeroom  sets  off  the 
sonar,"  Harry  reveals.  "The  high  secu- 
rity sound  waves  give  complete  secu- 
rity. Should  anyone  try  to  break  in, 
security  would  grab  him  before  he  got 
fifteen  feet  inside  the  door." 

He  locks  the  storeroom,  and  leads  the 
way  back  upstairs  to  his  office.  Once 
there,  he  inquires,  "Have  we  left  out 
anything?" 

How  about  campus  authors?  Does  the 
bookstore  carry  their  books?" 

"We  certainly  do,"  Harry  replies. 
"The  WPI  bookstore  not  only  carries  Dr. 
Harit  Majmudar'sbook,  Introduction  to 
Machines,  we  are  the  sole  distributors. 
Over  a  half  a  dozen  colleges  in  the  U.S. 
and  Canada  have  ordered  the  book  for 
course  work." 

Among  other  campus  authors  whose 
books  are  featured  at  the  bookstore  are 
Dr.  Robert  Fitzgerald,  '53,  associate  pro- 
fessor of  civil  engineering:  Prof.  Joseph 
Mancuso,  '63,  associate  professor  of 
management;  Dr.  Arthur  Gerstenfeld, 
head  of  the  department  of  manage- 
ment; and  Dr.  Norman  Sondak,  de- 
partment head,  and  Prof.  Ramon  Scott, 
associate  professor  of  the  department  of 
computer  science.  "We  have  also  carried 
Prof.  Ray  Johnson's  book,"  Harry  con- 
tinues. (Prof.  Johnson  is  with  the  de- 
partment of  mechanical  engineering.) 


Other  publications,  such  as  student 
course  manuals,  written  by  various  pro- 
fessors and  produced  by  the  mailing  and 
duplicating  department,  are  on  sale  at 
the  bookstore,  too. 

"We  have  just  about  everything  that 
students,  staff  members,  and  alumni 
might  wish  to  buy,"  Harry  says.  "We  try 
very  hard  to  keep  popular  incidental 
items,  as  well  as  the  necessities,  in 
stock." 

He  sifts  through  one  of  the  stacks  of 
rumpled  papers  on  his  desk,  eventually 
finds  a  pen,  and  hurriedly  jots  something 
down. 

Through  the  partially  curtained  win- 
dow between  Harry's  office  and  the 
bookstore,  several  students  can  be  seen 
walking  single  file  through  the  turnstile 
near  the  entry  door.  The  first  stops  by 
the  well-stocked  greeting  card  rack. 
Another  shows  interest  in  a  stack  of 
packaged  graph  paper.  Everything  or- 
derly. Everything  neat.  Out  there. 

Focusing  again  on  the  tumbled  desk 
top  of  Harry  Thompson,  one  is  tempted 
to  remark,  "Hey,  Harry.  Messy  desk. 
Messy  mind." 

But  it  is  probably  better  to  keep  one's 
mouth  shut.  Harry,  in  that  sweet  'n' 
sour  way  of  his  might  well  retort,  "Bet- 
ter a  messy  desk — than  an  empty  one!" 

UIPI 


The  WPI  Journal  I  April  1 978  1 21 


Organic  movements 


What  is  new  and  electronic  is  not  always  the  best.  When  it 
comes  to  pipe  organs,  ioo-year-old  models  often  turn  out 
to  be  superior,  a  fact  which  students  taking  an  Intersession 
course  covering  the  design  and  structure  of  pipe  organs 
found  out  first  hand. 

Take,  for  example,  the  Baldwin  electronic  that  had  been 
giving  organist  Mark  Harley,  '78,  problems  at  the  United 
Church  of  Shirley,  Mass.  A  couple  of  years  ago  Mark,  an 
electrical  engineering  major,  approached  the  music  com- 
mittee of  the  church  and  detailed  for  them  what  was 
wrong  with  the  instrument.  The  committee  members 
agreed  that  something  should  definitely  be  done.  They 
would  have  to  start  looking  for  a  replacement. 

"The  main  problem  was  money,"  says  Mark.  "A  new 
pipe  organ  can  cost  between  $60,000  and  $100,000.  An 
electronic  one  can  cost  over  $20,000.  We  decided  to 
contact  the  Organ  Clearing  House." 

The  Clearing  House  is  an  organ  relocation  service  which 
has  found  homes  for  1, 600  old  pipe  organs  since  it  began  in 
1959.  Last  fall  it  informed  the  United  Church  of  two 
instruments  for  their  consideration.  One  was  an  historic 
organ  in  Old  Town,  Me.,  which  needed  extensive  repair. 
"We  removed  it,"  Mark  says,  "but  the  committee  turned  it 
down."  The  other  organ  was  located  in  the  soon-to-be- 
razed  Sharon  Lutheran  Church  in  Selinsgrove,  Pennsyl- 
vania. It  was  reportedly  in  excellent  condition. 

"We  bought  the  organ  sight  unseen,"  Mark  reveals.  On 
the  Thursday  before  New  Year's  Day  several  committee 
members,  Pastor  Leonard  Silvester,  and  Mark  rented  an 
18-foot  Hertz  truck,  drove  to  Selinsgrove  and  loaded  all  of 
the  parts  of  the  organ.  The  next  day  they  delivered  it  to  the 
church  in  Shirley. 

"The  total  price,  including  trucking,  came  to  $2,520," 
says  Mark,  smiling.  "We  had  acquired  a  fine,  antique 
instrument,  and  we  hadn't  strained  the  church  budget.  We 
were  grateful  for  the  information  that  the  Organ  Clearing 
House  had  given  us."  The  church  was  also  grateful  for  the 
subsequent  assistance  given  by  Clearing  House  head  Alan 
M.  Laufman,  president  of  the  Organ  Historical  Society, 
Inc.,  and  Louis ).  Curran,  Jr.,  assistant  professor  of  music  at 
WPI.  It  was  under  their  guidance  that  the  Shirley  organ 
was  finally  installed. 

"They  taught  a  ten-day  course  during  Intersession," 
Mark  explains.  "I  was  one  of  their  students.  During  the 
course  we  removed  two  historic  organs  from  Mas- 
sachusetts churches  and  installed  the  one  we  had  pur- 
chased for  our  church  in  Shirley." 

One  of  the  old  organs  saved  by  the  eight-man  WPI  crew 
was  built  in  Boston  in  1 889  by  Woodberry  and  Harris.  It 
consisted  of  two  keyboards,  a  pedal  board,  and  700  pipes 
arranged  in  twelve  ranks.  It  was  located  in  the  former 
Universalist  Church  in  Melrose. 


"Not  all  of  the  students  helping  out  were  musicians," 
says  Mark.  "One,  however,  Andreas  von  Huene,  '78,  had 
taken  the  course  two  years  ago  and  was  again  on  hand.  He 
was  a  summer  employee  of  the  Fisk  Organ  Co.  The 
Melrose  project,  in  which  we  all  participated,  proved  to  be 
quite  a  learning  experience.  It  was  especially  interesting 
because  the  organ  we  were  removing  was  very  similar  to 
the  one  we  were  to  install  in  Shirley." 

Once  the  Melrose  organ  was  removed,  it  was  prepared 
for  shipment  to  a  church  in  Avalon,  Calif.,  on  Catalina 
Island.  Interestingly,  the  California  church  had  been 
erected  in  1 889,  the  same  year  the  Melrose  organ  had  been 
built.  Also,  and  more  unique,  it  had  the  exact  space 
available  for  the  size  of  the  instrument:  1 3 '10"  high,  9 '6" 
wide,  and  8'  deep.  The  old  Woodberry  and  Harris  organ 
was  to  replace  a  newer,  electronic  model  in  Avalon. 

The  students,  having  seen  the  insides  of  a  large  organ 
and  taken  it  apart,  were  then  ready  to  put  together  the 
Shirley  organ.  First,  the  troublesome  electronic  instru- 
ment was  moved  to  another  part  of  the  church.  (Earlier, 
the  church  had  had  an  E.  L.  Holbrook  tracker  (direct 
mechanical  action)  pipe  organ,  built  in  1875  and  removed 
in  1950  when  the  electronic  device  was  installed.)  Next, 
the  old  pipe  organ  case,  which  had  been  left  standing  when 
the  organ  was  removed,  was  dismantled. 

"We  then  had  to  level  the  floor  in  the  rear  of  the  organ 
balcony,"  Mark  reports.  "We  also  started  cleaning  wood- 
work and  organ  parts  with  plenty  of  steel  wool,  and  hot, 
soapy  water."  Felt  parts  and  leather  nuts  and  bushings 
were  replaced. 


22  I  April  19781  The  WPI  journal 


At  left,  the  Fegelmaker  lying  in  pieces. 

Above,  reconstruction  well  underway,  with  the  air  chest 
in  place  and  supporting  framework  over  it. 

Below,  nearing  completion,  with  the  console  complete 
and  many  of  the  pipes  in  place. 


The  crew  took  the  next  day  off  as  a  busman's  holiday. 
They  went  to  Amherst,  where  they  moved  a  small,  one 
manual  William  Davis  tracker  organ  from  the  sanctuary  to 
the  chapel  of  Grace  Episcopal  Church  —  "for  experience." 
They  also  drove  to  Williamsburg  where  they  saw  a  Wil- 
liam Baker  restoration  of  a  Johnson  tracker.  Meanwhile, 
the  plasterers  were  finishing  up  in  Shirley. 

During  the  rest  of  the  week,  the  group  remained  on  the 
Shirley  project.  They  erected  the  heavier  pieces  on  the 
framework  and  swellbox,  then  connected  the  mechanical 
action  parts  underneath.  The  keyboard  and  valves  (pallets) 
were  connected.  The  stickers,  which  do  the  pushing,  and 
the  trackers,  which  do  the  pulling,  were  hooked  up.  On  the 
final  day,  the  pipework  was  set  up  and  the  blower  in- 
stalled, the  latter  being  the  only  electric  part  of  the  organ. 

"That  Friday  afternoon,"  says  Mark,  "I  played  the  organ 
for  the  first  time  so  that  the  rest  of  the  students  could  hear 
what  it  sounded  like.  It  proved  to  be  in  excellent  condition, 
but  just  a  bit  out  of  tune.  I  also  played  it  in  church  on 
Sunday." 

Mark  will  tune  the  organ  himself.  He  is  familiar  with 
tuning,  because  he  tunes  the  Moller  pipe  organ  in  his 
home  which  he  installed  when  he  was  thirteen. 

"But  helping  to  install  this  organ  in  our  church  has  been 
more  rewarding,"  he  admits.  "It  was  built  by  A.  B. 
Felgemaker  in  1905  in  Erie,  Pennsylvania.  Opus  No.  882. 
It  has  two  keyboards,  a  pedal  board,  and  thirteen  ranks  of 
pipes.  According  to  the  Organ  Historical  Society,  ours  is 
the  only  Felgemaker  in  the  state  of  Massachusetts." 

UIPI 


1908 

George  Ryan,  who  is  currently  at  a  rest  home  in 
Millbury,  Mass.,  celebrated  his  91st  birthday  on 
February  27th. 

1915 

Maurice  Steele  writes:  "When  the  oldest  class 
listed  in  "Your  Class  and  Others"  in  the  De- 
cember 1977  Journal  is  1933,  something  ought 
to  be  done  about  it!  Let's  have  it  for  1915!  I  have 
been  retired  for  several  years,  but  keep  quite 
active." 

1922 

Each  October  for  many  years  Howard  Carlson 
and  his  wife  Claire  have  sponsored  an  informal 
reunion  of  a  group  of  classmates  and  their  wives 
at  their  home  in  Sanbornton,  N.H.  The  group  has 
included  Roy  Bennett,  "Bing"  Bingham,  Russ 
Field,  Carl  Holden,  "Deac"  Parsons,  J.  C.  Snow, 
and  until  their  deaths,  Jim  Marston  and  Jack 
Cassie.  Last  year  a  new  recruit,  Bob  Hall,  was 
added.  "Carl's  garden  provides  us  a  sumptuous 
banquet  to  highlight  a  day  of  reminiscences  and 
new  happenings,"  writes  Mr.  Bingham. 

When  John  A.  Herr  married  Mrs.  Pauline 
Hamilton  on  December  12,1 977,  he  became  the 
stepfather  of  John  M.  Townsend,  Jr.,  '42. 

1926 

Charles  Moran  has  retired  as  a  director  of  the 
BMC.  Durfee  Trust  Co.  of  Fall  River,  Mass.  As  a 
partner  in  the  National  Contracting  Co.,  he 
previously  was  responsible  for  the  sandblasting 
done  during  the  restoration  of  the  dome  of  the 
Capitol  building  in  Washington,  D.C.  From  1945 
to  1974  he  was  building  committee  chairman 
and  president  of  the  corporation  and  chairman 
of  the  board  of  trustees  at  Union  Hospital.  In 
1971  a  new  hospital  building  was  dedicated  in 
his  name.  He  had  served  as  a  director  of  the 
B.M.C.  Durfee  Trust  since  1947  and  will  con- 
tinue as  an  honorary  director. 


1928 

Andrew  Maston  says,  "The  more  I  have  talked 
to  other  guys  who  attended  other  schools,  and 
the  more  I  look  back  on  my  four  years  at  Tech, 
the  more  I  appreciate  what  a  good  school  it 
was— and  is.  The  student-professor  relationship 
during  my  stay  was  outstanding.  The  atmo- 
sphere was  great." 

1930 

After  more  than  a  year  of  semi-retirement, 
Alfred  Vibber  is  back  practicing  patent  law  with 
Klein  &  Vibber  in  New  York  City.  He  believes  that 
"  retirement  is  for  the  birds. " 

1931 

Now  retired  after  thirty-five  years  with  DuPont, 
John  Tuthill  is  currently  a  commercial  fisherman 
on  a  small  scale.  (His  father  and  grandfather 
were  also  fishermen.)  His  one  fish  trap  catches 
about  30,000  pounds  of  fish  annually,  which  he 
sells  to  Fulton  Fish  Market  in  New  York  City. 
During  the  winter  he  works  on  his  nets.  He  is 
located  in  Orient,  N.Y.,  a  ferryboat  ride  away 
from  New  London. 

1933 

Ralph  Allen,  who  is  retiring  from  his  own  busi- 
ness, Allen  Insulation  Co.,  has  joined  Anson 
Perley's  Real  Estate  Agency  in  Damariscotta, 
Me.  as  a  broker  salesman.  . .  .  Frank  and  Dee 
Roberts  and  Don  and  Eleanor  Haskins  spent 
Christmas  with  Ed  and  Mildred  Perkins  in  Ta- 
vares,  Florida.  Don  and  Eleanor,  who  are  from 
Brigham  City,  Utah,  trailer-toured  Florida  during 
December  and  spent  a  week  with  Dee  and  Frank 
in  Daytona.  While  in  south  Florida,  they  visited 
Al  Belcher,  '32.  The  Robertses  write:  "It  didn't 
seem  to  matter  that  it  rained  all  day  during  our 
WPI  Xmas — as  long  as  the  snow  melts  in 
Worcester  by  June  9th  and  10th."  (Reunion 
time.) 

1934 

After  forty-three  years  in  the  research  and  de- 
velopment department  at  Norton  Co.,  Worces- 
ter, Bertil  Anderson  retired  on  Nov.  30th.  He 
was  involved  with  mechanical,  electrical,  physi- 
cal and  exploratory  testing  of  abrasive  and  non- 
abrasive  products  and  processes.  His  last  as- 
signment was  that  of  senior  research  engineer  in 
charge  of  the  precision  grinding  unit. .  ..Clayton 
Hunt,  Jr.  retired  last  year  from  Eastman  Kodak 
Co.  where  he  was  a  senior  product  development 
engineer.  He  is  still  living  in  Rochester  and  says 
that  he  enjoys  not  having  to  go  to  work  in  the 
snow. 


1936 

A  resident  of  Reading,  Mass.,  for  thirty-three 
years,  H.  Foster  McRell,  Jr.  has  recently  moved 
to  Harwich.  Before  his  retirement  he  was  with 
Monsanto  Co. 


1938 

Robert  Evans,  assistant  vice  president  of  North- 
east Utilities,  spoke  on  the  topic  of  atomic 
energy  at  a  Rotary  Club  meeting  in  Wallingford, 
Conn,  in  January.  He  serves  as  the  assistant  vice 
president  of  the  generation  engineering  and 
construction  division  at  NU.  He  belongs  to 
ASME,  the  American  Nuclear  Society,  and  is  past 
chairman  of  the  Connecticut  section  of  the 

American  Nuclear  Society Allen  Cridley,  Jr. 

retired  on  March  1st.  He  had  been  director  of 
communications  at  Revere  Copper  &  Brass,  Inc., 
Rome,  N.Y.  He  is  currently  located  in  Ft.  Worth, 

Texas Ravi  Kirloskar  holds  the  post  of 

chairman  and  managing  director  at  Kirloskar 
Electric  Co.  in  Bangalore,  India.  He  is  the  father 
of  Vijay  Kirloskar,  74. . . .  Henry  Ritz,  president 
of  R  &  R  Plumbing  Supply  Corp.,  Worcester,  was 
recently  honored  at  a  party  at  the  Sheraton 
Lincoln  Inn  for  his  forty  years  of  continuous 
service  with  the  company.  His  son,  Jesse,  who 
has  a  master's  degree  from  Boston  College,  is  a 
vice  president  of  the  company. 


1939 


John  Harvey,  Jr.  has  retired  after  thirty-six  years 
with  the  Allen-Bradley  Co.  as  a  sales  engineer, 
first  in  the  motor  control  division,  and  later  in  the 
electronics  division  in  the  New  England  area. 
Presently  he  is  doing  electronics  consulting  for 
Allen-Bradley.  The  Harveys,  who  have  three 
daughters  and  two  grandchildren,  are  living  on 
Cape  Cod. ...  Dr.  William  Kay,  a  retired  research 
chemist  for  DuPont,  writes  that  he  has  married 
Marilyn  Casey,  and  that  he  is  currently  a  "non- 
gentleman"  farmer Frans  Strandberg  has 

been  named  building  engineer  for  Dartmouth 
National  Bank  in  Hanover,  N.H.  He  joined  the 
bank  in  1 976.  A  member  of  the  National  Society 
of  Professional  Engineers  and  ASME,  he  is  regis- 
tered in  Alabama  and  New  Hampshire.  Formerly 
he  was  construction  manager  of  the  Brook  Hol- 
low condominium  in  Hanover.  He  and  his  wife 
Elsie  reside  in  Enfield. 

1940 

Russell  Lovell,  Jr.  is  town  historian  and  curator 
of  historical  materials  at  the  Sandwich  (Mass.) 
Glass  Museum.  He  writes:  "Friends  are  cordially 
invited  to  stop  by  when  visiting  Cape  Cod." 

Cyril  "Cy"  Tourtellotte  retired  late  last  year 
with  "distinction"  from  the  staff  of  the  Labora- 
tory for  Nuclear  Science  (LNS)  at  MIT.  For  nearly 
thirty-six  years  he  had  served  MIT,  first  as  a 
draftsman  with  the  Radiation  Lab.  during  World 
War  II,  and  then  as  a  supervising  designer  for 
what  was  to  become  LNS. 

Cy  worked  directly  with  seven  Nobel  laureates 
in  physics,  the  most  recent  being  Samuel  C.  C. 
Ting,  who  in  1976  was  honored  for  leading  the 
MIT-Brookhaven  collaboration  which  an- 
nounced simultaneously  with  another  group 
from  Stanford-Berkeley  the  discovery  of  the  J/Psi 
particle — a  stunning  development  in  the  world 
of  high-energy  physics. 

During  the  past  seventeen  years  he  often 
worked  closely  with  Bruce  Bailey,  '51 ,  principal 
mechanical  engineer  for  LNS,  especially  in  their 
efforts  related  to  the  Ting  experiments  at 
Brookhaven,  and  more  recently  at  the  great 
European  accelerator  storage-ring  facilities  at 
CERN  in  Geneva  and  at  DESY  in  Hamburg. 

Through  the  years  Cy  has  been  active  with  his 
musical  interests — sax  and  clarinet  for  small, 
mostly  weekend  combos,  bass  for  other  groups, 


24  I  April  1 978  I  The  WPI  journal 


and  barbershop  quartet  work.  He  and  his  wife 
Mary  are  twice  proud  grandparents  by  way  of 
their  MIT-trained  biologist  daughter  (MS,  Yale; 
PhD,  Princeton)  and  her  biologist  husband. 
Being  among  other  things  a  skilled  model  maker 
and  craftsman,  Cy's  colleagues  and  friends  do 
not  expect  he  will  find  time  hanging  heavy  on  his 
hands  during  retirement. 

1941 

J.  Philip  Berggren  was  recently  promoted  to 
director  in  the  commercial  insurance  department 
at  Aetna  Life  and  Casualty,  Hartford,  Conn.  He 
joined  Aetna  in  1946  as  a  safety  engineer  and 
served  in  that  capacity  in  Washington,  DC, 
Philadelphia,  and  Hartford.  Later  he  was  man- 
ager in  Buffalo  and  Syracuse,  and  superintend- 
ent of  technical  services  at  the  home  office.  In 
1970  he  was  appointed  manager. 

He  belongs  to  the  American  National  Stan- 
dards Institute,  AIA,  the  American  Industrial 
Hygiene  Association  and  the  National  Fire  Pro- 
tection Association.  He  is  a  registered  profes- 
sional engineer,  chairman  of  the  Glastonbury 
(Conn.)  Sewer  Commission,  and  a  certified 
safety  professional. 

1942 

Salvatore  Bellassai  was  recently  promoted  to 
vice  president  of  engineering  at  Transcontinen- 
tal Gas  PipeLine  Corporation,  a  subsidiary  of 
Transco  Companies,  Inc.,  Houston,  Texas.  For- 
merly manager  of  engineering,  he  was  an  en- 
gineer with  contractors  designing  and  building 
the  company's  original  pipeline  before  joining 
Transco  in  1951 .  He  is  a  member  of  the  Ameri- 
can Society  of  Mechanical  Engineers  Gas  Stan- 
dards Committees,  American  Society  of 
Oceanography,  the  National  Association  of  Cor- 
rosion Engineers,  and  the  Houston  Engineering 
and  Scientific  Society. 

1943 

Edwin  Campbell  has  been  named  head  of  the 
new  national  level  department  of  human 
resources  development  for  Industrial  Risk  Insur- 
ers, Hartford,  Conn.  He  will  be  responsible  for 
developing,  maintaining,  and  coordinating  train- 
ing programs  for  engineering,  underwriting,  and 
clerical  personnel  and  educational  courses  for 
insureds.  He  has  had  over  thirty  years  of  experi- 
ence with  IRI  in  engineering  and  underwriting. 

IRI,  an  association  of  forty-five  leading  insur- 
ance companies,  specializes  in  providing  under- 
writing and  loss  prevention  services  related  to 
industrial,  oil,  petrochemical,  and  service  risks 
worldwide.  It  has  international  property  liability 
in  excess  of  $375  billion. 

Jack  Durkee  currently  resides  in  Camp  Hill,  Pa. 
and  formerly  (1976)  held  a  visiting  professorship 
at  Cornell  University.  Information  in  the  De- 
cemberJouma/  stating  that  he  lives  in 
Bethlehem,  Pa.  and  is  presently  affiliated  with 
Cornell  was  incorrect.  Our  apologies. 

Colin  Handforth,  a  partner  with  his  son-in-law 
in  Handforth  &  Larson,  Manzanita,  Oregon,  is 
the  only  practicing  consulting  engineer  (civil 
engineer  and  surveyor)  on  the  north  coast  of  the 
state.  He  writes:  "I  give  fatherly  advice  to  a 
number  of  small  towns .  .  .  and  I  enjoy  it 
tremendously  "  Last  year  he  built  himself  a 
house  and  this  summer  will  build  another  for 
"Ron  and  Colleen."  He  also  plans  to  finish  his 
barn.  Colin  is  an  Alumni  Fund  agent. 


Positive  news 

about  negative  feedback 


If  you  have  a  computer-controlled  sew- 
ing machine  in  your  home,  you  can 
thank  Dr.  Harold  S.  Black,  '21.  The 
computer-controlled  sewing  machine  is 
one  of  the  latest  of  many  applications  of 
the  negative  feedback  amplifier,  which 
Dr.  Black  invented  over  fifty  years  ago  as 
a  29-year-old  systems  engineer  at  the 
Western  Electric  Company's  old  West 
Street  laboratories  in  New  York  City. 

In  an  article  in  the  December  1977 
issue  of  IEEE  Spectrum,  Dr.  Black  writes 
that  at  the  time  "I  did  not  foresee  the 
tremendous  range  of  applications  that 
would  open  up  for  it  in  almost  every 
type  of  communication  and  control  sys- 
tem, from  radio  to  automatic  pilots, 
from  computers  to  artificial  limbs." 

The  concept  of  the  negative  feedback 
amplifier  came  to  him  in  a  flash  on 
August  2,  1927  while  he  was  crossing 
the  Hudson  River  on  the  Lackawanna 
Ferry  on  his  way  to  work.  Suddenly, 
after  several  years  of  hard  work,  he 
realized  that  if  he  fed  part  of  the 
amplifier  output  back  to  the  input,  in 
reverse  phase,  and  kept  the  device  from 
oscillating,  he  would  have  exactly  what 
he  wanted:  a  means  of  canceling  out  the 
distortion  in  the  output.  He  opened  his 
morning  paper  and  on  a  blank  page  of 
the  New  York  Times  he  sketched  a 
simple  diagram  of  a  negative  feedback 
amplifier  plus  the  equations  for  the 
amplification  with  feedback. 

January  1928  marked  the  start  of  the 
development  of  a  carrier  system  for 
transcontinental  cables — the  first  appli- 
cation of  the  invention.  The  system  was 
required  to  transmit  nine  voice  channels 
on  a  single  1 . 3  mm-diameter  nonloaded, 
paper-insulated  pair  in  an  underground 
cable.  Each  cable  was  to  contain  68  such 
insulated  pairs,  and  the  spacing  between 
the  repeaters  was  to  be  25  miles. 

In  1930  Western  Electric  delivered  78 
of  die  negative  feedback  amplifiers  for  a 
field  trial  of  the  system  at  Morristown, 
N.J.  The  test  used  a  2  5 -mile  section  of 
cable  containing  68  pairs,  two  terminal 
feedback  amplifiers,  and  68  repeaters. 
The  speech  quality  proved  to  be  excel- 
lent. 

Although  the  invention  was  success- 
ful, the  U.S.  Patent  Office  didn't  issue  a 
patent  for  it  until  December  21,  1937. 
Initially,  the  Office  did  not  believe  that 
it  would  work.  The  British  Patent  Office 


was  also  skeptical  and  asked  Dr.  Black 
to  submit  a  working  model!  Finally,  in 
1 937,  a  U.S.  patent  was  granted  after 
evidence  was  submitted  proving  that  70 
amplifiers  were  working  successfully  in 
the  telephone  building  at  Morristown. 

With  the  50th  anniversary  of  the  in- 
vention now  behind  him,  Dr.  Black  says, 
"It  is  gratifying  to  me  to  observe  that 
negative  feedback  amplifiers  and  the 
feedback  principle  have  found  many 
new  applications  to  all  types  and  forms 
of  communications  systems — under- 
ground, underwater,  in  the  air,  via  satel- 
lites, in  outer  space." 

Equally  important  is  the  application 
of  negative  feedback  to  a  rapidly  growing 
number  of  diverse  fields,  including 
biomechanics,  cybernetics,  bioengineer- 
ing,  artificial  limbs  for  the  disabled, 
computers,  medical  equipment  and  in- 
struments, and  new  consumer  products. 

In  1957  Dr.  Black  was  awarded  the 
Lamme  Medal  for  his  various  technical 
achievements,  including  his  contribu- 
tions to  the  theory  and  application  of 
pulse-code  modulation.  Among  his 
other  honors  are  a  U.S.  War  Department 
Certificate  of  Appreciation  during 
World  War  II  and  an  honorary  doctor  of 
engineering  degree  from  WPI  ( 1 95  5 ).  He 
holds  62  U.S.  patents  and  271  patents  in 
32  other  countries.  The  author  of 
numerous  technical  papers,  his  defini- 
tive book,  Modulation  Theory,  was  pub- 
lished in  1 9  5  3 .  He  holds  1  o  fellowships 
in  professional  societies. 

Dr.  Black,  who  in  1921  joined  the 
Western  Electric  department  which 
later  became  part  of  the  Bell  Telephone 
Laboratories,  remained  with  Bell  until 
1963.  Later  he  became  Principal  Re- 
search Scientist  with  the  General  Preci- 
sion Corporation.  He  has  been  a  com- 
munications consultant  since  1966. 

Summing  up  the  impact  of  Dr.  Black's 
career,  an  industry  observer  says,  "It  is 
no  exaggeration  to  say  that  without 
Black's  invention  (negative  feedback 
amplifier),  the  present  long-distance 
telephone  and  television  networks 
which  cover  our  entire  country,  and  the 
transoceanic  telephone  cables,  would 
not  exist." 

UIPI 


The  WPI  Journal  April  1 978   25 


1944 

Arthur  Stowe  is  now  district  manager  for 
Teledyne-Vasco  in  Agawam,  Mass. 

1945 

Anson  Fyler,  a  WPI  trustee,  was  recently  named 
president  and  chief  executive  officer  of  Hersey 
Products,  Inc.,  Dedham,  Mass.  Previously,  he 
was  president  of  the  Superior  Electric  Co.  in 
Bristol,  Conn.  .  .  .  Albert  Talboys,  who  had  been 
in  Port-of-Spain,  Trinidad,  with  the  Pan  Ameri- 
can Health  Organization,  is  now  located  in 
Longwood,  Florida. 

1946 

John  Metzger,  Jr.,  a  DuPont  employee  since 
1 946,  has  been  named  vice  president  of  the 
photo  products  department  at  DuPont  Com- 
pany in  Wilmington,  Delaware.  He  had  been  a 
general  manager  of  the  department.  Earlier  he 
was  director  of  the  poromeric  products  division 
of  the  fabrics  and  finishes  department,  director 
of  the  fluorocarbons  division  of  the  plastics 
department,  assistant  general  manager  of  the 
polymer  intermediates  department,  and  assist- 
ant general  manager  of  the  photo  products 
department.  He  serves  as  president  of  Junior 
Achievement  of  Delaware,  Inc. 

Edmund  Oshetsky  was  recently  appointed  to 
the  new  position  of  vice  president  of  manufac- 
turing for  Erving  Paper  Mills,  Erving,  Mass.  In  this 
capacity  he  is  now  a  member  of  the  executive 
committee.  For  the  past  year  he  has  been  gen- 
eral manager  of  manufacturing.  Previously  he 
had  twenty-five  years  of  administrative  and 
operational  responsibilities  with  Lincoln  Pulp  and 
Paper,  Boise  Cascade  and  Scott  Paper.  Erving  is  a 
leading  manufacturer  and  converter  of  paper 
products  including  napkins,  towels,  printed  spe- 
cialties, health  care  products,  and  packaging 
industrial  papers. 

Charles  Richardson  serves  as  director  and  his 
wife  Mildred  serves  as  a  co-director  and  adminis- 
trator of  Learning  Foundations  (The  Tutoring 
Center)  in  Hauppauge,  N.Y.  The  Center  provides 
individualized  instruction  in  basic  academic  skills 
at  all  levels  and  has  shown  positive  results  in 
clients  aged  5  to  55  and  from  kindergarten 
through  college  age.  Emphasis  is  placed  on 
reading,  English,  math,  speed-reading,  exam 
preparation  and  testing,  covering  aptitude, 
achievement,  and  learning  disabilities.  Staff 
members  are  certified  teachers. 


1947 

John  Williams,  Jr.,  vice  president  of  the  Tor- 
rington  Company's  heavy  bearings  division  in 
South  Bend,  Ind.,  has  been  transferred  to  the 
firm's  corporate  headquarters  in  Torrington, 
Conn.  Starting  as  a  sales  trainee  in  1947,  Jack 
spent  nine  years  as  a  district  sales  engineer  and 
manager  at  Dallas  and  Los  Angeles.  He  wentto 
South  Bend  in  1958  where  he  advanced  to 
general  manager  of  the  midwest  facility.  Sub- 
sequently he  became  vice  president  of 
worldwide  heavy  bearings  operations  and  a 
director  of  the  company. 

1948 

Dr.  Robert  Lerner  of  MIT  and  Mrs.  Mary  Lou 
Lerner,  leader  of  a  Cadette  troop  in  Harvard, 
Mass.,  have  returned  from  a  trip  to  mainland 
China.  The  Lerners  were  part  of  a  ten-member 
delegation  of  IEEE  which  toured  the  country  as 
guests  of  the  Chinese  Electronics  Society.  They 
were  greeted  by  a  National  Day  Celebration  in 
Peking,  went  sightseeing  in  five  cities,  and  were 
feted  at  banquets.  The  wives  of  delegates  toured 
schools,  factories,  communes,  and  children's 
palaces.  While  in  Hong  Kong,  they  visited  Girl 
Guide  headquarters.  The  Lerners  comment, 
"The  Chinese  were  happy  to  tell  us  about  their 
way  of  life;  never,  however,  did  they  ask  about 
ours." 

Richard  Noble  works  for  Data  General  Corp. 
in  Westbrook,  Me.,  where  he  is  an  industrial 
engineer. . . .  Irwin  Vanderhoff  has  been  elected 
senior  vice  president  of  Equitable  Life  Assurance 
Society  of  America,  where  he  is  in  charge  of 
business  development  and  finance. 

1950 

Mark  FitzMaurice,  son  of  William  FitzMaurice, 
is  a  freshman  at  WPI. 


1953 

Dr.  John  Gregory,  director  of  the  cardiopulmo- 
nary department  at  Overlook  Hospital  in  Sum- 
mit, N.J.,  also  serves  as  director  of  the  hospital's 
mobile  intensive  care  units  (MICU)  program. 
During  the  February  blizzard,  the  mobile  units 
responded  to  an  avalanche  of  emergency  calls. 
Each  MICU,  a  mini-hospital  on  wheels,  includes 
a  portable  EKG  machine,  suction  equipment,  an 
oxygen  system,  and  drugs  and  telemetry  gear. 
Most  MICU  calls  are  for  heart  attacks,  auto 
accidents,  or  other  serious  emergencies. 


1958 

Walter  Veith,  president  of  Sterling  Precision 
Export  Corp.,  West  Palm  Beach,  Fla.,  reports  that 
being  able  to  speak  Spanish,  German,  French, 
and  English  is  a  definite  asset  to  his  business.  He 
feels  that  his  speaking  his  customers'  language 
establishes  a  greater  amount  of  confidence  and 
goodwill.  International  trade,  however,  can  be 
frustrating  and  requires  a  lot  of  patience.  It  often 
takes  several  days  to  get  an  appointment  with  a 
foreign  businessman,  plus  a  few  more  to  start 
business  rolling.  Strikes  and  unfamiliar  holidays 
can  also  hold  things  up,  as  well  as  the  frequent 
unreliability  of  transportation.  But  Veith  has 
patience,  and  points  out  that  he  likes  to  have  the 
opportunity  to  sell  products  that  the  buyers  have 
confidence  in.  His  company  operates  four  divi- 
sions: replacement  automobile  parts;  industrial 
products;  financial  services;  and  real  estate.  He 
travels  some  100,000  miles  a  year  trying  to  stay 
ahead  of  both  domestic  and  foreign  competi- 
tion. 

Robert  Weinberg  holds  the  position  of  presi- 
dent at  Economy  Electric  Supply,  Inc.,  Manches- 
ter, Conn.,  the  state's  largest  electrical  dis- 
tributor. He  also  serves  as  chairman  of  the  board 
of  Precision  Dynamics,  a  New  Britain  manufac- 
turer of  solenoid  valves  and  chairman  of  the 
board  of  Therma  Ray  Mfg.,  Inc.,  an  Old  Say- 
brook  manufacturer  of  ceiling  radiant  electric 
heating  systems.  The  Weinbergs  have  two 
daughters  at  home,  Karen,  12,  and  Lisa,  10. 

1959 

Robert  Kelley  is  now  a  senior  manufacturing 
engineer  at  Maremont  Corp.,  N.E.  Division,  in 
Saco,  Me.  For  three  years  he  was  a  consulting 
engineer,  mainly  in  the  firearms  industry. . . . 
Jack  McGinnis  serves  as  production  manager  at 
Hardigg  Industries  in  South  Deerfield,  Mass. 
Hardigg  is  known  for  engineering  excellence  in 
plastic  rotational  molding,  molded  polyurethane 
foam,  reusable  plastic  containers,  and  package 
cushioning  devices.  Jack  lives  in  Westhampton, 
Mass.  with  his  wife  Roberta  and  children, 
Michael,  Maureen,  and  Kathleen. 

1960 

Dr.  Robert  Condrate,  Sr.  has  been  promoted 
from  associate  professor  of  spectroscopy  to  pro- 
fessor of  spectroscopy  at  New  York  State  Col- 
lege of  Ceramics  at  Alfred  University.  .  .  .  John 
O'Connell  serves  as  principal  of  Construction 
Engineering  Services  in  Newbury,  Mass. 


26  I  April  1 978  I  The  WPI  Journal 


1954 

John  Greenaway,  Jr.,  SIM,  holds  the  post  of 

president  of  Peterson  Steels,  Inc.,  Union,  N.J 

Roy  Hayward,  Jr.  was  recently  promoted  to 
manager  of  marketing  services  at  Astra  Phar- 
maceutical Products,  Inc.,  of  Framingham  and 
Worcester.  .  .  .  King  Killin  has  been  named  vice 
president  of  engineering  for  U.S.  Reduction 
Company,  a  wholly-owned  subsidiary  of  Ameri- 
can Can  Co. 

1955 

Lt.  Col.  Dean  Carlson  (Ret.)  is  now  director  of 
training  and  chief  of  the  property  management 
division  for  Mann  Associates,  Inc.  Last  year  he 
joined  Mann  as  manager  of  the  firm's  Severna 
Park  (Md.)  office  after  sixteen  months  as  vice 
president  of  Price  Realty.  Mann  Associates  is  one 
of  the  top  realty  companies  in  Anne  Arundel 
County. 


1961 

Jim  Kachadorian,  owner  of  Green  Mountain 
Homes,  Royalton,  Vt.  (05068),  reports  that  one 
of  his  two-story,  solar-designed  models  was 
heated  for  just  $249  during  the  severe  Vermont 
winter  of  1976-77.  He  has  written  an  article 
concerning  the  feasibility  of  passive  solar  heat 
used  in  combination  with  wood  heat,  which  is 
included  with  the  company  brochure  kits.  An 
article  describing  the  firm's  unique  solar-slab 
method  of  home  construction  was  featured  in 
the  December  1976  WPI  Journal. 


The  Norton  Spirit.  Winner  and 
bearer  of  the  prestigious  No.  1  on  the 
1978  racing  circuit  based  on  its  phenom- 
enal performance  with  Tom  Sneva, 
the  USAC  National  Champion. 

Together,  this  Norton-sponsored 
racing  team,  headed  by  Roger  Penske, 
has  rolled  up  an  impressive  number  of 
firsts: 

Winner  of  the  1977  USAC  National 
Championship  and  Citicorp  Cup. 

Winner  of  the  Schaefer  500. 

Winner  of  the  Texas  200. 

Winner  of  racing's  Olsonite  Triple 
Crown,  based  on  driver-car  perform- 
ance in  the  three  USAC  500-mile  races. 


Winner  of  the  pole  position  in  the 
1977  Indianapolis  500  and  the  first  car  to 
officially  break  the  200  mph  barrier  at  the 
Indianapolis  Motor  Speedway. 

But  the  Norton  Spirit  is  more  than  a 
championship  racing  machine.  It  stands 
as  a  dramatic  symbol  of  the  innovative 
thinking,  professional  skills  and  precision 
craftsmanship  that  have  put  Norton  in 
the  No.  1  position  as: 

World's  largest  manufacturer  of 
abrasives. 

World's  leading  producer  of  diamond 
drilling  bits. 

Fastest  growing  name  in  industrial 
safety  protection  products. 


Nation's  largest  producer  of  medical 
and  scientific  tubing. 

Leaders  in  the  development  and 
manufacture  of  insulating  sealants  and 
industrial  ceramics. 

In  these  and  other  important 
markets  around  the  world— as  well  as 
on  the  1978  USAC  racing  circuit—  you 
can  look  to  Norton  and  its  experienced 
distributors  for  a  winning  performance. 
Norton  Company,  World  Headquarters: 
Worcester,  Massachusetts  01606. 


NORTON 


'HMTHA/ 


■ 

4k 


iiWi 


:n. 


GOOD/YEAR 


1962 

Dr.  Kenneth  Anusavice  is  presently  assistant 
professor  of  restorative  dentistry  at  the  Medical 
College  of  Georgia.  He,  his  wife,  and  two  chil- 
dren reside  in  Augusta. . .  .  Recently  Jon  Sauter 
was  promoted  to  engineering  manager  for 
target  detectors  in  the  Orlando  division  of 
Martin-Marietta  Corp.  in  Florida. 

1963 

Carl  Freeman  is  director  of  marketing  at  Litton 

Industries  in  College  Park,  Md Dr.  Robert 

Murphy  has  accepted  a  new  position  as  chief  of 
planetary  atmospheres  programs  at  NASA 
headquarters  in  Washington,  D.C.  He  is  also 
serving  as  the  program  scientist  for  the 
Pioneer-Venus  probe  scheduled  to  arrive  at 
Venus  in  December. 


1964 

H.  Louis  Lion  is  a  manager  of  quality  control  and 
product  reliability  at  Fenwal  Inc.  in  Ashland, 
Mass.  .  . .  Peter  Marston  wrote  "Capacitor 
Fusing  to  Overcome  Tank  Rupture"  which  ap- 
peared in  the  December  issue  of  Transmission 
and  Distribution.  He  is  employed  in  the  distribu- 
tion systems  department  at  Northeast  Utilities 
Service  Co.  He  joined  Connecticut  Light  & 
Power  in  1964. .  .  .  Paul  Ramsden,  Jr.  was 
recently  named  director  of  the  Cortland  (N.Y.) 
Laboratory  at  Smith-Corona  Operations.  He  will 
be  responsible  for  directing  the  engineering  lab- 
oratory, including  product  development,  en- 
gineering, testing,  and  analysis.  Previously  he 
was  chief  engineer  for  Centronics  Data  Com- 
puter Corp.  in  Hudson,  N.H. 

1965 

H.  Slayton  Altenburg,  still  with  Ametek- 
Westchester  Plastics  where  he  is  manager  of 
engineering,  is  now  located  in  Nesquehoning, 
Pa.  .  .  .  Clinton  Kucera  serves  as  manager  of 
industrial  service  at  GE  in  Cleveland,  Ohio.  . . . 
Continuing  with  IBM,  General  Technology  Divi- 
sion, Peter  McCormick  has  transferred  to  Bur- 
lington, Vt.  He  is  involved  with  LSI  circuit  devel- 
opment. . .  .  Steve  Sutker  holds  the  post  of 
corporate  OEM  marketing  manager  at  Interdata 
in  Oceanport,  N.J.  He  is  responsible  for  all  OEM 
marketing  efforts,  marketing  research  and  com- 
petitive analysis  for  the  corporation.  Steve  and 
his  wife  Carol  and  their  beagle,  Oliver,  reside  in 
Middletown,  N.J. 


1966 

^■Married:  Capt.  Eugene  R.  Dionne  and  Capt. 
Margaret  A.  Harris,  USAF,  last  September  at  the 
U.S.  Air  Force  Academy  in  Colorado  Springs, 
Colorado.  Mrs.  Dionne  was  formerly  stationed 
at  the  Academy  before  being  transferred  in 
November.  After  being  involved  for  five  years 
with  the  Defense  Meteorological  Satellite  Pro- 
gram as  launch  vehicle  project  officer,  and  later 
as  spacecraft  systems  manager,  the  groom  has 
transferred  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Air  Force, 
special  projects,  where  he  is  chief  engineer.  He  is 
stationed  in  Los  Angeles. 


Roland  Bouchard  currently  serves  as  a  project 
engineer  at  Lear  Siegler,  Inc.,  in  Grand  Rapids, 
Mich.  .  .  .  Recovering  from  a  disabling  accident 
suffered  several  years  ago  while  he  was  working 
for  the  Navy,  William  Collentro  has  taken  a 
part-time  job  in  the  chemistry  department  at 
Woods  Hole  Oceanographic  Institute.  ...  Dr. 
John  Lauterbach  holds  the  post  of  manager  of 
chemistry  at  the  Pillsbury  Co.  in  Minneapolis, 
Minn. 


1967 

>-Born:  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Steve  Cotter  their  first 
child,  Stephanie  Jean,  on  November  20,  1977. 
Steve  works  with  Eastern  out  of  Logan  Airport 
and  the  Vermont  Air  National  Guard  flying  the 
Cranberry.  The  Cotters  are  also  in  the  interior 
decorating  business  (paint,  wallpaper,  carpeting, 
etc.)  in  Laconia,  N.H. 

Edward  Ciarpella  continues  as  a  teacher  of 
secondary  school  mathematics  at  Tiverton  (R.I.) 
High  School.  Currently  he  is  president  of  the 
local  Teachers'  Association,  which  he  had  for- 
merly served  as  chief  negotiator.  ...  Dr.  M.  H. 
Dwarakanath,  who  received  his  PhD  from 
Brooklyn  Polytechnic  last  year,  is  now  a  senior 
specialist  engineer  at  Boeing  Computer  Services 
in  Seattle,  Wash.  .  .  .  Edward  Gallo  was  pro- 
moted to  major  in  the  U.S.  Army  in  February. 
This  is  his  second  year  in  the  math  department  at 
the  U.S.  Military  Academy  at  West  Point,  NY., 
where  he  teaches  upper  level  math  electives. 

Jim  Lawson  is  now  a  business  systems  consul- 
tant at  Hammermill  Paper  in  Erie,  Pa. . . .  Gary 
Willis  has  been  named  manager  of  home  office 
sales  operations  at  Foxboro  (Mass.)  Co., 
worldwide  producer  of  instruments  and  systems 
for  the  process  industries.  Previously  he  was 
manager  of  power  sales  operations.  In  his  new 
post  he  will  be  responsible  for  the  company's 
chemical,  food  and  drug,  metals,  oil  and  gas, 
power,  pulp  and  paper,  and  textile  industry  sales 
departments,  as  well  as  special  accounts,  sys- 
tems sales  development,  and  international  sales 
coord'nation,  and  marketing  services  opera- 
tions. He  joined  Foxboro  in  1975  as  a  major 
project  coordinator  in  power  sales  operations. 

1968 

Francis  Barton  holds  the  post  of  North  American 
field  service  financial  manager  at  Digital  Equip- 
ment Corp.,  Maynard,  Mass.  .  .  .  Richard 
Brodeur  has  left  the  Army  and  is  now  employed 
by  the  EMTECH  division  of  American  Electronic 
Laboratories  as  a  field  engineer. . . .  John  DeMeo 
was  recently  appointed  systems  manager  and 
coordinator  of  computer  services  for  Regional 
School  District  #1 3  in  Durham,  Conn.  For  the 
past  six  years  he  has  been  teaching  math.  Earlier 
he  was  a  statistical  analyst  for  Pratt  &  Whitney 
Aircraft.  He  has  an  MS  in  mathematics  from  RPI 
and  a  sixth  year  certificate  in  education  from 
Central  Connecticut  State  College.  The  DeMeos 
have  two  children,  Dawn  and  Scott. 

Vin  Genereux  has  been  promoted  to  opera- 
tions planner  for  the  Prince  Matchabelli  division 
of  Chesebrough-Ponds  in  Clinton,  Conn. . . . 
Richard  Hedge  is  employed  as  a  process  en- 
gineer at  American  Hoechst  in  Leominster, 
Mass.  . . .  Allen  Palmer  is  an  electronics  engineer 
in  the  tranducers  and  arrays  division  at  the  Naval 
Underwater  Systems  Center,  New  London, 
Conn.  He  and  his  wife  Rosemary  have  a  two- 
year-old  daughter,  Amy.  ...  Jim  Raslavsky 
currently  holds  the  post  of  plant  manager  at 


Viking  Yacht  Co.,  New  Gretna,  N.J.,  where  he 
also  serves  as  production  manager  and  person- 
nel manager.  He  does  the  hiring,  reviewing,  and 
promoting.  He  has  established  a  complete  job 
grading  and  evaluation  system  which  involved 
writing  job  descriptions  for  the  entire  180-man 
Viking  operation.  He  has  also  set  up  procedures 
for  other  manufacturing  and  personnel  matters. 
.  .  .  Richard  Rubino,  MNS  was  recently  made  a 
member  of  the  Civitan  Club,  a  service  organiza- 
tion in  Meriden,  Conn.  He  is  president  of  Cen- 
tury 21  Mark  IV  of  Bristol,  Plainville,  and  South- 
ington,  is  a  member  of  the  Bristol  Board  of 
Realtors,  and  maintains  interests  in  industrial 
education.  The  Rubinos  have  four  children. 


1969 

^■Married:  John  S.  Starsiak  and  Miss  Joan  K. 
Leonard  in  Newton,  Massachusetts  on  October 
1 ,  1977.  The  bride  graduated  from  Boston  Col- 
lege and  teaches  in  Wellesley.  Her  husband  is  a 
chemist  for  the  state  of  Massachusetts. 
►Bom:to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stephen  O.  Rogers  a 
son  Brian  on  September  28,  1977.  He  joins 
brother  Timothy,  3.  Stephen  is  a  senior  super- 
visor with  Du  Pont  in  Gibbstown,  N.J. 
is  a  senior  supervisor  with  Du  Pont  in  Gibbstown, 
N.J. 

Joel  Cehn  is  an  energy-environment  consul- 
tant at  Teknekron  in  Washington,  D.C.  .  .  . 
Continuing  with  Raytheon,  Michael  Hart  cur- 
rently serves  as  a  radar  system  analyst  in  the 
Missile  System  Division  in  Bedford,  Mass.  He  has 
his  MSEE  from  Northeastern  University.  .  .  . 
Philip  Kazemersky  holds  the  post  of  program 
manager  at  the  Tennessee  Valley  Authority  in 
Chattanooga,  Tenn.  He  has  a  PhD  from  Ohio 
State.  .  . .  Presently  Gary  Leventhal  is  associated 
with  New  Tone  Amusements,  Inc.  in  Roslyn 
Heights,  N.Y.  He  earned  his  MBA  at  Northeast- 
ern. 


1970 

>Born. to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stephen  Bernacki  a 
son,  Stephen,  Jr.  on  May  15,  1977.  Dr.  Bernacki 
is  a  physicist  at  MIT's  Lincoln  Laboratory.  ...  to 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Alan  F.  Hassett  their  first  child, 
Brooke  Audrey  on  September  30,  1977.  "Chip" 
is  manager  of  the  Dover  (Del.)  office  of  O'Brien 
and  Gere  Engineers,  Justin  and  Courtney  Divi- 
sion  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Alan  J.  Nizamoff  a  son 

David  Alan  on  September  1 ,  1977.  Alan  is  a 
project  engineer  for  Exxon  Research  &  Engineer- 
ing Co.  He  is  going  to  Ft.  McMurry,  Alberta, 
Canada  to  work  on  a  startup  project  for  Syn- 
crude  Canada,  Ltd.,  which  is  partly  owned  by 
Exxon. 

Dr.  Frederick  Golec,  Jr.  presently  serves  as  a 
senior  chemist  I  at  U.S.  Vitamin  Pharmaceutical 
Corp.  in  the  chemical  research  division,  process 
research  and  development.  The  corporation  is 
the  pharmaceutical  research  center  of  the  health 
care  division  of  Revlon,  and  is  located  in  Tucka- 
hoe,  N.Y.  It  is  involved  in  the  anti-hypertensive 
ethical  pharmaceuticals  market  as  represented 
by  the  products  Hygroton  and  Regroton.  Dr. 
Golec  received  his  PhD  in  organic  chemistry  from 
the  University  of  Washington  in  January.  In 
1974  he  was  elected  to  Phi  Lambda  Upsilon 
Honorary  Chemical  Society.  He  is  married  to 
Susan  Robinson  Golec,  who  has  her  master's 
degree  in  psychiatric  social  work  from  the  Uni- 
versity of  Washington  in  Seattle,  and  her  BS  from 
Northeastern. 


28  I  April  19781  The  WPI  lournal 


MCHBHfl 


Roger  Henze  is  a  senior  planner  for  transporta- 
tion services  for  Chatham  County,  Savannah 
(Ga.)  Metropolitan  Planning  Commission.  .  .  . 
Steve  Johnson  is  now  employed  at  the  Babcock 
and  Wilcox  Alliance  Research  Center,  where  he 
is  the  principal  investigator  in  a  program  aimed 
at  minimum  emissions  of  nitrogen  oxides  from 
coal-fired  utility  boilers.  This  program,  funded  by 
the  Electric  Power  Research  Institute,  is  in  re- 
sponse to  the  government's  goal  of  limiting  this 

pollutant  to  100p.p.m.orlessby  1985 Capt. 

Alan  Prucnal,  a  company  commander  with  the 
U.S.  Army  Corps  of  Engineers,  is  presently  lo- 
cated in  Germany. 

1971 

Joseph  Ausanka  is  an  insurance  agent  with  the 
Ayres  Agency  (State  Mutual)  in  Worcester.  .  .  . 
Daniel  Demers  works  for  GE  in  Lynn,  Mass. . . . 
Previously  with  Electronic  Instrument  and  Spe- 
cialty, Allen  Downs  now  holds  the  post  of  staff 
engineer  at  Tele-Resources  in  Ballston  Lake,  N.Y. 
The  Downses  are  building  a  log  cabin  in 
Greenfield,  N.H.  Recently  they  enjoyed  a  trip  to 
Oregon.  "Sauce,"  who  is  setting  up  a  studio  in 
their  colonial  farmhouse  outside  of  Schenectady, 
has  been  chosen  to  be  a  part  of  the  Smithsonian 
Institute  Sites  show,  "New  American 
Monotypes."  ...  Dr.  Irving  Engelson  is  associate 
dean  of  the  College  of  Engineering  and  Technol- 
ogy at  the  University  of  Nebraska  in  Omaha 

John  Pankosky  is  associated  with  Nettco  Corp., 
Everett,  Mass. . .  .  Presently  Anthony  Yankaus- 
kas  serves  as  director  of  capital  management  at 
Continental  Can  Co.,  a  company  of  the  Conti- 
nental group,  in  Stamford,  Conn.  Previously  he 
was  assistant  director  of  financial  reporting  at 
the  Continental  Group,  Inc.,  New  York  City. 

1972 

^■Married:  James  P.  Colangelo  and  Rosanna 
Mondazzion  December  17,  1977.  The  bride 
received  her  RN  from  the  University  of  Rochester 
and  is  currently  pursuing  a  master's  degree  in 
nursing  at  Boston  College.  The  bridegroom  is  a 
medical  resident  at  Hartford  (Conn.)  Hospital. 
►Born:  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Richard  Panton  a  son 
Richard  Russell  on  August  8,  1977.  Panton  was 
recently  promoted  to  senior  engineer  on  special 
assignment  to  Nomex  textile  manufacturing  at 
Du  Pont's  Spruance  plant.  The  Pantons  are  lo- 
cated in  Chesterfield,  Va.  .  . .  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Donald  A.  Taft  twin  sons,  Benjamin  Nichols  and 
William  Biggins  on  October  3,  1977. ...  to  Jack 
and  Lee  Small  Zorabedian,  a  son,  John  III,  on 
June  12,  1977.  Jack  has  been  promoted  to 
production  engineer  for  the  foam  and  bellaplast 
departments  of  Sweetheart  Plastics  in  Wil- 
mington, Mass.,  where  he  was  formerly  foam 
department  supervisor.  Also,  he  is  a  town  meet- 
ing member  and  a  member  of  the  finance  com- 
mittee in  Reading. 

Steven  Bauks  continues  as  a  senior  experi- 
mental engineer  for  United  Technologies  Power 
Systems  Division  at  the  fuel  cell  facility  in  South 
Windsor,  Conn.  He  has  a  son  Jesse,  4,  and  a 
daughter  Sarah,  2. . .  .  Michael  DiBenedetto 
serves  as  an  assistant  engineer  at  E.U.A.  Service 
Corp.,  Lincoln,  R.I.  Last  year  he  received  his 
MSEE  from  WPI. .  .  .  Adrien  Gaudreau,  Jr.  has 
been  promoted  to  captain  in  the  U.S.  Air  Force. 
Currently  he  is  working  for  the  Alaskan  Air 
Command  as  a  computer  programmer  for  the 
Alaskan  Norad  Region  Command  and  Control 
Center —  Rae  Johnson  works  as  an  application 
engineer  at  Waterbury  Farrel,  Thompson  Grin- 
der Division  in  Cheshire,  Conn. 


1973 


1974 


^■Married:  Kevin  J.  Crossen  and  Kathleen  Pow- 
ers on  October  9, 1 977.  The  groom  is  a  research 
chemist  at  Walter  Reed  Research  Institute.  Last 
year  he  received  his  master's  degree  in 
biochemistry  from  the  University  of  Rhode  Is- 
land. .  .    Robert  W.  Kibler  and  Miss  Barbara  A. 
Buschner  on  January  21,  1978  in  South  Hadley, 
Massachusetts.  Mrs.  Kibler  graduated  from 
Fitchburg  State  College  and  formerly  taught  in 
Leominster.  Her  husband  is  a  product  engineer 
at  Rodney  Hunt  in  Orange,  Mass. 
►Born,  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Donald  Kray  a  daugh- 
ter Kara  Lynn  on  January  19,  1978.  Don  is  a 
development  superintendent  tor  Aetna  Lite  & 
Casualty  in  their  group  data  processing  depart- 
ment in  Hartford,  Conn.  ...  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Richard  F.  Silvestris  a  daughter  Julie  Marie  on 
December  28,  1977.  Richard  is  presently  a  pro- 
duction supervisor  for  Polaroid  Camera  Division 
in  Norwood,  Mass. 

Conrad  Baranowski  continues  as  an  elec- 
tronics design  engineer  for  the  Powercube  Corp. 
in  Waltham,  Mass.  Presently  he  is  a  project 
engineer,  redesigning  a  first  generation  Off  Line 
Switching  Power  Supply.  He  has  four  patent 
applications  pending  with  the  U.S.  government 
having  to  do  with  high  density  electronics  pack- 
aging. .  .  .  Bruce  Beverly,  a  staff  engineer  for 
Haley  &  Aldrich,  Inc.,  Cambridge,  Mass.,  is 
currently  concerned  with  geotechnical  engineer- 
ing for  the  Massachusetts  Bay  Transportation 
Authority.  His  responsibilities  include  the  Red 
Line  Extension  NW-Harvard  to  Davis  subway 
extension.  .  .  .  Capt.  Richard  Brontoli  has  com- 
pleted the  Engineer  Officer  Advanced  Course. 
He  will  be  stationed  for  three  and  a  half  years  at 
Baumholder,  Germany  with  the  U.S.  Army 
293rd  Engineer  Batallion,  a  rapid  runway  repair 
unit  dealing  with  concrete  and  asphalt  paving — 
Thomas  Cawley  is  an  engineer  in  the  electrical 
division  at  Stone  &  Webster  in  Boston.  He 
earned  his  MS  at  Northeastern. 

John  Cirioni  works  as  a  store  manager  for 
Southland  Corp.  in  Dallas,  Texas. .  .  .  Paul  Clark 
serves  as  a  senior  field  service  engineer  at  Digital 
Equipment  Corp.  in  Marlboro,  Mass.  .  .  .  Jon 
Franson  holds  the  post  of  weather  editor  for  the 
U.S.  Air  Force.  Presently  he  is  with  Croughton 
RAF  of  the  United  Kingdom.  .     Robert 
Haywood,  who  has  received  his  MBA  from 
Harvard,  is  a  DBA  student  and  research  assistant 

at  Harvard  Business  School  in  Newton,  Mass 

Roger  Lavallee  has  just  completed  his  first  year 
as  a  programmer-analyst  with  Life  Insurance 
Marketing  and  Research  Association  in  Hartford, 
Conn.  .  .  .  Ruey  Sen  Lin  is  employed  as  an 
instructor  at  Digital  Equipment  in  Marlboro, 
Mass. . . .  Bruce  Nunn  has  been  appointed  to  the 
Middlefield  (Mass.)  finance  committee.  He  and 
his  wife  Allison  Huse  Nunn  have  been  residing  in 
Middlefield  for  over  a  year.  .  .  .  Richard  Olson 
holds  the  post  of  resident  chemical  engineer  for 
Industrial  Risk  Insurers  in  Brussels,  Belgium.  . . . 
Gerald  Otte  is  finishing  his  fifth  year  of  teaching 
in  Malaysia  at  Tun  Habab  Secondary  School  in 
Johore.  He  is  in  charge  of  modern  mathematics 
and  additional  mathematics  for  form  4  (like 
tenth  grade  in  the  U.S.).  His  wife  Rosni  is  an  RN 

at  Kota  Tinggi  Hospital Clifford  Peterson  has 

been  appointed  assistant  treasurer  of  the  Bank  of 
Tokyo  Trust  Company  in  New  York.  He  is  also  a 

loan  officer  at  the  main  office Bill  Rutherford 

works  as  a  plant  engineer  at  Merrimack  (N.H.) 
GRC.  The  Rutherfords  have  two  children, 
Wendy  and  Michael. 


Jonathan  Barnett  now  works  for  Firepro,  Inc. 
where  he  holds  the  post  of  fire  protection  en- 
gineer. . . .  Daniel  Brune  II  has  been  promoted  to 
director  of  manufacturing  for  Louis  Lefkowitz  & 
Bro.,  Inc.,  Milltown,  N.J.,  a  manufacturer  of 
camera  carrying  equipment  and  leather  tennis 
grips. 

Magician  Steve  Dacri  appeared  on  the  Merv 
Griffin  TV  show  on  February  8th.  Recently 
Worcester  Magazine  ran  a  cover  article  about 
Steve  which  stated  that  he  plans  to  move  soon  to 
California.  .  .  .  Vijay  Kirloskar  is  now  a  quality 
assurance  engineer  at  Germanium  Power  De- 
vices Corp.  in  Andover,  Mass.  He  has  been  with 
the  company  for  two  years.  He  is  completing  his 
master's  degree  in  management  science  at  WPI. 

Eugene  Lukianov  presently  serves  as  resident 
engineer  at  Maremont  Corp/Gabriel  Shocks  in 
Saco,  Me.  .  .  .  David  McGuigan  is  a  member  of 
the  technical  staff  at  Hughes  Aircraft  in  Culver 
City,  Calif.  He  and  his  wife,  Kathleen,  reside  in 
Los  Angeles.  He  received  his  MS  in  physics  from 
the  University  of  Rochester.  .  .  .  Richard  Mellor 
works  as  an  engineer  in  mechanical  controls 
design  with  the  aircraft  engine  group  at  GE  in 
Lynn,  Mass.  . . .  Brother  Jim  Morabito,  MNS,  will 
be  ordained  a  priest  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church  in  Columbus,  Ohio  on  May  19, 1978.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Salesian  Congregation, 
whose  principal  aim  is  youth  work.  He  has  spent 
three  years  teaching  at  Don  Bosco  Technical 
High  School  in  Boston,  Mass.  .  . .  Stanley 
Purington  serves  as  a  structures  engineer  at  Rohr 
Marine  in  Chula  Vista,  Calif.  .  .  .  Al  Simonti  is  an 
estimating  engineer  for  Stone  &  Webster  in 
Boston. 

Robert  Slack  holds  the  post  of  production 
engineer  at  Dow-Badische  Co.  in  Anderson,  S.C. 
.  .  .  Andrew  Wemple  has  been  promoted  to 
senior  actuarial  associate  at  State  Mutual  Life 
Assurance  Company  of  America,  Worcester.  He 
began  work  at  the  firm  in  1974  as  an  actuarial 
assistant,  and  was  promoted  to  actuarial  as- 
sociate in  1976.  .  .  .  Continuing  with  Procter  & 
Gamble,  John  Young  is  now  electrical  manager 
for  the  firm  in  Mehoopany,  Pa. 


The  WPI  Journal !  April  1 978  29 


MORGAN 

CONSTRUCTION!  COMPANY 


15   Belmont  Street.   Worcester,   Mass.  01605 

Serving  the  Ferrous  and  Non- Ferrous  World  Markets  since  1888  as 
Engineers  and  Manufacturers  of  Rolling  Mills,  Morgoil  Bearings, 
Wire  Drawing  Machinery  and  Furnace  Equipment 


iamesbury 

m    1  manufacturers  of 

^-^  Double-Seal  ®  Ball  Valves 

Wafer-Sphere®  Butterfly  Valves 

Actuators 

Control  Devices 

Jamesbury  Corp  •  640  Lincoln  Street  •  Worcester,  Mass  01605 


1975 


^■Married:  John  Aubin  to  Sheila  Moulton  of 
Norwich,  Vermont  in  December.  Mrs.  Aubin  is  a 
registered  nurse  at  the  Newington  VA  Hospital. 
Her  husband  is  an  analyst  for  the  town  of  West 
Hartford,  Conn.  He  recently  completed  a  mas- 
ter's degree  program  in  public  administration  at 
the  University  of  Pennsylvania.  .  .  .  Gordon  D. 
Henley  and  Miss  Carol  A.  Johnson  in  Cleveland, 
Ohio  on  November  26,  1977.  The  bride 
graduated  from  Miami  University  and  has  her 
MS  in  library  science  from  the  University  of 
Illinois.  She  is  currently  acquisitions  librarian  at 
Texas  Christian  University  in  Fort  Worth.  The 
groom,  who  has  his  MSEE  from  the  University  of 
Illinois,  is  an  aerosystems  engineer  for  General 
Dynamics'  Fort  Worth  Division.  .  .  .  Terry  W. 
Penner  to  Donna  Padget  on  Christmas  Eve  in 
Manchester,  New  Hampshire.  Mrs.  Penner 
graduated  from  Daniel  Webster  Junior  College 
in  Nashua  and  received  her  medical  laboratory 
technician  degree  from  Colby-Sawyer  College, 
New  London,  N.H.  Her  husband  is  manager  of 
C.  S.  Woods  Co.,  Inc.,  in  Manchester. . . .  Charles 
Riedel  and  Miss  Barbara  Yankowski  in  Beacon, 
New  York  on  October  8, 1977.  Mrs.  Riedel  has  a 
degree  in  veterinary  science  from  Becker  Junior 
College.  The  bridegroom  is  employed  by  Region 
I  N.Y.  State  Department  of  Transportation  in  the 
Division  of  Traffic  and  Safety. 
>Born:  to  2/Lt.  Robert  Howard  and  Mrs.  How- 
ard a  daughter  Deborah  Lynne  on  November  27, 
1977.  Presently  Robert  is  stationed  in  Warren, 
Mich,  with  the  U.S.  Army  Tank  Automotive 
Materiel  Readiness  Command.  He  is  the  en- 
gineering directorate's  executive  officer. 

Alan  Bergstrom  continues  his  graduate  work 
and  duties  as  a  research  assistant  in  the  depart- 
ment of  biochemistry  at  the  University  of  Mas- 
sachusetts in  Amherst.  . .  .  2/Lt.  Kent  Berwick  is 
starting  undergraduate  pilot  training  at  Vance 

AFB  in  Oklahoma Robert  Byron  was  recently 

promoted  to  the  post  of  group  leader  of  catalyst 
development  in  the  experimental  development 
department  at  UOP  in  Riverside,  III.  .  .  .  James 
Costello  is  a  civil  engineer  at  Tennessee  Gas 
Pipeline  in  Houston,  Texas.  ...  A  temporary 
assignment  with  Monsanto  at  the  Avon  plant  in 
Martinez,  Calif.,  has  turned  into  a  permanent 
position  for  Mario  DiGiovanni. . . .  Allen  Downs, 
who  received  his  MS  in  chemical  engineering  last 
spring  from  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  is 
now  a  project  engineer  for  Stauffer  Chemical 
Co.  in  Visalia,  Calif,  at  a  cottage  cheese  whey 
processing  plant.  He  is  working  for  his  MBA  at 
California  State  University  at  Fresno.  During  his 
spare  time  he  enjoys  hiking  and  back-packing. . . . 
F.  Douglas  DuGrenier  has  completed  his  MBA 
at  the  University  of  Massachusetts,  where  he  is 
working  for  his  PhD  in  business  administration. 

Robert  Fried  received  his  MSEE  last  year  and  is 
now  working  for  his  PhD  at  SUNY  at  Stony 
Brook.  He  is  also  doing  research  on  fuel  cells  for 
the  U.S.  Department  of  Energy  at  Brookhaven 
National  Laboratory.  .  .  .  Richard  Harabedian 
serves  as  assistant  superintendent  of  construc- 
tion at  Associated  Construction  in  Hartford, 
Conn.  . .  .  The  Robert  Homers  have  bought  a 
house  in  Glendale,  N.Y.  Mrs.  Horner  is  a  medical 
assistant  working  with  a  cardiologist.  .  .  .  Gary 
Kiontke  has  been  promoted  to  actuarial  assistant 
in  the  actuarial  department  at  Monarch  Life 
Insurance  Co.,  Springfield,  Mass.  Last  year  he 
joined  Monarch  as  an  actuarial  trainee. 


30 1  April  19781  The  WPI  Journal 


Raymond  Mott  was  recently  promoted  to 
group  leader  in  charge  of  catalytic  petrochemical 
development.  The  job  entails  supervision  and 
planning  of  research  in  the  petrochemical  area  at 
UOP,  Inc.,  Riverside,  Illinois.  .  .  .  Currently 
Richard  Murray  is  a  junior  optical  engineer  at 
Itek  Corp.,  Lexington,  Mass.  He  has  received  his 
MS  from  the  University  of  Rochester.  .  .  .  Robert 
Murray  is  a  mechanical  product  support  en- 
gineer in  the  equipment  division  at  Raytheon  Co. 
in  Waltham,  Mass. .  . .  Jay  Pulli  is  a  candidate  for 
his  PhD  in  geophysics  in  the  department  of  earth 
and  planetary  sciences  at  MIT  in  Cambridge. . . . 
William  Stieritz  is  a  member  of  the  technical 
staff  at  TRW,  Inc.,  in  Redondo  Beach,  Calif.  Last 
year  he  received  his  MSEE  from  the  University  of 
Massachusetts.  .  .  .  Donald  Taddia  serves  as  a 
staff  engineer  for  the  Department  of  Aviation, 
Allegheny  County,  at  Greater  Pittsburgh  Inter- 
national Airport.  He  and  his  wife  reside  in 

Sewickley,  Pa Mark  Youngstrom  is  presently 

a  project  engineer  at  Wright  Engineering  in 
Rutland,  Vt. 


1976 

►Bom  to  Mrs.  Andra  Eslami  Finkel  and  her 
husband  Charles,  a  son  Dustin  Philip  on  January 
22, 1978.  Andra  currently  works  for  Hughes 
Aircraft  in  Los  Angeles,  Calif.,  where  she  is  a 
corporate  patent  agent.  She  will  attend  law 
school  next  fall.  Her  husband  is  a  commercial 
pilot  for  Krueger  Aviation  in  Santa  Monica. 

David  Andel  is  now  a  development  engineer 
for  AVCO,  Lycoming  Division,  in  the  lubrication 
systems  group.  Lycoming  is  located  in  Stratford, 
Conn.  .  .  .  Mark  Coulson  is  a  nuclear  test 
engineer  for  General  Dynamics,  Electric  Boat 
Division,  Groton,  Conn. 

Thomas  Descoteaux  is  employed  as  a  project 
manager  at  ENCON,  Inc.  in  Chicopee,  Mass.  . . . 
Edward  Fasulo,  Jr.  has  been  promoted  to  project 
leader  at  American  Cyanamid  Co.,  Bound  Brook, 
N.J.  With  the  firm  since  1976,  he  is  employed  in 
the  chemical  intermediates  manufacturing  de- 
partment. He  had  been  a  day  production  super- 
visor. .  .  .  Edward  Floyd  has  joined  Kennedy 
Engineers  in  San  Francisco,  Calif. .  .    James 
Hetherman  is  a  graduate  research  assistant 
doing  research  on  deep-sea  sediments.  Recently 
he  participated  in  research  cruises  to  Bermuda 
and  Hawaii.  He  expects  to  receive  his  MS  in 
ocean  engineering  this  summer. . . .  Paul  Lessard 
works  as  a  planner  for  the  Federal  Highway 
Administration  in  Baltimore,  Md. .  .  .  Joseph 
Lucchesi  is  a  Passionist  Brother  at  Holy  Family 
Monastery  in  West  Hartford,  Conn.  .  .  .  Pamela 
Baradine  Maynard  works  as  a  programmer/ 
mathematician  for  RCA  in  Waterford,  Conn. 

James  Roberge  is  doing  graduate  work  at  the 
University  of  Rhode  Island. .  .   Gerard  Robidoux 
serves  as  an  electronic  engineer  with  the  Naval 
Underwater  Systems  Center  in  Newport,  R.I. . . . 
Jonathan  Rourke  is  a  research  assistant  at  MIT  in 
Cambridge,  Mass.  .  .  .  Arthur  St.  Andre,  SIM  is 
the  new  president  of  Thomson  National  Press 
Company  of  Franklin,  Mass.  He  started  with 
Thomson  in  1975  as  general  manager  of  man- 
ufacturing and  engineering.  Earlier  he  had  been 
associated  with  Heald  Machine  Division  of  Cin- 
cinnati Milacron.  Thomson  manufactures  platen 
presses  for  the  paper  and  plastic  converting 
industry. . . .  Mark  Smith  teaches  mathematics  at 
Woodstock  (Vt.)  Country  School.  Formerly  he 
taught  at  Maine  Central  Institute.  .  .  .  Neal 
Wright  has  received  his  MS  from  North  Carolina 
State  University.  He  is  a  second  lieutenant  in  the 
U.S.  Army  Corps  of  Engineers  and  has  been 
slated  to  be  stationed  at  Ft.  Devens,  Mass.  in 
April.  .  .  .  Joseph  Yu  is  a  design  engineer  at 
Westinghouse  in  Hyde  Park,  Mass. 


1977 

Roman  Adrianowycz  is  an  insurance  property 
loss  adjuster  for  Alexander  &  Alexander,  Inc.  in 
New  York  City.  .  .  .  Bruce  Baran  serves  as  a 
teaching  assistant  in  the  Northeastern  University 
department  of  physics.  His  wife,  Carol  Sigel 
Baran,  is  an  assistant  editor  at  Benwill  Publishing, 
Boston.  .  .  .  Adolfo  Chandek  is  assistant  pro- 
grammer at  IBM  in  Boca  Raton,  Fla. .  . .  Donald 
Edwards  holds  the  post  of  associate  vice  presi- 
dent of  Yankee  Atomic  Electric  in  Westboro, 
Mass.    .    Domenico  Grasso  is  at  the  School  of 
Civil  Engineering,  Purdue  University,  West 
Lafayette,  Indiana. 

John  Greaney  has  joined  the  batch  facilities 
department  of  the  manufacturing  and  engineer- 
ing division  of  Corning  (N.Y.)  Glass  Works. . . . 
Paul  Hajec  is  working  for  his  master's  degree  in 
transportation  planning  at  Northeastern  Univer- 
sity in  Boston.  .  .  .  Keith  Harrison  in  studying  for 
his  master's  degree  in  transportation  planning 
and  engineering  at  Polytechnic  Institute  of  New 
York  in  Brooklyn,  where  he  is  a  full-time  research 
fellow.  .  .  .  Robert  Prettyman  is  a  junior  pro- 
grammer at  IBM  in  Boca  Raton,  Fla.  . .  .  Scott 
Shurr  works  as  an  associate  software  engineer  at 
Digital  Equipment  Corp.  in  Maynard,  Mass. . . . 
Steven  Sweeney  has  joined  the  Soils  Bureau  at 
the  New  York  Department  of  Transportation  in 
Albany.  . . .  Rick  Wheeler  is  currently  located  at 
Hanover  Gardens,  Apt.  C-3,  Pottstown,  Pa.  He  is 
a  product  sales  representative  for  Firestone  Plas- 
tics Company. 


The  WPI  Journal  I  April  1978  1 31 


L.  Norman  Reeve,  '06,  one  of  the  nation's 
foremost  authorities  in  hydraulic  engineering, 
died  on  February  8,  1978  in  Falmouth,  Mas- 
sachusetts. He  was  93  years  old. 

Mr.  Reeve,  who  was  concerned  with  the 
construction  of  many  large  power  and  flood 
control  dams,  retired  in  1948  from  Stone  and 
Webster  Engineering  Corp.,  Boston.  At  the  time 
of  his  retirement  he  was  an  advisory  member  of 
the  U.S.  Committee  on  Large  Dams,  a  part  of  the 
International  Commission  on  Large  Dams. 

He  designed  the  Conowingo  Dam  and  hyd- 
roelectric power  plant  on  the  Susquehanna  River 
in  Maryland,  completed  in  1928  at  a  cost  of  $60 
million.  At  the  time,  the  plant  had  the  largest 
power  generating  capacity  of  any  such  plant  in 
the  world,  378,000  horsepower.  The  water 
wheels  and  generators  were  the  largest  then  in 
existence.  He  also  designed  dams  and  power 
plants  for  the  $20  million  Shogawa  Project  in 
Japan  in  1923  and  served  as  a  consultant  on  the 
$40  million  Jitsugetsutan  Project  in  Formosa  in 
1928. 

Mr.  Reeve  was  born  in  Worcester  on  March 
14, 1 884.  In  1906  he  graduated  from  WPI  with  a 
degree  in  civil  engineering. 

The  first  ten  years  of  his  professional  career 
were  spent  with  the  U.S.  Bureau  of  Reclamation 
where  he  was  involved  in  the  design  of  power 
and  flood  control  dams  at  Yellowstone,  Grand 
Valley,  Arrowrock,  Jackson  Lake,  and  the 
Shoshone  River,  all  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  re- 
gion. He  then  designed  a  copper  plant  in  Chile. 
With  America's  entry  into  World  War  I,  he  left 
Chile  to  design  the  plant  and  shipways  at  the 
famous  Hog  Island  Shipyard,  the  site  of  the 
world's  first  production  line  for  merchant  ships. 
Later  he  was  appointed  supervisor  of  shipbuild- 
ing there. 

In  1920,  he  joined  Stone  and  Webster  as  a 
hydraulic  engineer,  specializing  in  the  design  and 
construction  of  hydroelectric  power  projects  in 
and  out  of  the  U.S.  In  World  War  II  he  was 
appointed  a  project  engineer  in  charge  of  design- 
ing the  James  River  Shipyard  for  the  Navy's 
Bureau  of  Ships.  Also,  during  the  war,  he  was 
associated  with  the  Manhattan  Project  at  Oak 
Ridge,  Tenn.,  where  the  first  atomic  bomb  was 
produced. 

Mr.  Reeve  was  a  life  member  of  ASCE,  a 
member  of  the  Boston  Society  of  Civil  Engineers, 
the  Northeastern  Society  of  Civil  Engineers,  and 
the  National  Society  of  Professional  Engineers. 
He  was  a  registered  professional  engineer  in 
several  states,  including  Massachusetts. 


Through  Leon  W.  Hitchcock,  '08,  we  have 
learned  of  the  recent  death  of  Robert  E. 
Dunklee,  an  alumnus  of  the  former  Washburn 
Apprentice  School  at  WPI. 

Mr.  Dunklee  was  born  in  West  Brattleboro,  Vt. 
on  Sept.  18, 1881.  In  1904  and  1905  he  at- 
tended the  two-year  Apprentice  School  con- 
ducted by  the  Washburn  Shops.  He  was  the 
founder  of  Dunklee's  Machine  Shop,  the  first 
electric  welding  shop  in  Vermont.  He  was 
among  the  first  people  in  Vermont  to  use  an 
automobile  in  winter  employing  light  motor  oil, 
and  one  of  the  earliest  to  build  a  personal  radio. 

Before  starting  his  own  shop,  Mr.  Dunklee 
was  with  M.S.  Perkins  Machine  Shop  in  Keene, 
N.H.,  where  he  installed  mill  water  wheels  and 
the  former  L.  H.  Stellman  &  Son  Machine  Shop, 
Brattleboro,  where  he  was  involved  in  the  devel- 
opment of  the  Franklin  automobile.  He  retired 
from  Dunklee  Machine  Shop  in  1962  at  the  age 
of  80. 

Mr.  Dunklee  was  a  trustee  of  Meetinghouse 
Hill  Cemetery  for  60  years,  serving  20  years  of 
that  time  as  business  manager.  He  belonged  to 
the  Masons,  the  Commandery,  Green  Mountain 
Club,  Vermont  Historical  Society,  and  Windham 
County  Farm  Bureau.  He  was  the  father  of 
Robert  E.  Dunklee,  '40. 

Walter  E.  Brown,  Sr.,  '08  passed  away  recently 
at  Somerset  Hospital  in  Somerville,  New  Jersey. 
He  had  been  a  resident  of  Bound  Brook,  N.J.  for 
many  years. 

Ralph  G.  Gold,  '10,  of  Middletown,  Rhode 
Island  passed  away  in  Newport  Hospital  on 
January  22,  1978  at  the  age  of  89. 

He  was  born  on  January  3,  1889  in  West 
Stafford,  Conn,  and  graduated  as  an  electrical 
engineer  from  WPI  in  1910.  During  his  lifetime 
he  was  with  GE  testing  department  in  Schenec- 
tady, N.Y.,  taught  electrical  engineering  from 
1911  to  1914  at  Fukien  Technical  School  in 
Foochow,  China  (under  the  auspices  of  the 
YMCA),  and  spent  a  year  as  a  student  at 
Hartford  (Conn.)  Divinity  School.  For  twelve 
years  he  was  a  secretary  of  the  YMCA  in 
Foochow.  When  the  Chinese  Revolution  broke 
out  in  1927,  he  returned  to  the  U.S.  where  he 
became  a  junior  secretary  of  the  YMCA  in  Lynn, 
Mass.  From  1930  until  his  retirement  in  1954,  he 
was  general  secretary  of  the  "Y"  in  Newport,  R.I. 

During  World  War  II  Mr.  Gold  and  his  wife, 
Helen,  entertained  servicemen  stationed  in 
Newport  nearly  every  weekend  at  their  home. 
He  had  belonged  to  the  Lions  Club,  the  Newport 
Chamber  of  Commerce,  the  Governor's  Advi- 
sory Committee  for  the  Blind,  and  was  active  on 
various  church  boards  and  committees. 


Chester  W.  Aldrich,  '20,  retired  sales  director  of 
the  National  Biscuit  Co.,  died  in  Stamford 
(Conn.)  Hospital  on  January  22,  1978. 

A  native  of  Uxbridge,  Mass.,  he  was  born  on 
June  11, 1899.  He  was  a  chemistry  major  at  WPI. 
For  over  forty  years  he  was  with  Nabisco.  He 
retired  in  1964. 

Mr.  Aldrich,  a  member  of  SAE,  belonged  to 
the  AARP,  the  Leisure  Time  Men's  Club,  Con- 
gregational Church,  Meadowview  Rod  and  Gun 
Club,  and  the  Masons.  He  was  a  director  of 
Pilgrim  Towers  in  Stamford,  a  church-related 
housing  project  for  the  elderly. 

Clifford  C.  Fifield,  '26,  of  Orford,  New  Hamp- 
shire passed  away  recently  after  a  short  illness. 

He  was  born  on  October  12,  1902  in  Man- 
chester, N.H.,  and  later  studied  at  WPI.  During 
his  career  he  was  with  Colorado  Fuel  and  Iron 
Corp.,  Palmer,  Mass.,  and  Wickwire  Spencer 
Steel  in  Clinton,  Mass.  For  a  time  he  was  vice 
president  of  New  England  Equipment  Sales 
Corp.  of  Contoocook,  N.H. 

Mr.  Fifield  belonged  to  Phi  Gamma  Delta. 
Active  with  the  Boy  Scouts,  he  was  presented 
with  the  Silver  Beaver  award  for  his  contributions 
to  scouting.  He  had  also  served  as  master  of 
Trinity  Lodge  (Masons)  of  Clinton,  Mass.  While 
a  resident  of  Orford,  N.H.,  he  had  served  on  the 
school  board,  and  had  been  health  commis- 
sioner and  a  member  of  the  cemetery  associa- 
tion. 

Frank  E.  Buxton,  '28,  died  suddenly  at  his  home 
in  Wellesley,  Massachusetts  on  Christmas  Day. 
He  was  72. 

A  retired  senior  engineer  for  the  New  England 
Power  Service  Co.  of  Westboro,  Mr.  Buxton  was 
also  a  member  for  many  years  of  the  Wellesley 
Congregational  Church.  He  belonged  to  Sigma 
Xi  and  Tau  Beta  Pi  and  was  a  life  member  of  the 
American  Wood  Preservers  Association.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  Massachusetts  Society  of  Pro- 
fessional Engineers. 

Mr.  Buxton  was  born  on  December  24,  1905 
in  Eastford,  Conn.  In  1928  he  received  his  BSCE 
from  WPI. 

Harry  M.  Bagdigian,  '33,  died  in  the  Memorial 
Hospital,  Worcester  on  January  18,  1978  at  the 
age  of  66. 

A  Worcester  native,  for  twenty-three  years  he 
had  been  a  letter  carrier  for  the  Worcester  Post 
Office.  He  belonged  to  the  Men's  Club  of  the 
Armenian  Church  of  Our  Saviour  and  Branch  12 
of  the  National  Letter  Carriers'  Association. 

Earl  C.  Conant,  Jr.,  '39,  died  recently  in  Boynton 
Beach,  Florida. 

He  was  born  in  Pittsfield,  Mass.  on  July  1 1 , 
1917,  and  studied  at  WPI.  He  had  been  em- 
ployed by  Warren  -  Bigelow  Electric  Co. ,  Worces- 
ter. For  a  number  of  years  he  served  as  president 
of  Electric  Maintenance  Corp.,  and  treasurer  of 
Eadon  Realty  Corp.,  Ramcon  Corp.,  and  Electric 
Service  &  Supply  Co.,  Inc. 


Edward  T.  Kelley,  '42,  died  in  Gardner,  Mas- 
sachusetts on  July  5,  1977. 

He  was  born  on  October  3,  1918  in  Gardner. 
For  many  years  he  served  in  the  U.S.  Army.  He 
belonged  to  Phi  Kappa  Theta. 


321  April  19781  The  WPI  Journal 


August  1978 


wpfpym/i 


What  is  smaller  than . . .? 


HOMECOMING  78 

FRIDAY  &  SATURDAY 
OCTOBER  20  &  21 


Mark  the  dates  on  your  calendar 
and  plan  to  attend. 

The  weekend  begins  with  a 
concert  on  Friday  night.  Join  in 
the  Saturday  fun  at  the  Tailgate 
Picnic  and  Barbecue.  Then  cheer 
the  WPI  football  team  on  to 
victory  at  the  afternoon  game 
against  Bates. 

The  newest  event  featured  is  a 


4-mile  Alumni  road  race  which 
will  finish  at  half-time  at  the  50 
yard  line. 

Laugh  with  comedian  Robert 
Klein  at  the  Saturday  "Night 
Club"  and  then  dance  the  night 
away  at  the  Homecoming  Party. 

There's  more!  But  why  don't  you 
come  home  and  find  out  for 
yourself. 


COME  HOME  TO  WPI 


Volume  82,  No.  1[ 


August  1978 


2     What  is  smaller  than    .. 

Jack  O'Reilly,  75  looks  at  the  strange  world  of 
contemporary  particle  physics. 

9     Corporate  Contacts 
11     Reunion  78 

18    Who's  Who 

WPI's  philosopher-artist-writer,  Jim  Hensel 

20     Your  class  and  others 
32     Completed  Careers 


Editor:  H.  Russell  Kay 

Alumni  Information  Editor:  Ruth  S.  Trask 

Publications  Committee: 

J.  Michael  Anderson,  '64,  chairman 

Design:  H.  Russell  Kay 

Typesetting:  Davis  Press,  Worcester,  Ma. 

Printing:  The  House  of  Offset,  Somerville,  Ma. 


Address  all  correspondence  regarding  editorial 

content  or  advertising  to  the  Editor,  WPI  Journal, 

Worcester  Polytechnic  Institute,  Worcester,  Ma. 

01609. 

Telephone  [617]  753-1411 

The  WPI  Journal  is  published  for  the  Alumni 
Association  by  Worcester  Polytechnic  Institute. 
Copyright  ©  1978  by  Worcester  Polytechnic 
Institute.  All  rights  reserved. 

The  WPI  Journal  is  published  six  times  a  year,  in 
August,  September  (catalog  issue),  October, 
December,  February,  and  April.  Second  class 
postage  paid  at  Worcester,  Ma. 
Postmaster:  Please  send  Form  3579  to:  Alumni 
Association,  Worcester  Polytechnic  Institute, 
Worcester,  Ma.  01609. 


WPI  ALUMNI  ASSOCIATION 

President:  William  A.  Julian,  '49 

Vice  presidents:  John  H.  McCabe,  '68;  Ralph  D. 
Gelling,  '63 

Secretary-treasurer:  Stephen  J.  Hebert,  '66 

Past  president:  Francis  S.  Harvey,  '37 

Executive  Committee  members- at- large: 
Walter  B.  Dennen,  Jr., '51;  Richard  A.  Davis, '53; 
Julius  A.  Palley,  '46;  Anson  C.  Fyler,  '45 

Fund  Board:  Peter  H.  Horstmann,  '55, 
chairman;  G.  Albert  Anderson,  '51 ;  Howard  I. 
Nelson,  '54;  Leonard  H.  White,  '41;  Henry 
Styskal,  Jr.,  '50;  C.  John  Lindegren,  '39;  Richard 
B.  Kennedy,  '65 


The  WPI  Journal  I  August  197811 


Within  the  drawers  of  my  file  cabinet  are 
bulging  manila  folders  bearing  titles  such  as 
strangeness,  charm,  truth,  beauty  and  illu- 
sion. The  diagrams,  notes  and  papers  con- 
tained in  these  folders  pertain  not  to  a  field 
such  as  philosophy  but  rather  to  the  latest 


and  most  central  theories  in  elementary 
particle  physics.  Strangeness,  charm,  and 
the  others  serve  to  characterize  quarks  — 
particles  that  may  eventually  provide  the 
ultimate  answer  to  the  age-old  question: 


What  is  smaller  than. .  ? 


by  Jack  O'Reilly,  75 


Particles  and  Quarks 

Prior  to  the  i  950s,  the  situation  in  the  world  of  particle 
physics,  then  still  a  branch  of  nuclear  physics,  was  rela- 
tively simple.  There  were  just  about  a  handful  of  known 
sub-atomic  particles:  the  proton,  the  neutron,  the  elec- 
tron, the  anti-electron  (positron),  the  muon  and  the 
photon.  Although  these  particles  and  their  interactions 
were,  for  the  most  part,  not  well  understood,  there  was  the 
hope  that  the  situation  would  soon  be  remedied.  And  why 
not?  Wasn't  it  true  that  machines  to  study  these  particles, 
namely  particle  accelerators,  were  being  built  larger  and 
larger  every  year?  Since  accelerator  size  is  a  most  crucial 
detennining  factor  in  regard  to  the  energy  at  which  these 
particles  can  be  produced,  wasn't  it  logical  to  expect  these 
machines  to  lead  to  a  more  thorough  understanding  of  the 
high  energy  properties  of  these  particles?  Furthermore,  it 
was  hoped  that  this  examination  of  the  particles'  high 
energy  properties  would  lead  to  an  overall  elucidation  of 
their  structure  and  interactions  and  then  finally  to  an  all 
inclusive  theory  of  matter. 

Unfortunately  (fortunately?),  there  was  a  flaw  in  this 
line  of  reasoning.  True,  the  development  of  more  powerful 
accelerators  brought  about  the  desired  investigation  of  the 
known  particles  at  higher  and  higher  energies.  However, 
the  new  machines  also  led  to  the  production  of  totally  new 
and  unexpected  particles.  These  new  particles  had  not 
been  previously  observed  for  two  main  reasons:  (1)  due  to 
their  high  mass  the  old  accelerators  were  not  energetic 
enough  to  produce  them;  and  (2)  due  to  their  short 
lifetimes  and  low  production  rates  they  weren't  easily 
detected  in  the  only  other  kind  of  particle  production 
experiment,  namely  the  collision  of  cosmic  rays  with 
nuclei  in  the  earth's  atmosphere. 

In  any  case,  the  discovery  of  each  of  the  first  four  or  five 
of  these  higher  mass  particles  was  accompanied  by  the 
hope  that  the  mysteries  of  the  field  would  NOW  finally  be 
solved.  After  all,  it  was  thought,  how  much  longer  could 
the  rate  of  discovery  continue?  There  must  be  some  limit 
to  the  number  of  possible  particles  (states)  —  mustn't 
there? 

In  the  late  1950s  and  the  early  1960s,  with  the  rate  of 
discovery  showing  no  signs  of  abating,  particle  theorists 
began  looking  in  earnest  for  evidence  of  subtle  similarities 
between  members  of  the  quickly  enlarging  family  of 
particles.  They  began  to  think  that  maybe  —  just  maybe  — 
many  of  the  particles  which  had  now  been  discovered 
weren't  really  as  elementary  as  had  originally  been 
thought.  Possibly,  some  of  them  weren't  actually  new 
particles  but  merely  higher  mass  versions  of  old  ones.  The 
analogy  with  an  atom  is  somewhat  appropriate.  The 
electrons  revolving  about  a  given  nucleus  can  be  excited 
and  thereby  forced  to  go  into  higher  energy  orbits.  The 
resulting  atom  is  essentially  a  new  energy  state  but  its 
main  properties  have  changed  little.  It  is  still  the  same  type 
of  atom  as  it  was  before  excitation.  So  it  was  thought  that 
certain  particles  were  just  excited  versions  of  other,  more 
common  particles. 


In  this  vein,  the  early  1 960s  saw  the  publication  of 
numerous  papers  purporting  to  classify  most  of  the  then- 
known  particles  into  divisions  or  groups  based  on  some  of 
their  common  properties.  Of  these  papers,  the  most  signif- 
icant ones  were  a  pair  of  independently  researched  papers 
written  by  two  theorists  who  were  later  to  win  the  Nobel 
Prize  for  their  work.  These  papers,  written  by  Murray 
Gell-Mann  and  George  Zweig,  both  contained  the  idea 
that  the  majority  of  the  known  particles  could  be  consid- 
ered as  being  bound  states  of  even  more  elementary,  and 
yet  undiscovered,  particles.  These  more  basic  structures 
are  now  almost  universally  called  by  the  name  Gell-Mann 
gave  them:  quarks. 

The  Gell-Mann-Zweig  proposal  had  a  majestic  beauty 
to  it.  Rather  than  complicate  the  then  quite  messy  situa- 
tion, it  served  to  greatly  simplify  it.  It  presented  a  simple 
'deck'  of  1 8  quarks  out  of  which  the  majority  of  the  40  or  so 
then  known  particles  could  be  constructed.  This  construc- 
tion process  was  simply  the  combining,  on  paper  of  course, 
of  either  a  quark/anti-quark  pair,  a  quark  triplet  or  an 
anti-quark  triplet.  Moreover,  the  most  enthralling  aspect 
of  the  theory  was  that  each  of  the  new  1 8  quarks  could  be 
considered  as  different  manifestations  of  but  a  single  quark 
state.  Quite  a  simplification  indeed. 

The  initial  deck  contained  three  quark  types  or  flavors: 
up  (denoted  by  the  letter  u),  down  (d)  and  strange  (s) 
(sometimes  called  sideways).  Also,  each  of  the  flavors 
came  in  three  'colors':  red,  white  and  blue.  This  system, 
however,  yields  only  nine  quarks  —  the  remaining  nine 
were  the  anti-quarks  of  the  first  nine.  (Recall  the  anti- 
electron?) 

If  the  reader  still  believes  the  situation  to  be  complicated 
perhaps  he  is  correct.  But,  when  compared  to  the  pre- 1 964 
situation  of  many  seemingly  unrelated  particles,  the  new 
concept  was  almost  a  theorist's  dream.  This  is  not,  how- 
ever, to  say  that  the  new  theory  was  perfect.  What  theories 
are?  The  major  drawback  to  the  new  classification  scheme 
was  that,  in  order  to  properly  combine  to  form  the  known 
particles,  the  quarks  had  to  be  given  non-integral  values  of 
charge.  The  proton,  for  example,  was  said  to  be  formed  out 
of  two  'up'  quarks  (each  with  2/3  of  the  proton's  charge)  and 
a  'down'  quark  (with-1/3  the  charge  of  a  proton).  Although 
this  was  not  a  new  idea  —  Sakata  had  proposed  a  similar 
model  in  1 9  5  6  —  it  still  sent  shivers  down  the  spines  of  the 
more  conservative  members  of  the  physics  establishment. 

More  complete  acceptance  of  the  theory  was  later 
achieved  when  Gell-Mann  realized  that  there  was  one 
quark  combination  that  should  exist  but  could  not  be 
associated  with  any  of  the  already  discovered  particles.  It 
was  a  state  composed  of  three  strange  quarks,  denoted  as 
'sss'.  By  convention,  an 's'  has  a  'strangeness'  of-i,  thus 
the  new  particle  was  thought  to  have  a  'strangeness'  of -3. 
Rather  than  modify  his  theory,  Gell-Mann  stated  that  the 
experimental  physicists  had  failed  to  uncover  a  particle. 
Using  the  relatively  simple  mathematical  relationships 
that  his  theory  led  to,  he  predicted  that  a  new  particle  with 
specific  characteristics  should  exist.  Soon  the  predicted 
particle,  called  the  omega-minus,  was  discovered  very 


The  WPI  Journal  I  August  197813 


close  in  mass  to  where  it  had  been  predicted  to  be.  From 
this  point  on,  acceptance  of  the  Gell-Mann-Zweig  theory 
became  more  widespread.  Over  the  past  decade  it  has 
managed  to  weather  numerous  experimental  upheavals 
and,  with  a  few  additions,  remains  in  the  forefront  of 
physics  research  today. 


More  Particles  and  more  quarks 

The  additions  referred  to  above  pertain  to  new  quarks 
added  to  the  original  theory.  It  is  now  coming  to  be 
accepted  that  there  are  at  least  six  quark  flavors  rather  than 
the  original  three.  Since,  as  far  as  we  are  now  concerned,  no 
new  colors  have  been  introduced,  there  are  therefore  1 8 
quarks  and  1 8  anti-quarks.  If  the  quark  situation  seems  to 
be  getting  somewhat  unwieldly  ...  it  is.  But  so  is  the 
known  particle  situation.  There  are  now  over  1 50  so-called 
'elementary'  particles  —  the  vast  majority  of  which  can  be 
constructed  from  quarks.  Moreover,  the  particles  that 
can't  be  constructed  out  of  quarks  aren't  supposed  to  be. 
That  is,  they  really  do  seem  to  be  elementary.  These 
exceptions  —  the  photon,  the  graviton,  the  electrons,  the 
muons,  the  neutrinos,  the  gluons  and  the  intermediate 
vector  bosons  —  supposedly  form,  together  with  the 
quarks,  the  basic  building  blocks  of  absolutely  all  matter. 

Just  as  the  strange  quark  had  a  quality  referred  to  as 
strangeness,  the  three  additional  flavors  also  pertain  to 
specific  particle  qualities  which  have  little  to  do  with  the 
names  given  them.  The  best  known  of  these  flavors  is 
charm.  It  was  first  proposed  by  Glashow  and  Bjorken  in 
1 964,  and  evidence  of  a  particle  actually  containing  a 
charmed  quark  was  uncovered  in  1974.  This  particle, 
which  managed  to  achieve  front  page  status  in  many  of  the 
nation's  newpapers,  was  called  the  psi.  It  was  just  the 
combination  of  a  charmed  quark  (c)  and  a  charmed  anti- 
quark  (c).  This  state  is  simply  represented  as  cc. 

Theoretical  introduction  of  the  charmed  quark  along 
with  the  subsequent  discovery  of  a  particle  thought  to 
contain  such  a  quark  naturally  led  to  the  prediction  of 
other  charmed  particles.  That  is,  physicists  expected  the  c 
to  combine  with  the  other  quarks  so  as  to  form  more 
'charmed'  states.  Such  states  might  be  represented  by  the 
quark  configurations:  cu,  cd  or  cs.  As  it  turned  out,  the  past 
few  years  have  seen  all  of  the  above  mentioned  quark 
combinations  discovered.  For  the  record,  the  states  in 
question  represent  the  D°,  D+  and  F+  mesons.  (Mesons  are 
quark/anti-quark  pairs  while  particles  containing  three 
quarks,  the  proton,  for  example,  are  baryons.  States  con- 
taining four  or  more  quarks  and/or  anti-quarks  may  be 
possible  but  needn't  be  discussed  here.) 

The  other  quarks  which  are  currently  undergoing  the 
process  of  being  accepted  are  labeled  truth  (t)  and  beauty 
(b)  by  the  majority  of  the  physics  community  but  top  and 
bottom  by  the  more  conservative  members.  Current  ex- 
perimental evidence  concerning  the  existence  of  particles 
with  the  attributes  of  truth  and  beauty  is  nonexistent  and 
sketchy,  respectively.  This  situation,  however  is  not  ex- 


pected to  remain  this  way  for  more  than  a  few  years.  The 
hope  in  the  verification  of  their  existence  lies  in  the  next 
generation  of  more  powerful  particle  accelerators.  (Does 
this  sound  familiar?) 

Beyond  truth  and  beauty  are  two  other  not  yet  generally 
accepted  quarks:  illusion  (i)  and  optimism  (o)  (also  called 
inside  and  outside).  The  latter  has  been  proposed  on  purely 
aesthetic  grounds  and  refers  to  the  optimistic  statement: 
"Oh,  God,  I  hope  this  is  the  last  quark." 


What  does  the  quark  model  tell  us? 

Beyond  simply  providing  a  method  of  constructing  known 
particles  out  of  supposedly  elementary  particles,  the  quark 
model  provides  an  explanation  of  other  phenomena  re- 
lated to  particle  properties. 

A  particularly  important  example  involves  the  decay 
modes  of  certain  particles.  As  Nature  has  arranged  it,  the 
vast  majority  of  the  known  particles  are  unstable.  That  is, 
after  a  time  interval  subsequent  to  their  production,  they 
decay  into  other  particles.  This  time  period  is  most 
definitely  a  function  of  the  particle  involved,  and  ideally, 
its  measurement  allows  physicists  to  infer  a  significant 
amount  of  information  concerning  the  basic  structure  of 
the  particle  undergoing  decay. 

Prior  to  the  introduction  of  the  quark  theory,  although 
the  decay  schemes  of  the  known  particles  had  been 
determined,  physicists  were  most  often  unable  to  predict 
the  decay  modes  of  a  given  particle  before  discovering 
them.  However,  the  Gell-Mann-Zweig  theory  coupled 
with  additional  mathematical  work  of  Gell-Mann  and 
others,  served  to  provide  insights  into  the  decay  processes 
of  many  of  the  newly  discovered  particles. 

By  considering  the  decay  modes  of  the  constituent 
quarks  rather  than  those  of  the  particles  themselves, 
theorists  were  greatly  able  to  increase  their  ability  to 
predict  the  decay  modes  of  the  new  particles.  Moreover, 
this  method  allowed  scientists  who  were  in  search  of  yet 
undiscovered  particles  to  predict  what  the  most 
mathematically  favorable  mode(s)  to  search  for  would  be. 

A  prime  example  of  this  last  technique  involves  the 
previously  mentioned  F+  meson.  (A  similar  particle  of 
opposite  charge,  the  F~  is  also  predicted  by  the  model.) 
Recently  discovered  after  having  been  postulated  a  few 
years  ago,  the  F+  has  several  possible  decay  modes.  Since  it 
is  a  cs  system  the  state  prior  to  its  decay  contains  only  two 
quarks.  Of  these,  consider  the  case  where  only  the 
'charmed'  quark  is  unstable.  In  fact,  it  undergoes  the  decay 
process  c-^usd.  Thus  after  the  F+  decay  has  occured,  there 
are  four  quarks:  usds.  Given  that  the  quarks  then  form 
mesons  (they  do),  and  recalling  that  a  meson  is  a  quark/ 
anti-quark  pair  we  see  that  there  are  two  possible  final 
state  quark  combinations:  ( 1 )  ss  +  ud;  and  (2)  us  +  sd.  From 
Table  1  it  can  be  seen  that  these  combinations  do  indeed 
represent  known  particles.  The  predicted  final  states  are  in 
fact:  (l)i77r+;  and  (2)  K+K°.  Thus  two  possible  decay 
schemes  of  the  F+  are: 


4  I  August  1 978  I  The  WPI  journal 


Table  i 

Properties  and  quark  compositions 

of  some  of  the  particles  mentioned  in  the  text. 


Greek 

Common 

Mass 

Quark 

Charm 

Strangeness 

Symbol 

Name 

(proton  =  l) 

Composition 

TT+ 

pi-plus 

.149 

ud 

0 

0 

K+ 

K-plus 

.526 

us 

0 

1 

TC° 

K-zero-bar 

•53o 

so" 

0 

-1 

V 

eta 

.585 

ss 

0 

p 

proton 

1 

uud 

0 

0 

n 

neutron 

1. 001 

udd 

0 

0 

n 

omega-minus 

1-783 

SSS 

0 

-3 

D° 

D-zero 

1.986 

cu 

1 

0 

D+ 

D-plus 

1. 99 1 

cd 

1 

0 

F+ 

F-plus 

2.164 

cs 

1 

1 

* 

psi 

3-^99 

cc 

0 

0 

p- 

F+- 


The  quark  diagrams  pertaining  to  these  modes  are  shown 
in  Figure  1. 

Using  this  information,  a  search  last  summer  found  the 
F+  by  detecting  its  1777^  decay  mode.  The  K+  K°  mode  is  not 
experimentally  easy  to  locate  but  experiments  to  find  it 
are  currently  underway  in  several  parts  of  the  world.  In  any 
case,  the  discovery  of  the  F+  via  the  quark  theory  predic- 
tion of  its  decay  modes  provided  yet  another  bit  of 
evidence  confirming  the  validity  of  the  quark  model. 
Furthermore,  as  the  reader  has  seen,  the  theory's  method 
of  predicting  a  few  of  the  decay  modes  of  the  F+  is  very 
straightforward. 


Quark  slavery  via  gluons 

Before  the  reader  comes  to  the  conclusion  that  the  quark 
theory  provides  all  the  answers  to  all  the  questions,  let  me 
mention  that  there  is  one  semi-troublesome  aspect  of  the 
model.  It  is  this,  in  fact,  that  may  be  serving  to  block  the 
theory's  full  acceptance  by  the  physics  community.  This 
problem  is  the  inability  of  physicists  to  find  a  free,  i.e. 
non-bound,  quark.  To  say  the  least,  many  person-years  of 
work  have  been  expended  in  the  hope  of  finding  a  quark 
existing  out  of  the  pair  or  triplet  states  which  characterize 
mesons  and  baryons,  respectively.  Examples  of  the 
searches  which  have  been  undertaken  in  regard  to  these 
fractionally  charged  particles  include:  an  examination  of 
ancient  ocean-bed  sediment;  composition  tests  on  meto- 
rites;  and  a  study  of  moon  rocks.  There  have  been,  of 


11     d 

decay  point     /     / 

u 

-    s 

s 

s 

/} 

I/* 

decay  point   1/ 

F+                          (5 

u       + 

-    K 

Figure  i 

Quark  diagrams  of  two  possible  F+  decay  modes. 

course,  the  more  standard  physics  experiments  one  of 
which  will  later  be  discussed. 

Despite  all  of  these  angles  of  attack,  the  quark  has  so  far 
proven  to  be  totally  elusive.  A  similar  occurrence  in  almost 
any  other  theory  of  similar  age  might  well  bring  about  its 
downfall.  The  quark  theory,  however,  has  been  so  other- 
wise successful  that  the  failure  to  find  free  quarks  has  only 
slightly  slowed  down  the  theory's  multitude  of  propo- 
nents. 

The  solution  to  the  problem  of  no  free  quarks  may  be 
contained  in  one  aspect  of  the  theory  itself  called  slavery. 
It  is  thought  that  it  may  be  essentially  impossible  for  two 
quarks  to  be  separated  by  a  distance  greater  than  about 
10"15  meters.  This  confinement  would  be  a  logical  result  if 
the  (attractive)  force  between  two  quarks  increases  as  the 
two  particles  get  further  apart.  Like  the  original  quark 


The  WPI  Journal !  August  1978   5 


The1  advancing  frontier  of  elementary  particle  physics 


I910's 


M 


I^MO's 


m 


1950s 


1970s 


G 


/ 


? 


the  atom 

the  nucleus 

the  nucleon 

the  ? 

-ICT8  — 

—  IO"12  — 

-    IO  ,3   - 

-    ICT14 

Dimensions  in  ( entimeters 


Graphic  representation  of  the  dimensions  involved  in 
elementary  particle  physics.  Diagram  by  Walter 
Zawojski. 


6  I  August  1978  I  The  W  PI  Journal 


concept,  this  is  a  novel  idea.  Indeed,  both  the  forces  with 
which  the  reader  is  most  familiar,  the  gravitational  and  the 
electromagnetic,  get  weaker  with  increasing  distance. 

If  indeed,  the  force  between  quarks  becomes  larger  as 
the  quarks  begin  to  separate,  it  is  possible  to  conceive  of 
the  force  actually  reaching  infinity.  This  value,  of  course, 
could  only  be  approached  asymptotically.  Here,  the  result 
would  be  that  quarks  would  only  be  allowed  to  exist 
in  multiples.  Thus,  prevention  of  isolated  quark  states  is 
indeed  quark  slavery. 

In  general,  if  two  particles  are  known  to  exert  forces  on 
each  other,  they  do  so  by  exchanging  another  particle. 
Such  is  believed  to  be  the  situation  with  quarks.  It  is  the 
exchanged  particle  that  serves  to  very  effectively  keep  the 
quarks  together.  In  that  moment  of  sheer  brilliance  which 
occurs  once  in  a  person's  lifetime,  an  unnamed  physicist 
suggested  the  name  gluon  (pronounced  'glue-on')  for  the 
exchange  particle.  Actually,  there  are  thought  to  exist  an 
octet  of  gluons  whose  properties  differ  slightly.  As  might 
be  expected,  it  is  not  thought  that  the  gluons  may  exist  as 
free  particles.  But,  just  as  with  quarks,  searches  for  free 
gluons  are  currently  being  undertaken. 

Having  reached  this  point,  the  reader  is  probably  shak- 
ing his  head.  The  direction  of  motion,  however,  is  uncer- 
tain to  me.  If  he  has  automatically  accepted  everything 
I've  said  as  merely  conf inning  the  fact  that  he  "never  really 
understood  what  those  people  were  doing  anyway,"  then 
his  head  might  be  bobbing  up  and  down.  If,  on  the  other 
hand,  the  reader's  head  is  swinging  horizontally  he  is  more 
skeptical  and  has  most  likely  come  to  the  conclusion  that 
there  is  quite  a  bit  of  "fudging"  going  on. 

To  those  of  you  of  both  directions,  I  can  honestly  say 
that  your  feelings  are  shared  by  physicists  throughout  the 
world.  There  are  many  first-rate  scientists  who  ardently 
believe  that  matters  in  the  field  of  particle  physics  are 
getting  out  of  hand.  They  believe  that  the  answer  does  not 
lie  in  complicating  the  theory  by  postulating  particles 
with  strange  properties  and  even  stranger  names.  Rather, 
many  of  them  believe  that  somewhere  behind  the  red, 
white  and  blue  facade  of  gluons,  intermediate  vector 
bosons,  and  virtuously  named  quarks,  sits  a  beautifully 
simple  model.  Based  on  the  universal  symmetries  of 
nature,  this  sought  after  theory  would  unify  all  the  forces 
of  the  universe.  It  would  range  from  the  infinite!?)  force  of 
gluons  to  the  nearly,  but  thankfully  not  totally,  negligible 
force  of  gravity  —  with  a  few  stops  in  between. 

Given  the  general  title  of  unified  (force)  field  theory,  this 
area  of  research  has  taken  its  toll  in  years  of  seemingly 
fruitless  human  toil.  Albert  Einstein,  in  fact,  spent  a 
considerable  fraction  of  his  life  somewhat  unsuccessfully 
pursuing  this  topic.  He  readily  admitted  that  he  found  it 
more  difficult  than  general  relativity  to  which  it  is  some- 
what related. 

Whether  or  not  you  tend  to  believe  the  quark  theory,  a 
final  decision  on  its  validity  must  await  the  outcome  of 
further  experiments.  Experiments  attempting  to  prove  or 
disprove  the  quark  model  fall  into  two  general  categories: 
(i)  searches  for  free  quarks;  and  (2)  searches  for  more 
mesons  (pions,  etas,  etc.)  and  baryons  (protons,  neutrons, 


etc.)  and  a  determination  of  their  properties.  In  regard  to 
the  former  area,  the  discovery  of  a  quark  would  obviously 
serve  to  cement  the  quark  theory  into  a  permanent 
position  in  that  lattice  called  physics.  However,  a  failure 
by  experimenters  to  discover  such  a  particle  would  not 
necessarily  lead  to  the  theory's  downfall.  As  we  have  seen, 
the  concept  of  slavery  would  then  be  moved  into  a 
prominent  position  in  the  theory. 


Quark  production  via  accelerators 

Since  they  were  first  invented  in  the  1930s,  particle 
accelerators  have  experienced  many  changes  and  im- 
provements. Originally  they  were  designed  to  cause  accel- 
erated particles,  mainly  electrons,  to  collide  with  station- 
ary targets  such  as  liquid  hydrogen.  Recently  however, 
developments  in  numerous  fields  of  engineering  and  the 
basic  sciences  have  allowed  the  construction  of  ac- 
celerators that  cause  two  beams  of  moving  particles  to 
collide  with  each  other.  The  advantage  of  this  procedure 
over  the  original  one  is  that  more  energy  is  available  for 
subsequent  particle  production.  The  analogy  usually 
drawn  is  that  two  cars  colliding  head  on  will  have  more 
energy  available  for  deformation  when  they  are  both 
moving  at  for  example,  50  miles  per  hour  than  if  one  were 
stationary  and  the  other  moving  at  50.  At  more  relativistic 
velocities  the  difference  in  the  energies  available  is  very 
much  larger  than  it  is  in  this  simple  case. 

The  colliding  beam  concept  has  been  physically  realized 
in  several  countries  during  the  past  ten  years.  Currently 
the  most  powerful  such  facility,  The  Stanford  Linear 
Accelerator  Center,  or  slac  as  it  is  called,  is  one  of  only 
two  United  States  National  Laboratories  devoted  almost 
entirely  to  the  study  of  particle  physics. 

slac's  colliding  beam  area,  shown  in  the  accompanying 
photographs,  serves  to  cause  electrons  (e~)  and  their  anti- 
particles,  positrons  (e+),  to  collide  at  velocities  essentially 
equal  to  the  speed  of  light.  The  result  of  such  collisions  is  a 
state  of  pure  energy  called  a  'virtual  photon'  which  soon 
decays  into  various  'elementary'  particles.  If  indeed,  free 
quarks  do  exist  there  are  few,  if  any,  better  ways  of 
producing  them. 


Quark  detection 

It  should  not  be  news  to  any  of  the  Journal's  readers  that 
particles  passing  through  matter  almost  invariably  trans- 
fer some  of  their  energy  to  the  surrounding  material. 
Atomic  excitation  and  ionization  along  with  electron- 
positron  pair  production  are  among  the  major  processes  by 
which  this  occurs.  Furthermore,  in  some  cases,  the  elec- 
trons released  by  these  processes  often  have  sufficient 
energy  to  excite  and/or  ionize  other  atoms  in  the  material. 
Thus  a  chain  reaction  called  an  electromagnetic  shower  is 
produced. 


The  WPI  Journal  I  August  1978  I  7 


In  1 947,  Dr.  Robert  Hof stadter  who  later  won  the  Nobel 
Prize  in  physics,  found  that,  if  the  incident  particles  were 
made  to  pass  through  sodium  iodide  (Nal),  the  resulting 
electromagnetic  shower  produced  a  substantial  amount  of 
visible  light.  This  light,  when  amplified  and  measured, 
was  an  indication  of  the  total  energy  the  particle  had 
transferred  to  the  Nal.  Moreover,  if  the  piece  of  Nal  were 
sufficiently  large,  the  electromagnetic  shower  could  be 
fully  contained  and  the  total  energy  of  the  initial  particle 
could  be  very  accurately  determined. 

This  method  of  energy  measurement  has  since  been 
applied  to  areas  of  science  as  divergent  as  cancer  therapy 
and  the  satellite  monitoring  of  underground  nuclear  ex- 
plosions. Needless  to  say, it  has  also  been  applied  to  the 
energy  measurement  of  particles  emanating  from  colli- 
sions within  particle  accelerators. 

As  a  charged  particle  passes  through,  for  example,  Nal, 
its  energy  transfer  is  proportional  to  the  square  of  its 
charge.  Since  all  particles  but  quarks  have  integral  values 
for  their  charges  the  passage  of  a  quark  through  Nal  should 
result  in  a  very  distinctive  signal.  To  optimize  one's 
chances  of  detecting  such  a  signal  from  a  quark  that  is 
produced  in  an  electron-positron  collision  it  is  logical  to 
have  as  much  of  the  space  around  the  collision  or  interac- 
tion area  filled  with  Nal  as  is  possible.  Previously  pre- 
vented for  technical  as  well  as  financial  reasons,  it  has  only 
recently  become  feasible  to  construct  a  device  to  almost 
completely  surround  the  interaction  region. 

This  apparatus,  semi-whimsically  named  the  Crystal 
Ball,  will  begin  its  study  of  high  energy  particle  (quark?) 
production  at  slac  this  fall.  It  is  the  result  of  a  four-year 
project  by  a  team  of  scientists,  currently  30  in  number, 
aided  by  numerous  engineers,  technicians,  and 
machinists.  Consisting  of  a  four  foot  diameter  sphere  of 
Nal,  the  ball  is  divided  into  some  700  separate  modules. 
This  modularization  supplements  the  energy  measure- 
ment abilities  of  the  apparatus  by  allowing  a  precise 
determination  of  the  angular  distribution  of  the  particles 
produced  from  the  decay  of  the  'virtual  photon.'  Manufac- 
tured by  Harsaw  Chemical  Company  of  Cleveland,  the 
ball,  along  with  the  additional  Nal  used  in  the  experiment, 
accounts  for  fully  1 5  percent  of  the  world's  supply  of  this 
material  in  detector  form. 

This  fall  the  Crystal  Ball,  accompanied  by  approxi- 
mately 1 00  tons  of  additional  detection  equipment,  will  be 
placed  in  one  of  the  two  interaction  regions  shown  in  the 
photographs.  Soon  afterwards,  scientists  from  the  institu- 
tions involved  with  the  project:  Harvard,  Princeton,  Cal- 
Tech,  slac,  and  Stanford,  will  begin  work  on  what  is  one  of 
the  most  eagerly  awaited  particle  physics  experiments  of 
this  decade. 

There  are  several  ways  in  which  the  Crystal  Ball  will  aid 
in  the  explanation  of  'elementary'  particle  physics.  Most 
pertinent  to  the  subject  of  this  article  is  the  way  it  will 
search  for  quarks.  If  quarks  are  produced  their  Crystal  Ball 
signatures  will  be  unmistakably  apparent.  Personally,  I 
tend  to  favor  the  slavery  concept  and  believe  that  quarks 
will  not  be  produced.  In  any  case,  although  not  initially 
designed  to  look  for  the  distinctive  electromagnetic  signa- 


tures of  quarks,  the  Crystal  Ball  should  certainly  prove  to 
far  surpass  its  rivals  in  the  ability  to  do  so. 

Also,  the  Ball  should  prove  quite  good  in  regard  to 
achieving  its  originally  intended  goal,  that  is,  of  examining 
photons,  electrons,  and  positrons  produced  from  the  de- 
cays of  particles  such  as  the  1//,  the  D+  and  the  F+.  Not  only 
should  it  shed  light  on  the  properties  of  these  known 
particles  but  it  should  also  prove  extremely  capable  in 
locating  new  particles  if  they  do  exist.  There  is  little  doubt 
that  the  Crystal  Ball  will  prove  to  be  worth  the  many 
millions  of  dollars  that  has  been  spent  on  it. 


So  what? 

Despite  what  deluded  students  of  physics  may  believe,  not 
everyone  in  America  rushes  through  his  evening  meal  so 
that  he  can  curl  up  in  front  of  the  fireplace  and  read  the 
latest  text  on  quantum  electrodynamics.  Yes,  it  took  me 
quite  a  while  to  realize  that  there  are  skeptics  who  ask  that 
horrible  question:  "So  What?" 

A  complete  answer  to  that  query  could  well  fill  this 
journal  by  itself.  I  will,  however,  spare  the  reader  from 
incurring  that  hardship  by  condensing  my  response  by  a 
factor  of  several  thousand.  (The  following  is  best  read  in  a 
very  emotional  voice  to  a  large  pro-science  crowd.  Pound- 
ing your  fist  on  the  podium  is  optional.) 

I  am  a  firm  believer  in  the  concept  that  mankind  must 
eventually  overcome  the  all  too  encumbering  shackles 
placed  on  him  by  Nature.  This  is  something  that  will 
come  about  as  a  logical  extension  of  man's  innate  mind 
processes.  It  will  not  be  easy  nor  will  it  occur  quickly. 
Rather,  it  will  come  about  only  after  man  has  subdued 
nature  as  one  army  conquers  another  army:  by  investigat- 
ing his  operations  to  the  fullest  and  using  this  knowledge 
to  control  and  change  those  operations.  This  action  must 
include,  as  an  integral  component,  a  study  of  the  basic 
principles  by  which  Nature  controls  her  movements.  That 
is,  it  must  include  a  study  of  the  most  basic  particles  and 
forces  in  the  universe.  For  it  must  be  remembered  that 
everything  else  in  the  universe,  from  microscopic  diatoms 
to  the  macroscopic  supemovae,  is  merely  a  manifestation 
of  these  basic  units  and  can  be  understood  if,  and  only  if, 
these  basic  units  are  understood  in  their  entirety. 

UIPI 


8 1  August  1978  I  The  WPI  journal 


Corporate  Contacts 


Perhaps  you've  been  to  a  WPI  class 
reunion.  Maybe  you've  attended  a 
chapter  or  club  meeting  of  the 
Alumni  Association  in  your  area. 
Aside  from  publications  such  as  this 
Journal,  these  are  two  of  the  most 
traditional  ways  the  Association  has 
used  to  help  alumni  keep  in  touch 
with  one  another  and  with  WPI. 

Now  there's  an  important  new 
program  you  should  know  about.  It's 
called  the  "Corporate  Contacts  Pro- 
gram/' and  it  brings  together  alumni 
who  work  at  the  same  company.  Ac- 
tivities were  started  at  ten  different 
companies  last  year,  and  another 
twenty  are  scheduled  to  be  added  in 
'78-'79.  Among  the  various  activities 
(already  held  or  planned)  are  lunch- 
eons, cocktail  hours,  slide  shows, 
tours,  professional  recruitment,  wel- 
coming of  new  alumni,  faculty  con- 
sulting, and  presentations  of  student 
projects. 

The  idea  for  the  program  came 
from  an  Alumni  Association  study 
commission  in  1977,  which  felt  that 
WPI's  strong  professional  and  techni- 
cal orientation  was  a  natural  tie-in  to 
alumni  in  their  working  lives,  and 
that  WPI  could  increase  the  level  of 


alumni  involvement  and  pride  by 
reaching  alumni  at  their  common 
places  of  employment.  More  than 
100  companies  currently  employ  ten 
or  more  WPI  graduates,  so  there  is 
significant  room  for  the  program  to 
expand. 


If  you're  interested  in  the  program 
and  want  to  participate,  contact  Bob 
Anderson,  assistant  alumni  director. 

The  companies  involved  last  year 


are: 


Company 

Bell  Labs,  Holmdel,  NJ 
Combustion  Eng.,  Inc. 
Electric  Boat  Div. 

of  Gen.  Dynamics 
Foxboro  Company 
Norton  Company 
Pfizer,  New  London,  CT 
Polaroid  Corp.,  Boston 
Stone  &  Webster,  Boston 
Torrington  Co. 
United  Technologies 

Pratt  &  Whitney  Aircraft 


Chairman 

John  L.  Kilguss  '67 

David  A.  Bareiss  '59,  Supervisor  Corp.  Mat'ls. 

John  R.  Hunter  '49,  Engineering  Director 
Gerald  Gleason  '49,  VP  &.  Director  of  Sales 
William  P.  Densmore  '45,  Vice  President 
William  J.  Hakkinen  '70,  Production  Supervisor 
Robert  M.  Delahunt  '56,  Vice  President 
Gary  Dyckman  '66,  Structural  Engineer 
J.  Peter  Torrant  '59,  Research  Engineer 

Walter  D.  Allen,  Jr.  '49,  Reg.  Dir.  Int'l.  Mktg. 


The  WPI  Journal  I  August  197819 


Reunion  1978 


Class  of  1928  —  50th  Reunion 


Our  50th  Reunion  was  glorious!  The 
attendance  at  our  Thursday  evening 
dinner  was  something  of  a  record 
with  our  crowd  overflowing  the 
Great  Hall  of  Higgins  House  into  the 
adjoining  room. 

Unfortunately  President  Hazzard 
had  suffered  a  heart  attack  about  a 
month  before.  The  reception  which  is 
normally  held  at  his  home  on  Drury 
Lane  was  held  at  the  Higgins  House. 
We  were  sorry  Mrs.  Hazzard  and  he 
could  not  attend.  We  are  happy  to 
hear  that  he  is  recovering  nicely  and 
will  soon  be  able  to  undertake  the 
responsibilities  which  he  has  chosen 
for  his  retirement.  He  will  move  to 
Petersham  where  he  plans  to  enjoy 
gardening  and  country  living.  We 
wish  him  well! 

The  reception  was  held  in  the 
beautiful  garden  of  Higgins  House 
where  a  tent  had  been  erected  for  our 
protection  in  case  of  rain.  It  did  not 
take  long  to  recognize  classmates  and 
renew  acquaintances.  One  after 
another  arrived.  The  Fred  Cooks,  Art 
Olcotts,  and  Big  Halls  came  from 
Florida  and  the  Giff  Cooks  from  Au- 
stria. Some  we  hadn't  seen  for  50 
years,  others  a  little  more  recently. 
Everyone  was  full  of  pep  and  the 
tempo  of  the  party  continued  to  in- 
crease. The  Worcester  Telegram 
termed  our  class  "from  the  Roaring 
Twenties"  and  we  certainly  lived  up 
to  that  connotation  from  Thursday 
evening  through  Saturday  afternoon. 

It  was  well  after  the  scheduled  6:00 
p.m.  time  for  dinner  that  we  ad- 
journed to  the  banquet  hall  for  a 

101  August  1978  I  The  W 'PI  Journal 


delicious  roast  beef  dinner  served  by 
the  food  concession  at  the  college.  If 
the  meal  is  typical  of  the  food  served 
to  the  students  at  the  college  they  are 
very  fortunate  —  even  though  the 
menu  may  not  include  roast  beef  too 
often. 

At  the  informal  program  which 
took  place  after  the  dinner  we  were 
welcomed  by  Julius  Palley,  '46,  repre- 
senting the  Alumni  Association.  Ray 
Bolz,  dean  of  the  faculty,  represented 
President  Hazzard  and  said  he  ex- 
pected George  Hazzard  would  be 
playing  tennis  in  September! 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  there 
are  2400  students  at  WPI  (compared 
to  500  to  600  in  1928)  and  there  are 
280  women  now.  Ray  stated  that  WPI 
is  to  remain  small  and  that  the  total 
may  shrink  slightly  in  the  future. 

Steve  Hebert  complimented  us  on 
the  excellent  participation  of  85  per- 
cent of  our  living  members  in  the  50 
year  gift  to  the  college.  We  were  all 
presented  with  50  year  diplomas  by 
Acting  President  Ray  Bolz.  Our  class 
president,  Andy  Wilkinson,  re- 
sponded commenting  that  '28  was 
responsible  for  starting  the  Goat's 
Head  tradition  as  well  as  the  custom 
of  wearing  blazers. 

The  evening  continued  at  the 
"Hospitality  Room"  at  the 
Sheraton-Lincoln  and  the  festivities 
did  not  break  up  until  the  early  hours 
of  the  morning. 

Friday  was  a  showery  day  but  we 
managed  to  move  about  between  the 
raindrops.  We  all  kept  busy  with  re- 
newing friendships,  attending  lec- 


tures on  "WPI  Today"  and  "Estate 
Planning"  and  tours  of  the  campus. 
Those  who  hadn't  been  back  for  a 
number  of  years  were  amazed  at  the 
transformation  and  beauty  of  the 
grounds.  We  joined  with  other  reun- 
ion classes  for  an  excellent  buffet 
luncheon  again  put  on  by  the  college 
food  service. 

Friday  evening  was  the  highlight  of 
our  reunion  when  we  assembled  at 
the  Sheraton-Lincoln  for  our  Class 
Banquet.  A  social  hour  preceded  the 
dinner  and  we  again  continued  our 
reminiscing.  We  were  44  classmates 
present  and  39  brought  their  lovely 
wives.  We  were  sobered  a  bit  by  pay- 
ing tribute  to  those  47  who  had  gone 
to  their  reward.  We  each  had  an  op- 
portunity to  relate  what  we  had  done 
since  graduation,  what  our  hobbies 
are,  and  brag  about  our  grandchildren. 

At  a  short  business  meeting  the 
following  class  officers  were  elected: 
President,  Andy  Wilkinson 
Vice  President,  Gabe  Bedard 
Foreign  Secretary,  Gus  Cook 
Domestic  Secretary,  Ted  Englund 
Treasurer,  Karl  Penney 

It  was  announced  that  our  repre- 
sentative on  the  Alumni  Council  is 
Gabe  Bedard. 

It  was  voted  that  our  class  gift  be 
used  to  finance  two  offices  in  Boyn- 
ton  Hall,  namely:  Office  of  Continu- 
ing Education  and  Office  of  Graduate 
Studies.  Suitable  plaques  will  be 
placed.  It  was  voted  that  Roger 
Stoughton  be  commended  for  his  fine 
job  of  organizing  this  reunion.  Several 
letters  from  classmates  unable  to  at- 
tend were  read. 


Mrs.  Gifford  Cook,  a  very  accom- 
plished musician,  entertained  by 
singing  and  playing  the  piano.  Danc- 
ing followed  and  the  Hospitality 
Room  was  again  an  active  place. 

Saturday  was  another  busy  day 
with  tours,  lectures,  visiting,  and  a 
meeting  of  the  50  Year  Associates  in 
the  morning.  The  reunion  luncheon 
was  served  on  the  lawn  of  Higgins 
House.  We  all  enjoyed  the  chicken 
barbecue  served  under  a  cloudless 
sky.  The  annual  meeting  of  the  WTT 
Alumni  Association  took  place  and 
awards  were  given.  Gabe  Bedard  pre- 
sented our  gift  of  $20,903  and  an- 
nounced that  Bill  Lester  had  estab- 
lished a  trust  of  $25,000.  As  the 
Worcester  Telegram  stated,  our  group 


from  the  Roaring  Twenties  waltzed 
off  with  the  Class  of  1 9 1 7's  reunion 
attendance  trophy,  with  44  registered 
for  attendance  at  this  reunion. 

Thus  ended  a  wonderful  reunion 
with  everyone  pledging  to  attend  the 
5  5  th.  Those  attending  were: 
Mr.  &  Mrs.  Lyman  C.  Adams,  Mr.  Milton 
H.  Aldrich,  Mr.  &  and  Mrs.  Carl  F.  Alsing, 
Mr.  &  Mrs.  Gabriel  O.  Bedard,  Mr.  &  Mrs. 
Bernard  N.  Carlson,  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Arthur 
M.  Cheney,  Jr.,  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Frederick  R. 
Cook,  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Gifford  T.  Cook,  Mr.  & 
Mrs.  Charles  H.  Decater,  Mr.  &  Mrs. 
Chester  C.  Doe,  Mr.  &  Mrs.  John  E. 
Driscoll,  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Charles  G.  Durbin, 
Mr.  &  Mrs.  Theodore  J.  Englund,  Mr.  & 
Mrs.  Frank  J.  Fleming,  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Everett 
W.  Fowler,  Mr.  &  Mrs.  W.  Bigelow  Hall, 
Mr.  &  Mrs.  Jacob  J.  Jaffee,  Mr.  Francis  H. 


King,  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Frederick  H.  Knight,  Mr. 
&  Mrs.  Allen  E.  Lawrence,  Mr.  &  Mrs. 
Louis  F.  Leidholdt,  Mr.  &  Mrs.  William 
M.  Lester,  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Walton  P.  Lewis, 
Mr.  &  Mrs.  William  A.  Manty,  Mr.  & 
Mrs.  Andrew  F.  Maston,  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Leo  J. 
Melican,  Mr.  Forrest  S.  Nelson,  Mr.  & 
Mrs.  Arthur  W.  Olcott,  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Har- 
land  L.  Page,  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Karl  W.  Penney, 
Mr.  Donald  P.  Reed,  Mr.  Gordon  E.  Rice, 
Mr.  a  Mrs.  Lester  H.  Sarty,  Mr.  &  Mrs. 
Paul  C.  Schmidt,  Mr.  Roger  K.  Stoughton, 
Mr.  &  Mrs.  Roger  B.  Tarbox,  Mr.  &  Mrs. 
Frank  C.  Taylor,  Mr.  &  Mrs.  James  W. 
Torrant,  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Robert  M.  Tucker, 
Mr.  &  Mrs.  Harold  R.  Voigt,  Mr.  &  Mrs. 
Charles  A.  Warren,  Mr.  Winslow  C. 
Wentworth,  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Andrew  L.  Wil- 
kinson, and  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Julian  Witkege. 


The  WPI  journal  I  August  1978111 


WPI  Class  of  '38  —  40th  Reunion 


Wednesday  morning,  June  7,  1978, 
finally  dawned,  bright  and  beautiful, 
and  we  were  on  our  way  to 
Wentworth-by-the-Sea  for  an  all- 
too-short  pre-campus  reunion  holi- 
day, ably  arranged  for  us  by  Henry 
and  Ros  Ritz. 

Arrival  time  was  about  eleven  a.m. 
so  that  we  could  be  on  deck  as  our 
classmates  pulled  in,  many  of  whom 
we  had  not  been  in  contact  with  since 
that  happy  but  sad  day,  40  years  ago, 
when  we  all  said  farewell  to  WPI. 
Almost  everybody  was  easily  recog- 
nized —  really  hadn't  changed  a  bit  — 
as  they  came  through  the  door  with 
fairly  quizzical  expressions.  Within  a 
short  time  after  arrival,  some  were  on 
the  golf  course,  some  on  the  tennis 
court&a  few  brave  souls  were  in  the 
pool,  while  others,  like  ourselves, 
were  just  lazily  sitting  around  com- 
paring notes.  By  cocktail  time  all  of 
our  expected  group  had  arrived  with 
Bob  and  Louise  Taf  t  bringing  up  the 
rear,  carrying  word  that  Bea  and  Bob 
Day  would  not  be  along  until  Thurs- 
day morning.  After  a  most  noisy 
Happy  Hour,  forty- six  jolly  souls 
marched  to  a  private  dining  room 
where  a  great  roast  beef  dinner  was 
served,  (accompanied  by  Lancers  — 
compliments  of  our  Classmate,  Dick 
Court,  Manager  of  Convention  Sales 
at  Wentworth,  and  his  lovely  wife, 
Jen,  who  had  joined  us).  After  dinner, 
barely  able  to  move  and  about  three 
pounds  heavier  in  spite  of  the  fact 
that  every  last  person  was  dieting  in 
one  way  or  another,  we  slowly  made 
our  way  to  the  lounge,  where  some  of 
our  more  agile  members  had  an  op- 
portunity to  display  the  results  of 
numerous  hours  of  private  lessons  or 
just  some  steps  picked  up  on  their 
latest  cruise.  Most  of  our  number 
made  the  fabulous  buffet  breakfast 
Thursday  morning,  sampled  every- 
thing in  sight  from  fresh  blueberries 
to  Eggs  Benedict,  and  ambled  off  to 
face  a  hazy  day. 


Before  too  long,  Neil  Fitzgerald, 
Dick  Stuart,  Henry  Ritz,  Dot  and 
Andy  Constant,  Louise  and  Bob  Taft 
and  a  few  others  were  following  each 
other  behind  that  little  white  ball, 
some  were  back  on  the  courts,  and  a 
three-car  caravan  was  about  to  take 
off  for  Strawberry  Banke  in  nearby 
Portsmouth,  when  Len  Kuniholm, 
assisted  by  Ellen,  in  an  effort  to  avoid 
creasing  the  rear  bumper  on  the  car  in 
front  of  him  —  all  of  1  o  feet  away  — 
backed  up,  and  down,  into  the  top 
stair  of  a  flight  of  cement  steps.  Need- 
less to  say,  Ruth  Tolman,  who  was 
sitting  over  the  rear  right  wheel,  will 
remember  the  sudden  descent  long 
after  the  reunion  has  become  ancient 
history.  Ignoring  suggestions  of  the 
hotel  management  to  Call  AAA  and 
get  the  car  quickly  off  the  badly-bent 
guard  rail  and  beautiful  salmon- 
colored  geraniums,  which  were  at 
their  early  June  best,  Len  quickly 
surveyed  the  situation  and  accepted 
the  offer  of  the  badly-maimed  Ruth  to 
use  her  car.  We  were  soon  on  our  way, 
leaving  the  obstruction  on  the  stair- 
way to  be  attended  to  upon  our  re- 
turn, not  by  AAA,  but  by  LMK,  some 
rope,  a  spare  tire,  Bob  Abbe  and  Dana 
Stratton. 

After  a  delightful  two  hours  of 
roaming  through  the  various  build- 
ings at  the  Banke,  we  returned  to  late 
lunch  at  the  hotel.  The  hardy  folk 
bravely  faced  a  huge  repast  in  the 
main  dining  room.  Those  who  were 
watching  their  figures  joined  the  golf- 
ing crowd  at  the  "Fairway," 
Wentworth's  attractive  club  house, 
for  a  taste  of  New  England  clam 
chowder,  a  delicate,  three-decker 
club  sandwich,  and  a  sundae  (leaving 
off  the  nuts),  then  back  to  tennis,  golf, 
jogging,  bridge,  writing  cards  or 
perusing  the  very  lovely  gift  shops 
within  the  hotel  —  and  before  we 
knew  it,  the  hands  of  the  clock  had 
reached  six  —  a  signal  for  all  to  climb 
into  slacks  and  sweaters  for  a  real  old 


fashioned  shore  dinner,  wisely 
moved  from  the  shore  to  a  corner  of 
the  main  dining  room,  decked  out  in 
red  and  white  checked  tablecloths, 
where  we  picked  up  our  much- 
needed  large  plastic  bibs.  The  menu: 
steamers,  corn  on  the  cob,  cold  slaw, 
broiled  live  lobsters  (or  chicken), 
baked  potatoes,  hot  rolls,  watermel- 
on or  ice  cream.  Later,  in  the  lounge, 
while  after-dinner  drinks  were  being 
sipped,  we  were  royally  entertained 
by  Dick  and  Jen  Court,  who  are 
widely  recognized  as  a  talented  radio 
and  television  singing  team. 

The  velvet  lawns  and  colorful  gar- 
dens at  Wentworth  were  well- 
watered  from  above  both  nights,  but 
the  good  Lord  forgot  to  turn  the 
sprinklers  off  on  Friday  morning,  so  it 
was  inside  for  most  of  us  after  another 
visit  to  the  tremendous  array,  called 
"breakfast"  and  packing.  Fortunately 
(?!)  at  the  suggestion  of  Rae  Stratton, 
husband  Dana  and  Dick  Burke  had 
both  brought  slides  taken  during  the 
WPI  Alumni  trip  to  Greece  last  fall. 
The  Strattons  and  Burkes  were  close 
companions  during  the  trip,  and 
while  many  duplicate  scenes  were 
shot  and  shown,  almost  everybody 
was  polite  and  generous  in  their 
praise  of  the  semi-professional  pro- 
duction! 

Nobody  was  going  to  eat  lunch,  but 
practically  everybody  did,  and  it  was 
all  too  soon  time  to  say  good-bye  to 
the  Courts,  Wentworth,  and  a  most 
memorable  time. 

The  temperature  and  weather  were 
just  about  perfect  as  we  gathered  to- 
gether once  again  —  the  time,  six 
p.m.,  the  place,  an  attractive  tent 
adjoining  the  Higgins  House,  the 
event,  a  delightful  cocktail  hour 
hosted  by  WPI  with  Vice  President 
Ray  Bolz  and  his  gracious  wife,  Jean, 
substituting  for  President  and  Mrs. 
Hazzard,  due  to  an  untimely  heart 
attack  which  had  hospitalized  Presi- 
dent Hazzard  during  the  busiest  time 
of  his  final  year  at  WPI.  All  of  the 
guests  who  had  supped  together  in 
New  Hampshire  were  assembled, 
and  joined  now  by  a  number  of  new 
faces.  We  were  all  happy  to  have  the 
opportunity  to  visit  with  Julia 
Graham,  who  had  thoughtfully  rear- 
ranged a  New  England  tour  so  that 
she  might  briefly  renew  acquaint- 


12  I  August  1978  I  The  WPI  journal 


ances  with  the  many  friends  with 
whom  she  and  her  late  husband, 
Tom,  had  shared  the  joys  of  former 
reunions. 

Seven-thirty  found  us  all  seated  at 
attractive  round  tables,  set  up  in  that 
most  unusual  and  completely  cap- 
tivating Higgins  House  —  now  pro- 
udly displayed  and  used  as  part  of  the 
Tech  campus.  The  dinner  was 
superb,  and  the  brief  speeches  and 
sociability  after,  under  the  congenial 
leadership  of  our  talented  Alumni 
Director,  Steve  Hebert,  led  everyone 
into  the  proper  mood  to  push  on  to 
the  Sheraton  Lincoln  Inn,  (some  by 
way  of  the  WPI  Pub)  where  a  hospital- 
ity room,  capably  supervised  by  Lefty 
and  Grace  Gamache  proved  to  be  a 
great  way  to  end  a  great  day  —  and 
into  the  next. 

Saturday,  bright,  breezy  and  glori- 
ous, made  all  of  the  activities  on 
campus  a  joy  to  participate  in.  Tours 
of  the  campus,  "WPI  Today"  with 
Dean  William  R.  Grogan,  a  trip  to  the 
Worcester  Art  Museum  and  just  vis- 
iting, took  care  of  the  a.m.  The 
alumni  luncheon  at  noon  was  most 
colorful,  spread  out  on  round  tables 


under  the  trees  on  the  grounds  of 
Higgins  House.  Happy  and  proud 
moments  for  the  class  of  '38  came 
about  when  Bob  Taft,  Chairman  of 
the  untiring  reunion  gift  committee, 
made  up  of  Dick  Burke,  Dick  Elliott, 
Ray  Perreault,  Henry  Ritz  and  Fran 
Swenson,  presented  with  a  huge 
blow-up  of  a  check  for  $60,418,  the 
largest  class  gift  ever  presented  to  the 
Institute,  and  when  two  classmates, 
Bob  Taft  and  Dick  Burke,  received 
Herbert  F.  Taylor  Awards  recognizing 
outstanding  involvement  with  the 
College  through  the  years.  Mrs. 
Taylor,  charming  widow  of  Herb 
Taylor,  gave  an  excellent  speech  after 
the  presentations  and  was  warmly 
received  by  all. 

Saturday  evening  a  group  of  ninety 
gathered  at  the  Sheraton  for  an  ele- 
gant surf  and  turf  dinner.  Paul  and 
Hazel  Bergstrom  presented  each  of  us 
with  a  jaunty,  genuine  plastic  sailor 
"skimmer"  sporting  a  bright  red  '38' 
and  an  attractive  WPI  double  old  fash- 
ion glass;  and  Walter  and  Toni  Knapp 
distributed  a  superb  40th  Reunion 
Yearbook  —  the  fruit  of  many  hours 
of  preparation  by  Walter.  Walter 


Knapp's  election  as  Permanent  Class 
Historian  was  followed  by  the  pre- 
sentation of  silver  trays  to  the  ones 
who  traveled  the  farthest  —  Ravi  and 
Indumati  Kirloskar,  from  Bangalore, 
India  —  with  Doris  and  Dick  Cloues, 
from  Saudi  Arabia  a  close  second;  the 
ones  with  the  greatest  number  of 
grandchildren,  again,  the  Kirloskars; 
the  ones  with  the  youngest  child, 
Walter  Howard;  and  the  one  with  the 
least  amount  of  hair,  Bob  Somerville. 

The  popular  "Ragtime  Rowdies" 
provided  music  for  the  last  chance  to 
display  our  terpsichorean  ability, 
then  on  to  the  hospitality  room  until 
early  morning  when  the  time  had 
come  to  say  the  fond  "good-byes"  — 
and  a  promise  to  "do  it  again"  in  five 
years. 

One  wife's  parting  remark 
summed  up,  quite  well,  the  atmo- 
sphere which  had  pervaded  the  entire 
four  days  when  she  said  "I  feel  as 
though  I  have  eighty-nine  new 
cousins"  —  and  the  rest  of  us  whole- 
heartedly went  along  with  her  senti- 
ments. 


The  WPI  Journal  i  August  1978    13 


—  — 


..  . 


*■« 


4 


A, 


Page  at  left,  clockwise  from  upper  left: 
Winners  of  the  Herbert  F.  Taylor  award  for 
outstanding  alumni  participation  and 
involvement,  Richard  F.  Burke,  Jr.,  '38  and 
Robert  M.  Taft,  '38,  shown  with  Mrs.  Taylor. 

David  G.  Holmes,  '53,  presents  a  check  for 
$26,814  to  Acting  President  of  the  Institute 
Ray  Bolz.  The  gift  has  been  applied  to  the 
Boynton  Hall  renovation.  Also  that  day 
Gabriel  O.  Bedard  presented  $47,704  as  the 
50th  reunion  gift  of  the  Class  of  1928. 

Charlie  Loveridge,  '48,  chats  with  the  Karl 
Penneys  ('28)  during  the  Reunion  Luncheon. 

Bob  Day  (left)  and  Dick  Burke,  Jr.  (rt.l, 
both  '38,  talk  with  Leon  Hitchcock,  '08, 
attending  his  70th  reunion! 

George  T.  Abdow,  '53,  president  of 
Abdow's  Big  Boy  restaurants,  receives  the 
Robert  C.  Goddard  award  for  outstanding 
professional  achievement  from  WPI  Board 
Chairman  Milton  P.  Higgins. 

This  page,  clockwise  from  top:  Acting 
President  Bolz  receives  a  symbolic  check 
from  Class  of  '38  President  Dick  Burke,  Jr. 

Alan  R.  Pearlman,  '48,  recipient  of  the 
Goddard  Award,  shown  here  with  Alumni 
Director  Stephen  J.  Hebert,  '66.  Pearlman  is 
chairman  of  the  board  of  ARP  Instruments. 

lohn  H.  McCabe,  '68,  pictured  with 
William  A.  Julian,  '49,  president  of  the 
Alumni  Association.  McCabe  was  the  first 
recipient  of  the  John  Boynton  Award  for 
outstanding  involvement  with  WPI  by  a 


The  WPI  Journal :  August  1978  I  IS 


Class  of  '53  —  25th  Reunion 


Friday  afternoon  and  early  evening 
found  the  Fuller  Apartments  begin- 
ning to  fill  with  some  early  bird  arri- 
vals. The  Hospitality  Room  was  in 
full  operation  offering  refreshment 
and  relaxation  to  weary  travelers 
with  Fred  and  Irene  DeBoer,  John  and 
Nan  Leach,  Dave  and  Bettie  Van 
Covern,  and  John  and  Joan  Morrill 
among  the  first  to  partake.  The 
Goat's  Head  Pub  that  evening  hosted 
all  classes  at  a  "Good  Old  Days  Get- 
Together"  complete  with  banjo  band 
(Sanford  Riley  Commons  was  never 
like  this)!  New  arrivals  joined  the 
early  birds  including  Dick  and  Janey 
Davis,  Paul  and  Anna  May  Snyder, 
Dave  and  Ruth  Holmes,  Dave  and 
Nancy  Beach,  Jack  and  Mary  Lou 
Gearin,  Ted  and  Carol  Fritz,  Bill  and 
Lorraine  Ernst.  The  renewing  of  old 
friendships  was  in  full  swing.  So  be- 
gan, for  the  Class  of  '5  3,  a  super 
weekend  of  congeniality,  sharing  of 
memories,  inspiration,  and  just  plain 
fun. 

Saturday  morning  dawned  bril- 
liant, clear  and  fresh,  providing  a  per- 
fect backdrop  for  the  events  of  the 
day.  Tours  and  talks  occupied  the 
morning  for  many.  Others  continued 
the  conversations  and  story  telling  of 
the  previous  evemng.  More  new  faces 
appeared  with  Ken  and  Norma 
Shiatte,  Don  and  Lenore  Campbell, 
and  Ray  and  Patricia  Giguere. 

The  Alumni  Luncheon  at  the  Hig- 
gins  House  Saturday  now  was  a 
memorable  event.  All  classes 
gathered  at  tables  spread  on  the  mag- 
nificent grounds  of  the  Higgins 
House.  Grounds  where  we  once  were 
forbidden  to  tread  now  welcomed  us 
in  grand  style.  Still  more  5  3'ers  ar- 
rived with  Chuck  Dechand,  Harry 
and  Virginia  Brown,  George  and  Janet 
Abdow,  Bob  Lunger,  Ken  and  Diane 
Healy,  Chuck  and  Ann  Home,  Don 
and  Betty  Oliver,  John  and  Carol  Mo- 
rin,  Bill  and  Jane  Nagel.  After  a  de- 
lightful luncheon,  the  program  began 


with  a  welcome  by  Acting  President 
Ray  Bolz  on  behalf  of  President  Haz- 
zard  who  was  still  recuperating  from 
his  recent  heart  attack.  A  highlight  of 
the  affair  was  the  presentation  of  one 
of  the  Robert  H.  Goddard  Awards  to 
classmate  George  Abdow,  an  honor 
which  he  rightly  deserves  for  his  suc- 
cesses in  the  business  world  and  his 
service  to  the  community.  A  second 
highlight  was  the  presentation  by 
Dave  Holmes  of  the  Class  Gift.  And  it 
was  a  fine  gift  in  the  form  of  a  $37, 1 62 
check  to  the  College.  With  the  clos- 
ing of  the  luncheon  ceremonies,  the 
tours  resumed,  the  Hospitality  Room 
reopened  and  the  re-living  of  good 
times  continued. 

The  crowning  event  of  the 
weekend  was  the  Reception  and 
Dinner  at  the  Higgins  House  Satur- 
day evening.  The  captivating  Old  En- 
glish atmosphere  of  this  marvelous 
house  provided  a  perfect  setting. 

One-by-one  more  classmates  ar- 
rived for  cocktails  on  the  terrace  — 
John  and  Alice  Gregory,  Ken  and 
Norma  Haaland,  Vyto  and  Patricia 
Andreliunas,  Henry  Camosse,  Herb 
and  Janet  Peterson,  Mike  and  Barbara 
Cariglia,  John  and  Mary  Flynn,  John 
and  Sabra  Flood,  Dan  and  Ann  Hock, 
Phil  and  Harriet  Kaminsky,  Whit  and 
Carol  Mowry,  Gene  and  Faye  Rubin, 
Henry  and  Louise  Vasil.  Our  faculty 
guests  for  the  evening  included  Ray 
and  Jean  Bolz,  Bob  and  Jean  Pritchard, 
and  Carl  and  Arline  Koontz.  Ken  and 
Betty  Scott  joined  us  for  the  recep- 
tion. 

After  extreme  difficulty,  our  very 
patient  photographer  succeeded  in 
getting  everyone  organized  for  the 
Class  picture  .  . .  and  a  handsome 
group  it  was. 

Dinner  was  served  and  the  rem- 
iniscing continued.  About  this  point, 
it  was  becoming  apparent  that  this 
was  a  reunion  for  many  of  the  wives 
as  well  as  for  the  '5  3'ers.  Many  of  us 
had  married  college  sweethearts  (ab- 


out 50%  according  to  the  survey)  and 
many  wives  were  from  the  Worcester 
'area. 

After  dinner,  all  assembled  in  the 
Great  Hall.  Acting  President  Ray 
Bolz,  Bob  Pritchard,  and  Carl  Koontz 
provided  words  of  wisdom  seasoned 
with  some  salty  stories  and  other 
remembrances  of  the  Class  of '  5  3 .  All 
were  having  such  a  good  time,  a  straw 
vote  indicated  we  should  re-assemble 
for  our  30th  Reunion.  After  the 
words,  the  music  and  dancing  came 
and  so  ended  our  visit  to  the  Higgins 
House.  At  this  point,  many  "retired" 
to  the  Hospitality  Room  in  the  Fuller 
Apartments  and  continued  the  fes- 
tivities into  the  wee  hours  of  the 
morning. 

Sunday  morning  was  a  time  for 
good-byes  at  the  Brunch  in  Morgan 
Hall. 

To  the  members  of  the  Class  of  '5  3 
who  couldn't  be  with  us  —  we  missed 
you.  The  members  who  were  there 
send  our  enthusiastic  greetings.  WPI 
is  a  great  college  deserving  of  our 
involvement  and  support.  Here's 
hoping  the  30th  Reunion  brings  more 
of  us  together. 


161  August  1978  I  The  WPI  Journal 


Above:  Gene  Rubin,  Mike  Cariglia,  and 
lohn  Gregory  celebrate  their  25th  Reunion. 
Here  they  are  chatting  with  WPI  Dean  of 
Undergraduate  Studies  William  R.  Grogan, 
'46. 

At  left:  Walter  Dennen,  '18,  models  the 
freshman  beanie  he  first  wore  in  the  fall  of 
1914. 


The  WPI  Journal  August  1978    V 


Jim  Hensel  agreed,  and  in  1960  he 
began  teaching  English  at  WPI.  For 
two  years  he  taught  only  English,  but 
once  a  philosopher,  always  a  philoso- 
pher, so  he  sneaked  such  writers  as 
Plato,  Kierkegaard,  and  Camus  into 
his  English  courses. 

The  students  really  cottoned  to 
these  literary  philosophers,  as  well  as 
to  such  scientific  philosophers  as  A. 
N.  Whitehead,  F.  S.  C.  Northrop,  and 
Hans  Reichenbach.  They  learned 
that  scientists,  including  Einstein, 
Planck,  and  Eddington,  had  written 
on  such  "philosophical"  issues  as 


WPI's  philosopher-artist-writer 


How  did  a  writer  for  the  "slick"  mag- 
azines, a  blueberry  farmer,  an  artist,  a 
photographer,  and  a  furniture  builder, 
with  a  degree  in  philosophy  from 
Yale,  first  become  a  member  of  the 
WPI  English  faculty? 

"It  was  like  this,"  says  Prof.  James 
Hensel,  currently  a  professor  of  phi- 
losophy and  associate  head  of  the 
Department  of  Humanities  at  WPI. 
"It  was  the  late  1950s,  and  the  'slick' 
market  was  beginning  to  dry  up.  Col- 
liers had  already  folded,  and  The 
Saturday  Evening  Post  was  on  the 
skids.  Fiction,  at  which  I  had  made  a 
living  for  twelve  years,  was  definitely 
less  in  demand.  I  decided  that  I  should 
look  into  another  profession,  perhaps 
teaching." 

Since  the  Hensels  already  had  a 
home  in  Friendship,  Maine,  Jim  took 
a  creative  writing  post  at  the  Univer- 
sity of  Maine  for  a  year.  "Then  one 
day  my  wife,  Anita,  took  out  a  map 
and  pointed  to  Friendship,  where  we 
were  then  living,  and  then  to  New 
York  City,"  he  says.  "She  reminded 
me  that  we  still  had  strong  family  ties 
in  New  York  (my  mother  lived  there), 
and  that  we  both  occasionally  en- 
joyed the  cultural  advantages  of  the 
city  where  my  writing  career  had 
begun.  She  then  pointed  to  Worces- 
ter, which  is  practically  dead  center 
between  Friendship  and  New  York. 
'There's  the  perfect  place  to  look  for  a 
teaching  job,'  she  said.  'We  could 
summer  in  Maine  and  easily  visit 
your  mother  during  the  theater  and 
ballet  season.'  " 


idealism  vs.  realism,  determinism  vs. 
freedom  of  choice,  and  the  founda- 
tions of  moral,  religious,  and  artistic 
values.  They  liked  Hensel's  concept 
of  philosophy  so  much  that  in  the 
mid-1960s  they  petitioned  the  dean 
to  institute  the  first  philosophy 
course  into  the  curriculum.  It  natu- 
rally followed  that  Jim  Hensel  be- 
came the  first  professor  of  philosophy 
at  WPI. 

In  the  May- June  1964  issue  of  the 
WPI  Journal,  Prof.  Hensel  said  in  his 
article,  "A  New  Dimension  in  Liberal 
Studies  at  Tech  —  Philosophy,"  that 
the  overall  objectives  of  the  philoso- 
phy course  would  be  to  familiarize 
students  with  the  principal  phil- 
osophical issues  and  the  important 
philosophers,  and  to  help  them 
clarify,  develop,  and  deepen  their  un- 
derstanding of  themselves  and  their 
relationships  to  their  work  and  their 
culture. 

Today  there  are  two  full-time  pro- 
fessors of  philosophy  at  WPI  teaching 
six  philosophy  courses,  plus  two 
others  teaching  courses  that 
crisscross  over  into  religion. 

Student  enthusiasm  is  still  much 
in  evidence  on  campus.  "There  is  a 
current  student  of  whom  I  am  espe- 
cially proud,"  Hensel  reports.  "Tom 
Murray,  '79,  was  an  IQP  student  of 
mine.  He  taught  philosophy  to  fifth 
graders  at  Vreeland  Street  School  in 
Worcester  in  order  to  meet  his  project 
requirements.  His  course  was  called 
'Thinking  About  Thinking,'  and  the 
children  were  really  fascinated  with 


it.  When  the  course  was  finished, 
they  didn't  want  Tom  to  leave.  They 
kept  asking  when  he  was  going  to 
comeback." 

Prof.  Hensel  has  made  his  mark  at 
WPI.  In  1968,  while  he  was  still 
teaching  English  as  well  as  philoso- 
phy, he  began  serving  as  adviser  for 
the  student-instigated  Creative  Writ- 
ing Workshop  and  literary  magazine, 
The  Tech  Review,  a  purely  voluntary 
post  which  he  held  for  several  years. 
"The  Workshop  was  voluntary  for 
all  of  us  from  the  very  beginning," 
Hensel  says.  "The  students  received 
no  credits,  and  I  donated  my  time." 

Encouraging  her  husband  in  his 
new  venture,  Anita  Hensel  said, 
"Well,  if  you  can't  sell  it  [creative 
writing  advice]  give  it  away!" 

"Reading  one's  piece  aloud  and 
then  having  it  critically  analyzed  by 
the  other  members  of  the  group  was 
the  main  business  of  the  Workshop," 
Hensel  explains.  "Our  Wednesday  af- 
ternoon meetings,  however,  had  a 
faintly  'subversive'  quality  about 
them.  After  all,  shouldn't  the  stu- 
dents really  have  been  doing  their 
physics  or  strength  of  materials?" 
Prof.  Hensel  outlined  the  objec- 
tives of  the  Workshop  in  his  article 
"An  Experiment  in  Creativity" 
which  was  published  in  the  WPI 
Journal.  Student  poems  and  stories 
also  began  appearing  in  the  Journal, 
as  well  as  The  Tech  Review. 

"Everyone  connected  with  the 
Workshop  agreed  that  pieces  pre- 
sented before  the  Workshop  for 
evaluation,  or  for  eventual  publica- 
tion, showed  a  definite  commitment 
by  the  writer,  a  much  more  positive 
attitude  than  the  mere  dashing  off  of  a 
sketch  or  a  poem  that  would  end  up 
in  a  desk  drawer,"  Hensel  recalls. 

Meanwhile,  Hensel  was  involved 
in  some  off-campus  writing  of  his 
own.  His  article,  "Are  Engineering 
Students  Square?",  was  published  in 
College  English.  "Just  for  the  record, " 
he  says  with  a  grin,  "I  answered  'no'." 

Prof.  Hensel's  unique  teaching 
methods  were  recognized  in  1973 
when  he  was  named  "Teacher  of  the 
Year"  at  WPI.  He  was  also  a  member 
of  the  committee  that  put  together 
the  first  faculty  constitution,  and  was 
the  first  elected  secretary  of  the  WPI 
faculty. 


18  I  August  1978  I  The  WPI  Journal 


Presently,  Hensel  serves  as  as- 
sociate head  of  the  Department  of 
Humanities  under  department  head 
Prof.  Donald  E.  Johnson.  "We  are 
concerned  with  such  things  as  hiring, 
scheduling,  and  the  entertaining  of 
faculty  members  in  our  department," 
he  explains. 

The  latter  duty  turned  into  an  un- 
expected pleasure  for  the  Hensel  fam- 
ily. "A  few  years  ago,"  he  says,  "our 
daughter  Melissa  and  her  roommate 
from  B.U.  were  on  hand  when  we 
were  welcoming  two  new  faculty 
members.  One  was  Dr.  Lance  Schac- 
terle,  a  young  English  professor. 
Lance  and  Melissa  are  now  married 
and  expecting  their  first  child." 

Jim  Hensel  is  not  always  teaching, 
however,  and  he  and  his  wife  are  not 
always  welcoming  new  faculty  or  a 
prospective  son-in-law.  Many  of  their 
happiest  days  are  spent  at  their  65- 
acre  salt  water  farm  in  Friendship, 
Maine. 

"We  bought  the  place  in  1 948," 
Hensel  says.  "It  was  an  ideal  spot  for  a 
writer  to  get  away  from  it  all.  We 
loved  New  York,  but  it  was  too  hectic 
living  there  day  in  and  day  out.  And 
those  three-martini  lunches  with 
editors — !" 

So,  the  Hensels  ended  up  in  Friend- 
ship in  an  1820  brick  house  located 
on  a  point  with  two  inlets,  plus  their 


own  private  island.  For  a  while  they 
augmented  their  income  by  growing 
blueberries.  "There  was  a  time," 
Hensel  reports,  "when  we  grew  two 
tons  of  blueberries  annually  and  sold 
them  to  the  canning  companies.  It's 
too  expensive  to  raise  the  berries  on 
such  a  large  scale  these  days, "  he  goes 
on.  "Now  we  just  raise  enough  to 
keep  us  in  blueberry  pies." 

The  family  spends  every  summer 
in  Friendship  and  makes  periodic 
trips  there  during  the  winter,  al- 
though they  have  a  young  couple 
"house  sit"  for  them  during  the  off- 
season. "Come  June,  there's  always 
plenty  of  work  to  be  done  on  the 
house,"  Hensel  says.  "Maine  winters 
are  hard." 

He  does  much  of  the  repair  work 
himself,  and  especially  loves  working 
with  wood.  He  has  built  chairs,  ta- 
bles, and  couches  from  scratch.  One 
of  his  pet  projects  was  his  transforma- 
tion of  a  twelve-foot-long  oak  table 
into  two  loudspeaker  cabinets,  a  new 
table,  and  a  commode.  He  also  cut  up 
some  12'  by  16"  cellar  boards  and 
made,  among  other  things,  a  32"  by 
48"  table,  which  always  arouses  the 
curiosity  of  guests.  "Is  that  an  an- 
tique?" they  ask,  seeing  the  marks 
from  hobnail  boots  through  the  pro- 
tective wax  layer. 

As  Maine  has  nourished  Hensel, 


the  writer,  it  has  also  nourished  Hen- 
sel, the  artist.  "Mainly  I  do  nudes  and 
landscapes  over  vacation,"  he  says.  "I 
paint  for  myself,  but  wouldn't  object 
to  a  sale." 

He  likes  to  gather  Maine- 
weathered  boards,  not  only  for  use  in 
building  furniture,  but  also  for  use  as 
unusual  "canvases"  for  his  paintings. 
"I  use  a  thin  layer  of  acrylic  paint,"  he 
says,  "which  lets  the  texture  of  the 
original  wood  show  through." 

While  he  does  the  major  share  of 
his  actual  painting  during  the  sum- 
mer in  Friendship,  his  penchant  for 
the  arts  is  still  evident  back  at  WPI. 
Not  only  do  his  pictures  hang  in  his 
office,  but  he  teaches  "Philosophy  of 
Art,"  and  a  course  in  painting,  "Con- 
cepts in  the  Arts,"  in  the  Art,  Music, 
Drama,  and  Cinema  series.  He  is  also 
into  photography,  has  his  own  dark- 
room, and  develops  "lots  of  Maine 
pictures." 

Should  he  retire  tomorrow  from 
teaching,  Jim  Hensel  could  probably 
easily  make  a  living  building  custom 
furniture,  painting,  or  taking  photo- 
graphs. But  one  cannot  help  but  get 
the  feeling  that  even  now  he  is  getting 
writer's  itch.  Is  there  an  Esquire  arti- 
cle in  the  works?  A  book,  perhaps? 
He  enjoys  reminiscing  about  his 
writing  days,  the  days  when  writing 
fiction  was  not  only  fun,  but  profit- 
able: "When  Melissa  was  a  little  girl, 
she  pulled  an  envelope  I  had  inadver- 
tently discarded,  out  of  the  waste 
basket.  It  had  a  $500  check  from 
Hollywood  inside!  —  One  of  my 
stories,  'On  a  Dark  Night,'  was  trans- 
lated all  over  the  world  and  had  been 
made  into  a  television  play.  Funny 
thing  about  that  story.  It  was  about  a 
college  teacher,  and  I  wrote  it  long 
before  I  ever  dreamed  of  becoming  a 
professor  myself." 

(Funny  thing  about  that  story.  Al- 
though Jim  Hensel  is  now,  indeed,  a 
college  professor,  the  feeling  persists 
that,  somewhere  at  his  new  home  on 
Grove  Street,  or  at  his  salt  water  farm 
in  Maine,  there's  a  sheet  of  paper  in 
the  typewriter,  and  what's  written  on 
it  has  nothing  whatsoever  to  do  with 
philosophy!) 


The  WPI  Journal  I  August  1978119 


1923 


Warren  Bell,  former  vice  president  and  treasurer 
of  Sweeney  and  Bell,  Inc.,  New  York  City,  is 
retired. 


1912 

Eric  Benedict,  who  retired  twenty-three  years 
ago  to  Cape  Cod  writes:  "There's  no  place  to 
compare  with  it."  Currently  he  resides  in  Or- 
leans, Mass. 


1916 

Wellen  Colburn  continues  as  moderator  of  the 
historic  First  Parish  Church  in  Shirley  Center, 
Mass.  He  is  town  chairman  of  the  Red  Cross 
Blood  Donor  Program  and  a  member  of  the 
United  Church  of  Shirley  choir.  He  still  enjoys 
working  with  his  eleven  apple  trees. 

1918 

Ivan  Coggeshall  received  the  IEEE  Service  Award 
this  year  in  recognition  of  his  "dedicated  contri- 
bution over  a  span  of  fifty  years  to  the  engineer- 
ing profession  through  his  service  to  IRE  and 
IEEE,  and  his  leadership  in  integration  of  wire  and 
radio  media  through  his  wise  counsel  and  action 
as  officer  and  staff  member  of  technical  and 
professional  organizations."  He  has  served  as  a 
director  and  president  of  IRE,  secretary  and 
manager  of  technical  operations  of  AIEE,  and 
editor  of  IEEE's  administrative  newsletter.  In 
1 942  he  helped  to  organize  IRE's  New  York 
section.  He  began  his  career  with  Western  Union 
working  on  land-line  telegraphy  and  submarine 
cables.  In  1953  he  received  an  honorary  docto- 
rate in  engineering  from  WPI.  He  is  a  retired 
commander  in  the  U.S.  Naval  Reserve. 

1919 

During  graduation  ceremonies  at  St.  Joseph's 
College  in  Standish,  Maine  on  May  14th,  Ray 
Heffernan  was  awarded  an  honorary  degree. 
Mr.  Heffernan,  chairman  of  the  board  of  direc- 
tors of  H.  H.  Brown  Shoe  Company,  was  recog- 
nized for  his  commitment  to  his  faith,  his  busi- 
ness success,  and  his  civic  endeavors.  In  recogni- 
tion of  his  apostolic  efforts,  he  was  made  a 
Knight  of  Malta  by  Pope  Pius  XII  in  1946  and  a 
Knight  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre.  Mr.  Heffernan, 
who  received  the  Goddard  Award  from  the 
Alumni  Association  in  1972,  is  also  a  member  of 
the  President's  Advisory  Council  at  WPI. 

1922 

Edward  Colesworthy  retired  this  year  from  me- 
chanical engineering.  He  continues  to  reside  in 
Zellwood,  Fla. 


20 1  August  1978  I  The  WPI  Journal 


1924 


Formerly  a  self-employed  consultant  in  Olean, 
N.Y.,  Edward  Beardsley  is  now  retired  and  living 
in  Clearwater,  Fla.  He  serves  as  president  of  the 
association  of  the  condominium  in  which  he 
resides.  He  says  that  Winfield  Gove  was  "here 
for  a  while  last  winter."  . . .  WillardGallotteison 
a  temporary  assignment  (8  to  12  months)  as  a 
consultant  for  Metro  Transit  in  Seattle, 
Washington.  "This  is  a  DC.  trolley  system  re- 
habilitation and  expansion  project,"  he  writes.  "I 
average  about  twenty-four  hours  of  work  a 
week." 


1926 

Ken  Archibald,  executive  vice  president  of  the 
Springfield  (Vt.)  Chamber  of  Commerce,  has 
recovered  from  cancer  and  heart  surgery,  and 
continues  to  ski  downhill  and  cross  country.  Ken 
commutes  to  Springfield  each  day,  a  fifty-mile 
round  trip  from  Ludlow,  and  estimates  that  he's 
driven  the  same  "lousy"  road  about  2,000  times 
or  100,000  miles.  Presently  he  is  lobbying  to 
have  the  road  improved  so  he  can  continue  his 
"chosen  vocation  asasenior citizen."  . . .  "Red" 
Burns  is  an  associate  in  Betty  M.  Brothers  Real 
Estate  in  Summerland  Key,  Florida. 


1929 


Fred  McGowan  writes  that  last  October,  while 
driving  alone  on  Interstate  95  near  his  home  in 
Guilford,  Conn.,  he  suffered  a  heart  attack,  went 
off  the  road  wrecking  his  car,  and  landed  in  the 
intensive  care  unit  at  Yale-New  Haven  Hospital 
for  several  weeks.  Now  recovering,  he  reports 
excellent  results  from  treatment  and  expects 
shortly  to  be  in  good  shape. 

A  former  licensed  professional  engineer,  he 
had  been  with  Pratt  &  Whitney  Aircraft  in  East 
Hartford,  where  he  was  engaged  in  designing 
exotic  rigs  for  the  testing  of  advanced  jet  aircraft 
engines.  He  took  early  retirement  in  1970,  and 
now  collects  antique  prints  and  restores  dam- 
aged prints. 

He  has  worked  on  some  rare  Currier  &  Ives 
prints,  which  currently  command  substantial 
prices.  In  1 973  he  was  cofounder  of  the  Ameri- 
can Historical  Print  Collectors  Society,  which  is 
devoted  to  the  collection  and  preservation  of 
early  prints. 

Fred  cautions  about  the  indiscriminate  de- 
stroying of  old  posters  and  manufacturers' 
catalogs  of  the  nineteenth  century,  as  they  often 
contain  valuable  information.  He  would  be  glad 
to  hear  from  companies  or  individuals  with  old 
material  they  wish  to  discard.  His  address  is:  38 
Peddlers  Rd.,  Guilford,  Conn.  06437. 


1930 

Myrton  Finney  says  that  he  is  a  proud  grand- 
father. His  grandson,  a  senior  at  Stroudsburg 
(Pa.)  High  School,  was  selected  as  the  1977 
scholar-athlete  of  the  Lehigh  Valley  chapter  of 
the  National  Football  Foundation  and  Hall  of 
Fame.  The  chapter  covers  fifty-five  high  schools 
in  central  eastern  Pennsylvania. 

1931 

Giving  truth  to  the  story  that  you  can't  keep  a 
good  man  down  or  retired,  Al  Demont  has  just 
completed  his  second  "recall  to  active  duty"  as 
acting  director  of  cooperative  and  career  place- 
ment at  the  Schenectady  (N.Y.)  County  Com- 
munity College.  He  served  from  Nov.  1977  until 
April  of  this  year.  He  writes:  "My  new  retirement 
occurs  as  the  golf  season  opens  here.  Good 
timing,  don't  you  think?"  Al  is  a  WPI  trustee 
emeritus. . . .  The  Hurant  Tashjians  are  planning 
to  visit  their  daughter,  Gloria,  who  is  spending 
the  current  academic  year  at  the  Mathematics 
Institute,  Czechoslovak  Academy  of  Sciencies,  in 
Prague,  where  she  is  an  exchange  scientist. . . . 
Milton  Gleason,  who  retired  from  L.  S.  Starrett 
Co.  after  more  than  thirty-seven  years,  is  cur- 
rently museum  curator  and  a  director  of  the 
Athol  Historical  Society,  which  is  housed  in  a 
beautiful  1 50-year-old  church.  He  is  also  direc- 
tor, clerk,  and  part-time  machine  repair  techni- 
cian for  his  brother's  company,  the  L.  H.  Sawin 
Co.  in  Gardner.  He  has  served  for  fifteen  years 
on  the  Athol  Board  of  Public  Works  and  is  up  for 
reelection  for  another  three-year  term. 

1933 

Frank  Eaton,  Jr.,  writes:  "On  April  1st  we  moved 
into  our  new  home  in  Port  St.  Lucie,  Fla.  After 
last  winter,  it's  not  hard  to  take  Florida  living! 
Hope  to  see  all  you  '33grads,  if  you're  down  this 
way."  .  .  .  Donald  Haskins  has  retired  as  super- 
visor of  reliability  engineering  at  Thiokol  Corp. 
Prior  to  retirement,  he  worked  on  the  Space 
Shuttle  solid  propellant  rocket  booster  motors, 
the  largest  production  solid  rocket  motors  in  the 
world,  which  are  now  being  flight  tested.  Al- 
though they  have  only  recently  returned  from  an 
8,300-mile  cross  country  trip,  the  Haskinses  are 
looking  forward  to  another  trip  east  for  their 
45th  reunion.  Don  says,  "For  all  those  who 
haven't  already  retired,  get  with  it.  It's  great!" 

1934 

Charles  Dayton  is  retired  as  district  manager  for 
GE  electric  utility  sales,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

1935 

B.  Austin  Coates  retired  June  1  st  from  Heald 
Machine,  Worcester,  following  forty  years  of 
service. . . .  Samuel  Ehrlich,  who  has  retired  after 
thirty-three  years  in  engineering  and  manufac- 
turing of  ordnance,  is  now  "happily  engaged  in  a 
second  career  as  president  of  Metro  Mfg.  Co., 
Inc.,  of  Herndon,  Va."  (The  firm  manufactures 
contemporary  furniture.)  His  son,  Richard,  is 
corporation  secretary  and  general  manager. .  . . 
Russell  Fargo  has  retired  from  Pratt  &  Whitney 
Aircraft.       C.  Gordon  Lincoln,  who  retired 
some  time  ago  after  serving  eighteen  years  with 
Morse  Twist  Drill  and  twelve  years  with  Union 
Twist  Drill,  now  lives  240  miles  north  of  San 
Francisco,  about  six  miles  from  Lake  Shasta. . .  . 
George  Makela's  third  grandchild,  Melinda  Sue, 
arrived  March  24th.  He  notes:  "Everyone  is 
doing  well." 


1936 

Jack  Brand,  director  of  Engineering  Develop- 
ment Laboratory,  recently  chose  voluntary  re- 
tirement ending  over  forty-one  years'  service 
with  Du  Pont.  He  originally  joined  the  firm  in  the 
former  Industrial  Engineering  Division  at  Rem- 
ington Arms  Co.,  Bridgeport,  Conn.  Later  he  was 
transferred  to  llion,  N.Y.  In  1943  he  was  as- 
signed to  the  Manhattan  Project.  After  studying 
nuclear  physics  at  the  University  of  Chicago,  he 
became  senior  supervisor  and  superintendent  of 
instruments  at  Oak  Ridge,  Tenn.  In  1948  he 
moved  to  the  former  Mechanical  Development 
Lab  as  section  supervisor,  and  in  1955  became 
assistant  director.  He  was  promoted  to  his  pres- 
ent post  in  1969. 

He  was  responsible  for  engineering  develop- 
ment programs  on  improved  processes  and 
equipment  for  photo  products,  plastic  products 
and  resins,  central  R&D,  biochemicals,  fabrics 
and  finishes,  and  textile  fibers  departments.  He  is 
a  fellow  of  ASME  and  a  registered  professional 
engineer  in  Delaware. 

Jack  and  his  wife,  Dorothy,  will  remain  in  the 
Wilmington  area.  In  May  they  cruised  to  Spain, 
France,  and  Britain.  Now  back  home  they  plan  to 
spend  more  time  with  their  five  grandchildren. 
Jack  also  hopes  to  be  able  to  concentrate  more 
on  his  greenhouse  and  photography. 

A.  Hamilton  Gurnham  writes  that  "My  cus- 
tomers, a  200-unit  condo  and  a  small  construc- 
tion company,  keep  me  from  full  retirement." 
He  and  his  wife,  Martha,  live  in  Pompano  Beach, 
Fla.,  where  he  does  part-time  bookkeeping  and 
accounting. 

1937 

John  Chapman  retired  last  October  as  manager 
of  information  services  at  American  Optical  Co. 
in  Putnam,  Conn. 


1938 

J.  Randolph  Buck  retired  March  1  st  as  assistant 
director  of  the  production  and  reservoir  en- 
gineering department  at  Michigan  Consolidated 
Gas  Co.,  where  he  specialized  in  oil  and  gas 
production  and  gas  storage.  Presently  he  is  an 
independent  petroleum  consultant  in  Pass  Chris- 
tian, Mississippi.  .  .  .  Raymond  Dunn,  a  GAIU 
representative  since  1 948  and  a  member  of  the 
union  for  forty  years,  has  retired.  He  was  presi- 
dent of  the  former  Local  21  of  the  Amalgamated 
Lithographers  of  America  (ALA),  now 
Springfield-Hartford  Local  264.  In  1958  he  ran 
for  the  office  of  international  president  of  ALA. 
He  spent  forty-four  years  in  the  lithography 
trade,  starting  out  at  Worcester  Engraving  & 
Litho,  and  then  worked  at  Polygraphics,  Graphic 
Arts,  Western  Printing,  and  Hano  Co.,  which  he 
helped  organize.  Upon  his  retirement,  he  was 
presented  with  a  gift  of  a  trip  to  Las  Vegas  by 
members  of  Local  264.  .  .  .  Peter  Koliss  is  a 
department  head  at  Bell  Labs  in  Whippany,  N.J. 

1939 

Roland  Anderson,  who  resigned  from  the  U.S. 
Army  in  May,  is  now  president  of  TKI,  Limited  in 
Warren,  Mich.,  a  family  holding  company.  He 
and  his  brother,  Lennart,  '46,  have  edited  their 
mother's  book,  The  King  Makers,  a  history  of  the 
August  N.  Anderson  family.  Anderson's  son 
Linwood  has  a  farm  in  Roscoe,  III.  Daughter 
Linnea  will  be  an  RN,  and  Annika  will  be  a 
commercial  photographer.  Myron  received  his 
BSCE  from  the  University  of  Michigan  this  year, 
and  Roland  II  is  in  Sweden  working  as  an  en- 
gineer for  the  federal  government. 


Keith  McKeeman  recently  finished  his  first 
year  of  retirement  from  J.  C.  Penney  Co.,  Inc., 
where  he  was  chief  industrial  engineer.  He  and 
his  wife  Evelyn  have  moved  to  Silver  Bay  on  Lake 
George  in  the  Adirondacks,  and  have  found  it  is 
easy  to  become  involved  in  a  smaller  town.  He 
writes  that  their  younger  son,  Bruce,  was  mar- 
ried last  year  and  that  their  older  son,  Alan,  will 
be  married  this  summer.        Harold  White  has 
been  promoted  to  the  post  of  corporate  vice 
president  at  Norton  Co.,  Worcester.  For  the  past 
two  years  he  has  been  serving  as  managing 
director  for  the  Northern  Europe  Division.  For- 
merly, he  was  managing  director  of  Norton's 
English  subsidiary  White,  a  graduate  of  WPI's 
School  of  Industrial  Management,  joined  Norton 
in  1 946,  and  has  held  a  variety  of  manufacturing 
management  positions  in  the  U.S.,  Canada,  and 
Great  Britain. 

1940 

Arthur  Koerber,  a  camp  ranger  at  Girl  Scout 
camps  since  1972,  retired  on  May  15th. 

1941 

Capt.  Norman  Klaucke,  currently  a  commercial 
fisherman  in  Massachusetts,  writes:  "Since  the 
200-mile  limit  went  into  effect,  fishing  is  improv- 
ing rapidly.  The  present  controls  limiting  catches 
were  badly  needed."  . . .  James  McGinnis  is  now 
division  engineering  manager  of  depreciation 
and  separation  at  New  England  Telephone  & 
Telegraph  Co.,  in  Boston,  Mass.  He  has  accepted 
the  40th  reunion  gift  committee  chairmanship  at 
the  request  of  Donald  Smith,  class  president. 

1942 

E.  Curtis  Ambler  has  been  appointed  to  the  new 
position  of  vice  president-research  and  product 
engineering  for  the  Stanley  Industrial  Hardware 
division  of  the  Stanley  Works.  The  new  position 
results  from  the  division's  increasing  involve- 
ment in  the  original  design  as  well  as  the  man- 
ufacture of  parts  for  other  manufacturers. 

Ambler,  who  holds  seven  product  patents, 
joined  Stanley  in  1967  as  manager  of  research 
and  product  engineering  for  the  power  tools 
division.  Subsequently  he  became  project  man- 
ager in  the  corporate  product  development  de- 
partment, and  chief  engineer  for  technical  ser- 
vices for  the  corporate  laboratory.  In  April  of  last 
year,  he  was  named  senior  product  engineer  for 
the  Industrial  Hardware  division.  In  August  he 
was  appointed  manager  of  engineering  for  Stan- 
ley Industrial  Hardware. 

Prior  to  joining  Stanley,  Ambler  had  been 
senior  product  engineering  manager  for 
Veeder-Root,  Inc.,  had  been  associated  with 
Ingraham  Co.,  and  had  served  as  director  of 
engineering  for  Landers,  Frary,  and  Clark. 

He  was  a  three-term  member  of  the 
Newington,  Conn.  Town  Council;  is  a  director  of 
the  Newington  Children's  Hospital;  safety  of- 
ficer of  the  local  volunteer  fire  department;  and 
treasurer  of  the  Central  Connecticut  Regional 
Authority  for  Solid  Waste  Management.  He  is  a 
lieutenant  commander  in  the  U.S.  Naval  Re- 
serve, and  has  five  children.  He  has  served  as  a 
WPI  class  agent. 


Still  with  Electric  Boat  in  Groton,  Conn,  Philip 
Camp  is  now  ship  manager        Harold  Crane 

says  that  after  five  years  of  jogging,  he  can 
almost  keep  up  with  the  girls  when  the  NASA 
Running  Club  holds  two-mile  races.  With  his 
15-year-old  son  Allen,  he  has  resumed  his  high 
school  hobby  of  building  and  flying  rubber- 
powered  model  airplanes.  .  . .  Eric  Essen  writes 
that  he  has  a  new  career  —  teaching  and 
business  counseling.  His  youngest  son  just 
graduated  from  UMass.  "Now  we  have  a 
banker,  a  salesman,  a  soil  scientist,  and  a  teacher 
wife,"  he  says. 

Jim  Fernane,  retired  from  the  Federal  Com- 
munications Commission  after  thirty-four  years 
of  service,  is  becoming  increasingly  involved 
with  flying  and  amateur  radio  operation,  both  of 
which  have  been  his  major  hobbies  for  several 
years.  He  attends  local  and  cross  country  prac- 
tice flights,  and  refresher  clinics  on  updated 
instrument  procedures,  mountain  flying,  avia- 
tion weather,  and  survival  training.  He  plans  to 
utilize  his  commercial  pilot's  license  to  carry 
passengers  for  hire  on  sightseeing  or  charter 
flights. 

"As  for  ham  radio,"  he  says,  "design  of  an 
acceptable  amateur  band  antenna  entails  unique 
problems  that  I  never  encountered  in  Prof. 
Newell's  radio  engineering  courses  back  in  the 
40's."  The  prime  requirement  is  that  the  antenna 
maintain  a  low  profile  in  the  800-unit  apartment 
complex  where  he  resides,  "otherwise  my 
neighbors  will  be  blaming  my  activities  as  the 
source  of  every  malfunction  that  may  occur  in 
their  TV  sets." 


1943 

Currently  Richard  Bonnet  holds  the  post  of 
technical  assistant  to  the  vice  president  of  opera- 
tions at  Avtex  Fibers,  Inc.  in  Front  Royal,  Va. . . . 
William  Currie,  a  Cleveland  State  University  law 
student,  has  been  named  chief  staff  engineer  for 
Parker's  Hose  Products  Division  in  Wickliffe, 
Ohio.  .  .    Arnold  Jones,  divisional  vice  president 
and  general  manager  of  the  materials  division  at 
Norton  Co.  since  1974,  has  been  promoted  to 
corporate  vice  president  of  the  Worcester  firm. 
Formerly,  he  was  divisional  vice  president  and 
general  manager  of  engineering  and  construc- 
tion services.  He  joined  Norton  in  1946.  He  is  a 
graduate  of  the  Advanced  Management  Pro- 
gram at  Harvard  Business  School  and  the  WPI 
School  of  Industrial  Management.  .  .  .  Friend 
Kierstead,  Jr.  recently  became  problems  editor 
for  the  Journal  of  Recreational  Mathematics. 

1944 

Irving  James  Donahue,  Jr.,  has  been  elected  a 
vice  president  of  Memorial  Hospital,  Worcester. 
Jim,  who  is  president  of  Donahue  Industries, 
Inc.,  Shrewsbury,  is  a  WPI  trustee,  and  a  past 
president  of  the  Alumni  Association  .  .  .  Richard 
Holden  now  serves  as  senior  engineer  at  Singer 
Co.-Kearfott  Division  in  Little  Falls,  N.J. . . . 
Kimball  Woodbury  has  been  elected  to  the 
board  of  managers  of  the  accumulation  fund  of 
the  Paul  Revere  Variable  Annuity  Insurance  Co. 
The  five-person  board  directs  investment  policy 
of  the  fund.  Woodbury  is  president  of  Wood- 
bury and  Co.,  stationery  engravers,  Worcester. 


The  WPI  Journal  i  August  1 978  1 21 


1945 

Dr.  Carl  Clark  has  gone  back  into  safety  re- 
search. Currently  he  is  concerned  with  occupant 
packaging  for  the  Office  of  Vehicle  Structures 
Research  at  the  National  Highway  Traffic  Safety 
Administration  in  Washington,  D.C. . . .  Bob 
Duffy  says  that  he  is  semi-retired,  but  staying 
active  selling  real  estate  through  the  Century  21 
Gitomer  &  Co.  in  Cherry  Hill,  N.J. 

Lee  Seccombe  was  recently  named  chief  en- 
gineer for  Gripnail  Corporation  of  Bristol,  R.I. 
Previously  he  was  manager  of  machine  devel- 
opment at  Bostitch  Corporation,  East 
Greenwich.  He  had  also  been  with  the  Stanley 
Works  and  Arthur  G.  Russel  Co.  At  Gripnail  he 
will  be  responsible  for  all  engineering  functions, 
including  product  design  and  development, 
manufacturing  engineering,  material  specifica- 
tion, application  engineering,  quality  control, 
drafting,  and  the  metallurgical  laboratory.  The 
firm  makes  industrial  fasteners  for  securing  insu- 
lation and  other  materials  to  metal  surfaces. . . . 
Dr.  Albert  Talboys  has  just  completed  a  three- 
year  assignment  on  a  United  Nations  water 
project  in  Trinidad.  He  is  retired  and  lives  in 
Longwood,  Florida. 

1946 

Theodore  Balaska,  director  of  engineering  ser- 
vices for  Bishop  Electric  division  of  Sola  Basic 
Industries,  has  been  named  chairman  of  the  tests 
and  measurements  subcommittee  of  the  Insu- 
lated Conductors  Committee,  Power  Engineer- 
ing Society,  IEEE.  He  served  as  publications 
chairman  for  IEEE's  UT&  D  Conference  in  1976; 
will  serve  as  executive  vice  chairman  of  the 
Atlanta  T  &  D  conference  next  year;  and  as 
executive  chairman  of  the  Minneapolis  confer- 
ence in  1981. 

Prior  to  joining  Bishop  Electric  eight  years  ago, 
Balaska  had  been  with  Hartford  Electric  Lt.  Co.; 
Long  Island  Lighting  Co.;  Phelps  Dodge  Copper 
Products  Corp;  and  Bishop  Manufacturing  Corp. 
His  utility  experience  has  encompassed  field 
engineering  and  supervision  of  the  installation, 
maintenance,  and  operation  of  cable  systems 
from  secondary  networks  to  1 38  KV  transmis- 
sion systems. 

He  has  written  several  technical  papers,  and  is 
a  member  of  the  Power  Engineering,  Industry 
Applications  and  Electrical  Insulation  Societies.  A 
member  of  CIGRE,  he  also  belongs  to  the  Pacific 
Coast  Electrical  Association,  the  National  Associ- 
ation of  Corrosion  Engineers,  Northwest  Electric 
Light  &  Power  Association,  and  National  Society 
of  Professional  Engineers.  His  name  is  listed  in 
Who's  Who  in  the  East  and  in  the  Dictionary  of 
International  Biography.  Last  year,  business  trips 
took  him  to,  among  other  places,  West  Ger- 
many, England,  Yugoslavia,  Sweden,  Australia, 
Singapore,  Hong  Kong,  and  Japan. 

In  April  Dr.  John  Lott  Brown  was  inaugurated 
as  the  third  permanent  president  of  the  Univer- 
sity of  South  Florida  in  Tampa.  In  his  inaugural 
speech,  Dr.  Brown  stressed  the  need  for  univer- 
sities to  close  the  gap  between  town  and  gown 
by  devising  educational  programs  to  meet  com- 
munity requirements.  "I  have  come  to  the  Uni- 
versity of  South  Florida  because  I  see  it  as  an 
institution  which  can  achieve  a  leadership  role  in 
higher  education,"  he  said.  "If  we  are  to  achieve 
this,  we  must  cast  our  lot  with  our  community. 
We  must  serve  students  in  a  wide  range  of  ages, 


and  we  must  provide  special  programs  for  busi- 
ness and  industry  in  our  area.  At  the  same  time, 
we  must  accept  our  responsibility  as  a  university 
for  the  preservation  of  our  intellectual  and  cul- 
tural heritage." 

The  ceremony,  characterized  as  modest,  but 
enthusiastic,  was  highlighted  by  a  proud  proces- 
sion of  200  educators  in  colorful  regalia.  U.S. 
Representative  Sam  Gibbons  of  Tampa  and  Dr. 
Robert  Q.  Marston,  president  of  the  University 
of  Florida,  were  speakers. 

Dr.  Brown  won  the  U.S. F.  presidency  over  200 
national  candidates.  Formerly,  he  was  director  of 
the  Center  for  Visual  Science  at  the  University  of 
Rochester  (N.Y.).  He  is  also  a  WPI  trustee. 

Robert  Hamilton  was  recently  named  general 
sales  manager  of  the  abrasives  marketing  group 
at  Norton  Company,  Worcester.  He  has  been 
with  the  company  for  thirty  years,  and  has  held 
general  management  positions  in  the  U.S., 
Mexico,  and  Great  Britain.  Earlier  he  was  director 
of  market  development  for  the  abrasives  market- 
ing group.  He  graduated  from  the  Advanced 
Management  Program  at  Harvard  Business 
School. 

1947 

Carrol  Burtner  is  presently  area  director  of  the 
San  Francisco  office  for  the  Occupational  Safety 
and  Health  Administration.  He  is  a  professional 
engineer  in  Massachusetts  and  California;  a 
CPCU  (chartered  property  and  casualty  under- 
writer); and  has  a  diploma  in  risk  management. 

Dr.  Edward  George  addressed  the  Wallingford 
(Conn.)  Rotary  Club  in  April.  In  his  talk,  "Com- 
puters and  their  Uses,"  Dr.  George  gave  a  brief 
outline  of  the  computer  industry  growth,  de- 
fined terms,  and  discussed  typical  business  and 
technical  applications.  He  was  elected  to  Who's 
Who  in  Computers  in  1964;  American  Men  of 
Science  in  1968;  New  York  Academy  of  Sciences 
in  1 967  .Leading  Men  in  the  U.S.  A.  in  1967;  and 
Who's  Who  in  America  in  1974.  He  developed 
the  first  on-line  admissions  and  registration  sys- 
tem at  the  University  of  New  Haven,  and  the  first 
computerized  simulation  of  product  assembly. 

Dr.  William  Rice  is  spending  his  sabbatical 
year  from  the  chemical  engineering  department 
of  Villanova  (Pa.)  University  at  the  University  of 
Delaware.  He  is  working  on  sodium  sulfate  as  a 
phase  change  material  for  thermal  energy 
storage  at  the  Institute  of  Energy  Conversion. 

1948 

Paul  Anderson,  the  regional  environmental  en- 
gineer for  the  Massachusetts  Department  of 
Environmental  Quality  Engineering,  Lakeville, 
was  unchallenged  as  a  candidate  for  a  one-year 
term  on  the  board  of  selectmen  in  Middleboro. 
Previously  he  was  a  selectman  from  1952  to 
1959  and  from  1963  to  1975. 

Robert  Donnan,  a  senior  engineer  with  IBM, 
recently  moved  to  the  IBM  Centre  d'Etudes  et 
Recherches  near  Nice,  France,  where  he  is  con- 
tinuing his  work  in  communications  systems 
architecture  and  standards.  He  has  held  a  variety 
of  engineering  and  managerial  assignments  with 
the  firm,  starting  in  Poughkeepsie,  NY.  in  1951 
and  later  in  Reno,  Nevada;  Tacoma, 
Washington;  and  Kingston,  NY.  In  1967  he 
became  manager  of  communications  products 
architecture  with  the  responsibility  for  the  de- 
velopment of  IBM's  Synchronous  Data  Link 
Control  in  Raleigh,  N.C.  SDL  has  since  been 
adopted  by  the  American  National  Standards 
Institute  and  the  International  Organization  for 


Standardization  as  a  data  communications  stan- 
dard. Bob  and  his  wife  Doris  enjoy  visits  from 
state-side  friends  and  plan  to  have  their  two 
grandchildren  with  them  this  summer. . . . 
Continuing  with  Electric  Boat,  Groton,  Conn., 
Sameer  Hassan  is  now  a  chief  of  engineering. 

Sal  Intagliata  has  been  named  general  man- 
ager of  the  Perkin-Elmer  Corporation's  Wangco 
Division  and  a  vice  president  of  the  corporation's 
Data  Systems  Group.  He  will  direct  the  division's 
day-to-day  operations,  including  engineering, 
manufacturing,  marketing,  quality  assurance, 
finance  and  administration.  Formerly,  he  was 
general  manager  of  General  Instrument  Corpo- 
ration's memory  products  division.  Wangco  is  a 
leading  producer  of  computer  peripheral  mass 
storage  devices.  The  Data  Systems  Group  man- 
ufactures, sells  and  services  a  fully-integrated 
line  of  mini-computers,  magnetic  storage 
peripherals,  and  CRT  and  printer-based  termi- 
nals. ...  Dr.  Robert  Lerner  is  a  member  of  the 
Harvard  (Mass.)  Planning  Board  and  Energy 
Policy  Committee.  .  .  .  Charles  Mouradian  is 
presently  supervisor  of  construction  engineering 
at  Electric  Boat. 

1949 

Robert  Bareiss  has  assumed  the  chairmanship  of 
the  Management  Sciences  Division  of  TAPPI.  A 
leader  in  the  division  since  its  formation  in  1 972 , 
he  had  served  as  chairman  of  the  statistical 
applications  committee,  and  division  vice  chair- 
man. He  is  also  a  member  of  the  process  control 
committee  of  the  engineering  division,  the  1 978 
nominating  committee  of  the  board  of  directors, 
and  of  the  editorial  board  of  TAPPI  magazine.  He 
is  director  of  process  control  technology  at  the 
Technical  Center  of  St.  Regis  Paper  Co.  in  West 
Nyack,  NY.  His  responsibilities  include  process 
analysis  and  control,  mathematical  and  statistical 
services,  instrument  development,  and  lumber 
processes.  Prior  to  joining  Regis  in  1966,  Bareiss 
was  with  Curtiss-Wright;  the  Torrington  Co.; 
Lessells  and  Associates;  and  was  a  member  of 
the  faculty  of  the  College  of  Engineering  at  the 
University  of  Nevada.  He  has  worked  with 
United  Way  and  is  on  the  board  of  directors  of 
the  Mental  Health  Association  of  Rockland 
County,  N.Y.  He  belongs  to  the  Minisceongo 
Yacht  Club  on  the  Hudson  River.  The  Bareisses 
have  a  daughter,  Lisa,  and  two  sons,  Seth  and 
Alex. 

Samuel  Franc,  Jr.,  recently  joined  Raiser  Con- 
struction Co.  in  San  Mateo,  California,  where  he 
is  the  senior  estimator  and  project  manager.  He 
reports  that  it  was  a  great  surprise  to  find  fellow 
alumnus  Fred  Kolack,  '73,  also  working  at 
Raiser.  Currently  the  company  has  a  Sheraton 
Hotel,  a  high  rise  HUD  housing  project,  and  a 
four-story  office  building  on  the  boards. . . . 
Continuing  with  Burns  &  Roe,  Inc.,  Woodbury, 
N.Y.,  Maurice  Nirenstein  is  now  writing  specifi- 
cations and  administering  contracts  for  nuclear 

power  plant  projects Dr.  Charles  Selwitz  has 

received  a  gold  service  award  pin  marking  his 
25th  year  of  employment  with  Gulf  Science  and 
Technology  Co.,  Harmarville,  Pa.  He  was 
awarded  his  PhD  in  organic  chemistry  from  the 
University  of  Cincinnati.  In  1953  he  joined  Gulf 
as  a  chemist.  Today  he  is  director  of  synthetic 
chemistry. 


221  August  1978  I  The  WPI  Journal 


1951 

Charles  Bouchard  has  been  appointed  national 
sales  manager  for  metals  industry  sales  at  Wes- 
tinghouse  in  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  following  a  major 
restructuring  of  the  firm's  industry  products 
marketing  organization.  Bouchard,  with  the 
company  since  1951 ,  has  held  sales  and  mana- 
gerial positions  in  Boston,  Worcester,  Buffalo, 

and  Pittsburgh Charles  Mulrenan  is  still  with 

the  Chicago  South  Shore  and  South  Bend  Rail- 
road, the  last  electric  interurban  railroad  in  the 
U.S.  (1500  volts,  direct  current  catenary).  Last 
year  he  became  a  licensed  real  estate  broker 
after  having  taken  the  required  course  of  study 
and  passing  the  state  examination.  .  .  .  Ramsey 
Sheikh  is  president  of  Leighton  Industries,  Inc., 
Phoenixville,  Pa. 

1952 

Richard  Bennett  is  back  in  his  old  office  due  to 
the  merger  with  Dean  Witter  and  Reynolds 
Securities.  The  firm  is  now  called  Dean  Witter 
Reynolds.  .  .  .  Robert  Favreau  has  been  elected 
president  of  the  Greater  Pottsville  (Pa.)  Area 
Chamber  of  Commerce.  He  is  manager  of  the 
Exxon  Chemical  plant  at  Marlin.  Earlier  he  was 
with  Du  Pont  in  Richmond,  Va.  He  has  been  a 
plant  executive  at  Exxon  since  1965,  and  man- 
ager since  1970.  He  has  been  a  director  and  first 
vice  president  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce;  a 
director  and  past  president  of  the  Manufacturers 
Association  of  Schuylkill  County;  a  past  presi- 
dent of  Schuylkill  Country  Club;  and  a  member 
of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  Children's  Home 
in  Mechanicsville.  The  Favreaus  have  two 
daughters.  .  .  .  Lee  Tuomenoksa  is  currently 
director  of  the  Digital  Terminal  Laboratory  at  Bell 
Laboratories  in  Holmdel,  N.J. 

1953 

David  Beach  was  recently  appointed  program 
manager  for  medical  products  instrumentation, 
business  and  professional  products,  at  Kodak 
Apparatus  Division  (KAD)  in  Rochester,  N.Y.  He 
joined  Kodak  in  1953,  and  until  his  most  recent 
promotion ,  was  project  design  manager  for  con  - 
sumer  products  engineering  in  the  KAD.  He 
belongs  to  the  Society  of  Photographic  Scientists 
and  Engineers,  and  the  Rochester  Chamber  of 
Commerce.  KAD  is  the  company's  center  for  the 
manufacture  of  still  and  movie  cameras  and 
projectors,  optical  goods,  and  other  photo- 
graphic equipment. 

Brady  Buckley  now  holds  the  post  of  general 
manager  of  marketing  at  Keene  Corp.  in  New 
York  City.  .  .  .  James  Merrill,  SIM  is  director  of 
industrial  engineering  at  Interlake,  Inc.,  Chicago, 
III. . . .  Thomas  O'Connor  has  been  named 
chairman  of  the  Central  New  England  College 
Engineering  Department  in  Worcester.  He  had 
been  a  faculty  member  about  twenty  years  and 
had  been  associate  academic  dean  and  director 
of  registration .  A  past  president  of  the  Worcester 
County  chapter  of  the  WPI  Alumni  Association, 
he  had  also  served  as  an  officer  of  the  Poly 
Booster  Club.  He  belongs  to  the  Worcester 
Board  of  Health  Advisory  Committee  on  Lead 
Paint  and  Rodent  Control,  and  the  Worcester 
Personnel  Managers'  Association.  .  .  .  Petros 
Petrides  works  as  an  engineering  specialist  at 
General  Dynamics-Electric  Boat. 


1954 

Joachim  (John)  Herz  holds  the  post  of  executive 
vice  president  of  New  Hermes,  Inc.,  in  New  York 
City.  .  .  .  Donald  McEwan,  newly-elected  presi- 
dent of  ITT  Avionics  Division,  was  guest  speaker 
at  the  January  meeting  of  the  Management 
Employees  Association  of  ITT  Avionics  and  ITT 
Defense  Communications.  In  December  ITT 
Avionics  was  honored  as  "Company  of  the 
Month"  at  a  meeting  of  the  International  Man- 
agement Council  (Metropolitan  New  Jersey 
Chapter). 

A  new  planning  and  engineering  organiza- 
tion, Meckler  Energy  Group,  was  launched  in 
April  by  Milton  Meckler,  P.E.,  former  president 
of  the  Energy  Group,  a  subsidiary  of  Welton 
Becket  Associates,  and  long  identified  nationally 
with  major  energy-related  projects. 

The  new  firm  will  offer  complete  planning, 
consulting,  and  design  services  for  building  au- 
tomation and  utility  systems,  as  well  as  energy 
management  programs  and  related  feasibility 
studies  for  new  or  existing  structures.  Headquar- 
ters are  in  Encino,  Calif. 

Meckler  has  personally  designed  many  signifi- 
cant solar  energy  and  heating  developments, 
alternate  energy  concepts,  and  related  testing 
and  measurement  disciplines  for  private  industry 
and  government. 

In  April  he  addressed  the  solar  evaluation 
conference  in  Washington,  D.C.  and  presented  a 
paper  at  the  Second  International  Helioscience 
Institute  at  Palm  Springs,  Calif.  In  February  he 
presented  a  paper  for  a  solar  workshop  in  San 
Francisco. 

Active  in  a  dozen  professional  societies,  Meck- 
ler has  written  over  ninety  articles  in  power 
engineering,  building,  and  architectural  journals. 
McGraw  Hill  is  publishing  his  book  on  energy 
conservation  for  buildings  and  industry  later  this 
year.  He  is  a  registered  professional  engineer  in 
ten  states,  holds  U.S.  and  overseas  energy- 
related  patents,  and  has  been  granted  an  NEC 
Council  certificate. 

1955 

Hugh  Bell,  president,  chief  executive  officer,  and 
founder  of  Dataline  Corporation,  has  an- 
nounced the  move  of  corporate  headquarters 
from  49  Locust  Ave.  to  larger  facilities  at  4 
Danbury  Road  in  South  Wilton,  Conn.  Bell, 
generally  regarded  as  one  of  the  top  twenty 
computer  technologists  in  the  country,  invented 
and  developed  the  Dataline  system,  which  is 
acknowledged  as  the  first  software  and  com- 
puter applications  package  available  to  the 
lumber  and  building  material  industry.  His  fast- 
growing  nationwide  company  has  offices  in 
Charleston,  S.C.,  Houston,  Texas,  and  San  Fran- 
cisco. Previously  Bell  was  a  principal  of  Scientific 
Data  Systems  before  it  was  sold  to  Xerox. .  . . 
Kirby  Ducayet  III  serves  as  controller  of  Kimberly 
Clark  Corp  ./California  Forest  Products  Business 
Division  in  Anderson,  Calif. 

Brian  Kelly,  president  of  the  class  of  1 955,  has 
been  promoted  to  general  marketing  manager 
for  Bell  of  Pennsylvania.  Earlier  he  had  been 
division  operations  manager  for  Bell  in  a  five- 
county  area  extending  from  Pittsburgh  north. 
He  joined  Bell  after  graduating  from  WPI,  and 
later  attended  LaSalle  College  and  Cornell  Uni- 
versity. He  earned  a  master  of  science  degree  in 
management  from  MIT,  where  he  was  a  Sloan 
fellow.  In  his  new  post  he  will  be  responsible  for 
sales  and  service  to  business,  industry  and  gov- 
ernment accounts,  as  well  as  for  the  introduction 
of  major  new  services  and  equipment  developed 
by  Bell. 


1956 

Continuing  with  General  Dynamics-Electric  Boat 
in  Groton,  Conn.,  Robert  Betchley  currently 
holds  the  post  of  senior  engineer.  .  .  .  Paul 
Cnossen  has  joined  ATF-Davidson  Co.,  Inc.  of 
Whitinsville,  Mass.,  where  he  is  a  senior  project 
engineer  responsible  for  new  projects  with  au- 
tomated graphic  arts  equipment.  Previously  he 
had  worked  as  a  senior  manufacturing  engineer 
at  BIF,  a  unit  of  General  Signal,  and  in  various 
capacities  at  Norton  Co.,  Worcester. . . .  Richard 
Roberts  holds  the  post  of  supervisor  of  engineer- 
ing at  Electric  Boat.  .  .  .  The  Rev.  Paul  Schoon- 
maker  has  just  published  a  new  book,  The  Prison 
Connection  — A  Lay  Ministry  Behind  Prison 
Walls.  Recently  he  and  his  wife,  Joan,  were 
given  a  trip  to  Puerto  Rico  in  celebration  of  his 
tenth  year  with  the  Royersford  (Pa.)  Baptist 
Church. ...  Dr.  Roger  Tancrell  is  presently 
principal  research  scientist  for  Raytheon  Re- 
search division  in  Waltham,  Mass. 


1957 

Warner  Clifford  remains  with  Stone  &  Webster, 
Boston,  where  he  is  resident  manager.  .  . . 
Donald  Craig  is  flying  as  a  DC10  and  707 
co-pilot  and  enjoying  San  Francisco  and  the 
Barbados.  He  also  owns  and  operates  Wescon 
Tax  Service,  which  specializes  in  income  taxes  for 
airline  personnel.  Occasionally  he  builds  a  house 
to  sell.  .  .  .  Leon  Morgan,  an  executive  vice 
president  of  United  Illuminating  Co.,  New  Ha- 
ven, Conn.,  has  been  elected  a  director  of  the 
utility.  He  has  been  with  the  company  since 
1957. . .   Art  Nedvin  and  his  family  are  returning 
home  to  Stamford,  Conn,  following  a  four-year 
stint  in  Japan.  Art  has  a  new  job  as  director  of 
business  systems  planning  for  IBM  America/Far 
East  Corporation.  The  Nedvins'  oldest  son, 
Mark,  a  National  Merit  Scholar,  will  attend  Cor- 
nell University  this  fall.  Looking  forward  to  their 
return  to  the  U.S.  are  Laurie,  15,  and  Brian,  13. 

1958 

Jasper  Freese,  owner  of  Freese  Engineering, 
Greeley,  Colo.,  acts  as  Weld  County  surveyor 
and  serves  on  the  City  of  Greeley  zoning  board 
of  appeals. .  .  .  Joseph  Gill  recently  announced 
the  purchase  of  Vee-Arc  Corporation  of 
Westboro,  Mass.  Vee-Arc  designs  and  manufac- 
tures direct  current  motor  drives  and  portable 
electric  grinders.  Previously  Gill  had  been  elected 
executive  vice  president  of  the  C. EM.  Company 
of  Danielson,  Conn.,  and  had  held  earlier  man- 
agement positions  with  Kaydon  Bearing  of 
Muskegon,  Mich,  and  Fafnir  Bearing  Division  of 
Textron  in  New  Britain,  Conn.  Dr.  Joseph  Man- 
cuso,  '63,  serves  on  the  company's  board  of 
directors.  Vee-Arc  supplies  standard  and  high 
performance  DC  drives  to  manufacturers  of 
machine  tools  and  other  machinery  builders 
throughout  the  country. 

Richard  Hammond,  president  of  Hammond 
Engineering  Corporation,  has  announced  that 
his  firm  has  purchased  J.  A.  Jubb  Company.  The 
new  company  specializes  in  all  types  of  insula- 
tion, and  deals  in  vinyl  and  aluminum  siding,  as 
well  as  combination  windows  and  doors.  Ham- 
mond, who  has  extensive  experience  in  building 
construction  and  design,  was  plant  manager  for 
the  firm  of  RobertShaw  for  five  years  during 
which  time  he  supervised  the  construction  of  the 
firm's  new  facility.  His  wife,  Ruth,  a  graduate  of 
UMass,  is  treasurer  and  accountant  for  the  cor- 
poration. . .   William  Juhnevicz  holds  the  post  of 
engineering  supervisor  at  Electric  Boat. 


The  WPI  Journal  I  August  1 978  1 23 


1959 

John  Bonk  is  now  district  manager  of  facilities 
engineering  at  Bell  Telephone  of  Pennsylvania  in 
Philadelphia.  ...  V.  James  Cinquina,  Jr.,  has 
formed  his  own  executive  search  firm,  Merlin 
International,  Inc.,  in  Ramsey,  N.J.  The  firm 
specializes  in  health  care  and  life  sciences.  It 
places  physicians,  scientists,  and  technical 
people  with  the  pharmaceutical  and  health  care 
industry.  . .  .  Tim  Hurley  has  left  Sangamo 
Weston,  Inc.  after  eighteen  years.  Currently  he  is 
involved  with  commercial  real  estate  with  W.  H. 
Daum  &  Staff  in  Los  Angeles,  Calif.  His  respon- 
sibilities include  sale  and  leasing  of  office  build- 
ings, restaurants,  and  shopping  centers,  in  the 
South  Bay,  L.A.  Airport  area,  and  downtown  Los 
Angeles. 

Richard  Keats  is  now  a  program  manager  for 
Raytheon  Company  in  Wayland,  Mass.    .  . 
Robert  Massad  presently  serves  as  a  senior 
product  engineer  for  diamond  products,  at  Bay 
State  Abrasives,  Westboro,  Mass. .  .  .  Edward 
McKeon  holds  the  post  of  manager  of  product 
development  at  Farm  Bureau  Insurance  Co., 
Lansing,  Mich. ...  In  February,  Robert  Price 
joined  the  L.  Hardy  Company  in  Worcester  as 
plant  engineer. ...  In  March  William  Pursell,  Jr., 
became  vice  president  of  manufacturing  for 
Hinderleter  Energy  Equipment  Corporation  in 
Tulsa,  Okla.  He,  his  wife,  Judy,  and  sons  John, 
15,  and  David,  14,  live  in  Broken  Arrow,  Okla. 
. . .  Richard  Ronskavitz  serves  as  an  engineer  II  in 
the  traffic  engineering  division  for  the  Depart- 
ment of  Transportation  in  Broward  County,  Fla. 
He,  his  wife  Louise  and  sons,  David  and  Michael, 
reside  in  Ft.  Lauderdale. 


1960 

Martin  Beck,  who  is  assistant  director  of  research 
and  development  for  Cabot  Corp.  in  Billerica, 
Mass.,  was  a  candidate  for  the  four-year  term  on 
the  Pepperell  planning  board.  Professionally  he 
is  involved  primarily  in  the  areas  of  long-range 
planning  and  administration  of  a  multi-million- 
dollar  budget.  He  belongs  to  AICE,  ACS,  and 
served  in  the  26th  Yankee  Infantry  Division  for 
eight  years.  Presently  he  serves  as  vice  chairman 
of  the  town's  Charter  Study  Committee. . . . 
Kevin  Burke  is  a  strategic  planning  analyst  for 
the  U.S.  Navy  in  Armish-Maag  Arspo,  Iran. 
.  .  .Richard  Loring  holds  the  post  of  technical 
manufacturing  manager  in  the  film  division  at 
Polaroid  Corp.,  Waltham,  Mass.  He  is  involved 

with  the  SX-70film  system Norman  Barry 

Mack,  a  field  representative  for  the  New  York- 
Arden  general  agency  of  National  Life  Insurance 
Company  of  Vermont,  has  won  membership  in 
the  1978  Presidents  Club  and  is  among  the  firm's 
outstanding  agents  nationwide.  He  is  located  in 
Plainview.  Membership  in  the  Presidents  Club 
recognizes  outstanding  client  service  and  sales 
and  includes  the  opportunity  to  attend  a  five- 
day  educational  conference  in  Bermuda.  .  .  . 
Continuing  with  Electric  Boat,  John  Pickering  III 
is  presently  a  senior  engineer. . .  .  Harry  Ray  has 
been  named  field  sales  manager  in  the  rubber 
chemicals  division  at  Monsanto  Industrial  Chem- 
icals Co.,  Cleveland,  Ohio.  Previously  he  was 
sales  manager  for  industrial  rubber  products.  He 
joined  Monsanto  in  1960  in  the  organic  division, 
and  advanced  through  a  number  of  positions  in 
the  organic,  rubber  and  process  chemical,  and 
rubber  chemicals  divisions.  Monsanto's  rubber 
chemicals  division,  with  manufacturing  plants  in 
ten  countries,  is  a  leading  worldwide  supplier  of 
chemicals,  testing  instruments,  and  equipment 
used  by  the  rubber  industry.  . .  .  Myron  Smith 
works  as  general  manager  at  Solvents  Recovery 
Service  in  Southington,  Conn. 

24  I  August  1978  I  The  WPI  Journal 


1961 

^■Born:  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lawrence  Staats  a 
daughter  Monica  Jane  on  April  21 ,  1978.  Pres- 
ently Staats  works  as  first  assistant  engineer  on 
tankers  from  International  Ocean  Transporta- 
tion Corp.  of  Philadelphia  hauling  Alaska  crude 
oil  to  refineries  in  the  Gulf  and  Puerto  Rico.  Last 
year  he  and  Torill  Kamsvaag  were  married  in 
Norway. 

Henry  Allessio,  vice  president  of  William  E. 
Hill  &  Company,  the  management  consulting 
division  of  Dun  &  Bradstreet,  was  recently 
quoted  extensively  in  the  New  York  Times  as 
well  as  in  "Forbes  30th  Annual  Report  on  Ameri- 
can Industry."  According  to  Allessio,  an  industry 
expert,  fundamental  changes  are  occurring  in 
the  automobile  replacement  parts  industry.  He 
believes  that  uninterrupted  growth  is  a  thing  of 
the  past.  "Technical  obsolescence  is  the  key 
problem  today,"  he  says.  For  example,  mass 
merchandising  of  batteries  guaranteed  for  the 
life  of  a  car  has  severely  cut  into  the  replacement 
battery  market,  causing  an  industry  slowdown. 
The  market  for  engine  oils  may  be  shrinking  as 
well,  as  the  small-car  trend  has  meant  smaller 
crankcases.  Summing  up,  he  says  that  only  the 
most  alert,  technologically  advanced  companies 
supplying  the  replacement  market  are  likely  to 
grow  in  the  future.  Allessio,  a  former  president  of 
the  New  York  chapter  of  the  Alumni  Association, 
is  currently  head  agent  and  admissions  chair- 
man. 

Thomas  Chace,  SIM,  is  president  of  Rollmet,  a 
division  of  Wyman  Gordon  in  Irvine,  Calif.  .  .  . 
Bradley  Hosmer  has  joined  AMF  Incorporated, 
White  Plains,  as  director  of  marketing  for  indus- 
trial products.  His  responsibilities  include  looking 
for  business  opportunities,  investigating  market- 
ing trends,  and  serving  as  a  consultant  to  the 
business  units  to  assist  their  growth  and  devel- 
opment. For  the  past  two  years  Brad  has  been 
vice  president  of  special  products  for  the  Branson 
Sonic  Power  Company,  makers  of  industrial  and 
biomedical  equipment  in  Danbury,  Conn.  With 
Branson  since  1972,  he  was  responsible  for 
developing  and  marketing  special  assembly 
equipment.  In  1974  he  was  promoted  to  vice 
president  of  manufacturing.  Earlier  he  had  been 
with  Booz  Allen  Hamilton.  .  .  .  Allen  Johnson  is 
now  a  field  sales  engineer  with  Intel  Corp  in 
Dayton,  Ohio. 

Herbert  Moores,  who  was  appointed  to  first 
full-time  town  engineer  in  Newburgh,  NY.  four 
years  ago,  has  been  appointed  interim  super- 
visor to  fill  a  vacancy  caused  by  death.  Previously 
he  was  a  special  management  consultant  to  the 
New  York  State  Division  of  the  Budget  and  the 
State  Narcotic  Control  Commission.  He  had  also 
been  principal  engineer  with  the  Orange  County 
Department  of  Public  Works.  He  did  graduate 
work  at  RPI  and  the  Graduate  School  of  Public 
Affairs  at  SUNY. . . .  Still  with  IBM,  John  Ryerson 
is  now  manager  of  IBM  Corporate  l/S  Decision 
Support  Systems  in  Armonk,  NY.  John  and  Toni 
live  in  Ramapo  with  children  David,  7,  and 
Mechele,  4.  .  .  .  John  Tompkins,  Jr.,  is  president 
of  Argus  Sanitation  Service  in  Troy,  N.Y.  His  firm 
provides  site  investigation,  design,  plan  ap- 
proval, construction  and  operation  maintenance 
in  the  fields  of  water  supply,  sewage  disposal, 
drainage  and  other  site  improvements.  The 
company  deals  with  existing  home  and  commer- 
cial site  owners,  as  well  as  community  devel- 
opers. Tompkins,  a  civil  engineer  and  licensed 
real  estate  broker,  served  for  over  eleven  years  as 
assistant  public  health  engineer  in  the  Rensselaer 
County  Health  Department,  Division  of  En- 
vironmental Hygiene. 


1962 


>Bom:  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Joel  Freedman  their  first 
child,  a  son  David  Jeffrey  last  July. 

Richard  Allen  holds  the  post  of  supervisor  of 
customer  software  support  at  Gerber  Scientific  in 
South  Windsor,  Conn. ...  Dr.  Michael  Davis  is 
participating  in  a  new  executive  MBA  program 
at  Northeastern  University  in  Boston.  The  pro- 
gram, designed  for  top  level  managers,  meets 
one  day  a  week  for  a  year  and  a  half.  .  . .  Robert 
Hall  has  been  named  manager  of  technical 
services  at  Johnson  Steel  &  Wire  Co.  in  Worces- 
ter. He  previously  was  with  New  England  High 
Carbon  Wire  Corp.  and  has  had  fifteen  years  of 
experience  in  the  production  and  testing  of  high 
carbon  wire.  In  his  new  post  he  will  have  charge 
of  the  quality  control  departments  at  the 
Johnson  steel  plants  in  Worcester,  Akron,  and 
Los  Angeles.  He  belongs  to  the  Wire  Association, 
American  Society  for  Metals. .  .  .  Thomas  Hol- 
land, who  received  his  MS  in  systems  manage- 
ment from  U  .S.C.  last  year,  is  presently  manager 
of  the  commercial  department  at  Person  &  Per- 
son, Inc.,  Sumner,  Washington.  He  is  a  general 
contractor  for  residential  and  business  struc- 
tures. 

Peter  Martin  is  with  J.  F.  White  Contracting 
Co.  in  Newton,  Mass. . . .  John  Matson  presently 
holds  the  post  of  district  sales  manager  for 
Carrier  Air  Conditioning  Co.,  New  York  City.  He 
and  his  wife  Sarah  have  three  children  and  live  in 
New  Canaan,  Conn.  .  .  .  Still  with  3M  Company 
as  a  sales  representative,  James  Mayer  is  now 
located  in  Cleveland.  .  .  .  Navy  Commander 
Brian  J.  O'Connell  was  recently  promoted  to  his 
present  rank  while  serving  at  the  U.S.  Naval  War 
College  in  Newport,  R.I.  He  joined  the  Navy  in 
1963,  and  is  now  with  the  U.S.  Navy  Public 
Works  Center,  San  Francisco.  .  .  .  John  O'Mal- 
ley,  SIM,  controller  at  Holden  District  Hospital, 
has  been  accorded  advanced  member  status  in 
the  nationally-recognized  Hospital  Financial 
Management  Association.  He  has  served  as  con- 
troller and  director  of  fiscal  services  at  Holden  for 
twelve  years.  Earlier  he  was  assistant  treasurer 
and  controller  at  Wain-Roy  Corp.,  Fitchburg.  He 
has  been  working  for  his  MBA  at  Anna  Maria 
College. . .  .  Peter  Parrino  presently  works  as  a 
research  associate  in  radiation  therapy  at 
Washington  University  School  of  Medicine,  St. 
Louis,  Mo.  He  and  his  wife  Rita  have  a  son  Chris, 
1 1 ,  and  daughter,  Nici,  7. ...  Charles  Roessler 
continues  with  General  Dynamics-Electric  Boat, 
where  he  is  an  engineering  specialist 

1963 

^■Married:  Dr.  Peter  F.  Lilienthal  II  and  Miss 
Tana  Ann  Fairfield  in  Wilton,  New  Hampshire  on 
January  21,  1978.  Mrs.  Lilienthal  attended 
Framingham  State  College  and  is  with  the  word 
processing  department  at  Exxon's  corporate 
headquarters  in  New  York  City.  Her  husband, 
who  received  his  PhD  from  the  University  of 
Illinois,  is  a  research  leader  at  Western  Electric's 
Engineering  Research  Center  in  Princeton,  N.J 
>Born:  to  Mr  and  Mrs  Robert  Gowdy  a  son 
William  Henry  on  February  25,  1978.  The  Gow- 
dys  have  two  other  children,  Jay,  10,  and  Cel- 
lissa,  9. 

Still  with  Farrel  Co.  in  Ansonia,  Conn.,  Alfred 
Bartkiewicz  is  now  industry  manager  for  polyoli- 
fens  at  the  firm.  .  Paul  Cahalen  is  a  partner  in 
Process  Engineers,  Inc.,  Hayward,  Calif.  .  .  . 
Roger  Flood  serves  as  director  of  operations  for 
Badger's  London  office.  . . .  Earl  Fratus  holds  the 
post  of  president  of  Fratus  Construction  Co., 
Inc.,  in  Houston,  Texas. 


get  off  the 
ground  at 
Martin  Marietta 
Aerospace- 
Put  your  own  ideas  to  the  test 
at  our  Orlando  Division. 

At  Martin  Marietta  Aerospace,  Orlando  Division,  we're  proud  of  our  leadership  role  in  developing  complex  technology. 
As  a  leading  contractor  for  missile  defense  systems,  we're  continually  expanding  and  diversifying  to  meet  our  long  range  needs. 


We're  looking  for  engineers  who  enjoy  exploring  the  limits  of  advanced  technology,  and 
seeing  new  ideas  become  new  products.  Areas  of  specialization  include: 


MMW  Radar  Systems/ Hardware  Design 

Precision  Mechanical  Design 
(Gyros,  Gimbals) 

Structures  Analysis 
Integral  Rocket/ Ramjet 
Propulsion  Design/ Analysis 
Imaging  Infrared  Systems/ 
Hardware  Design 


•  Microelectronics 
(Bi- polar  LSI  Design) 

•  Hybrid  Component  Design 

•  Guidance  &  Control  Systems 
Design/ Analysis 

•  Analog  &  Digital  Circuit 
Design 


For  more  information,  please  forward  a  resume  detailing  your  background  and  career  goals  to: 
Employment  Office,  Martin  Marietta  Aerospace,  P.O.  Box  5837-MP9  (U578)  Orlando,  Florida  32855. 

We  are  an  equal  opportunity  employer,  m/f. 


Jim  Kelly  has  started  his  own  manufacturing 
representative  firm,  Kelly  Equipment  Co.  .  .  . 
Robert  Magnant's  book,  Domestic  Satellite:  An 
FCC  Giant  Step,  is  currently  recommended  read- 
ing for  members  of  the  telecommunications 
industry.  A  reviewer  writes:  "Rarely  can  a  book 
about  telecommunications  and  its  regulation 
rate  high  praise  for  its  readability. ..  but  this  book 
is  beautifully  written.  .  .  It  covers  much  more 
than  satellites. ...  It  reviews  the  history  of 
communications  regulation  and  especially  its 
recent  development  of  competition  in  telecom- 
munications." The  296-page  book  is  available 
from  Westview  Press  in  Boulder,  Colo.  Magnant 
is  chief  engineer  and  technical  director  for  the 
U.S.  Army  Communications  Electronics  En- 
gineering Installation  Agency  in  Ft.  Ritchie,  Md. 

Ed  Polewarczyk  holds  the  position  of  resident 
materials  manager  in  the  Space  Shuttle  Program 
for  Rockwell  International  Space  Division,  Dow- 
ney, Calif.  He  is  currently  stationed  at  Sunstrand 
Corp.  in  Rockford,  III.  Active  with  BSA,  Ed  also 
gives  speeches  and  slide  shows  on  the  Space 
Shuttle  Program  to  various  interested  organiza- 
tions. . .  .  Ronald  Pueschel  was  recently  pro- 
moted from  manufacturing  manager  to  opera- 
tions manager  at  Philips  Medical  Systems,  Inc., 
Shelton,  Conn. . . .  Dennis  Snay  has  been  named 
assistant  to  the  regional  executive  of  Mas- 
sachusetts Electric  at  company  headquarters  in 
Worcester.  Previously  he  was  central  division 
manager  of  consumer  services  in  Worcester.  In 
1963  he  joined  the  company  as  a  commercial 
sales  representative  in  Maiden.  Later  he  became 
local  commercial  sales  manager  for  the  firm  in 
Marlboro.  A  registered  professional  engineer,  he 
has  done  graduate  work  in  engineering  man- 
agement at  Northeastern  University. . . .  Warren 
Standley  is  a  member  of  the  technical  staff  at 
TRW-Energy  Systems  Division  in  McLean,  Va. 
.  .  .  NishanTeshoian  serves  as  manager  of  mate- 
rials at  Gardner  Denver  Co.,  Quincy,  III.  .  .  .  Bill 
Zinno,  project  manager  for  inventory  manage- 
ment systems  at  Dresser  Clark,  spoke  about 
manufacturing  control  in  business  before  the 
Penn-York  chapter  of  the  American  Production 
and  Inventory  Society  last  April  in  Olean,  N.Y. 
He  has  been  with  Dresser  Clark  for  two  years. 
Previously  he  was  with  Industrial  Nucleonics 
Corp.  in  Columbus,  Ohio.  He  and  his  wife  Janice 
and  three  children  reside  in  Allegany,  N.Y. 


1964 

Continuing  with  Boeing,  Robert  Bridgman  is 
now  assigned  to  the  Boeing  Co.,  Del  City,  Okla., 
at  Tinker  AFB. .  . .  William  Clark  III  has  been 
named  "Engineer  of  the  Year"  by  the  main  office 
section  of  the  New  York  State  Association  of 
Transportation  Engineers.  A  thirteen-year  em- 
ployee of  the  N.Y.S.  Department  of  Transporta- 
tion and  Thruway  Authority,  Clark  is  currently 
the  technical  services  engineer  in  the  Bureau  of 
Thruway  Maintenance.  In  that  post  he  coordi- 
nates all  engineering  research  at  the  Thruway 
and  also  serves  as  the  materials  engineer  for 
maintenance.  Major  research  accomplishments 
at  the  Thruway  include  development  and  im- 
plementation of :  1 .  a  quality  assurance  system 
for  asphalt  concrete  pavement  mixes;  2.  paving 
techniques  especially  designed  for  overlaying 
old  pavement;  and  3.  asphalt  concrete  mem- 
brane mastic  mixtures  for  waterproofing  re- 
habilitated bridge  decks.  Before  joining  Thru- 
way's  engineering  staff,  Clark  spent  six  years 
with  N.Y.S.  Department  of  Transportation's  Re- 
search Bureau.  He  wrote  nine  research  reports 
then,  two  of  which  were  presented  at  meetings 
of  the  National  Academy  of  Science's  Transpor- 
tation Board  in  Washington,  D.C.  In  1971  his 
report,  "Computer  Simulation  for  Quality  As- 
surance in  Asphaltic  Concrete  Production"  was 
selected  as  the  best  research  paper  by  a  young 
engineer.  A  licensed  professional  engineer,  he 
belongs  to  the  N.Y.S.  Association  of  Transporta- 
tion Engineers,  the  Transportation  Research 
Board,  ASCE,  and  the  Association  of  Asphalt 
Paving  Technologists.  For  six  years  he  has  served 
as  the  Civil  Service  Employees  Association's  shop 
steward  for  the  professional,  scientific,  and 
technical  employees  in  the  Thruway's  headquar- 
ters in  Albany.  Clark  and  his  wife  Mary  Ellen  have 
two  children. 

Dr.  Gary  Goshgarian,  associate  professor  of 
English  at  Northeastern  University,  gave  a  lec- 
ture, "Science  Fiction  —  The  World  Ain't  What  it 
Used  to  Be"  before  the  Connecticut  branch  of 
the  Armenian  Students'  Association  in  Hartford 
last  April.  Dr.  Goshgarian  received  his  PhD  from 
the  University  of  Wisconsin.  Last  year  his  book, 
Exploring  Language,  was  published  by  Little, 
Brown  &  Co. . . .  Dave  Healy,  a  lieutenant 
colonel  in  the  Marine  Corps,  retired  from  the 
Corps  on  July  1st  "to  commence  a  new  career." 
.  .  .  Continuing  with  Electric  Boat,  Groton, 
Conn.,  Alfred  Malchiodi,  Jr.,  is  currently  chief  of 
engineering.  .  .  .  Bob  Morse,  president  of  Traffic 
Systems  Co.,  Inc.,  a  traffic  signal  construction 
company  in  Clinton,  Mass.  reports  that  a  new 
company,  Fiber-Optics  Sales  Co.,  Inc.,  has  been 
formed  to  market  Valtec's  line  of  traffic  signals 
and  related  products.  (Valtec  Corporation,  the 
leading  manufacturer  of  fiber-optic  equipment 
for  traffic  control  and  highway  safety,  is  located 
in  West  Boylston,  Mass.  Morse  has  been  repre- 
senting Valtec  in  New  England  through  Traffic 
Systems  Co.  for  two  years.)  Fiber-Optics  Sales 
Co.  will  market  fiber-optic  pedestrian  signals, 
lane  control  signals,  two-color  vehicle  turn  ar- 
rows, and  otherfiber-optic  related  equipment  in 
the  New  England  area.  Increased  demand  for 
fiber-optic  traffic  equipment  is  attributed  to  the 
efforts  of  New  England  cities  and  towns  to  save 
money  through  energy  conservation.  Generally, 
fiber-optic  traffic  signals  use  one-third  the  en- 
ergy of  conventional  signals,  and  offer  improved 
visibility,  resistance  to  vandalism,  and  reduced 
maintenance. 


1965 


Dr.  Brad  Barber  serves  as  a  research  associate  in 
the  division  of  nuclear  medicine  at  the  University 
of  Arizona  Health  Science  Center  in  Tucson. . . . 
Donald  Carlson  is  assistant  to  the  managing 
director  of  NSK-Torrington  Co.,  Ltd.  in  Tokyo, 
Japan.  The  firm  is  affiliated  with  the  Torrington 
(Conn.)  Co.  .  .  .  Stephen  Cloues  received  a 
master's  degree  in  religious  education  from 
Southwestern  Baptist  Theological  Seminary  in 
May. . . .  James  Hammett,  Jr.,  recently  moved  to 
Florida  where  he  is  the  marketing  manager  of 
Tesdata-lnmet,  a  growing  systems  and  in- 
strumentation company.  He  writes:  "The  chal- 
lenge is  enjoyable."  . . .  Russell  Koelsch  works  as 
a  senior  mechanical  engineer  at  EBASCO  Ser- 
vices in  Newport  Beach,  Calif. 

The  Canton  (Ohio)  Regional  Society  of  Pro- 
fessional Engineers  has  awarded  the  1978 
"Young  Engineer  of  the  Year"  award  to  Larry 
Phillips.  Larry,  a  registered  professional  en- 
gineer in  both  Ohio  and  Pennsylvania,  and  a 
professional  surveyor  in  Ohio,  is  presently  em- 
ployed as  an  associate  member  at  Hammontree 
&  Associates,  Ltd.,  Consulting  Engineers  and 
Surveyors.  He  is  primarily  responsible  for  the 
sanitary,  environmental,  and  industrial  sections 
of  the  firm. 

He  belongs  to  NSPE,  Canton  Regional  Society 
of  Professional  Engineers,  Engineering  Founda- 
tion of  Ohio,  and  Akron  Area  Consulting  En- 
gineers. He  is  a  membership  chairman  for  both 
the  state  and  Regional  Society  of  Professional 
Engineers,  and  vice  president  of  the  Akron- 
Canton  chapter  of  ASCE.  Previously  Larry  was 
secretary-treasurer  of  the  Akron  section  of  ASCE 
and  vice  president  and  president  of  the  Canton 
Joint  Engineering  Council.  One  of  his  published 
articles  was  "Plastic  Bubble  Houses  Construc- 
tion." 

He  has  been  active  with  the  Kiwanis,  the 
Methodist  Church,  Doylestown  Joint  Planning 
Commission,  Rogues'  Hollow  Historical  Society, 
and  Akron  Art  Institute.  Also,  he  has  served  as  a 
volunteer  for  the  Grand  Masters  Tennis 
Tournament.  He  and  his  wife,  Sue,  reside  in 
Doylestown  with  their  two  sons. 

Howard  Sachs  was  recently  promoted  to  as- 
sociate professor  of  anatomy  at  the  University  of 
Illinois  in  Chicago.  He  was  also  appointed  as 
assistant  dean  of  the  Graduate  College,  Medical 
Center  campus. .  .  .  Chester  Slyk,  SIM  is  a 
production  manager  for  American  Optical  in 
Brattleboro,  Vt. . .  .  Dr.  John  Wright  is  now  an 
associate  professor  at  UNH  in  Durham. 


1966 

>Born:  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Robert  A.  Sinuc  a 
second  son,  Adam,  on  March  15,  1978.  (Adam 
has  a  brother,  John,  8.)  Sinuc  is  currently  em- 
ployed by  GE/Noryl  Plastics  in  Selkirk,  N.Y, 
where  he  is  manager  of  the  resin  plant. 

Continuing  with  Eastman  Kodak,  Rochester, 
N.Y.,  John  Carosella  presently  serves  as  a  senior 
optical  engineer. .  .  .  Irvin  Havens,  Jr.,  SIM,  of 
Bay  State  Abrasives  Division,  Westboro,  Mass., 
has  been  awarded  $200  in  conjunction  with  a 
patent  application  filed  for  him  as  part  of  a 
corporate  patent  recognition  program  spon- 
sored by  Dresser  Industries,  Inc.  Havens,  man- 
ager of  inorganic  product  development,  has 
developed  a  high  strength  vitrified  bonded 
wheel.  He  holds  a  BS  in  ceramic  engineering 
from  Alfred  University  and  an  MS  from  Clemson. 
He  has  been  with  Bay  State  since  1957. . . . 


26  /  August  1 978  I  The  WPI  Journal 


Michael  Mauro  is  now  a  senior  engineer  at 
General  Dynamics-Electric  Boat  in  Groton, 
Conn.    .  .  John  Morawski  graduated  last  year 
with  an  MS  in  industrial  administration  from 
Union  College,  Schenectady,  NY.  ...  Dr.  Frank 
K.  Pfeiffer  was  recently  promoted  from  assistant 
professor  of  management  to  associate  professor 
of  management  at  Nichols  College,  Dudley, 

Mass Stuart  Roselle,  still  with  Central  Illinois 

Public  Service,  is  presently  a  special  projects 
engineer  with  the  firm  in  Springfield. . . .  Donald 
Ruef  serves  as  a  supervisor  T  &  D  of  the  North 
Slope  for  Sohio-BP  Alaska  of  Anchorage.  .  .  . 
Peter  Sommer,  a  patent  attorney  with  Sommer  & 
Sommer  in  Buffalo,  NY.,  writes  that  he  and  his 
wife  have  purchased  a  "Big,  old  house,  and  are 
busy  restoring  it." 

1967 

P-Married:  Steven  J.  Frymerand  Anne  E.  Pres- 
cott  on  September  24,  1977.  The  bridegroom  is 
an  assistant  civil  engineer  for  the  Massachusetts 
Department  of  Public  Works  in  Boston. 

Fawn  Realty  (Century  21)  of  Nashua,  N.H., 
with  Gregory  Goulet  as  president,  recently  re- 
ceived four  plaques  from  the  Southern  New 
Hampshire  Multiple  Listing  Service  for  sales 
leadership.  Goulet  is  also  president  of  Carey 
Development  Corp.,  a  Fawn  affiliate,  which  has 
purchased  land  in  Amherst  for  a  49-lot  subdivi- 
sion featuring  fifty  acres  of  open  space  and 
conservation  land.  Fawn  purchased  Jelley  As- 
sociated Realty  in  Hudson  and  established  its 
first  branch  office  there  last  summer.  An  addi- 
tional corporation  is  called  Fawn  Homes,  which 
allows  Fawn  to  build  homes  on  Carey  Develop- 
ment Corp.  land  as  well  as  on  land  owned  by 
others.  Goulet  expects  to  build  twenty-four 
homes  during  the  next  year.  He  and  his  wife, 
Barbara,  have  an  adopted  son,  Timothy  Michael, 
one. 

Presently  John  Kuenzler  holds  the  post  of 
senior  application  engineer  at  Honeywell,  Inc.  in 
Fort  Washington,  Pa.  He  and  his  wife  Marilyn 
have  two  children  and  reside  in  Chalfont.  . .  . 
"Pete"  Picard  is  with  the  construction  and  main- 
tenance division  in  the  management  procedures 
branch  at  the  Federal  Highway  Administration  in 
Washington,  D.C.,  where  he  is  a  highway  en- 
gineer. 


1968 

>Born:  to  Mr.  and  Mrs  Robert  Pleines  a  son 
Thomas  Joseph,  on  April  15,  1978. 

Donald  Aldrich  presently  serves  as  engineer- 
ing supervisor  for  Du  Pont  at  the  F  &  F  depart- 
ment's Philadelphia  plant.  He  and  his  wife  Lois 
have  two  children,  Lori,  41/2,  and  Bradley,  21/4. 
. . .  Michael  Babin  is  now  with  Tudor  Engineer- 
ing Company  (consulting  engineers  and  plan- 
ners) in  San  Francisco David  Baxter  works  as 

a  project  engineer  at  Torin  Corp.,  Torrington, 
Conn.  .  .  .  John  Colognesi,  vice  president  of  the 
Southbridge  (Mass.)  Sheet  Metal  Co.,  also 
serves  on  the  board  of  directors  of  the  Chamber 
of  Commerce;  is  co-chairman  of  the  industrial 
division  of  the  United  Way  Fund;  and  a  cor- 
porator of  the  Southbridge  Savings  Bank.  He  and 
his  wife  are  active  with  the  Gateway  Players 
Theater,  with  John  working  behind  the  scenes  as 
technical  chairman  and  Pat  as  the  properties 
chairman. 


William  Gross,  Sr.,  SIM,  is  treasurer  and  man- 
ager of  international  sales  at  Dymo  Business 
Systems,  Inc.,  Randolph,  Mass.  .  .  .  Dave 
Gumbley  has  been  promoted  to  engineer  3  and 
transferred  to  Cherry  Hill,  N.J.  with  Getty  Refin- 
ing &  Marketing  Co.  .  .  .  Steven  Halstedt  was 
recently  named  to  the  board  of  directors  of 
Telesis  Corporation,  a  major  cable  television 
company.  He  is  chairman  of  the  audit  committee 
of  the  board —  Donald  Holden  is  now  a  project 
engineer  at  Abbott  Laboratories  in  North 
Chicago,  III.  .  .  .  Stephen  Holub  serves  as  a  sales 
engineer  with  the  Davison  Chemical  Division  of 

W.  R.  Grace  &  Co.,  Media,  Pa Vincent 

Kubert,  SIM,  is  a  project  engineer  for  Harris 
Corp. -Commercial  Press  Division  in  Pawcatuck, 
Conn. 

Andrew  Lesick  is  a  computer  systems  analyst 
at  the  Naval  Underwater  Systems  Center  in  New 
London,  Conn.  His  current  project  involves  a 
real-time  data  acquisition  system  which  will  be 
used  to  analyze  acoustic  data  aboard  a  deep  sea 
vessel  in  the  Atlantic  Ocean  this  summer. 

Ray  Racine  is  employed  as  a  rotating  equip- 
ment specialist  at  Aramaco  Services  Co.  in  Hous- 
ton, Texas.  He  and  his  wife  Rebecca  have  two 
children.  .  .  .  Scott  Ramsay  is  now  controller  and 
assistant  treasurer  at  George  C.  Shaw  Company, 
South  Portland,  Me.  .  .  .  David  Rice  has  been 
promoted  to  manager  of  manufacturing  systems 
applications  at  Inmont  Corp.,  a  subsidiary  of 
Carrier  Corporation.  He  and  his  wife  Linda  and 
two  children,  Jeffrey,  41/2,  and  Melissa,  V/2, 
reside  in  New  Milford,  N.J. . . .  Still  with  Mobil  Oil 
Corp.,  Kenneth  Roberts  now  serves  as  manager 
of  crude  logistics  planning  for  the  firm  in  New 
York  City.  .  .  .  Peter  Saltz  holds  the  position  of 
director  of  finance  and  administration  in  the  data 
services  division  at  Informatics,  Inc.,  Fairfield, 
N.J.  .  .  .  David  Speirs  has  been  named  Republi- 
can alternate  to  the  Board  of  Finance  in  Old 
Lyme,  Conn.  He  is  with  Speirs  Plumbing. 

David  Swercewski  is  presently  a  senior  en- 
gineer at  General  Dynamics-Electric  Boat. . .  . 
Marshall  Taylor  has  been  elected  treasurer  of 
Ryder  System,  Inc.,  Miami,  Fla.  Before  joining 
Ryder  in  1974  as  manager  of  capital  planning,  he 
had  held  managerial  posts  with  Allis-Chalmers 
Corp.  and  Mobil  Corp.  In  1975,  he  was  pro- 
moted to  assistant  treasurer  at  Ryder.  Taylor, 
who  has  an  MBA  degree  from  Babson,  is  a  vice 
commodore  of  the  Biscayne  Bay  Sailing  Fleet, 
and  a  member  of  Miami's  Coconut  Grove  Sailing 
Club.  He  and  his  wife  Nancy  and  two  sons  live  in 
Miami. . . .  Lt.  David  Williamson  is  an  electronics 
material  officer  with  Naval  Security  Group  Activ- 
ity in  Northwest,  Va.  . .  .  Presently  Bob  Woog 
serves  as  manager  of  service  and  technical  sup- 
port for  American  Bell  International  Inc.,  South 
Plainfield,  N.J.  The  Woogs  are  now  living  in 
Tehran,  Iran. 


1969 

^■Married:  Stephen  W.  Press  and  Miss  Mary  A. 
Furtek  on  May  20,  1978  in  Chicopee,  Mas- 
sachusetts. The  bride,  a  graduate  of  the  College 
of  Our  Lady  of  the  Elms  and  of  the  Yale-New 
Haven  Hospital  School  of  Medical  Technology,  is 
a  medical  technologist  at  Yale-New  Haven  Hos- 
pital. Her  husband,  who  has  a  master's  degree 
from  Yale,  is  a  research  chemist  for  Hoffman- 
LaRoche  Pharmaceuticals  of  Nutley,  N.J. 
>Born:  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  PeterS.  Heinsa  daugh- 
ter, Sarah  Elizabeth,  on  March  21 ,  1978.  Jamie, 
7,  is  in  the  second  grade.  Peter  continues  to  fly  as 
a  Coast  Guard  HC-130  Hercules  aircraft  com- 
mander. He  was  married  to  Jan  M.  Keigh  on  top 
of  Mt.  Washington  (N.H.)  on  July  2,  1977. 

Thomas  Fournier  is  an  associate  engineer  at 
Puget  Sound  Power  &  Light  in  Bellevue, 
Washington.  .  .  .  David  Johnson  was  elected  a 
town  meeting  member  for  Belmont,  Mass.  in 
April.  .  .  .  Stephen  Legomsky,  who  has  received 
his  Juris  Doctor  degree  from  San  Diego  School  of 
Law,  is  a  postgraduate  student  at  St.  Johns 

College,  the  University  of  Oxford  in  England 

Capt.  Douglas  Nelson  is  an  instructor-pilot  for 
the  Air  Force  at  Homestead  AFB,  Florida.  .  .  . 
Donald  Rapp  recently  transferred  to  Du  Pont's 
Seneca  Works  plant  as  division  engineer.  He  is 
married  and  has  one  son. . . .  James  Rodier,  staff 
engineer  in  the  research  department  of  Public 
Service  Co.  of  New  Hampshire,  spoke  at  a  Public 
Service  Co.  forum  in  Nashua  in  March.  His 
present  job  responsibilities  include  rate  design 
and  administration,  special  contracts,  and  fuel 
adjustment  clause  administration.  Formerly,  he 
had  worked  as  a  utility  rate  specialist  in  Boston 
and  New  York. .  .  .  Barry  Shiffrin  was  recently 
promoted  to  staff  engineer  at  IBM  in  Endicott, 
N.Y.  He  has  a  master's  degree  in  computer 
systems  from  SUNY  at  Binghamton.  . .  .  Marty 
Surabian  is  still  employed  with  Bechtel  Power 
Corporation  as  mechanical  engineering  group 
supervisor.  He  has  been  married  about  a  year. 
His  wife's  name  is  Sylva.  .  .  .  After  nearly  nine 
years  with  the  D.C.  Department  of  Transporta- 
tion, during  which  time  he  rose  from  junior 
engineer  to  the  chief  traffic  signal  engineer  for 
the  city  of  Washington-,  .  .  .  Paul  Wolf  has  now 
accepted  a  post  as  senior  transportation  en- 
gineer with  the  Northeast  Ohio  Areawide  Coor- 
dinating Agency,  the  largest  in  Ohio.  His  duties 
will  include  providing  traffic  engineering  assist- 
ance and  guidance  to  some  of  the  170  villages, 
townships,  municipalities  and  county  govern- 
ments in  a  five-county  area,  serving  2.3  million 
people  in  and  around  Cleveland.  The  Wolfs  have 
two  children. 

1970 

>Born:  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clark  Knickerbocker, 
their  second  son,  Paul,  on  February  27,  1978. 
Clark  is  presently  serving  as  sales  manager  for 
Swift  Agrichemicals  in  Chicago.  ...  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  John  Pelli  their  second  daughter,  Megan 
Elizabeth  on  April  13,  1978.  Megan  joins  her 
older  sister,  Jennifer  Ann.  John  was  named  vice 
president  of  Ley  Construction  Co.,  Inc.,  in  Feb- 
ruary. ...  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Leonard  Polizzotto 
their  first  child,  a  son  Matthew  on  March  25, 
1978.  Lenny  is  a  principal  engineer  at  Polaroid 
Corp.,  Waltham,  Mass. 

Michael  Arslan  is  employed  by  UTC  at  Hamil- 
ton Standard  Division  as  a  test  engineer  for  the 
manufacturing  engineering  department.  He  is 
also  working  for  his  MBA  at  Western  New 
England  College.  .  . .  Currently  James  Bagaglio 
works  for  Water's  Associates  in  Milford,  Mass. 


The  WPIfournol   August  1978   27 


Peter  Blackford  has  joined  Astro  Wire  and 
Cable  Co.,  Worcester,  as  chief  engineer.  He  still 
maintains  a  part-time  affiliation  with  High  Fidel- 
ity House,  also  in  Worcester.  Active  for  many 
years  in  the  Worcester  Area  Sports  Car  Club,  in 
both  rallying  and  auto-slalom,  last  year  Peter 
was  manager  for  a  road-racing  team  sponsored 
by  Daniels  Brothers  Renault.  The  black  and  gold 
Renault  "Le  Car,"  driven  by  Mark  Saviet,  71 , 
finished  third  in  the  national  "Le  Car"  challenge. 

John  Cartel,  who  has  been  with  Riley  Stoker 
for  five  years,  is  presently  district  service  en- 
gineer for  the  company  in  the  Baton  Rouge 
district.  He  is  responsible  for  the  proper  adminis- 
tration of  all  service  department  personnel  and 
service  work  done  in  the  district.  John  belongs  to 
ASME  and  to  Mensa,  an  organization  for  those 
having  an  IQ  higher  than  98%  of  the  country's 
population. 

Congressman  David  Emery,  from  Maine's  first 
district,  was  slated  to  be  the  guest  speaker  at  the 
University  of  Maine  at  commencement  exercises 
on  May  13th.  The  selection  of  the  graduation 
speaker  is  done  by  the  Student  Senate.  .  .  .  Dom 
Forcella  is  included  in  the  current  edition  of 
Who's  Who  in  American  Politics.  .  .  .  Capt. 
Edward  Howe  serves  as  a  communications  and 
electronics  staff  officer  with  the  U.S.  Army  in 
Korea.  .  .  .  Sister  Louise  Lataille,  NSF,  teaches 
math  in  St.  Louis  Parish,  Lowell,  Mass. . . . 
Continuing  with  Dewey  &  Almy  Division  of  W. 
R.  Grace,  Richard  Steeves,  Jr.  is  now  manager  of 
process  development  for  the  firm  in  Lexington, 
Mass. .  .  .  John  Sztuka  received  his  MBA  from 
Western  Michigan  University  in  April.  .  .  .  An- 
thony Toscano  is  employed  as  a  project  manager 
in  the  Envirotech  Corp./Buell  Division  in  Leba- 
non, Pa. . .  .  Ross  Willoughby  holds  the  post  of 
programmer-analyst  at  International  Graphics  in 
San  Diego,  California. 

1971 

^■Married:  Charles  F.  Ebbinghaus  and  Miss 
Alice  J.  Donohue  on  March  17,  1978  in  Groton, 
Connecticut.  The  bride,  who  teaches  reading  at 
Sacred  Heart  School,  graduated  from  Nazareth 
College,  Rochester,  N.Y.  and  attended  graduate 
school  at  the  State  University  of  New  York  in 
Genesco.  The  groom  is  an  assistant  scientist 
researcher  at  Pfizer,  Inc. .  .  .  Nicola  LoStracco 
and  Miss  Janet  F.  DeChiaro  on  April  8,  1978  in 
Worcester.  Mrs.  LoStracco  attended  the  Art 
Students  League,  New  York  City,  and  graduated 
from  the  School  of  the  Worcester  Art  Museum 
and  Clark  University.  She  is  a  self-employed 
artist  and  photographer,  and  part-time  ski  in- 
structor. Her  husband  teaches  mathematics  at 
Shrewsbury  High  School. 
►Born,  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Richard  B.  Hopewell 
their  first  child,  Jonathan  Richard,  on  February 
23, 1978.  Rick  is  with  the  Badger  Company,  Inc. 
in  Cambridge,  Mass.  ...  to  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Joseph 
J.  Spezeski  a  son  Joel  David  on  September  8, 
1977.  Dr.  Spezeski,  who  received  his  PhD  in 
physics  from  Yale  in  December,  is  now  an  in- 
structor and  research  associate  in  the  physics 
department  at  the  University  of  Arizona  in  Tuc- 
son. 


Jim  Abraham  has  just  been  promoted  to 
second  vice  president  of  investments  at  Shear- 
son  Hayden  Stone,  Inc.  in  Chicago.  Previously, 
he  was  with  Dames  &  Moore.  He  has  an  MBA 
from  Northwestern  University.  The  Abrahams 
have  a  two-year-old  daughter.  .  .  .  Steven  Chan 
holds  the  post  of  vice  president  at  Adams-Smith, 
Inc.  in  Boxboro,  Mass. .  . .  Lee  Cristy  is  a  senior 
industrial  engineer  at  Singer- Kearfott  Division  in 
Little  Falls,  N.J.  .  .  .  Still  with  Koretsky  King 
Associates,  Daniel  Donahue  is  presently  a  proj- 
ect engineer  for  the  firm  in  Richmond,  Calif.  . . . 
On  May  1  st,  Gordon  Govalet  left  Bechtel  Power 
in  Maryland  to  assume  the  post  of  project 
engineer-manager  at  ALNASCO  in  Pittsfield, 
Mass.  .  .  .  Wayne  Holmes  serves  as  district 
supervising  engineer  for  Industrial  Risk  Insurers 
in  Wellesley,  Mass.  . .  .  Capt.  Michael  Hughes 
has  been  named  to  head  the  Army  Reserve 
Training  Corps  extension  unit  at  Fitchburg 
(Mass.)  State  College.  The  unit  was  created  in 
conjunction  with  the  ROTC  program  at  WPI  last 
fall,  and  Hughes  is  the  first  permanent  Army 
officer  assigned  to  the  Fitchburg  unit.  He  was 
commissioned  a  second  lieutenant  in  1971 , 
promoted  to  first  lieutenant  in  1972,  and  to 
captain  in  1975.  He  has  served  in  Germany  and 
at  Ft.  Carson,  Colo.  Twice  he  was  awarded  the 
Army  Commendation  Medal  for  meritorious 
service.  He  and  his  wife  and  two  children  reside 
at  Fort  Devens. 

Philip  Johnson,  who  received  his  MS  in  man- 
agement science  and  engineering  from  WPI  last 
year,  is  now  manager  of  engineering  at  Om- 
nitech,  Inc.,  in  Dudley,  Mass.  .  .  .  Ernest  Joyal 
works  as  a  mechanical  engineer  at  Naval  Un- 
derwater Systems  in  Newport,  R.I. 
. . .  Robert  Mills,  Jr.,  was  recently  promoted  to 
associate  actuary  at  State  Mutual  Life  Assurance 
Company  of  America  in  Worcester.  He  serves  in 
the  individual  life  actuarial  area. . . .  John  Petrillo, 
who  has  a  Juris  Doctor  from  Brooklyn  Law 
School,  holds  the  post  of  district  market  manager 
at  AT  &T  Long  Lines  in  Bedminster,  N.J. .  . .  Ray 
Skowyra  serves  as  a  marketing  consultant  for 
corporate  consulting  services  at  GE  in 
Bridgeport,  Conn. .  .  .  Robert  Trachimowicz, 
who  was  recently  promoted  to  construction 
engineer  for  EBASCO  Services  Inc.  of  New  York 
in  Houston,  Texas,  is  in  charge  of  instrumenta- 
tion and  will  coordinate  the  mechanical  en- 
gineering activities  for  a  565-megawatt  coal- 
fired  power  plant  in  Thompsons,  Texas. . . .  Steve 
Watson,  with  DEC-Europe,  is  located  in  Geneva, 
Switzerland.  Steve  writes:  "This  job  has  me 
traveling  throughout  Europe  50  percent  of  the 
time,  and  I'm  paid  in  Swiss  francs." 

1972 

>Born:  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kenneth  W.  Kolkebeck 
a  son  Scott  on  March  3,  1978.  Scott  joins 
brother,  Keith,  almost  2.  In  January  Ken  was 
transferred  to  Pittsburgh  to  set  up  a  sales  office 
for  Rosemount,  Inc.  He  is  senior  sales  engineer  in 
charge  at  the  company.  ...  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Steven  Lutz  a  daughter  Amanda  Marie  on  Feb- 
ruary 6,  1 978.  Steve  is  a  product  engineer  at 
Fram  Corp.,  East  Providence,  R.I. 

James  Andruchow  is  vice  president  of  Stephen 
Andruchow,  Inc.  in  West  Warwick,  R.I  He  and 
his  wife  Catherine  have  two  children.  .  .  .  Robert 
Blackmar,  SIM,  holds  the  post  of  director  of  the 
manufacturing  standards  department  at  Norton 
Co.,  Worcester. .     Charles  Brine  will  receive  his 
PhD  in  chemical  oceanography  from  the  Univer- 
sity of  Delaware,  College  of  Marine  Studies  this 


year.  .  .  .  Raymond  Coleman  serves  as  technical 
director  for  United  Products  Corp.  in  Providence, 
R.I.  The  company  manufactures  braided  indus- 
trial products. . .  .  David  Cummings  has  been 
elected  a  director  of  Lowell  Corp.,  Worcester. 
His  great,  great  grandfather  founded  the  com- 
pany, which  manufactures  ratchet  arms  and 
specialty  wrenches,  in  1869.  Cummings  is  a 
financial  analyst  at  Norton  Co.  He  earned  his 
MBA  at  Babson.  .  .  .  Carl  Goldknopf  is  with 
Electric  Boat  in  Groton,  Conn. . . .  James  Hardy  is 
employed  as  an  optical  engineer  at  NCR  Corpo- 
ration in  Cambridge,  Ohio. 

Still  with  Digital  Equipment  Corporation, 
Robert  Lyons  is  now  a  product  planning  spe- 
cialist for  the  firm  in  Merrimack,  N.H.  .  .  .  Glenn 
Mortoro  works  as  a  senior  engineer  at  General 

Dynamics-Electric  Boat Dr.  James  O'Neil  is  a 

senior  resident  chemist  with  Du  Pont  in  Parlin, 
N.J.  He,  his  wife,  Jean,  and  two  children,  reside  in 
Howell. . . .  John  Powers  recently  began  working 
for  Westinghouse  as  an  associate  reliability  en- 
gineer. He  is  located  in  Pittsburgh,  Pa.  .  .  .  Bob 
Rogers,  formerly  a  mechanical  design  engineer 
for  Pratt  &  Whitney,  commercial  products  divi- 
sion, United  Technologies,  has  transferred  into 
the  scientific  programming  group,  where  he  is 
now  a  senior  scientific  programmer-analyst.  His 
responsibilities  include  several  programs  used  by 
mechanical  design,  coordination  of  CAD/CAM 
systems  with  Pratt  &  Whitney's  manufacturing 
division,  and  the  engineering  design  and  devel- 
opment of  several  new  programming  applica- 
tions. In  May  of  last  year  he  completed  his  MBA 
degree  at  UConn  with  concentration  in  the  areas 
of  operations  research  and  marketing. 

Dr.  Brian  Savilonis  is  an  assistant  professor  at 
Widener  College,  Center  of  Engineering,  Ches- 
ter, Pa.  . .  .  Currently  Walter  Smith  is  a  graduate 
student  in  the  doctoral  program  in  the  depart- 
ment of  chemistry  at  Brown  University,  Provi- 
dence, R.I Larry  Stepenuck,  a  self-employed 

lobsterman  in  Rockport,  Mass.,  recently  ran  for  a 
seat  on  the  town  planning  board.  He  feels  that 
planning  board  members  can  object  to  uncon- 
trolled building  plans  and  suggest  by-laws  which 
can  slow  harmful  development.  Through  the 
board,  he  would  also  work  to  protect  public 
access  to  the  ocean. .  .  Continuing  with  Mon- 
santo, Donald  Taft  is  presently  a  salesman  for 
the  firm  in  Southfield,  Mich.  The  Tafts  have  two 
children.  .  .  .  William  Way,  still  with  Kemper 
Insurance  Co.,  North  Quincy,  Mass.,  is  a  fire 
protection  consultant.  .  .  .  Richard  Wolke  now 
works  as  a  methods  specialist  under  the  man- 
ufacturing management  program  at  GE's  small 
A.C.  motor  department  in  Hendersonville.Tenn. 
He  has  held  the  post  since  December. 

1973 

^■Married:  Michael  C.  Greenbaum  to  Miss 
Wendy  N.  Schwartz  in  Merion,  Pennsylvania  on 
August  21,  1977.  Mrs.  Greenbaum  graduated 
from  Clark  University  and  received  her  MD 
degree  from  the  University  of  Rochester  School 
of  Medicine  and  Dentistry.  Her  husband  re- 
ceived his  Juris  Doctor  degree  from  Rutgers 
School  of  Law.  An  associate  with  the  law  firm  of 
Bacon  &  Thomas,  Arlington,  Va.,  he  specializes 
in  the  law  of  patents,  copyrights,  and 
trademarks.  He  also  attends  the  National  Law 
Center  of  George  Washington  University  where 
he  will  receive  the  LLM  degree.  He  is  registered 
to  practice  before  the  U.S.  Patent  &  Trademark 
Office  and  has  been  admitted  to  practice  law  in 
Pennsylvania.  .  .  .  John  H.  Ward  to  Donna  L. 
Childress  of  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana  recently.  Mrs. 


28  I  August  1 978  I  The  WPI  Journal 


Ward  is  employed  at  Purdue  University.  John 
receives  his  PhD  in  atmospheric  science  this 
August  and  will  begin  a  one-year  National  Re- 
search Council  postdoctoral  fellowship  at  the 
National  Weather  Service  in  Marlow  Heights, 
Maryland. 

>Born:  to  Captain  and  Mrs.  Tom  Beckman  a 
daughterJamieLynnon  February  27, 1978.  The 
Beckmans  are  presently  located  in  Fort  Devens, 
Mass.  ...  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  Henries  their 
first  child,  Alison  Ann,  on  St.  Patrick's  Day, 
March  17,  1978.  Henries  passed  his  PE  registra- 
tion exam  last  November. 

David  Bedard  has  been  promoted  to  captain 
while  serving  as  a  test  officer  with  the  U  S.  Army 
Air  Defense  Board  at  Ft.  Bliss,  Texas.  He  entered 
the  Army  in  1973.  .  .  .  After  three  years  as  data 
processing  director  at  United  Restaurant  Equip- 
ment Co.  of  North  Smithfield,  R.I.,  Steven  Buba 
was  recently  promoted  to  the  road  position  of 
institutional  sales  specialist.  .  .  .  Paul  Christian 
has  received  his  PhD  from  Stanford  University 
and  is  now  with  Bell  Labs.  His  wife,  the  former 
Laima  Pauliukonis,  77,  is  working  for  her  PhD 
at  Princeton.  .  .  .  Lee  Cooper  holds  the  post  of 
plant  engineer  at  CY/RO  Industries  in  Sanford, 
Me. 

Herbert  Hedberg  was  promoted  from  product 
engineer  to  project  manager  at  Waters  As- 
sociates, Milford,  Mass.  in  January.  He  is  pursu- 
ing his  MBA  in  the  evenings. .  .  .  John  Homko, 
who  received  his  master  of  science  degree  in 
electrical  engineering  last  year  at  Carnegie- 
Mellon  University,  is  presently  with  the  Union 
Switch  and  Signal  Division  of  Westinghouse 
Airbrake  Company.  John,  who  is  located  in 
Pittsburgh,  works  for  the  computer  systems 
development  group.  He  is  engaged  in  research 
involving  computer  applications  in  the  railroad 
industry. . . .  Robert  Kowal  serves  as  a  diagnostic 
programmer  at  Data  General  in  Westboro, 
Mass. . . .  Robert  Levi,  a  district  sales  manager  for 
Carrier  Transicold  Co.,  is  located  in  Danville, 
Calif.  .  .  .  Joseph  Magri  works  as  a  project 
engineer  at  Bird  Machine  Co.  in  South  Walpole, 
Mass. .  .  .  Lt.  Thomas  Masker  is  a  weapons 
officer  with  the  Navy  assigned  to  the  U.S.S. 
Snook  out  of  San  Diego.  In  October  he  will  be  in 
the  San  Francisco  area.       William  Mawdsley 
has  been  promoted  to  associate  actuary  at  State 
Mutual  Life  Assurance  Company  of  America  in 
Worcester.  He  is  responsible  for  individual  actua- 
rial service  within  the  individual  life  actuarial 
organization. 

Aram  Nahabedian  works  as  a  plant  supervisor 
at  Westinghouse  Electric  Corp.  in  Augusta,  Me. 
. . .  Richard  Norlin  is  employed  as  a  chemist  at 

New  England  Nuclear  Corp.  in  Boston,  Mass 

William  Nutter  is  being  transferred  to  the  GE 
ordnance  office  at  Electric  Boat  Division  of  Gen- 
eral Dynamics.  He  will  be  involved  with  the 
Trident  submarine  fire  control  system  installa- 
tion. .  .  .  Wayne  Pitts  serves  as  a  senior  scientist 

at  Energy  Resources  Co.  in  Cambridge,  Mass 

Mark  Richards  reports  that  he  is  commissary 
manager  for  the  Pizza  Transit  Authority.  His 
wife,  Christina,  a  student  at  the  University  of 
North  Carolina,  is  employed  at  North  Carolina 
Memorial  Hospital.  .  .  .  Charles  Scopelitis  has 
fulfilled  a  four-year  engineering  internship  and 
completed  sixteen  hours  of  examination  by  the 
National  Engineering  Council,  qualifying  him  for 
licensing  as  a  registered  professional  engineer  by 
the  State  of  Connecticut.  He  is  a  staff  engineer 
responsible  for  process  computer  systems  at 
Millstone  II  Nuclear  Power  Station.  . . .  Joe 
Staszowski  received  his  MSEE  from  Northeast- 
ern University  last  year.  .  .  .  Paul  Tassinari  holds 
the  post  of  president  at  Mica-Tron  in  Braintree, 
Mass.  .  .  .  Karl  Williams  is  plant  supervisor  at 
Sterling  Institute,  Craftsbury  Common,  Vt. 


MORGAN 

CONSTRUCTION  COMPANY 


15  Belmont  Street.  Worcester,   Mass.  01605 

Serving  the  Ferrous  and  Non- Ferrous  World  Markets  since  1888  as 
Engineers  and  Manufacturers  of  Rolling  Mills,  Morgoil  Bearings, 
Wire  Drawing  Machinery  and  Furnace  Equipment 


iamesbury 


manufacturers  of 

Double-Seal®Ball  Valves 

Wafer-Sphere® Butterfly  Valves 

Actuators 

Control  Devices 

Jamesbury  Corp  •  640  Lincoln  Street  •  Worcester.  Mass  01605 


1974 

^■Married:  Carry  Balboni  to  Miss  Adele  Tiberi  of 
Dover,  Massachusetts  on  June  4,  1977.  Garry, 
who  is  a  project  manager  for  Perini  Corp.,  is 
currently  constructing  a  wastewater  treatment 
facility  for  Lukens  Steel  Co.  in  Coatesville,  Pa. . . . 
Thomas  I.  Burns  and  Nancy  Kelly  of  Rockville, 
Connecticut  on  August  27,  1977.  Mrs.  Burns 
graduated  from  Anna  Maria  College  and  teaches 
math,  social  studies,  and  art  at  the  Immaculate 
Conception  School  in  Schenectady,  NY.  Her 
husband  is  a  control  systems  engineer  in  the  gas 
turbine  department  at  GE.  He  is  also  pursuing  a 
master's  degree  at  RPI  through  a  GE  program. 
. .  .  Alan  C.  Judd  to  Miss  Penelope  R.  Bost  on 
February  4,  1978  in  Pennsylvania.  The  bride 
graduated  from  Lenoir-Rhyne  College,  Hickory, 
N.C.,  and  is  a  travel  counselor.  Her  husband  is  a 
process  control  engineer  for  GE  in  Hickory. 
^■Married:  Dr.  Mark  Mahoney  to  Kathryn 
Jakubczyk  in  New  Britain,  Connecticut  recently. 
The  groom  began  his  residency  in  family 
medicine  in  June  at  Abington  (Pa.)  Memorial 

Hospital Lawrence  D.  Patty  to  Miss  Nancy  R. 

Capozzaon  May  13,  1978  in  New  London, 
Connecticut.  Mrs.  Patty  graduated  from  South- 
ern Connecticut  State  College  and  is  a  children's 
librarian  at  Waterford  Public  Library.  The  groom 
is  with  General  Dynamics-Electric  Boat. .  .  . 


Thomas  J.  Socha  and  Miss  Barbara  H.  Hall  in 
Paxton,  Massachusetts  on  May  20,  1978.  Mrs. 
Socha  graduated  from  Utica  College  of  Syracuse 
University  and  is  an  occupational  therapist  at  St. 
Vincent  Hospital,  Worcester.  The  bridegroom  is 
production  manager  at  Mercury  Wire  Products, 
Inc.,  Spencer,  Mass. 

>Born:  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Michael  E.  Lewan- 
dowski  their  first  baby,  Scott  Michael,  on  De- 
cember 19,  1977.  Michael  teaches  at  Joseph 
Case  High  School  in  Swansea,  Mass.,  where  he  is 
active  in  rocketry  and  science  fair  programs. . . . 
to  John  and  Michelle  (Riel)  Lord  their  first  child, 
a  son,  Benjamin  Warren,  on  December  13, 
1977.  The  Lords  are  now  in  their  new  house 
"settling  in  for  a  long  stay  in  Connecticut." 

Lt./Jg  James  Asaro  is  with  U.S.  Navy  Patrol 
Squadron  Five.  He  and  his  wife  Belinda  reside  in 
Jacksonville,  Fla. .  .  .  Erik  Brodin  is  an  industrial 
engineer  for  GM  in  Framingham,  Mass.  He  has 
an  MCP  from  URI  and  an  MBA  from  Western 
New  England  College.  .  . .  Wayne  Bryant  serves 
as  a  project  leader  of  the  systems  programming 
group  at  Composition  Systems,  Inc.  He  lives  in 

Mahopac,  N.Y Christopher  Cigal  has  served 

as  commander  of  Headquarters  Company  544 
Maintenance  Battalion  for  a  year  and  now  plans 
on  going  to  UMass  Graduate  School  for  an  MBA 
this  fall.  .  . .  Keith  Coakley  holds  the  post  of 
manager  of  quality  assurance  at  Scan-Optics, 


The  WPI  Journal  I  August  1 978  1 29 


Inc.  in  East  Hartford,  Conn Gene  DeJac- 

kome,  a  research  engineer  with  Monsanto  in 
Springfield,  Mass.,  was  recently  a  candidate  for 
selectman  in  Orange,  Mass.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Orange  Planning  Board.  He  and  his  wife 
Pamela  have  one  daughter. 

Still  with  Grumman  Aerospace,  Stephen  Engel 
is  now  an  associate  engineer  for  the  firm  in 

Bethpage,  N.Y Presently  Ronald  Fargnoli 

serves  as  the  project  engineer  for  Gilbane  Build- 
ing in  Providence,  R.I.  .  .  .  Robert  Foley  is  a 
personnel  officer  with  the  U  .S.  Marine  Corps — 
Thomas  Frink  works  as  a  junior  engineer  for 
Maiden  Mills  in  Lawrence,  Mass.  .  .  .  Edward 
Gordon  holds  the  post  of  engineering  pro- 
grammer for  RACAL-Milco,  Inc.  in  Miami,  Fla. 
. .  .  James  Gow  has  been  promoted  to  systems 
consultant  within  the  systems  development  or- 
ganization at  State  Mutual  Life  Assurance  Com- 
pany of  America.  He  joined  the  company  after 
graduation  as  a  systems  analyst.  He  was  named 
senior  systems  analyst  in  1 976.  Last  year  he 
achieved  the  designation  of  the  fellow,  Life 
Management  Institute  (FLMI). . . .  Donald  Gross 
has  graduated  from  F-4  RTU  at  MacDill  AFB,  Fla. 
He  is  now  assigned  to  Kunsan  AFB,  Korea. . . . 
Gary  Hills,  a  senior  field  cost  engineer  for  Stone 
&  Webster  in  Boston,  is  presently  assigned  to 
Long  Island  Lighting  Company's  Shoreham  Nu- 
clear Power  Station.  . . .  Chester  Kokoszka  serves 
as  an  associate  engineer  at  Connecticut  Yankee 
Atomic  Power  plant  in  East  Hampton,  Conn. . . . 
Robert  Partridge  works  as  an  office  engineer  for 
Stone  &  Webster  in  Wading  River,  N.Y. . . .  Peter 
Thacher  continues  with  ARAMCO  of  Dhahran, 
Saudi  Arabia,  where  he  is  with  project  engineer- 
ing services. .  . .  Jim  Wong,  Jr.  holds  the  post  of 
process  engineer  at  Allied  Chemical  Corp., 
Philadelphia,  Pa. 

1975 

^Married:  Robert  J.  Ankstitus  and  Miss  Patti  A. 
Milley  on  April  22, 1978  in  Ashland,  Mas- 
sachusetts. The  bride  graduated  from  Ashland 
Senior  High  School  and  is  employed  by  Lehrer  & 
Madden,  Inc.,  Wellesley  Hills.  The  bridegroom  is 
employed  by  the  U.S.  Environmental  Protection 

Agency  in  Lexington John  F.  Gabranski  and 

Miss  Carol  A.  Finney  in  Westfield,  Mas- 
sachusetts on  March  18, 1978.  Mrs.  Gabranski 
graduated  from  Springfield  College  and  received 
her  MS  in  education  of  the  deaf  at  Smith  College. 
Her  husband  is  a  student  at  Columbia  University 
Graduate  School  of  Business. 
>Born:  to  Mr.  and  Mrs  David  H.  Kingsbury 
their  second  child,  a  daughter,  Lesley  Anne,  on 
April,  12, 1978.  Dave  is  with  Monsanto  in 
Springfield,  Mass.,  where  he  is  a  systems  en- 
gineer. 

Jim  Aceto  has  accepted  the  post  of  superin- 
tendent at  Perini  Corp.  in  Coatesville,  Pa.  He  and 
his  wife  Melinda  will  be  moving  to  the  Coates- 
ville area  soon.  . . .  Jon  Anderson,  who  has  just 
graduated  from  Yale  Law  School,  is  currently  a 
law  clerk  for  Caleb  Wright,  employed  by  the  U.S. 
government.  He  is  located  in  Wilmington,  Dela- 
ware. . . .  Thomas  Bower  has  completed  re- 
quirements for  his  master  of  science  and  safety 
degree  from  the  University  of  California.  He  is 
assistant  chief  of  the  Safety  Corps  of  Engineers  in 
Baltimore,  Md.  . .  .  Barry  Braunstein  now  works 
for  Intel  Corporation  as  a  field  sales  engineer.  He 
is  located  in  Chestnut  Hill,  Mass.  .  .  .  Mark 
Candello  has  joined  Frederick  A.  Farrar,  Inc.  in 
Keene,  N.H.      .  Jane  Lataille  Carnevale  cur- 
rently serves  as  a  supervising  engineer  at  Indus- 
trial Risk  Insurers,  Philadelphia,  Pa.  .  . .  Douglas 
DeWitte  works  as  a  mechanical  engineer  at  the 


Naval  Air  Engineering  Center  in  Lakehurst,  N.J. 
Donald  Drew,  who  received  his  MBA  from 
Cornell  last  year,  is  now  a  management  consul- 
tant for  Arthur  Young  &  Company  in 
Washington,  D.C. . . .  Continuing  with  Westing- 
house,  Charles  Embree  currently  serves  as  a 
marketing  representative  in  engineering  services 
in  Hartford,  Conn. 

John  Fitzgibbons  is  a  graduate  student  at 
Northeastern  University  in  Boston. .  . .  Stephen 
Fitzhugh  works  for  I  &  CE  Systems  Engineering 
at  Combustion  Engineering  in  Windsor,  Conn. 
.  .  .  Stanley  Goldfarb  continues  at  Digital 
Equipment  Co.,  Maynard,  Mass.,  where  he  is  a 
software  engineer.  He  and  his  wife  Janice  reside 
in  Shrewsbury.  .  .  .  D.  Berrien  Halstead  III  holds 
the  post  of  damage  control  assistant  with  the  " 
U.S.  Navy. .  . .  Still  with  Wildish  Companies, 
Eugene,  Oregon,  Timothy  Hendrix  is  currently  a 
construction  engineer. .  . .  John  Holmes  serves 
as  an  engineer  technician  at  Combustion  En- 
gineering in  Windsor,  Conn.  .  . .  Michael 
Malanca  is  chief  of  computer  services  for  Dyna- 
trend,  Inc.  in  Burlington,  Mass.  He  has  his  MS 
from  WPI ....  Charles  May  is  employed  as  a  sales 
engineer  for  Dana  Corp.  in  Alanta,  Ga. 

Stephen  Mealy  has  been  in  Puerto  Rico  work- 
ing with  the  Navy's  East  Coast  Seal  Team.  . 
Paul  Menard,  who  is  working  for  his  PhD  at  Ohio 
State  University,  is  currently  a  research  associate. 
. . .  Martin  Meyers  received  the  degree  of  doctor 
of  philosophy  in  electrical  and  computer  en- 
gineering from  UMass,  Amherst  in  May.  He  is 
now  a  member  of  the  technical  staff  at  Bell 

Telephone  Laboratories  in  North  Andover 

Frank  Moitoza  serves  as  a  contract  administrator 
for  the  Naval  Underwater  Systems  Center/Naval 
Sea  Systems  Command  in  Washington,  D.C.  He 

lives  in  Alexandria Richard  Newhouse  has 

accepted  a  position  as  a  structural  engineer  with 
Roussel  Engineering,  Inc.  of  Metairie,  Louisiana. 
...  In  June  Barrett  Pett  was  reassigned  to  the 
U.S.  Army  cold  region  center  in  Ft.  Greely, 
Alaska.  He  is  the  project  manager  testing  air 
defense  missile  systems  in  the  Arctic. .      Francis 
Schlegel  was  transferred  to  Baton  Rouge  in 
November  to  the  Uniroyal  chemical  plants  in 
Scotts  Bluff  and  Geismar,  Louisiana,  where  he  is 
a  development  engineer. 

Catherine  Seymour  has  completed  her  first 
year  of  graduate  work  at  MIT.  Last  year  she  was 
a  teaching  assistant.  Currently  she  holds  the 
position  of  research  assistant,  specializing  in 
organic  chemistry. .  .  .  David  Shopis  is  with 
Gilbane  Building  Co.  of  Providence,  R.I.  He  has  a 
degree  in  building  sciences  from  RPI.  . . .  Mar- 
garet St.  John  continues  at  St.  Vincent  Hospital, 
Worcester,  where  she  is  now  a  senior  electron 
microscopy  technician. .  .  .  Lt/jg  Michael 
Sundberg,  U.S.  Navy,  is  presently  stationed  near 
the  Indian  Ocean,  where  he  is  with  the  Civil 
Engineer  Corps. .  .  .  John  Watkins  is  an  experi- 
mental engineer  at  Warner  &  Swasey  Co., 
Worcester.  .  .  .  Stephen  Werner  holds  the  post 
of  senior  design  engineer  at  Boeing  Wichita 
(Kansas)  Company. ...  Jeff  Wnek  finished  the 
1 978  Boston  Marathon  with  a  time  of  2:39:45.  It 
was  his  first  Boston  race,  and  only  his  second 
marathon.  He  continues  at  Lilly  Chemical  Prod- 
ucts, Inc.,  Templeton,  Mass.,  where  he  is  a  paint 
chemist  and  plant  safety  director. 


1976 

^Married:  Thomas  H.  Descoteaux  and  Priscilla 
A.  McNamara  on  May  6, 1 978  in  Worcester.  The 
bride  graduated  from  the  Memorial  Hospital 
School  of  Nursing  and  is  a  registered  nurse  on 
the  staff  of  St.  Vincent's  Hospital.  The  bride- 
groom is  a  civil  engineer  with  ENCON,  Inc.  in 
Chicopee. . . .  Robert  Roy  IV  and  Nancy  Krusell  in 
Marshfield,  Massachusetts  on  May  20,  1978. 
Mrs.  Roy  graduated  from  St.  Lawrence  Univer- 
sity and  is  an  environmental  planner  employed 
by  the  GCA  Corp.  in  Bedford.  Her  husband  is  an 
electrical  systems  engineer  with  GTE  Sylvania, 
Waltham. 

Joseph  Betro,  who  received  his  MSEE  from  the 
University  of  Wisconsin  in  May,  has  received  a 
full  fellowship  to  the  University  of  Illinois,  where 
he  will  study  for  his  doctorate. .  . .  Raymond 
Calabro,  Jr.  works  as  a  pipe  hanger  engineer  at 
ITT  Grinnell  in  Providence,  R.I.  .  . .  Still  with 
Clairol  in  Stamford,  Conn.,  John  Casey  is  cur- 
rently a  production  supervisor.  . .  .Therese 
Cirone  holds  the  post  of  production  supervisor  at 

Clairol  in  Stamford Albert  Cooley,  Jr.,  who 

has  received  his  MBA  from  the  University  of 
Michigan,  works  as  a  marketing  associate  at 
RCA  in  Cherry  Hill,  N.J. . .  .  Robert  Cormier 
serves  as  an  engineer  in  training  at  Allan  H. 
Swanson,  Inc.,  in  Nashua,  N.H. . . .  Nancy 
Duncanson  is  a  pilot  plan  engineer  for  Union 

Carbide-Linde  Division  in  Tonawanda,  N.Y 

Kevin  Egan  works  as  a  structural  engineer  for 
Allen  &  Demurjian  Inc.,  Boston,  Mass.  . . . 
Randall  Emerson  is  employed  as  a  fire  protection 
engineer  at  Kemper  Insurance  in  Quincy,  Mass. 
.  .  .  Lt.  Christopher  Ford,  U.S.  Army,  serves  as 
battalion  motor  officer  for  the  1st  Battalion,  28th 

Infantry  at  Ft.  Riley,  Kansas James  Galvin, 

who  received  his  MSCE  from  Stanford  last  year, 
is  now  a  project  cost-schedule  engineer  at 

Bechtel  Power  Corp.,  Ann  Arbor,  Mich 

Presently  Larry  Gaspar  serves  as  a  design  en- 
gineer at  GTE  Sylvania  in  Ipswich,  Mass. . . .  Perry 
Griffin  has  joined  the  Trane  Company's  com- 
mercial air  conditioning  division  in  the  Boston 
sales  office.  Recently  he  completed  the  firm's 
six-month  graduate  engineer  training  program, 
which  concentrates  on  specialized  heat  transfer 
theory  and  practice,  as  well  as  in-depth  coverage 
of  Trane  products.  Trane  is  a  leading  manufac- 
turer of  air  conditioning,  refrigeration  and  heat 
transfer  equipment  for  commercial,  residential, 
industrial,  transport  and  special  process  applica- 
tions and  has  offices  and  facilities  worldwide. 

Paul  Gudaitis  holds  the  post  of  analytical 
engineer  at  Pratt  &  Whitney  in  East  Hartford, 

Conn Robert  Harris,  SIM,  is  manufacturing 

manager  at  Henry  L  Hanson,  Inc.,  Worcester. 
.  .  .  Barry  Heitner,  who  has  received  his  MS 
degree  in  chemical  engineering  from  Cornell,  is 
now  employed  by  Du  Pont  at  the  firm's  experi- 
mental station  in  Wilmington,  Delaware.  He  and 
his  wife  Prorit  Szafran  Heitner  reside  in  Clay- 

mont Ray  Houle  is  employed  as  general 

manager  of  Precision  Products  Co.,  Woonsoc- 
ket,  R.I.  .    .  Paul  Jaques  serves  as  a  plant  design 
engineer  at  Eastman  Kodak  in  Rochester,  N.Y. . . 
.  Mark  Johnson,  who  received  his  MSCE  from 
the  University  of  Maine  in  December,  has  joined 
the  Bridgeport  (Conn.)  Hydraulic  Co. . . .  Jeremy 
Jones  works  as  a  development  engineer  in  the 
R&D  department  at  Polaroid  in  Waltham,  Mass. 
.  .  .  Doug  Knowles  is  a  programmer  at  Applicon, 

Inc.  in  Burlington,  Mass Andrew  Kopach  is 

now  an  installation  and  service  engineer  working 
on  hydroelectric  power  plants  for  GE —  Charles 
Lauzon,  who  has  received  his  MS  from  the 
University  of  Michigan,  is  presently  a  process 
engineer  at  Union  Carbide  in  Bound  Brook,  N.J. 


30 1  August  1978  I  The  WPI  Journal 


Rodney  Lewis  is  a  scientific  programmer  at 
MIT  Lincoln  Laboratory  in  Lexington,  Mass. . . . 
Having  completed  a  two-year  training  program, 
Thomas  May  was  slated  to  be  assigned  to  the 
post  of  district  engineer  at  a  Torrington  Co. 
district  sales  office  on  July  1st.  . .  .  Francis 
McConville,  still  with  the  Worcester  Foundation 
of  Experimental  Biology,  serves  as  a  research 
assistant.  .  . .  Thomas  McNeice  has  completed 
requirements  for  an  MS  in  civil  engineering  at 
the  University  of  Maine  in  Orono.  He  has  joined 
Camp  Dresser  and  McKee,  Boston.  . .  .  Ronald 
Medrzychowski  continues  at  Electric  Boat  in 
Groton,  Conn. 

Leon  Meyer  is  a  qualitative  assurance  en- 
gineer at  Sikorsky  Aircraft  in  Stratford,  Conn 

Roland  Moreau  was  recently  promoted  to  struc- 
tural engineering  project  leader  at  United  Nu- 
clear Corp.  in  Montville,  Conn.  ...  Ed  Robillard 
works  as  a  design  draftsman  at  GTE  Sylvania  in 
Ipswich,  Mass.  .  .  .  Eugene  Savoie  serves  as  a 
sales  planner  in  the  semi-conductor  products 
department  at  GE  in  Auburn,  NY. .  .  .  Steven 
Schoen  has  been  appointed  actuarial  assistant  in 
the  product  department  of  Sun  Life  Assurance 
Company  of  Canada  at  U.S.  headquarters  in 
Wellesley ,  Mass.  He  is  an  associate  of  the  Society 
of  actuaries  and  a  member  of  the  Actuaries' Club 
of  Boston. .  .  .  Paula  Stratouly  holds  the  post  of 
industrial  sales  representative  for  Exxon  Corp.  in 
Springfield,  Mass.  .  .  .  Peter  Tordo  is  a  counselor 
at  New  Dominion  School,  Dillwyn,  Va.,  a  wilder- 
ness school  for  emotionally  distrubed  boys.  He 
was  slated  to  spend  May  hiking  with  ten  boys 
145  miles  on  the  Appalachian  Trail  in  New 
Hampshire.  He  expects  to  move  near  Salisbury, 
Md.  soon  to  start  another  such  school. . . .  Jeffrey 
Triwedi  serves  as  a  trainee  in  the  T.M.P.  program 
at  GE  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  . .  .  Roy  Willits  is  a 
graduate  student  at  Rutgers  University. . . . 
Thomas  Wimbrow  is  now  operations  manager 
at  Beswick  Engineering  Co.,  Inc.,  Ipswich,  Mass. 
.  .  .  Brian  Young  works  as  a  process  engineer  at 
Allied  Chemical  in  Marcus  Hook,  Pa. 


1977 

^■Married:  Asta  J.  Dabrila  to  Romas  A.  Pliod- 
zinskas  in  Worcester  on  June  1 7,  1 978.  The 
bride,  formerly  a  loss  prevention  consultant  at 
Factory  Mutual  Engineering  &  Research  in  Nor- 
wood, Mass.,  is  now  working  in  the  company's 
Cleveland  District  office.  Her  husband,  a  student 
at  Cleveland  State  University,  is  employed  in  the 
department  of  engineering  and  construction  for 
the  City  of  Cleveland.  .  .  .  Brian  A.  Soucy  and 
Miss  Sherry  Ann  Basch  on  March  1 1 ,  1978  in  St. 
Johnsbury,  Vermont.  Mrs.  Soucy  graduated 
from  Rivier  College  and  received  an  associate  in 
science  degree  in  medical  technology.  She  is 
employed  at  Lawrence  and  Memorial  Hospitals 
in  New  London,  Conn.  The  bridegroom  is  with 
Pfizer,  Inc.,  in  Groton,  Conn.,  where  he  is  a 
process  supervisor. 


Robert  Bowser  is  a  mechanical  engineer  for 
the  Naval  Ship  Engineering  Center  in 
Washington,  D.C.  Recently  he  has  had  tempo- 
rary duty  in  Bremerton,  Washington.  He  resides 
in  Alexandria,  Va.    . .  Edward  Bromage  works  as 
a  project  assistant  for  the  Portland  (Me.)  Area 
Comprehensive  Transportation  Study.  .  .  .  Jef- 
frey Brown  has  joined  the  Trane  Company's 
Commercial  Air  Conditioning  Division  at  the 
sales  office  in  Boston .  Recently  he  completed  the 
six-month  Trane  Graduate  Engineer  Training 
Program.  . .  .  Gerard  Chase  is  an  assistant 
mechanical  engineer  at  the  United  Illuminating 
Co.  in  New  Haven,  Conn. .  . .  Paul  Craffey  is 
working  for  his  MS  in  chemical  engineering  at 
UMass  in  Amherst.  . .  .  Robert  Dolan  is  a 
production  control  specialist  for  Ford  Motor  Co. 
at  the  Cleveland  stamping  plant. .  .  .  Michael 
Doyle  holds  the  post  of  quality  assurance  en- 
gineer for  Singer-Kearfott  Co.  of  Little  Falls,  N.J. 
.  .  .  Kurt  Eisenman  is  the  New  York  State  terri- 
tory manager  of  industrial  hydraulics  for 
Parker-Hannifin  Corp.  of  Saddlebrook,  N.J.  He 
and  his  wife,  Tina,  live  in  Rochester.  .  .  .  Steven 
Fine  is  doing  research  on  inorganic  ion  exchan- 
gers at  Texas  A  &  M  University,  where  he  is  a 
graduate  student. 

Eric  Hertz  writes:  "Having  fun  watching 
technology  change  at  AT  &  T  Long  Lines  in 
Newark,  N.J."  .  . .  2/Lt.  Joseph  Hillery  has 
completed  a  medical  service  corps  officer  basic 
course  at  the  Academy  of  Health  Sciences  of  the 
U.S.  Army  in  Ft.  Sam  Houston,  Texas. . . .  Richard 
Hopkinson  is  a  property  consultant  for  Em- 
ployers Insurers  of  Wausau  in  Atlanta,  Ga. . .  . 
Chuck  Johnson,  who  is  class  agent,  is  with 
Western  Electric  Co.  in  North  Andover,  Mass. . . . 
David  Lounsbury  is  with  programming  and  en- 
gineering at  Prime  Computer  Inc.,  Framingham, 
Mass.  .  .  .  Jerry  Melcher  now  works  as  a  system 
analyst  on  automatic  generation  control  systems 
for  Leeds  and  Northrup  Co.  in  North  Wales,  Pa. 
.  .  .  Presently  Marc  Meunier  serves  as  an  assist- 
ant engineer  at  Industrial  Risk  Insurers  in  Atlanta, 
Ga. . . .  Bruce  Minsky,  who  has  been  doing 
cancer  research  at  Boston  University  Medical 
School  and  Harvard  Medical  School,  has  been 
accepted  at  the  University  of  Massachusetts 
Medical  School.  He  will  start  studying  for  his  MD 
degree  in  September. 

Stephen  Potz  has  been  hired  as  a  structural 
engineer  by  Pratt  &  Whitney  Aircraft  in  East 
Hartford,  Conn.  His  work  involves  computerized 

structural  analysis  of  commercial  jet  engines 

Ralph  Sacco  III  is  currently  an  assistant  sales 
engineerforWestinghouse  in  Washington,  D.C. 
.  . .  Gregory  Scott  serves  as  chief  systems  pro- 
grammer at  Applied  Logic  Corporation,  Boston. 
.  .  .  Allan  Shear  works  for  the  engineering  de- 
partment in  City  Hall  at  Woonsocket,  R.I. .  . . 
William  Shoop  is  a  manufacturing  engineer  for 
GE  in  San  Jose,  Calif.  .  .  .  2/Lt.  David  White,  Jr. 
has  completed  an  ammunition  officer  course  at 
the  U.S.  Army  Missile  and  Munition  Center  and 
School,  Redstone  Arsenal,  Alabama.  ...  J. 
Gilbert  Wilson  III  holds  the  post  of  structural 
design  engineer  at  Varco-Pruden  in  Evansville, 
Wisconsin. 


The  WPI  journal  August  1978   37 


Forrest  G.  Kirsch,  '08,  died  on  February  23, 1 978 
in  Endwell,  New  York. 

A  native  of  Northampton,  Mass.,  he  was  born 
on  December  18,  1883.  During  his  lifetime  he 
was  with  Springfield  Automobile  Co.  and  the  city 
of  Springfield  (Mass.),  where  he  was  a  deputy 
tax  collector.  He  studied  mechanical  engineering 
at  WPI  and  belonged  to  the  Western  Mas- 
sachusetts Engineering  Society. 

Oliver  B.  Jacobs,  '10,  of  Morristown,  New  Jer- 
sey, who  held  patents  that  made  the  trans- 
oceanic submarine  cable  telephone  possible, 
died  in  May  at  the  age  of  89. 

He  was  born  on  January  23,  1889  in  Daniel- 
son,  Conn.  In  1910  he  graduated  from  WPI  as  an 
electrical  engineer.  From  1910  until  1917  he  was 
with  the  American  Telephone  &  Telegraph  Co. 
During  World  War  I  he  rose  to  the  rank  of 
captain  in  the  U.S.  Army  Signal  Corps.  After  the 
war  he  again  joined  AT  &  T.  From  1929  to  1954 
he  was  a  member  of  the  technical  staff  at  Bell 
Telephone  Laboratories.  After  he  retired  in 
1954,  he  remained  at  the  labs  until  1962  as  a 
consultant,  although  his  employer  at  the  time 
was  Lockheed  Electronics  Co. 

Mr.  Jacobs  was  co-inventor  of  the  fundamen- 
tal features  of  repeatered  transoceanic  tele- 
phone cable  systems,  and  contributed  much  in 
devising  suitable  installation,  system  design,  and 
operating  procedures.  He  belonged  to  IRE,  AIEE, 
and  Morris  County  Engineers  Club.  He  had 
served  as  chairman  of  the  local  Red  Cross,  and  as 
a  member  of  several  municipal  boards. 

David  C.  Howard,  '13,  died  in  Annapolis,  Mary- 
land on  March  20,  1978.  He  was  87. 

A  native  of  Townsend,  Mass.,  he  was  born  on 
May  10,  1890.  Following  his  graduation  from 
WPI  as  an  electrical  engineer,  he  was  with 
Westinghouse  in  Pittsburgh  as  a  research  en- 
gineer for  three  years.  While  with  Westing- 
house,  he  obtained  a  patent  on  a  thermal  relay 
and  variable  speed  induction  motor,  which  he 
had  invented. 

In  1 91 6  and  1 91 7  he  taught  at  Carnegie 
Institute  of  Technology.  During  World  War  I  he 
was  a  lieutenant  in  the  U.S.  Navy  assigned  as  an 
instructor  in  electrical  engineering  at  the  U.S. 
Naval  Academy  in  Annapolis.  After  the  war,  he 
became  a  civilian  instructor  at  the  Academy. 
When  he  retired  in  1955,  he  was  a  professor  of 
electrical  engineering,  and  was  named  professor 
emeritus.  He  belonged  to  Sigma  Xi,  and  was  a 
fellow  of  IEEE.  Also,  he  was  a  member  of  the 
American  Association  for  the  Advancement  of 
Science. 


Frank  Aiken,  '15,  of  Havertown,  Pennsylvania, 
died  on  January  16,  1978. 

He  was  born  on  December  16,  1892  in 
Bridgewater,  N.H.  In  1915  he  graduated  from 
WPI  with  a  BS  in  electrical  engineering.  During 
his  career,  he  was  with  Atwater  Kent  Manufac- 
turing Co.,  Emlen  &Co.,  and  Wiler&  Co.,  Inc.,  of 
Philadelphia.  He  belonged  to  Skull  and  Theta 
Chi. 

Sarkis  M.  Nahikian,  '15,  of  Allegan,  Michigan, 
the  retired  president  of  Heatube  Corporation, 
passed  away  on  January  8,  1978. 

Born  in  Harpoot,  Turkey  on  October  26,  1891, 
he  later  studied  mechanical  engineering  at  WPI. 
He  had  been  employed  by  Blood  Bros.  Machine 
Co.,  the  Federal  Resettlement  Administration, 
Overton  Machine  Co.,  and  Heatube  Corp.,  from 
which  he  retired  in  1955. 

Mr.  Nahikian  belonged  to  the  Masons,  the 
Society  of  Automotive  Engineers,  and  the  Ro- 
tary. He  served  on  the  local  board  of  education. 
He  was  an  Army  veteran  of  World  War  I,  and  a 
graduate  mechanical  engineer  from  the  Univer- 
sity of  Michigan. 

Heyward  F.  Lawton,  '18,  a  retired  assistant  sales 
manager  for  Rohm  &  Haas  Co.,  died  on  March 
28,  1978.  He  was  80  years  old. 

A  native  of  Newport,  R.I.,  he  was  born  on  July 
2,  1897.  After  graduating  as  a  chemist  from 
WPI,  he  was  employed  for  a  short  time  at 
Acheson  Graphite  Co.,  Buffalo,  N.Y.  Later  he 
was  with  U.S.  Finishing  Co.  of  Pawtucket,  R.I., 
Borden  &  Remington  Co.,  Fall  River,  Mass.,  and 
Rohm  &  Haas  of  Philadelphia.  He  retired  in  1963 
from  the  Philadelphia  firm,  where  he  had  been 
assistant  sales  manager  of  the  textile  chemicals 
department  and  district  sales  manager  for  the 
mid-Atlantic  territory  and  mid-western  territory. 

Mr.  Lawton  belonged  to  Lambda  Chi  Alpha, 
The  Chemists  Club  of  New  York  City,  and  the 
American  Association  of  Textile  Chemists  and 
Colorists. 

Roland  H.  Taylor,  '18,  of  Santa  Rosa,  California 
died  on  February  10, 1978. 

He  was  born  on  March  28,1 894  in  Worcester, 
and  later  studied  civil  engineering  at  WPI.  He 
had  been  associated  with  the  Salt  River  Valley 
Water  Users  Association,  and  Taylor  Machinery 
Co.  (owner),  both  in  Phoenix,  Ariz.  Later  he  was 
with  Byron-Jackson,  Los  Angeles;  Six  Com- 
panies, Inc.  (builders  of  Boulder  Dam);  and 
Industrial  Equipment  Co.,  Oakland,  Calif.  For  a 
number  of  years,  he  was  a  life  underwriter  for 
John  Hancock  Life  Insurance  Co.,  Santa  Rosa. 

Mr.  Taylor  belonged  to  Phi  Gamma  Delta, 
Skull,  ASCE,  and  was  active  in  scouting,  the 
YMCA,  PTA,  and  church  affairs. 


Malcolm  B.  Arthur,  '20,  class  president,  passed 
away  on  March  29,  1978. 

He  was  born  on  February  24, 1899  in  Worces- 
ter and  graduated  as  a  civil  engineer  from  WPI  in 
1 920.  During  his  lifetime  he  had  been  employed 
by  FT.  Leg  Co. ,  Lima,  Peru ;  New  England  Power 
Construction  Co.;  the  U.S.  Geological  Survey; 
and  So.  California  Edison  Co.  From  1935  until  he 
retired  in  1965,  he  was  with  the  Forest  Service  of 
the  U.S.  Department  of  Agriculture.  A  specialist 
in  dam  design  and  construction  and  flood  con- 
trol, in  1962  he  received  an  award  for  superior 
service  from  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture.  He  was 
honored  for  "notable  results  in  the  engineering 
field  in  the  north  central  region  of  the  Forest 
Service." 

Mr.  Arthur  was  a  fellow  and  life  member  of 
ASCE,  and  an  associate  in  the  Society  of  Ameri- 
can Foresters.  He  was  a  member  of  Lambda  Chi 
Alpha  and  Skull. 

Lionel  O.  Lundgren,  '24,  retired  chief  engineer 
for  the  Okonite  Co.,  died  on  February  20,  1978 
in  Attleboro,  Massachusetts  at  the  age  of  74. 

A  Worcester  native,  he  was  born  on  Sept.  22, 
1 903 .  In  1924  he  received  his  BSEE  from  WPI.  He 
joined  the  former  American  Electrical  Works 
after  graduation  and  stayed  with  the  firm  for 
forty-four  years,  while  the  company  name  was 
changed  to  Kennecott  Wire  &  Cable  Co.,  and 
then  to  the  Okonite  Co.  He  retired  from  the 
Phillipsdale,  R.I.  operation  in  1968. 

Mr.  Lundgren  belonged  to  Lambda  Chi  Alpha, 
Tau  Beta  Pi,  and  Sigma  Xi.  He  had  previously 
belonged  to  the  Seekonk  Fire  Association,  which 
he  served  as  treasurer  for  twenty-three  years, 
and  as  chief  of  the  Volunteer  Fire  Department 
for  four  years.  He  had  been  an  officer  on  the 
Seekonk  Finance  Committee  and  a  member  of 
the  board  of  Water  Commissioners.  A  32nd 
degree  Mason,  he  belonged  to  the  Palestine 
Shrine  of  Providence.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
permanent  diaconate  of  Central  Congregational 
Church. 

Robert  H.  Dunbar,  '25,  of  Springfield,  Mas- 
sachusetts, a  retired  administrative  assistant  for 
New  England  Telephone  &  Telegraph  Co.,  died 
suddenly  on  March  2,  1978. 

Born  in  Syracuse,  N.Y.  on  April  18,  1903,  he 
later  studied  at  WPI.  He  was  with  NET  &  T  Co. 
for  over  fifty  years,  and  retired  in  1967.  He  wasa 
member  of  the  Masons,  Phi  Gamma  Delta,  and 
the  Shrine. 

David  M.  Shapleigh,  '25,  died  unexpectedly  on 
April  12, 1978  in  Dover-Foxcroft,  Maine.  He  was 
78. 

He  was  born  on  Sept.  10,  1899  in  Boston  and 
was  educated  at  WPI  and  the  University  of 
Maine.  Before  retirement,  he  had  been  a  chemi- 
cal engineer  in  the  pulp  and  paper  industry.  He 
was  a  member  of  TAPPI. 

Donald  L.  King,  '27,  of  West  Nyack,  New  York 
passed  away  on  March  30,  1978. 

A  native  of  Athol,  Mass. ,  he  was  born  there  on 
February  4,  1905.  In  1927  he  received  his  BSEE 
from  WPI.  From  1927  until  his  retirement  in 
1 968,  he  served  as  a  project  engineer  for  the 
New  York  Telephone  Co.  At  one  time  he  was 
plant  supervisor  for  the  company  in  New  York 
City.  He  was  a  member  of  Tau  Beta  Pi. 


321  August  1978  I  The  WPI  journal 


Lincoln  B.  Hathaway,  '30,  passed  away  in  New 
Bedford,  Massachusetts  on  February  15,  1978. 
He  was  70  years  old. 

A  native  of  New  Bedford,  he  was  born  on 
August  30,  1907.  He  received  his  degree  in 
mechanical  engineering  from  WPI.  From  1933 
to  1 938  he  was  with  Continental  Screw  Co.  Later 
he  joined  Revere  Copper  &  Brass,  Inc.,  from 
which  he  retired  five  years  ago. 

Mr.  Hathaway  belonged  to  ATO,  the  Masons, 
and  the  Service  Corps  of  Retired  Executives.  He 
was  also  a  member  of  the  New  Bedford  Council 
of  Royal  and  Select  Masters,  the  Sutton  Com- 
mandry,  and  Knights  Templar. 

Albert  N.  Narter,  '30,  of  Dobbs  Ferry,  New  York, 
a  retired  engineer  from  the  American  Bureau  of 
Shipping,  died  in  April. 

He  was  born  on  Sept.  15,  1907  in  Worcester. 
After  graduating  as  an  electrical  engineer  in 
1930,  he  joined  New  York  Edison  Co.  in  New 
York  City.  For  a  time  he  was  with  Standard 
Shipping  Co.  He  was  employed  by  the  American 
Bureau  of  Shipping  for  many  years  serving  as  a 
marine  surveyor  and  principal  surveyor  in  charge 
of  the  machinery  technical  section.  At  the  time  of 
his  retirement  in  1 97 1 ,  he  was  assistant  to  the 
vice  president. 

During  World  War  II,  he  was  a  "free  agent" 
and  traveled  to  Italy,  France,  Greece,  Tunisia, 
Sicily,  and  Algeria  to  assist  the  U.S.  War  Shipping 
Administration  with  repairs  of  battle  damaged 
merchant  vessels.  His  job  was  to  outline  the 
extent  of  repairs  required,  to  supervise  and  to 
inspect  such  repairs  before  letting  the  vessel 
leave  port.  After  the  war,  he  became  involved 
with  nuclear  powered  ships. 

Mr.  Narter,  who  received  his  MSEE  from  WPI 
in  1933,  belonged  to  AIEE,  the  Society  of  Naval 
Architects  and  Marine  Engineers,  and  was  an 
associate  member  of  the  American  Welding 
Society. 

Ferdinand  A.  Trautner,  '30,  chief  engineer  and 
executive  vice  president  of  New  England  Con- 
crete Pipe,  Inc.,  died  in  Newton,  Massachusetts 
on  January  27,  1978.  He  was  69. 

He  was  born  in  Massachusetts  on  Feb.  24, 
1909.  In  1930  he  graduated  as  an  electrical 
engineer  from  WPI.  With  New  England  Con- 
crete Pipe  for  many  years,  previously  he  was 
associated  with  Rhode  Island  Concrete  Pipe  in 
Providence.  He  belonged  to  Lambda  Chi  Alpha, 
the  Congregational  Church,  the  Engineers  Soci- 
ety of  Boston,  and  the  Nobscot  Power  Squadron. 

Lester  Smith,  '31,  died  in  Worcester  on  January 
12, 1978. 

In  1931  he  received  his  BSCE  from  WPI.  He 
had  worked  for  Critchley  Machine  Screw  Co., 
later  R.B.  Phillips  Mfg.  Co.,  and  Wright  Machine. 
He  was  born  on  May  10, 1900  in  Worcester,  and 
belonged  to  ASCE. 

John  S.  Hancock,  '33,  of  Andover,  Mas- 
sachusetts passed  away  recently. 

A  native  of  Lawrence,  Mass.,  he  was  born  on 
Nov.  13,  1910.  During  World  War  II  he  was  a 
staff  sergeant  in  the  U.S.  Army.  For  many  years 
he  served  as  a  public  accountant  in  the  town  of 
Methuen,  Mass.  He  belonged  to  Phi  Sigma 
Kappa. 


Robert  S.  Grand,  '34,  of  North  Plainfield,  New 
Jersey  died  on  November  5,  1977. 

He  was  born  in  Brockton,  Mass.  on  Jan.  3, 
1912,  and  graduated  with  his  BSCE  from  WPI  in 
1 934.  For  many  years  he  was  district  superin- 
tendent of  Austin  Co.,  Roselle,  N.J.  He  belonged 
to  AE  Pi,  ASCE,  National  Society  of  Professional 
Engineers,  the  Masons,  and  the  U.S.  Coast 
Guard  Auxiliary.  He  was  a  professional  engineer 
in  New  Jersey. 

Norman  H.  Osgood,  '41 ,  a  sales  engineer  for 
Coppus  Engineering  Corp.,  Worcester,  passed 
away  on  December  13,  1977. 

A  native  of  Worcester,  he  was  born  on  May 
13,  1919.  He  graduated  as  a  chemical  engineer 
in  1941 .  During  his  career  he  was  associated 
with  RCA  in  Harrison,  N.J.;  Reed  &  Prince,  and 
Coppus,  both  of  Worcester. 

Mr.  Osgood  belonged  to  ATO  and  had  served 
as  water  commissioner  for  the  town  of  Paxton. 

Richard  O.  Slein,  Sr.,  '43,  a  retired  New  England 
Telephone  Co.  engineer,  died  January  24,  1978 
in  City  Hospital,  Worcester.  He  was  58  years  old. 

In  1974  he  retired  as  an  outside  plant  engineer 
for  the  telephone  company's  Worcester  district, 
where  he  had  been  employed  for  thirty-three 
years.  He  was  a  major  in  the  Army  Air  Corps 
during  World  War  II,  and  held  the  Distinguished 
Flying  Cross,  the  Air  Medal,  and  ten  Oak  Leaf 
Clusters.  He  completed  62  missions  as  navigator 
of  a  B-26  bomber  in  Europe,  and  saw  action  over 
Belgium,  Holland,  and  France.  On  D-Day,  June 
6,  1944,  he  participated  in  the  second  air  wave. 

Mr.  Slein  had  once  been  interviewed  in  a  radio 
news  program  by  the  late  Edward  R  Murrow,  a 
former  CBS  correspondent  in  London.  Prior  to 
his  service  in  World  War  II,  he  attended  WPI  and 
worked  for  Heald  Machine.  He  was  a  Worcester 
native. 

Lee  G.  Cordier,  Jr.,  '44,  of  Sacramento,  Califor- 
nia, manager  of  plant  facilities  for  Campbell 
Soup  since  1 963,  died  of  a  heart  attack  on  March 
25,  1978. 

He  was  born  on  May  15, 1922  in  Philadelphia, 
Pa.  In  1944  he  graduated  as  a  mechanical  en- 
gineer from  WPI.  During  his  career  he  was 
associated  with  J.T.  Baker  Chemical  Co.; 
Philadelphia  Gas  Works;  and  Aerojet-General 
Corp.  solid  rocket  plant,  Sacramento,  where  he 
was  manager  of  facilities  planning  new  plants 
and  manufacturing  processes.  He  became  man- 
ager of  plant  facilities  for  Campbell  Soup  fifteen 
years  ago. 

Mr.  Cordier  belonged  to  Phi  Gamma  Delta, 
ASME,  SAM,  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  and 
California  Manufacturers  Association.  He  was  a 
professional  engineer  in  Pennsylvania  and 
California,  and  a  WPI  class  agent. 


Herbert  I.  Boo,  SIM,  '63,  superintendent  of 
manufacturing  at  Wyman-Gordon,  Worcester, 
died  in  Worcester  on  January  7,  1978.  He  was 
59. 

Born  in  Worcester,  he  later  graduated  from 
the  School  of  Industrial  Management  at  WPI.  He 
was  employed  by  Wyman-Gordon  for  thirty- 
nine  years.  In  1964  and  1965  he  was  superin- 
tendent of  Wyman-Gordon  India,  LTD.  in  Bom- 
bay. 

He  was  vice  chairman  of  Immanuel  Lutheran 
Church,  a  member  of  the  expansion  committee 
for  the  Lutheran  Nursing  Home  in  Worcester,  a 
32nd  degree  Mason,  and  a  member  of  the  All 
Scottish  Rite  Bodies  A  World  War  II  Air  Force 
veteran,  he  had  also  belonged  to  the  American 
Forestry  Association  and  the  Mendelssohn 
Singers. 

Francis  R.  Chiarillo,  '67,  of  West  Hartford, 
Connecticut  died  on  December  30,  1977. 

He  was  born  in  Hartford  on  August  26,  1945, 
and  received  his  BSMA  from  WPI  in  1967.  He 
was  an  associate  statistical  analyst  for  Travelers 
Insurance  Co.  A  member  of  the  Travelers  Men's 
Club  and  chess  club,  he  also  belonged  to  the  U.S. 
Chess  Foundation. 

Dinesh  C.  Shah,  '67,  a  product  design  engineer 
for  Ford  Motor  Co.,  died  recently. 

He  was  born  in  Darol  Gujarat,  India  on  August 
1,  1943.  In  1967  he  received  his  MSME  from 
WPI. 


The  WPI  journal  August  1 978  1 33 


CRYSTAR  COMES  THROUGH 
IN  GREAT  SHAPE. 
WONT  SAG,  WARP,  CRACK, 

DREAK  OR  LEAK. 


Norton  CRYSTAR  diffusion 
components  last  as  much  as  5 
times  longer  than  other  materials 

under  high  heat  and  rapid  cycling. 
That's  because  their  unique  struc- 
ture of  high  purity,  recrystallized 
silicon  carbide  is  temper- 
ature tough.  Provides 
full  strength  and 


thermal  shock 

resistance 

from  room 

temperature 

all  the  way  up 

to  1600°C 

Safe,  solid 

support  for 

your  wafer 

processing 

from  our  liners, 

process  tubes, 

paddles  and  boats— 

regardless  of  furnace 

conditions,  fast  cycling  or 

power  failure. 

CRYSTAR  components  have 
an  unmatched  track  record  for 
long,  trouble-free  operation  in  some 
of  the  industry's  most  critical  applica- 
tions. They  eliminate  the  distortion 
worries  you  have  with  quartz.  And  our 
one-piece  process  tubes  provide  positive 
protection  against  leakage. 


No  risk  trial. 

But  don't  take  our  word. 
Take  our  offer  of  a  No- Risk  Trial 
in  your  process.  For  details,  write 
or  phone  Norton  Company, 
Industrial  Ceramics 

Division,  Six  New 
Bond  Street 
Worcester, 
Mass. 
01606 
(617) 
853- 
1000. 


NORTON 


U       « 


October  1978 


UIPpOMTi 


omputers  an 


■■■»!  I  I      


mpMWP 


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i 


Vol.  82,  No.  3 


October  1978 


2  Computers  and  society:  Who's  in  charge? 

Asking  the  hard  questions  about  computers. 

4  The  questions  computers  raise 

Joseph  Weizenbaum  explores  the  questions  that  people  have 
about  computers,  but  he  doesn't  attempt  to  supply  answers. 

9  Microprocessing  everything 

Robert  Solomon  discusses  some  of  the  myriad  uses  of  the 
newest  and  smallest  computer. 

11   How  to  keep  your  computer  busy 

Greg  Scragg  looks  at  some  of  the  'smaller'  ways  computers  are 
used. 

1 3  A  giant  Rorschach  test  for  society 

Sociologist  Sherry  Turkle  talks  about  the  ways  in  which  the 
computer  is  changing  all  of  us,  and  how  the  computer  mag- 
nifies, or  makes  more  visible,  our  society's  problems. 

17  Computer  games 

20  Roy  Seaberg 

22  Your  class  and  others 


Editor:  H.  Russell  Kay 

Alumni  Information  Editor:  Ruth  S.  Trask 

Publications  Committee:  J.  Michael  Anderson, 
'64,  chairman 

Design:.  H.  Russell  Kay 

Typesetting:  Davis  Press,  Worcester,  Mass. 

Printing:  The  House  of  Offset,  Somerville,  Mass. 


Address  all  correspondence  regarding  editorial 
content  or  advertising  to  the  Editor,  WPI  Jour- 
nal, Worcester  Polytechnic  Institute,  Worcester, 
MA  01609.  Telephone  (617)  753-141 1 . 

The  WPI  Journal  is  published  for  the  Alumni 
Association  by  Worcester  Polytechnic  Institute. 
Copyright  ©  1978  by  Worcester  Polytechnic 
Institute.  All  rights  reserved. 

The  WPI  Journal  is  published  six  times  a  year,  in 
August,  September  (catalog  issue),  October, 
December,  February,  and  April.  Second  class 
postage  paid  at  Worcester,  MA. 
Postmaster:  Please  send  for  3579  to:  Alumni 
Association,  Worcester  Polytechnic  Institute, 
Worcester,  MA  01609. 


WPI  ALUMNI  ASSOCIATION 

President:  William  A.  Julian,  '49 

Senior  vice  president:  Ralph  D.  Gelling,  '63 

Vice  president:  Walter  B.  Dennen,  Jr.,  '51 

Secretary-treasurer:  Stephen  J.  Hebert,  '66 

Past  president:  Francis  S.  Harvey,  '37 

Executive  Committee  members-at-large: 
Richard  A.  Davis,  '53;  Anson  C.  Fyler,  45;  John 
H.  McCabe,  '68;  Julius  A.  Palley,  '46 

Faculty  representative:  Kenneth  E.  Scott,  '48 

Fund  Board:  G.  Albert  Anderson,  '51,  chairman; 
Richard  B.  Kennedy,  '65;  Gerald  Finkle,  '57; 
Philip  H.  Puddington,  '59;  Leonard  H.  White, 
'41;  Henry  Styskal,  Jr.,  '50;  C.  John  Lindegren, 
'39 


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Computers  and  society: 


Who's  in  charge? 


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i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i'i  1 1 1  i  1 1  i  ■  ■  ■  i  ■  ■ '. |.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1,1 

I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  ■■■■■■■■■■  'J11'111,1,1, 


I  I  I  I 

BE? 


depending  —  on  the  use  of  computers.  For  science,  for 
business,  for  industry,  for  government,  the  use  of  com- 
puters has  become  a  fact  of  life  in  record-keeping, 
calculating,  simulation,  designing,  decision-making . . . 
you  name  it.  What  bank  or  insurance  company  today 
could  even  continue  to  exist  without  computers? 

But  we  know  too  about  the  dark  side  of  computers.  As 
our  private  space  is  increasingly  crowded  by  the  vast 
amount  of  data  on  file  about  our  lives,-  as  such  everyday 
things  as  supermarket  checkouts  and  payments  begin  to 
depend  on  computers  (the  store's,  the  bank's,  and  your 
personal  ID  card  that  validates  the  transaction);  as  we 
wrestle  with  the  computers  that  keep  track  of  our 
finances  and  obligations:  then  we  begin  to  appreciate 
the  influence  the  computer  now  exerts  on  our  lives. 

As  a  college  that  educates  young  men  and  women  for 
careers  in  science  and  technology,  WPI  inevitably  adds 
to  the  power  of  computers  in  our  world.  As  a  school 
concerned  about  the  interface  between  science, 
technology,  and  the  human  values  and  needs  of  our 
society,  WPI  must  also  help  make  sure  that  the  com- 
puters respond  to  us,  and  not  we  to  them.  At  WPI  we 
must  ask  the  hard  questions.  We  must  ask  who  is  in 
charge. 


In  March  1978,  WPI  held  a  special  symposium  on  the  social 
impact  of  the  computer,  organized  by  social  science  professor 
John  Wilkes.  The  Lawrence  Hull  Memorial  Lecture  was  delivered 
by  Joseph  Weizenbaum,  and  a  panel  discussion  immediately 
following  was  made  possible  by  a  grant  from  the  Lilly  Endow- 
ment, Inc.  The  articles  that  follow  are  based  on  that  symposium. 


The  questions  computers 


by  Joseph  Weizenbaum 


I  find  myself  occasionally  at  a  gathering  where  it  comes 
out  who  I  am,  and  then  I  get  inundated  with  questions  in 
much  the  same  way  that  physicians  do.  Doctors  get  told, 
"Oh,  you  know,  my  aunt  had  a  very  interesting  opera- 
tion." and  then  they  hear  about  the  operation;  or,  "I  have  a 
pain  somewhere.  What  do  you  think  it  might  be?" 
Lawyers  get  told  sad  stories,  usually  ending  with  "Can 
they  do  that  to  me?"  and  the  answer  is  always  "Yes."  And 
so  it  is  with  those  of  us  who  are  identified  as  computerniks 
—  we  get  asked  certain  questions  which  reveal  that  the 
computer  has  generated  a  stirring  among  the  people,  and  I 
think  this  stirring  can  be  identified  or  characterized  by  the 
questions  we  get  asked. 

These  questions  fall  into  several  categories.  One  is,  Can 
computers  think?  Now,  I  don't  want  to  answer  this 
question.  I  want  to  just  point  out  that  it  consists  of  three 
words,  each  one  of  which  is  among  the  most  difficult 
words  in  the  English  language.  Reflect  on  the  word  can, 
what  it  means  in  all  its  refinements.  And  of  course  the 
word  think  is  enormously  problematical.  Just  try  to  read 
Husserl  or  Heidegger  on  thinking,  and  you'll  see  what  I 
mean.  And  then  there's  computer,  which  people  generally 
think  of  as  a  fairly  simple  word.  That  is,  people  think  of 
computers  as  being  boxes,  roughly  like  Coca  Cola  dis- 
pensers or  something  like  that,  with  perhaps  tape  rec- 
orders attached  to  one  side  and  a  typewriter  sitting  in  front 
and  maybe  a  television  set  too.  And  it's  that  gadget  about 
which  the  question  is  asked.  Well,  in  any  case,  it's  a  very, 
very  difficult  question  in  its  many  ramifications  and  it 
comes  up  constantly.  There  are  other  questions  in  this 
category:  questions  like,  "Is  the  human  mind  a  com- 
puter?" Sometimes  it's  "Is  the  human  mind  merely  a 
computer?"  Or  sometimes  it's  "Is  the  computer  a  mind?" 
There's  a  lot  of  confusion,  I  think,  between  mind  and 
brain. 


JOSEPH  WEIZENBAUM  is  professor  in  the  Computer 
Science  Laboratory  of  Massachusetts  Institute  of 
Technology.  Author  of  the  book,  Computer  Power  and 
Human  Reason,  he  warns  about  the  power  that  the  use  of 
computers  can  exert  over  human  minds. 


A  second  category,  which  already  assumes  some  an- 
swers to  the  first,  is  What  will  intelligent  computers  be 
able  to  do  soon?  or  What  are  they  doing  now?  Take,  for 
example,  speech  recognition.  This  is  a  term  that's  not  well 
understood.  What  it  means  can  be  characterized  in  the 
following  way:  imagine  the  output  of  my  microphone  is 
fed  into  a  computer.  We  would  say  that  the  computer  has 
mastered  speech  recognition  if,  while  I'm  talking  or  maybe 
a  little  while  later,  the  computer  can  type  out  an  English 
transcript  of  what  I  said  here.  This  turns  out  to  be  an 
incredibly  difficult  problem,  in  my  view  essentially  un- 
solvable  in  its  whole  generality  although  solvable  in  very, 
very  narrow  domains.  But  in  any  case,  we  get  asked  that 
question.  Sometimes  the  naivete  of  the  questioner  is 
revealed  when  he  or  she  sees  speech  recognition  by 
computer  as  merely  the  other  side  of  the  coin  of  speech 
production  by  the  computer.  So  we  get  asked,  "Well,  we 
know  the  computer  can  produce  speech,  as  for  example 
when  we  get  a  wrong  number  on  the  telephone  and  there's 
a  computer  behind  the  scenes  which  says,  'I  am  sorry; 
373-5921  is  not  in  service.'  If  the  computer  can  do  that, 
why  can't  it  do  speech  recognition?"  There  is  terrible 
confusion  about  how  easy  it  is  to  do  the  one  and  how 
almost  impossibly  difficult  it  is  to  do  the  other. 

Another  similar  question  has  to  do  with  language 
translation.  How  soon  are  we  going  to  get  automatic 
language  translation?  That  is,  you  feed  a  source  text  in 
English,  say  a  novel  by  Hemingway,  into  a  computer  and 
out  comes  the  same  text  in  the  target  language,  say 
German,  all  done  by  computer.  "And  how  soon  will  that 
happen"  or  "Is  it  happening  now? "  Very  often  people  say  "I 
understand  that  this  is  being  done  routinely,  English  to 
Russian  or  vice  versa."  I'm  terribly  tempted  to  answer 
these  questions  although  I  really  don't  want  to,  but  I  can't 
resist  remarking  that  automatic  language  translation,  that 
is  language  translation  by  computer,  is  impossible.  Having 
made  this  remark,  I  want  to  sharpen  it  up  a  little  and  leave 
out  the  words  "by  computer."  Language  translation  is 
impossible.  I  can  give  you  lots  of  evidence,  but  that's  not 
what  I'm  here  to  talk  about. 


4 1  October  1 978  I  WPI  Journal 


Another  category  is  "How  soon  will  intelligent  com- 
puters give  us  home  robots  that  will  serve  us,  clean  the  rug, 
and  open  the  window  when  it  begins  to  rain  outside?"  I 

emphasize  that  because  one  of  the  great  enthusiasts  for 
this  sort  of  thing,  Professor  John  McCarthy  of  Stanford 
University,  in  defending  the  idea  that  this  will  happen 
very  soon,  used  exactly  this  example.  I  hope  you  noticed 
the  slip.  Well,  I  suspect  we'll  have  robots  that  open  the 
windows  sooner  than  we'll  have  robots  that  will  reliably 
close  the  windows  when  it  rains  outside. 

These  first  two  categories,  computers  thinking  and 
what  intelligent  computers  will  do  for  us,  are  in  the 
dimension  of  technological  optimism,  or  at  least  so  it 
appears  on  the  surface.  The  next  question  assumes  that  all 
of  these  wonderful  things  have  happened  and  now  begins 
to  worry  about  them.  Will  computers  take  over?  Will  they 
develop  a  will  of  their  own,  slip  from  our  control,  and 
make  decisions  for  us  which  have  consequences  to  which 
we  are  then  irreversibly  bound?  Will  that  happen?  One 
good  answer  is,  "Why  state  that  in  the  future  tense? "  Still, 
all  these  three  categories  are  at  least  vaguely  technologi- 
cally optimistic  in  that  they  all  see  computers  doing  very 
remarkable  things,  particularly  things  they  don't  do  now. 

Then  comes  another  category,  which  goes  in  the  other 
direction.  The  general  question  is,  Why  is  my  X  screwed 
up?  where  X  is  what  in  computer  science  we  call  a  free 
variable.  That  is,  it  can  be  replaced  by  lots  of  other  things: 
for  example,  "Why  is  my  bank  account  screwed  up?" 
"Why  is  my  credit  card  statement  screwed  up?"  "Why  is 
my  airline  reservation  screwed  up? "  and  so  on.  It  has  to  be 
understood  that  this  gets  asked  of  computer  people  in  a 
rather  accusatory  way.  It's  clear  that  it  must  be  the 
computer's  fault.  This  is  a  question  of  fault  and  responsi- 
bility, which  is  another  whole  issue  that  comes  in  here. 


In  this  connection,  I  want  to  clear  up  a  misconception 
that  exists  in  the  world  today.  Someone  in  the  audience 
talked  about  computers  that  screw  up  credit  cards,  and  she 
said  she  knew  that  it  wasn't  the  computer  who  screwed 
up,  it  was  the  person  who  put  the  wrong  information  in. 
Well,  it  wasn  't  the  person  who  put  the  wrong  information 
in.  And  no,  it  wasn't  the  computer  either.  It  turns  out  that 
most  of  those  errors  result  from  a  conglomeration  of 
circumstances  having  to  do  with  people  who  wrote  pro- 
grams, people  who  glued  together  programs  that  other 
people  wrote,  and  so  on,  until  the  final  result  is  a  system 
that  handles  all  the  data  and  transactions,  but  is  utterly 
incomprehensible  to  anyone.  Most  large  systems  that 
exist  today,  that  run  our  businesses  and  our  military 
installations,  are  in  this  sense  incomprehensible  to  any- 
one. 

Let  me  give  an  example.  Some  time  ago,  the  President  of 
the  United  States  held  a  telephone  call-in,  and  television 
was  there  so  we  could  listen  in.  A  lady  called  up  the 
President  and  told  him  she  was  on  social  security,  and  she 
wanted  a  cost  of  living  increase  every  half  year,  just  like 
her  neighbors  who  were  military  retirees,  instead  of  only 
once  a  year.  The  President  said  he'd  have  his  staff  look  into 
it  and  he'd  call  her  back.  Some  months  later  he  called  her 
back,  and  magically  television  was  there  again  and  we 
could  overhear.  The  President  said,  in  effect,  "I've  had  my 
boys  look  into  it  and  what  they  tell  me  is  that  the  system 
that  runs  Social  Security  is  so  big  and  complex  that  the 
change  you  are  asking  for,  even  if  we  wanted  to  make  it,  is 
essentially  impossible  to  make."  Of  course,  it's  not  logi- 
cally impossible  to  change  the  system.  But  there's  another 
consideration.  What  the  President  didn't  say  is  that  there's 
an  enormous  danger  in  going  into  a  program  of  this  kind, 
making  a  little  fix,  because  you  can't  guarantee  that 
everything  else  in  the  program  will  work  as  it  did  before. 
That's  why  it  would  be  foolhardy  to  go  in  and  perform  this 
surgery.  And  that's  why  I  call  it  an  incomprehensible 
system. 

I  think  that  if,  five  or  seven  years  ago,  I  asked  my 
colleagues  what  sort  of  canonical  questions  they  got 
asked,  I  would  have  heard  the  same  questions  I've  referred 
to  here.  It  may  be  that  the  questions  are  asked  with  a  little 
more  fervor,  a  little  more  certainty  today,  than  they  might 
have  been  seven  years  ago,  but  it's  fundamentally  the 
same  list. 

However,  another  whole  set  of  questions  has  appeared 
quite  recently.  The  new  area  has  to  do  with  home  com- 
puters. All  of  a  sudden,  the  home  computer  has  entered  the 
public  imagination.  Indeed,  to  a  certain  extent,  it  is  here. 
One  can  go  to  Radio  Shack,  for  example,  and  actually  buy 
these  things  for  on  the  order  of  $500-1 500.  Well,  what  are 
the  questions  that  get  asked  about  home  computers? 
Certainly  one  of  the  principal  ones  is,  How  soon  will  it  be 
before  'everyone'  has  a  home  computer?  Another  question 
is,  What  will  we  be  able  to  do  with  them?  The  "we"  is 
important  here;  that  is,  people  assume  that  soon  they're 
going  to  have  one,  and  then  wonder  what  they  will  do  with 
it. 


The  WPI  Journal  I  October  197815 


I  have  given  you  this  list  of  questions  and  I'm  now  at  the 
end  of  it,  although  I  imagine  that  if  I  thought  a  little  harder 
I  could  come  up  with  some  more.  I  don't  intend  to  answer 
these  terribly  interesting  questions.  I  think  these  ques- 
tions, from  a  slightly  different  point  of  view,  are  really 
statements.  Not  only  are  they  statements  about  com- 
puters and  the  state  of  the  art  in  computers;  they're 
statements  about  people  and  about  people's  attitudes 
quite  generally,  not  just  with  respect  to  computers.  And 
more  particularly,  these  questions  seen  as  statements 
reveal  a  number  of  illusions  that  are  worth  discussing. 

The  first  illusion  has  to  do  with  the  word  everyone. 
"Pretty  soon  everyone  in  the  United  States  is  going  to  have 
a  home  computer"  is  more  or  less  the  assertion.  Just  read 
Time  magazine  and  you'll  see.  And  who  is  the  everyone? 
One  of  my  colleagues  has  a  nice  little  theorem  which  goes: 
It  can't  be  everybody  if  it  doesn't  include  me.  And  I  think 
that's  a  pretty  good  theorem.  Who  is  this  everyone?  Well, 
the  analogy  is  often  made  to  television.  Isn't  it  true  that 
virtually  everyone  has  a  television  set?  (I  just  want  to 
comment  on  the  word  virtually.  It's  one  of  those  curious 
English  words  which  means  exactly  the  opposite  of  what  it 
says.  When  you  say,  for  example,  that  John  is  virtually  six 
feet  tall,  then  one  thing  you  know  with  certainty  is  that, 
whatever  else  he  is,  he's  not  six  feet  tall.)  It  is  in  fact  true 
that  almost  all  American  places  of  residence  have  a 
television  set,  even  among  the  poor  and  the  very  poor. 
What  isn't  so  clear  is  at  what  cost  that  television  set  was 
obtained.  That  is,  what  was  given  up  by  the  people  in  order 
to  get  the  television  set.  But  that's  another  matter.  What  I 
think  differentiates  the  home  computer  from  the  televi- 
sion set,  in  this  sense  of  everyone,  is  that  there  are,  in  the 
United  States,  millions  of  people  for  whom  even  the  $10 
pocket  calculator  is  simply,  totally,  and  absolutely  irrele- 
vant. It  just  doesn't  have  anything  to  do  with  their  lives. 
And  so  the  everyone  who  will  have  a  computer  is  a  very 
different  everyone  from  the  everyone  who  has  a  television 
set  or  who  has  access  to  a  television  set. 

I  could  put  a  period  there  and  turn  to  the  next  item,  but  I 
want  to  attach  a  little  more  nourishment  to  that  idea. 
There  are,  of  course,  causes,  which  I  don't  want  to  talk 
about,  and  also  consequences.  The  consequences  may 
well  be  (my  crystal  ball  is  no  clearer  than  yours)  that  when 
in  fact  "everyone"  has  access  to  the  kind  of  powerful  home 
computers  that  are  currently  envisioned,  what  emerges  is 
a  brand  new  fracture  in  the  society,  a  brand  new  division 
between  those  who  are  comfortable  with  and  can  do  the 
kind  of  simple  manipulation  that  one  does  with  these 
things  (and  have  access  to  the  other  systems  to  which 
these  things  are  tied,  for  example,  an  electronic  funds 
transfer  system,  and  so  on)  and  those  who  are  not.  The  gap 
between  these  two  will  widen  in  a  great  many  ways,  and  I 
think  it  will  become  increasingly  difficult  for  these  two 
segments  of  American  society  to  communicate  with  one 
another  at  all.  This  may  be  a  little  hard  to  swallow  but  I 
suggest  that  any  one  who  is  not  a  computer  hacker  come 
to  the  building  I  work  in  at  mit  and  see  if  he  or  she  can 
understand  the  conversations  that  go  on  among  the  hac- 
kers in  that  building.  The  communication  difficulties  can 


be  severe.  I've  been  at  mit  for  1 5  years  now,  and  I've  seen 
generations  of  students  come  and  go.  The  exposure  to 
computers,  to  that  way  of  thinking  in  our  building,  has 
profoundly  changed  the  way  many  of  those  people  think. 
And  I  certainly  want  to  include  some  of  our  faculty,  who 
explicitly  say  that  all  problems  are  fundamentally  techni- 
cal problems,  that  social  problems  are  analogous  to  bugs  in 
a  computer  program  that  need  to  be  repaired  and  fixed. 

Consider,  if  you  will,  the  popular  example  of  the  charac- 
ter Mr.  Spock  on  Star  Trek.  He  teaches  generations  of 
youngsters,  sometimes  not  so  young  youngsters,  that  life, 
even  in  those  far  distant  days,  is  basically  paradoxical . . . 
but  that  paradoxes  can  be  unraveled  by  a  suitable  applica- 
tion of  logic.  In  other  words,  Spock  is  a  kind  of  computer. 
He  does  the  kind  of  thinking  that  we  say  computers  do,  if 
we  can  talk  about  computers  thinking.  In  fact,  of  course, 
real  life  is  not  simply  laced  with  paradoxes;  it's  laced  with 
dilemmas  which  no  existing  suitable  logic  will  unravel. 
Illusions  are  being  foisted  upon  us  and  propagated  about 
life  being  essentially  computable,  that  there  are  no  real 
value  conflicts,  no  dilemmas.  For  example,  we  now  have  a 
wonderful  verb  in  our  language,  problem  solving,  which 
didn't  exist,  certainly  not  in  the  sense  that  we  use  it  today, 
thirty  or  forty  years  ago.  I'm  quite  convinced  that  in  life, 
real  human  problems  are  never  solved.  Take  a  bad  mar- 
riage —  maybe  a  divorce  is  indicated,  but  that  doesn't  solve 
the  problem.  What  happens  to  real  human  problems  is  that 
they're  replaced  by  other  problems  which  may  be  easier  to 
endure  or  not.  They're  postponed,  set  aside;  they're  trans- 
formed. But  what  Mr.  Spock  teaches  us,  what  the  whole 
computer  metaphor  and  the  computer  culture  teaches  us, 
is  that  all  of  life  is  computable.  Indeed,  some  of  my 
colleagues,  in  my  field  and  in  my  institution,  actually 
teach  precisely  that,  in  just  so  many  words.  I  think  it's 
very,  very  bad. 


6  /  October  1 978 1 WPI  Journal 


The  next  question  I  get  asked  is,  What  will  people  do 
with  home  computers?  The  marketing  geniuses  who  have 
gone  to  work  on  this  are  pretty  sure  about  what  people  will 
do,  what  these  computers  are  likely  to  be  for.  There's  talk 
about  robotics,  closing  the  window  when  it  rains  and 
turning  down  the  heat  in  the  evening  and  turning  it  up 
again  in  the  morning,  etc.  (A  good  question,  by  the  way,  is 
Why  is  this  such  a  great  problem  that  it  requires  all  this 
marvelous  technology?  But  that's  another  matter.)  But  one 
can  hardly  call  this  sort  of  application  of  this  high  technol- 
ogy a  vision  in  the  profound  sense  that  that  is  occasionally 
spoken  of,  especially  by  politicians.  And  yet  there's  a  need 
for  a  vision.  (Just  by  the  way,  we  insiders  in  the  computer 
business  have  known  for  about  ten  years  that  the  home 
computer  revolution  is  on  its  way,  and  we've  been  study- 
ing this  problem  and  asking  what  are  we  going  to  do  with 
these  things  when  they  get  here.  Imagine  all  that  talent  for 
ten  years  applied  to  this  particular  problem . . .  and  we  still 
don't  know.  It's  a  big  mystery.) 

The  vision,  and  you  all  know  what  it  is,  has  to  do  with 
universal  education.  According  to  this  vision,  in  every 
home  there's  going  to  be  a  box  attached  to  some  sort  of 
typewriter  console,  some  sort  of  television  screen  (possi- 
bly the  very  television  on  which  you  or  your  children 
watch  Star  Trek ),  and  of  course  to  some  sort  of  telecom- 
munication link,  perhaps  cable  television  or  even  the 
telephone  system.  You'll  be  linked  to  the  supermarket  so 
you  can  do  your  ordering  electronically  and  transfer  your 
funds  electronically  and  all  that.  And  of  course  there  are 
going  to  be  games.  There's  going  to  be  Space  War  and  Tank 
Battle,  a  lot  of  kill  'em  and  smash  'em,  and  Battleship,  etc. 
All  that's  called  killing.  We  have  a  euphemism  for  that.  It's 
called  entertainment.  But  there's  a  more  serious  purpose. 
There  will  be  an  equivalent  of  National  Educational 


Television,  in  addition  to  the  commercial  channels  and  all 
the  killer  channels.  The  home  computer  will  give  access 
to  the  world's  great  teachers,  the  world's  great  literature, 
and  the  libraries  of  the  world. 

But  the  analogy  to  television  may  be  useful  here.  I'm 
reminded  of  the  vision  of  then  Secretary  of  Commerce 
Herbert  Hoover  at  the  dawn  of  commercial  radio  broad- 
casting. That  same  euphoric  vision  was  again  pronounced 
by  other  people  when  television  became  a  feasible  com- 
mercial prospect.  In  those  days  it  was  foreseen  that  these 
media  would  exert  an  enormously  beneficial  influence  on 
the  shaping  of  American  culture.  As  far  as  radio  was 
concerned,  children  would  be  exposed  to  the  spoken  word 
in  its  finest  form,  the  great  spoken  drama,  the  great 
teachers,  the  great  literature,  and  so  on.  And  then  televi- 
sion came  and  again  the  same  dream  was  resurrected,  this 
time  with  the  additional  dimension. 

Well,  what  actually  happened?  The  technical  part  of 
that  dream  was  fully  realized.  The  scratchy  radio  was 
replaced  by  high  fidelity  FM  stereophonic  broadcasting. 
The  snowy  little  black  and  white  television  tube  was 
replaced  by  gigantic  screens  in  living  color.  Satellite 
communication  systems  made  it  possible  to  display  al- 
most any  event  taking  place  on  this  earth,  even  in  outer 
space  or  on  the  battlefield  in  Viet  Nam,  right  in  your 
home.  But  the  cultural  dream,  the  dream  of  education,  of 
the  exposure  to  great  teachers,  was  cruelly  mocked.  It 
simply  failed.  We  have  the  most  intricate  electronics  and 
technology,  and  what  does  it  deliver  to  us?  An  occasional 
gem  buried  in  immense  and  boundless  floods  of  every- 
thing that's  most  banal  and  insipid  and  even  pathological 
in  our  civilization. 

We're  beginning  to  see  this  same  scenario  played  out 
with  respect  to  the  home  computer.  Again  we  have  the 
euphoric  dream.  But  when  we  look  at  the  very  beginnings 
of  it,  the  little  bits  of  home  computer  that  we  see  now, 
what  do  we  see?  We  see  Space  War,  Battleship,  kill  'em, 
smash  'em,  and  so  on.  I'd  like  to  report  something  I  heard 
very  recently  in  the  laboratory  where  I  work.  A  number  of 
graduate  students  were  standing  around  a  console  playing 
Space  War.  Perhaps  you  know  the  kind  of  game  Space  War 
is.  It  has  to  do  with  space  ships  shooting  each  other  down 
and  that  sort  of  thing.  And  one  of  the  students  said  to  the 
others,  "You  know,  we  ought  to  get  more  points  for  killing 
than  for  merely  surviving."  It  was  a  perfectly  reasonable 
statement  in  that  context,  and  I'm  afraid  it  may  turn  out, 
unhappily,  to  become  a  slogan  for  the  era  of  home  com- 
puters. 

People  often  say  to  me,  especially  if  they  have  read  my 
book,  since  I  feel  as  I  do  about  computers,  Why  am  I  a 
professor  of  computer  science,  at  mit  of  all  places?  Or  to 
put  it  another  way,  What  are  the  obligations,  in  my  view, 
of  being  a  professor  of  computer  science.  I  teach  it;  that's 
part  of  the  obligation.  And  there  are  a  lot  of  good  things 
that  computers  have  made  possible.  For  example,  take  the 
picture  of  the  earth  in  space  —  impossible  without  com- 
puters. There  are  whole  lists  of  good  things.  But  there's 
another  crucial  consideration.  Suppose  I'm  driving  a  car  on 
a  slippery  road  and  I'm  beginning  to  head  over  into  an 


The  WPI  Journal  I  October  197817 


embankment.  That's  when  I  have  to  watch  out,  and  I  have 
to  try  to  steer  the  other  way.  The  danger  at  this  moment,  in 
the  whole  computer  business,  in  the  whole  technology 
business  in  our  society,  is  that  we're  heading  for  a  collision 
and  therefore  somebody  has  to  take  corrective  action.  All 
the  good  things  will  get  done  anyway.  Plenty  of  people  tell 
us  about  the  good  things.  But  only  people  who  thoroughly 
understand  all  the  intricacies  of  the  pathology  can  sound 
the  warning  that  needs  to  be  sounded.  And  the  warning  is 
absolutely  necessary,  not  just  about  computers  but  with 
respect  to  X-rays,  other  sorts  of  radiation,  dna,  whatever. 
It's  terribly  important  to  understand  the  limitations  of  the 
technology.  Somebody  has  to  say  that.  There  are  very,  very 
few  of  us  who  ever  speak  about  it  at  all.  At  forums  like  this, 
I'm  usually  the  only  one  who  says  anything  about  limita- 
tions, while  the  other  speakers  are  technological  op- 
timists. I  was  stunned  when  I  came  here  to  WPI  and  I  heard 
these  other  people  speaking  about  limitations.  It's  at  least 
as  important  to  talk  about  the  limitations  of  science  and 
technology  as  it  is  to  understand  the  powers.  Plenty  of 
people  speak  to  the  powers.  Somebody  has  to  state  the 
caution. 

We  are  often  asked  to  suspend  judgment  until  science 
gives  us  the  data.  But  that's  precisely  the  kind  of  entrap- 
ment into  the  cult  of  the  expert,  into  the  cult  of  science, 
that  I  want  to  escape  from.  And  it's  precisely  the  kind  of 
trap  that  my  institution,  the  Massachusetts  Insitute  of 
Technology  (which  prides  itself,  to  quote  from  the  presi- 
dent's speech,  on  being  polarized  around  science  and 
technology)  insists  on  putting  students  into. 

The  truth,  I  think  (and  this  also  comes  up  in  the  nuclear 
and  dna  controversies,  for  example),  is  that  the  really 
important  policy  questions  with  respect  to  science  and 
technology  are  simply  not  very  hard  for  anyone  to  under- 
stand. It's  an  enormous  copout  for  scientists  and 
technologists  to  say,  "Oh,  this  is  all  very  complicated  and 
you'll  never  understand  this  until  you  get  a  degree."  The 
details  about  atomic  energy,  the  details  about  computer 
systems,  those  are  complicated,  difficult,  and  take  years  to 
get  straight  in  your  head.  But  the  basic  policy  questions  are 
relatively  simple. 


8  I  October  1 978  I  WPI  Journal 


Microprocessing 


everything 


by  Robert  Solomon 


I'd  like  to  bring  more  into  perspective  some  of  the  things 
that  Professor  Weizenbaum  mentioned  and  how  they'll 
impact  you.  And  I'd  like  to  discuss  some  things  that  worry 
me,  and  that  may  start  worrying  you. 

First  of  all,  the  so-called  microprocessor  revolution 
we're  seeing  means  that  we  now  have  computers  which 
have  the  power  of  computers  in  the  1950s  (and  then  they 
filled  rooms)  on  little  pieces  of  processed  beach  sand, 
which  we  have  called  silicon  wafers,  selling  for  under  $2. 
We're  talking  about  computers  that  cost  millions  of 
dollars  back  in  the  '50s,  hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars  in 
the  early  '60s,  now  available  for  under  $2  on  a  single  chip. 
And  these  chips  are  being  applied  in  a  whole  bunch  of  new 
ways.  All  of  a  sudden,  the  name  of  the  game  has  changed. 
People  are  thinking  of  smart  stoves  and  intelligent  vac- 
uum cleaners.  In  the  computer  microprocessor  industry, 
we're  now  trying  to  sell  Detroit  two  to  three  microproces- 
sors in  each  car.  In  fact,  to  save  wiring,  it  has  been 
suggested  that  we  put  a  computer  in  each  headlamp  to 
control  the  dimmer.  And  we're  really  getting  into  this  era 
of  the  microprocessor  revolution  where  it's  predicted  that, 
in  the  average  home,  in  the  next  three  years,  there  will  be 
three  or  four  computers  —  hidden  in  tvs,  hidden  in  such 
complex  kitchen  devices  as  blenders.  Now,  what  this 
means,  and  it's  been  much  more  detailed  in  a  lot  of  the 
work  done  by  Professor  Weizenbaum,  is  that  we're  going 
to  have  more  controls  put  on  us,  and  more  things  can  go 
wrong.  You  get  on  an  elevator  and  you're  wearing  a  badge 
in  a  particular  office  building,  and  you  try  to  go  to  the  fifth 
floor.  The  elevator  says,  No,  that's  not  your  floor.  And 
similarly  with  motor  vehicles  and  various  other  aspects  of 
our  endeavors.  The  computer  is  going  to  be  much  more 
commonplace. 

The  analogy  I  love  to  make,  to  show  you  the  ludicrous- 
ness  of  it  all,  is  that  if  television  sets  were  cheaper  than 
light  bulbs,  what  you'd  do  is  you'd  rip  out  the  guts  of  a 


ROBERT  SOLOMON  is  assistant  professor  of  electrical 
engineering  at  WPI.  A  graduate  of  Polytechnic  Institute  of 
Brooklyn  with  degrees  horn  M.I.T.,  he  is  also  president  of 
Solotest,  Inc.,  a  private  consulting  firm.  He  has  been  a 
member  of  the  WPI  faculty  since  1976. 


television  set,  throw  away  the  tuner,  turn  up  the  bright- 
ness, and  use  them  in  your  house  as  light  bulbs.  This  is  the 
sort  of  thing  that's  now  happening  in  microprocessors  and 
these  small,  cheap,  very  inexpensive  computers.  Inexpen- 
sive intelligence.  A  lot  of  people  say  that  this  intelligence 
is  wonderful  and  in  some  respects  it  is.  You  can  take  the 
intelligence  of  a  human,  as  long  as  you  keep  remembering 
that  it's  human,  and  embody  it  in  something.  So  in  other 
words,  you  have  somebody  who  really  knows  how  to 
operate  a  blender  program  in  the  operations.  And  you  buy 
the  machine,  even  if  your  fingers  are  sort  of  klutzy,  and 
now  you  have  the  ability  of  this  genius,  this  so-called 
French  chef  extraordinaire  electronique,  come  into  your 
kitchen.  You  can  make  any  mistake  you  want,  but  you 
can't  burn  out  the  blender.  So  the  people  who  advocate  the 
use  of  microprocessors  are  saying  it's  fantastic.  A  little  bit 
of  people's  genius  are  now  included  on  these  little  $2 
chips. 

To  my  way  of  thinking,  this  means  that  we  can  all 
become  klutzes.  We  can  have  our  brains  atrophied  and 
become  a  lot  sloppier  in  what  we  do.  Other  people  say  it 
kills  the  drudgery.  Just  think  of  all  those  horrible  things 
you  have  to  do,  like  to  remember  what  floor  you  live  on 
and  push  the  elevator  button.  Or  remember  exactly  where 
you  parked  your  car.  Well,  for  those  people,  again  I  begin 
wondering  about  whether  or  not  we  are  liberating  our- 
selves just  to  watch  the  Gong  Show. 

Another  thing  I  should  mention  is  that  these  very 
inexpensive  computers  have  located  and  isolated  an  in- 
credible sociological  entity  —  the  hacker.  If  this  is  a 
disease,  then  it's  spreading.  If  it's  something  undesirable, 
it's  spreading,  and  many  more  people  are  starting  at  earlier 
ages.  We  never  used  to  let  a  kid  twelve  years  old  get  on  a 
computer.  Now  he  owns  one.  People  now  have  them  to 
play  games  with.  I  suppose  that's  positive  compared  to 
what  goes  on  in  the  afternoon  on  television. 

There  is  an  interesting  possibility  in  terms  of  the  home 
computer  market:  I  have  heard  that  newspapers  may  one 
day  be  popular  again,  especially  the  comic  pages,  because 
now  they're  proposing  putting  games  on  the  comic  pages, 
coded  in  bar  codes,  variation  of  black  and  white  stripes. 
The  cheapest  way  to  mass  reproduce  anything,  short  of 
biological,  is  by  just  putting  it  down  on  newspapers.  This 


The  WPI  Journal !  October  197819 


means  that  every  night  you  won't  get  bored  with  your 
computer.  You'll  take  a  little  photo  light  pen  and  run  it 
across  the  funnies  page  and  you'll  have  your  new  war  game 
to  play  for  that  evening,  to  keep  up  your  interest.  The 
television  people  are  very  scared  because  they  see  it  as 
competitive  with  all  of  the  things  they  can  dream  up, 
which  are  highly  redundant  and  repetitious. 

Setting  that  background  to  computers,  there  will  be 
about  10  million  microprocessors,  one  way  or  another, 
installed  in  products  throughout  the  world.  And  this  is  all 
going  to  limit  things.  People  with  intelligence  are  now 
saying,  No,  this  is  the  only  way  you  can  operate  the 
blender.  You  can't  burn  it  out.  But  that  might  have  been  a 
very  positive  experience.  (Of  course,  you  might  just  stick 
you  finger  in  the  blender  and  lose  a  little  bit  of  your  digital 
abilities  there.) 

I  am  concerned  about  the  negative  things  that  can  be 
coming  about.  We  all  know  about  electronic  funds  trans- 
fer. That  scares  me.  I  mean,  I  miss  coins.  I  think  the 
intrinsic  value,  the  innate  value  of  things  that  had  money 
were  nice.  Now  you're  trusting  a  computer.  You're  trust- 
ing a  system  which  some  skyjacker  could  aim  a  plane  into 
and  destroy  the  entire  wealth  you  had  accumulated  over 
your  life.  But  much  more  importantly,  I  am  worried  about 
computers  taking  over  functions,  evolving  us  artificially. 
Let's  take  the  case  of  the  calculator  which  most  of  us  own 
and  some  of  us  use.  I  bought  this  very  fancy  calculator  a 
couple  of  years  ago  for  $200.  It  now  sells  for  $4.  But  at  any 
rate,  with  this  calculator  I  wound  up  just  using  the  four 
basic  functions.  I  rarely  multiply  anymore.  People  who 
started  much  younger  than  me,  at  the  age  of  four  or  five, 
who  are  getting  into  calculators  now,  they  don't  multiply. 
There's  a  certain  mechanism  missing.  The  thing  that 
worries  me,  and  some  research  is  now  going  on  in  this  area, 
is  that  a  society  which  was  created  by  people  who  did 
multiply  regularly  and  did  exercise  certain  skills,  is  now 
suddenly  being  evolved,  all  too  fast,  into  a  society  that  no 
longer  uses  these  skills.  Consider  the  sudden,  almost 
epidemic  detection  of  dyslexia.  It  may  be  like  one  of  the 
other  bad  products  of  society  —  the  epidemic  of  cancers 
highly  correlated  to  the  industrial  revolution,  chemical 
pollutants  in  the  water  and  the  atmosphere.  Now  we  may 
find  an  almost  epidemic  rise  in  things  like  dyslexia, 
learning  disabilities,  inability  to  work,  a  propensity  to 
industrial  accidents  and  auto  accidents,  due  to  the  fact 
that,  because  we're  using  calculators,  we  can  no  longer 
multiply  in  our  head.  And  maybe  those  little  neurons  that 
fired  to  make  us  multiply  also  were  used  by  the  brain  in 
another  way  for  us  to  perceive  distance  or  other  sorts  of 
geometric  space  properties.  I  don't  know,  but  I'm  rather 
concerned  about  those  things.  Buckminster  Fuller,  in  a 
recent  talk  at  Harvard,  said  that  the  age  of  the  red 
schoolhouse  is  gone.  Well,  I  don't  see  us  being  that 
different  today  from  our  forefathers  who  went  to  those  red 
schoolhouses.  And  what  does  he  propose?  Electronic 
education  on  the  TV  screen;  education  at  home.  Well, 
maybe  it  would  be  nice  to  be  near  Mommy  and  Daddy,  but 
I  think  sociologists  will  give  some  value  to  children 
learning  in  peer  groups.  And  so  I'm  very  concerned  in 
terms  of  the  movement  to  teaching  machines  and,  once 
again,  removing  the  human  contact. 


Given  all  the  advances  in  medicine  we've  had  in  recent 
years,  we're  not  living  to  a  much  later  age  than  the  people 
who  founded  this  country.  Check  how  long  the  presidents 
have  been  living,  for  example  —  these  are  the  people 
whom  other  people  take  care  of.  There's  a  general  increase 
in  how  long  we  live,  but  the  Industrial  Revolution  did 
impact  us  quite  negatively,  too.  There's  been  a  tremen- 
dous increase  in  cardiovascular  disease,  lack  of  exercise, 
high  correlation  of  an  almost  epidemic  increase  in  cancer. 
An  incredible  increase  in  industrial  accidents  which  ac- 
count for  various  other  areas  of  pollution  that  affect  us  in 
many  adverse  ways. 

With  the  computer,  however,  it's  an  entirely  different 
thing.  We're  now  supplementing  your  brain.  A  student 
comes  to  my  office  with  a  proposal,  and  I  say,  Well,  it's 
already  been  done,  or,  Why  don't  you  start  here  because  so 
much  has  been  done  before.  That's  actually  not  such  a 
good  thing  to  say.  When  you  get  into  computer-aided 
design,  for  example,  or  areas  where  the  computer  has 
helped  us  out,  a  lot  of  very  smart  people  have  worked  on 
very  nice  problems  and  solved  them  already.  Now,  we 
who  would  like  to  work  in  those  areas  find  ourselves 
merely  using  this  tool  and  pumping  in  numbers.  We 
become  more  technicians  than  engineers  or  highly  cre- 
ative people.  I'm  not  saying  that  computers  as  tools  are 
bad.  It's  just  that  when  we  rely  so  heavily  on  them  that  our 
entire  job  function  during  the  day  is  working  with  com- 
puters almost  in  a  technician  capacity . . .  that  really  hurts 
creativity. 

The  computer  industry  has  already  taken  over  a  tre- 
mendous amount  of  our  society.  Almost  45  percent  of  our 
total  gnp  is  spent  on  information,  on  people  who  aren't 
producing  —  they're  not  farmers ,  they're  not  making 
industrial  products,  they're  pushing  papers.  That  should 
give  you  some  idea  of  how  far  we've  gone  from  a  society 
of  producers,  from  a  physical,  farming,  materials-pro- 
ducing point  of  view  to  a  society  of  people  who  handle 
information.  mm 


How  to  keep  your 


computer  busy 


by  Greg  Scragg 


Several  people  found  out  that  I  ran  a  computer  simula- 
tion of  making  omelettes  and  sandwiches  when  I  was  in 
California.  While  I  was  still  doing  it,  the  university  public 
relations  office  sent  a  crew  over  to  photograph  my  com- 
puter making  these  things.  I  had  to  explain  calmly  that 
No,  no  it  just  types  out  a  description  of  what  it  would  be 
doing  if  it  were  actually  doing  it,  and  it  all  takes  place  right 
here  in  the  computer  terminal  —  no  pictures,  just  some 
English  or  English-like  sentences.  And  they  said,  Oh,  it's 
been  very  nice  talking  to  you,  thank  you  very  much  for 
your  time,  and  they  went  away.  The  whole  world  is,  in 
some  sense,  absolutely  crazy  about  what  the  computer  is 
going  to  do  next.  They've  heard  so  many  good  things, 
they're  champing  at  the  bit  to  hear  the  next  thing.  People 
were  so  willing  to  believe  that  I  had  a  robot  running  around 
the  psychology  laboratory  making  omelettes  and  ham  and 
cheese  sandwiches  that  they  were  ready  to  send  a  camera 
crew  over  to  take  pictures  of  it.  I  was  astonished. 

On  the  other  hand,  maybe  I'm  old  fashioned.  I  know  I'm 
one  of  the  few  computer  scientists  who  still  uses  a  slide 
rule.  When  pocket  calculators  first  came  out  they  cost 
about  $400. 1  was  a  graduate  student  and  I  thought,  Well,  I 
can't  afford  that.  The  next  year  they  were  $300. 1  said, 
Well,  maybe  pretty  soon.  By  the  time  I  graduated  and  could 
afford  one,  they  were  down  to  about  $20  and  at  this  rate  I 
figure  I  might  as  well  wait  until  they're  free.  I  still  don't 
own  a  pocket  calculator.  I  just  can't  get  into  computing  for 
computing's  sake. 

I  don't  think  there's  any  problem  thinking  up  great  tasks 
to  put  our  home  computers  to.  I  want  to  distinguish 
between  the  type  of  computer  Professor  Weizenbaum 
discussed  and  the  type  Professor  Solomon  described.  The 
first  is  a  computer  which  we're  going  to  program  oursleves 
to  do  whatever  we  want;  the  other  is  a  pre-programmed 
computer  that  comes  with  a  specific  device,  and  it's  just 
intended  to  control  that  device.  Let's  talk  about  the  one 


GREG  SCRAGG  is  assistant  professor  of  computer  sci- 
ence at  WPI.  He  holds  a  bachelor's  degree  from  the 
University  of  California,  Riverside,  and  master's  and  doc- 
tor's degrees  from  the  University  of  California,  San  Diego. 
He  joined  the  WPI  faculty  in  1977. 


that  we  can  sit  and  program  at  home.  One  thing  you  hear 
about  is  an  automatic  recipe  keeper.  You  can  type  in  and 
request  the  recipe  for  ham  and  cheese  omelette,  or  choco- 
late mousse,  and  out  it  comes.  That's  really  great.  Right 
now,  we  have  to  go  to  the  kitchen,  take  out  our  little  box  of 
recipes,  and  flip  through  it.  If  we're  lucky,  chocolate 
mousse  is  filed  under  chocolate  mousse  —  mousse,  choco- 
late, dessert  —  so  we  have  to  flip  through  it  a  while  before 
we  find  it.  It  shouldn't  take  too  long.  But  some  of  us  have  a 
big  recipe  box,  and  it  takes  a  while.  Now,  let's  go  to  the 
computer.  We  turn  it  on.  If  it's  our  own  home  computer, 
we  don't  have  to  go  through  the  process  of  logging  in  and 
that  kind  of  stuff.  But  still,  I  don't  think  we're  really  going 
to  save  much  time  before  we  get  the  recipe  out.  But  you 
know  how  recipe  cards  get  after  you've  made  the  dish 
about  1 3  times  —  it's  covered  with  chocolate  and  bent  and 
you  can  barely  read  it.  That's  great;  we  don't  have  that 
problem  with  paper  anymore.  (Of  course  the  chocolate 
that  gets  down  inside  the  terminal  keys  is  another  kind  of 
problem.  That  makes  it  rather  expensive.) 

I  used  to  work  at  a  place,  Information  Science  Institute 
in  Los  Angeles,  that  has  computer  power  rolling  out  of  its 
ears.  They  have  four  PDP-ios  and  eighty  employees.  We 
each  had  a  terminal  in  our  office  and  we  all  ran  programs. 
The  first  thing  we  did  every  day  was  turn  on  our  program 
called  calendar.  Calendar  kept  us  informed  if  we  had  to 
go  do  anything.  At  2 :  30  in  the  afternoon  it'd  go  beep,  beep, 
you  have  an  appointment  with  your  boss.  Then  at  4:00  it'd 
go  beep,  beep,  don't  forget  volleyball  this  afternoon.  It's 
really  kind  of  an  exciting  thing.  And  then  we  usually 
turned  on  spy.  Spy  told  us  whenever  anybody  we  were 
interested  in  signed  onto  their  terminal.  Since  the  first 
thing  people  did  when  they  came  in  was  sign  onto  their 
terminal,  you  knew  when  they  came  in  and  you  could 
always  tell  what  they  were  running.  If  you  wanted  to  see 
someone,  you  set  this  thing  up.  Much  better  than  going 
over  and  putting  a  sign  on  their  door.  I  don't  know  how 
much  time  we  saved  with  these  programs,  but  we  sure 
created  a  lot  of  good  jobs  making  these  systems  up,  getting 
them  to  run. 

So  we're  looking  at  the  home  computer  idea  with  the 
idea  that,  as  useful  as  it  may  be,  we  aren't  going  to  save 
much  time  by  it.  Some  people  say  we  have  much  more 
complex  things  to  do.  We'll  have  a  system  that  controls 


The  WPI  Journal  I  October  1978111 


urcnM  i  un  tura  i  mul 


RtF     TEST  MULT  AORS  DATA  ADR*  ITOR 
CHK   MODI   CHK     CHK     CHK    ACPT  NOLO 


ICC       IC       PA*    LOCK  fTOft  STOft 
DMl    CHK    MIL    CHK     PAR    HOLD    OM 


MET  SELECT. 


131  KB  ENABLE 


everything  in  the  house  and  we'll  tell  it  what  to  do.  We'll 
say,  go  vacuum  the  living  room.  Now,  this  presupposes 
one  of  two  things.  The  first  is  that  the  person  who  gets  this 
device  knows  a  nice  computer  language,  and  we  know 
right  now  that  only  a  very  small  percentage  of  the  people 
in  this  country  know  a  computer  language  well  enough  to 
remember  all  the  fine  controls  for  the  language  itself.  It 
may  work  fine  for  vacuuming  because  we  do  vacuuming 
every  week,  but  what  happens  when  we  tell  it  to  change 
the  washer  in  the  faucet?  We  haven't  done  that  in  a  year, 
and  we  have  to  go  look  up  the  proper  control  command.  So 
we  get  out  our  dusty  operating  manual,  and  of  course  we 
still  have  to  go  to  the  store  to  get  a  washer  for  it  to  use. 
Again,  I  don't  think  we're  going  to  save  that  much  time. 
But  we're  certainly  going  to  have  trouble  giving  it  com- 
mands. 

The  second  possibility,  and  I  keep  hearing  it  from  lots  of 
people,  is  that  they're  going  to  be  able  to  use  English 
instructions.  For  the  non-specialist,  we  say  it's  five  years 
off,  or  ten  years.  But  it  just  isn't  real.  When  did  they  first 
say  we'd  have  a  natural  language  understanding  system? 
Ten  years  ago,  fifteen,  twenty?  My  own  present  prediction 
is  it  will  take  us  another  fifty  years. 

There  was  kind  of  a  thread  that  wandered  through  some 
of  the  previous  discussion,  to  the  effect  that  the  computer 
is  somehow  exerting  more  control  over  our  lives.  Now,  I 
like  computers,  I  really  do.  They're  fun.  They're  interest- 
ing to  study.  And  I  don't  want  to  see  them  get  blamed  for 
too  many  things.  Yes,  computers  are  going  to  make  a  lot  of 
things  more  possible,  both  good  and  bad.  There  are  ways 
the  government  is  going  to  be  able  to  use  them  to  control. 


There  are  ways  that  we're  going  to  be  able  to  use  them  to 
control  other  people.  There  are  ways  they're  going  to  help 
us  —  medical  diagnosis,  perhaps.  But  I  think  we  have  to 
stop  blaming  the  computer  for  all  these  things. 

Some  of  the  examples  I  hear  remind  me  of  an  incident 
that  happened  to  me  recently,  and  I  don't  believe  a 
computer  had  anything  to  do  with  it.  I  recently  moved.  I 
live  in  the  only  house  on  a  street  which  is  right  on  the 
border  between  two  zip  codes.  I  figured  I  had  my  choice.  I 
could  put  my  mailbox  at  the  corner  at  one  end  of  the  street 
or  the  comer  at  the  other  end  of  the  street.  I  have  to  travel  a 
quarter  mile  in  either  case.  But  one  corner  is  on  my  way  to 
work,  and  the  other  is  a  direction  I  never  go  in.  So  I  phoned 
the  Post  Office  and  said  I  would  like  to  put  my  mailbox  at 
the  corner  of  Swan  and  Paris  avenues.  They  said,  "No,  you 
can't;  that's  in  the  01602  zip  code  and  you're  in  the  01603 
zip  code."  I  said,  "Well,  can  you  change  it?"  And  they  said, 
"Once  we've  established  service  for  a  customer,  we  can't 
change  it."  So  I  replied,  "But  I've  never  been  your  customer 
here  before."  And  they  said,  "Well,  there's  a  regulation." 
We  went  around  and  around  on  this  until  I  gave  up  on  that 
person  and  moved  to  the  next  level.  After  three  days  they 
finally  gave  me  permission  to  move  my  mailbox  to 
another  location. 

What  I'm  saying  is  that  we're  a  society  that  is  getting 
more  and  more  complex,  with  more  rules,  and  it  has 
nothing  to  do  with  computers.  The  computer  is  simply  the 
instrument  of  those  rules  that  are  being  given  to  us.  As 
computer  scientists,  perhaps,  we  have  to  watch  where  our 
tools  are  being  used,  but  I  don't  think  that  responsibility 
belongs  to  us  alone.  UIPI 


12 1  October  1 978  I WPI  journal 


A  giant  Rorschach  test 


for  society 


by  Sherry  Turkle 


I'm  a  sociologist  interested  in  exploring  some  questions 
about  computers  and  people,  what  you  might  call  the 
subjective  side  of  computer  science.  It  has  often  seemed  to 
me  that  certain  social  images  of  "computer  impacts"  have 
become  so  powerful  among  sociologists  and  writers  for  the 
popular  press,  that  they've  become  established  as  the 
"official"  social  problems  related  to  computer  technology. 
Typical  of  these  are  problems  relating  to  data  banks  and 
privacy,  to  computers  and  the  transfer  of  money,  and  to 
computers  and  the  transfer  of  mail. 

These  "official,"  much-discussed  problems  tend  to  be 
those  of  large  systems.  Of  course,  they  are  of  critical 
importance,  and  their  impact  may  well  change  the  face  of 
American  life.  But  it  seems  to  me  that  they  leave  out  an 
important  part  of  the  story.  Specifically,  they  don't  touch 
on  the  issues  raised  by  a  much  smaller  system,  of  which 
computers  are  a  part,  that  is,  the  direct  relationship 
between  man  and  machine.  And  this  is  the  focus  of  my 
own  concern  and  research.  I  am  interested  in  the  subjec- 
tive sociology  of  the  computer  impact,  the  kinds  of 
relationships  that  people  form  with  computers,  and  which 
they  form  with  each  other  in  the  social  worlds  that  grow 
up  around  computation.  I'm  interested  in  how  computers 
and  computational  metaphors  influence  a  person's  life 
away  from  the  terminal  —  how  he  thinks  about  himself; 
about  other  people;  about  questions  like,  "What  is  man?" 
"What  is  machine?" 

My  experience  in  interviewing  people  who  belong  to  a 
variety  of  computer  subcultures  has  been  that  many 
people  have  stronger  feelings  about  computers  than  they 
know.  I  think  that  we  have  seen  this  even  here  today. 
Today  I  have  heard  direct  and  indirect  expressions  of  our 
insecurities  about  what's  going  to  become  of  us  in  an 
increasingly  computer-rich  world.  There  have  been  a  lot  of 
images  of  computers,  of  encroachment  on  individuality, 
and  of  computers  closing  things  down.  Repeatedly  this 

SHERRY  TURKLE  is  assistant  professor  of  sociology  in 
the  Program  in  Science,  Technology,  and  Society,  School 
of  Humanities  and  Social  Sciences,  Massachusetts  Insti- 
tute of  Technology.  She  is  author  of  the  book 
Psychoanalytic  Politics:  Freud's  French  Revolution, 
which  is  being  published  in  November.  She  is  currently 
engaged  in  a  study  for  the  National  Science  Foundation, 
investigating  the  impact  of  the  computer  on  the  indi- 
vidual. 


afternoon,  both  the  speakers  and  audience  have  used 
humor  and  laughter  to  help  keep  anxiety  down,  because  a 
lot  of  things  we  have  been  laughing  about  today,  if  they 
should  come  to  pass,  would  not  be  funny.  But  we  don't 
have  these  kinds  of  charged  feelings,  anxieties,  and  the 
need  to  reduce  our  anxieties  through  laughter  unless  we 
have  a  very  good  reason.  Why  are  our  feelings  so  charged? 
This  is  the  kind  of  question  to  which  my  own  research 
addresses  itself. 

I  think  I  can  suggest  some  of  the  elements  of  a  first 
answer:  the  computer  presence  seems  to  make  many  of 
the  problems  and  conflicts  that  trouble  us  about  our 
society  more  transparent  to  us.  It  magnifies  them;  directly 
confronts  us  with  them.  Consider  that  very  memorable 
conversation  Professor  Weizenbaum  overheard  in  a  com- 
puter lab  where  a  computer  game  was  being  played:  "You 
ought  to  get  more  points  for  killing  than  surviving." 
Professor  Weizenbaum's  suggestion  seemed  to  be  that  the 
computer  had  something  to  do  with  evoking  this  verbal 
violence.  But  it  seems  to  me  that  the  really  disturbing 
thing  about  the  sentiment  he  overheard  doesn't  have  to  do 
with  computers.  Its  language  is  completely  resonant  with 
the  language  our  nation  used  in  fighting  and  in  justifying 
the  Viet  Nam  war.  The  fact  that  we  now  hear  it  reflected 
back  in  our  fascination  with  war  games  and  in  the 
language  we  use  to  talk  about  them  is  a  comment  not  on 
the  computer  presence  but  on  the  internalized  violence  of 
our  society.  The  problem  isn't  in  the  computer;  it's  in  us. 
Similarly,  when  we  look  closely  at  the  fears  about  living  in 
a  bureaucratic  society  that  Robert  Solomon  spoke  about, 
(the  problem  of  restrictions,  of  social  opacity,  of  not 
knowing  how  or  why  things  operate  a  certain  way  because 
someone  doesn't  want  us  to  know)  —  these  things  don't 
have  specifically  to  do  with  computers,  but  with  the  kind 
of  society  we  have  fashioned  for  ourselves.  What  is  clear  is 
that  the  computer  can  take  these  already  existing  prob- 
lems and  magnify  them — one  might  even  say,  raise  them 
to  a  new  power.  What  I  am  saying  now  is  very  much  in  the 
spirit  of  Gregg  Scragg's  last  point  about  fears  of  alienation 
from  technology.  If  war  games  become  popular  in  the 
Sunday  supplements,  that  doesn't  have  to  do  with  com- 
puters; it  has  to  do  with  us. 


The  WPI  Journal  I  October  1978113 


There  is  an  expression  that  captures  how  society 
"forgets"  those  things  that  threaten  it.  Russell  Jacoby 
coined  it  to  talk  about  how  society  forgot  what  was  most 
subversive  in  the  psychoanalytic  vision.  The  phrase  is 
"social  amnesia."  We  don't  like  to  talk  about  our  fears  of 
bureaucratic  society,  our  fears  about  the  difference  be- 
tween classes,  our  fears  about  our  alienation  from 
technology.  Serious  talk  about  such  matters  threatens  our 
normal  ways  of  doing  things.  We  spend  a  lot  of  time  and 
energy  finding  ways  to  put  such  fears  to  sleep,  often  by 
developing  a  language  to  talk  about  these  problems  that 
allows  us  to  forget  the  real  issues.  But  our  tendencies  to 
social  amnesia  are  challenged  when  we're  confronted  with 
a  very  powerful  new  technology  that  raises  these  issues 
again  for  us  in  a  very  dramatic  and  compelling  way. 

Sociology  has  several  things  to  contribute  to  the  kind  of 
coversation  that  we  have  been  a  part  of  today.  First,  some 
issues  require  empirical  investigation. 

Professor  Weizenbaum  raised  the  issue  of  computers 
making  it  more  rather  than  less  difficult  to  communicate 
with  one  another,  of  widening  the  gap  between  people  of 
different  social  and  economic  classes.  But  whether  or  not 
this  is  the  case  is  open  to  investigation,  to  study.  In  my 
own  work  I  sometimes  run  across  situations  which 
suggest  that  just  the  opposite  can  happen  as  well.  Com- 
puters use  a  kind  of  communication,  a  kind  of  symbol 
processing  that  doesn't  rely  on  the  kinds  of  fine  points  that 
make  me  speak  "correctly"  and  that  make  some  other 
people  speak  "correctly"  but  in  a  dialect  that  is  not  widely 
accepted.  Using  the  new  computational  dialect  can  lessen 
the  gulf  between  such  people. 

There  is  another,  more  important  contribution  that  a 
sociological  perspective  can  make  to  the  discussion,  one 
that  I  have  already  touched  on.  It  can  help  us  avoid  the 
pitfall  of  having  conversations  about  fundamental  social 
and  political  problems  focus  exclusively  on  the  computer. 
This  can  have  the  effect  of  diverting  us  from  the  underly- 
ing things  that  really  matter.  I  think  that  we  may  have 
seen  this  happening  in  the  discussion  today.  I  have  already 
said  that  I  believe  discussion  about  social  and  political 
violence  can  be  subverted  if  it  is  reduced  to  complaints 
about  the  violence  of  computer  games.  I  also  believe  that  a 
discussion  about  our  alienation  from  politics  can  be 
subverted  if  it  is  reduced  to  concerns  about  "computers" 
not  "letting  us  out  of  the  elevator"  on  certain  "secret" 
floors.  And  I  believe  that  fears  about  computers  taking 
over  the  functions  of  certain  of  our  neurons,  like  multipli- 
cation neurons,  can  divert  our  attention  from  the  profound 
crisis  in  education  today,  where  functional  illiteracy  after 
a  high  school  education  is  becoming  increasingly  com- 
mon. Again,  as  in  all  these  cases,  the  computer  is  a 
metaphor  for  talking  about  these  other  problems.  And  it 
seems  to  me  that  a  role  for  sociology  is  to  bring  us  back  to 
them. 


There  is  clearly  a  social  discourse  about  computers. 
We're  participating  in  it  today.  They're  good,  they're  bad, 
they'll  change  us,  they  won't  change  us,  they're  coming 
into  our  homes,  what  will  they  do  there,  will  they  change 
everything  once  they're  there.  There  are  stirrings,  there  is 
nervousness,  tension,  anticipation,  excitement.  A 
sociological  perspective  on  this  computer  "knowledge," 
much  of  it  the  knowledge  of  popular  culture,  would 
suggest  that  when  people  are  talking  about  computers,  in 
their  fears  and  fantasies  about  computers,  they're  really 
talking  about  other  things  as  well.  The  stirrings  about 
computers  express  important  social  and  psychological 
preoccupations.  In  a  way,  the  computer  serves  as  a  kind  of 
giant  Rorschach  blot  for  society,  a  screen  onto  which  other 
preoccupations  are  projected.  With  a  Rorschach,  as  with 
other  projective  devices  used  in  clinical  diagnosis,  we 
analyze  projections  for  what  lies  beneath.  Then  we  try  to 
use  our  understanding  to  help  the  individual  to  deal  with 
his  preoccupations  in  the  most  constructive  way  possible. 


14 1  October  1 978  I  WPI  journal 


Why  is  the  computer  able  to  play  this  evocative  role?  I 
believe  that,  as  in  the  case  of  the  Rorschach,  its  form  is 
inclusive,  ambiguous.  People  can  make  many  things  of  it. 
Professor  Weizenbaum  pointed  out  this  property  of  com- 
puter very  well  when  he  remarked  that  the  question  "Can 
computers  think?"  deals  with  three  of  the  most  ambigu- 
ous words  in  the  English  language.  I  think  the  computer's 
evocative  power  does  relate  to  the  quality  of  ambiguity, 
the  difficulty  of  pinning  down  what  is  "thinking, "  what  is 
"not  thinking."  It  also  relates  to  the  plasticity  of  the 
machine.  Unlike  other  technologies  that  essentially  do 
some  thing,  the  computer  is  extraordinarily  plastic,  malle- 
able. And  in  the  case  of  computer  technology,  perhaps 
more  than  in  the  case  of  others,  the  social  construction  of 
the  machine  (that  is  to  say,  its  meaning,  its  use  as  symbol, 
what  kind  of  signif ier  we  make  it  in  our  lives)  can  be  a  large 
part  of  its  impact;  and,  as  I  have  already  pointed  out,  a  lot  of 
the  time  when  we're  talking  about  the  computer,  we're 
really  talking  about  our  social  construction  of  the 
computer. 


Of  course,  this  is  not  all  that  we  are  doing.  The  com- 
puter's direct  impact,  how  it's  going  to  enter  and  change 
our  lives,  is  highly  consequential.  I'm  not  trying  to  reduce 
discussion  of  the  computer  impact  to  a  sociological  ar- 
tifact. I'm  just  saying  that  it  is  equally  reductionist  to  take 
social  problems  and  mask  their  systematicity  and  deep- 
rootedness  by  transforming  them  into  "computer  impact 
problems."  Claude  Levi-Strauss,  the  anthropologist,  has  a 
metaphor  for  this  use  of  cultural  symbols  to  talk  about 
underlying  truths;  he  calls  it  bricolage.  It  means  a  kind  of 
"tinkering"  with  powerful  social  symbols  and  I  think  that 
the  computer  has  become  a  dominant  image  for  such 
tinkering. 

What  can  we  say  about  what's  going  on  in  the  sphere 
between  computers  and  people  that  makes  the  computer 
metaphor  so  powerful? 

In  my  own  work,  I  find  people  preoccupied  by  two 
unknowns,  both  of  which  have  been  echoed  here  today. 
First,  the  possibility  that  the  computer  presence  will 
change  the  way  in  which  we  think  and  second,  that 
computers  may  develop  a  mind  of  their  own.  When  people 
I  interview  are  confronted  with  the  possibility,  for  exam- 
ple, of  computers  which  might  serve  as  a  physician- 
consultant  —  that  is,  whose  very  functions  border  on  ones 
which  we  now  consider  to  be  quintessentially  human  — 
people  react  with  a  force  of  feeling  by  which  they  them- 
selves are  surprised.  When  this  issue  came  up  in  today's 
session,  we  laughed  to  cover  our  unease.  In  interviews, 
people  often  try  to  neutralize  their  feelings  of  discomfort 
by  making  jokes  or  by  denying  that  such  things  are 
possible.  But  then  they  try  to  buttress  these  defenses  by 
adding  in  unabashed  self-contradiction  that  while  such 
things  are  possible,  they  shouldn't  be  allowed  to  happen. 
In  these  reactions  we  see  the  complexity  of  our  response  to 
the  idea  of  machine  intelligence.  The  issue  is  charged 
because  of  our  own  stake  in  maintaining  the  line  between 
the  human  and  the  artificial.  This  is  a  highly  charged  line, 
long  central  to  mythology  and  literature,  and  indeed  to  the 
research  literature  of  psychoanalysis,  psychiatry,  and 
psychopathology  as  well.  In  my  own  clinical  work  in  a 
student  health  service,  I've  seen  people  use  programming 
as  an  activity  that  helped  them  come  out  of  serious 
depressions.  Programming  has  many  qualities  that  make 
it  a  natural  therapeutic  facilitator.  It  offers  a  fairly  struc- 
tured set  of  tasks  with  still  some  room  for  creative  inputs, 
and  where  debugging  the  program  means  you  don't  have  to 
go  back  to  the  beginning  to  recreate  the  whole  thing  if  you 
make  a  mistake.  When  I've  spoken  about  this,  about 
programming  as  a  route  out  of  depression,  there  is  often 
sincere  concern  expressed  that  depression  may  only  have 
given  way  to  a  compulsive  activity  with  a  machine.  But  if  I 
had  told  the  story  about  somebody  coming  out  of  a 
depression  by  playing  a  lot  of  chess,  there  wouldn't  be  that 


The  WPI  Journal  I  October  1978115 


i 


kind  of  concern.  So  it  seems  to  me  that  people's  concern 
expresses  their  tension  about  interaction  between  ma- 
chine and  man.  People  get  very  disturbed  when  they  see 
their  children  going  to  bed  with  a  Little  Professor,  an 
educational  toy  for  kids  that  teaches  math  by  presenting 
number  problems  for  the  child  to  solve.  But  it's  all  right  if 
the  child  goes  to  bed  with  a  Raggedy  Ann  doll  or  a  blanket. 
Again,  I'm  suggesting  that  tension  arises  because  the  issue 
touches  the  charged  line  between  the  human  and  the 
artificial. 

Another  problem  the  computer  touches  on  and  which 
makes  it  highly  evocative  is  that  of  our  alienation  from 
technology  in  general.  Many  people  watch  men  going  to 
the  moon  in  machines  they  don't  understand  on  a  televi- 
sion whose  inner  workings  they  don't  comprehend.  The 
idea  of  the  malleability  of  the  computer,  the  idea  that  it 
can  do  for  you  what  you  want  it  to  and  in  the  way  you  want 
it  to,  makes  a  very  evocative  image  for  many  of  us:  it 
presents  itself  as  a  complex  technology  that  can  be  infi- 
nitely personalized.  But  of  course  it  may  act  in  the  other 
direction  and  increase  our  alienation  from  the 
technologies  on  which  we  depend. 

Finally,  the  computer  raises  the  issue  of  social  au- 
thoritarianism. I  think  that  here,  perhaps  more  clearly 
than  anyplace  else,  the  computer  has  the  power  both  to 
increase  authoritarianism  and  to  serve  as  a  mirror  for 


what's  there  anyway.  People  are  nervous  that  the  com- 
puter is  acting  to  take  out  the  space,  the  "loopholes"  in  a 
basically  unsatisfying  system.  I  recently  had  an  interesting 
conversation  with  a  colleague  who  was  distressed  to  find 
that,  when  he  was  at  the  airport  and  wanted  to  pay  for  a 
flight  with  a  check,  the  airline  attendant  said,  "One 
moment  please,  I'll  just  have  to  check  your  balance."  My 
friend  had  not  been  aware  that  a  shop  owner  or  an  airline 
ticket  agent  had  the  right  to  check  the  balance  in  his  bank 
account  at  any  time.  Now  that's  always  been  true,  but, 
because  in  the  past  you  didn't  have  a  computer  to  do  it,  it 
was  a  kind  of  messy  procedure  with  telephone  calls.  It 
couldn't  easily  be  done  while  you  were  waiting  in  line  at 
the  ticket  booth  and  so,  most  often,  it  wasn't  done. 

To  conclude,  I  think  that  these  fears  we  have  predate  the 
computer.  I  think  it's  a  good  thing  that  my  colleague  now 
knows  that  about  the  limits  of  his  privacy  in  the  banking 
system.  I  tell  the  story  to  make  the  point  that  the 
computer  may  be  serving  an  important  function  in  mak- 
ing us  aware  of  things  that  were  there  all  the  time,  that  are 
offensive  to  us  but  that  we  swept  under  the  rug  —  issues 
regarding  privacy  and  authoritarianism,  for  example.  The 
question  before  us  is  what  we  make  of  the  mirror  that  the 
computer  now  offers  us  to  deal  with  these  underlying 
problems.  llipi 


16 1  October  1 978  I  WPI  Journal 


Computer  games 


It's  nearly  impossible  to  talk  about  computers,  espe- 
cially home  computers,  for  any  length  of  time  without 
touching  on  computer  games.  This  symposium  was  no 
exception,  and  the  audience  and  the  panelists  created  an 
interesting  dialogue  on  the  subject. 

(Question  from  the  audience)  Many  people  touched  on  the 
very  aggressive  aspects  of  most  computer  games.  And 
certainly  this  can  imply  that  the  computer  exerts  negative 
influence  on  our  psyches,  or  on  the  entire  culture  in  the 
long  term.  How  much  of  this  depends  on  the  types  of 
games  and  the  types  of  people  developing  the  games?  To 
give  an  example,  the  best  computer  game  I've  ever  seen, 
the  lunar  lander  game  available  for  a  machine  with  a 
graphics  terminal,  the  most  violent  thing  in  it  is  a  little  guy 
getting  out  of  a  spaceship  and  ordering  two  cheeseburgers 
and  a  Big  Mac. 

Prof.  Weizenbaum:  Well,  you  must  be  a  great  lunar  lander 
manipulator  if  you've  never  seen  the  consequences  of 
crashing,  where  the  thing  blows  up  very  vividly,  and  some 
very  violent  messages  are  given  out.  And  it's  also  true  that 
if  you  shoot  a  missile  at  a  tank,  it  blows  up.  That's  what 
happens,  but  that  doesn't  mean  that  one  must  necessarily 
have  tank  battles  and  so  forth  on  computers.  That's  just 
what  happens  when  you  do. 

Prof.  Solomon:  I  think  one  thing  should  be  noted,  but  I 
don't  know  whom  it's  more  characteristic  of.  You  don't 
see  computer  games  on  sex  or  on  social  relationships. 
(Maybe  there  are  some,  but  I  haven't  heard  about  them.) 
The  closest  I  ever  came  to  a  computer  game  like  that  was  a 
game  called  life,  where  things  reproduced  in  totally 
non-human  ways  and  also  died  in  non-human  ways. 
Nevertheless,  I  think  it  is  indicative. 

I  wouldn't  worry  so  much  about  the  violence  of  the 
computerized  television  games,  because  I  see  them  as 
childlike,  an  extension  of  boys'  toys.  They're  just  more 
sophisticated.  If  I  was  alarmed  by  that,  I'd  be  alarmed  by  a 
child  with  a  cap  pistol.  Perhaps  I  ought  to  be.  But  what  I'm 
saying  is  that  this  violence  is  not  unique  to  the  computer; 
it  seems  to  go  along  with  the  age  group. 


I  wonder  why  we  aren't  confronting  the  more  everyday 
situations,  such  as  getting  a  job,  and  putting  them  on  the 
computer.  I've  seen  a  few  computer  programs  like  this,  but 
mostly  what  we  have  are  tanks,  war  games,  or  some  form 
of  Monopoly. 

(Question  from  the  audience)  I'm  not  that  familiar  with 
computer  games,  but  I  wonder  why  they  don't  have 
anything  but  violence.  From  what  I  hear,  it's  just  war 
games. 

Prof.  Turkle:  I  know  I  said  that,  because  that's  all  that's  on 
the  computer  system  I  have  access  to.  But  there's  an 
interesting  game  I'm  trying  to  set  up  a  research  project 
around.  The  game  is  called  adventure,  and  it  takes  you 
through  what  may  be  the  most  fascinating,  perhaps  the 
richest  kind  of  oral  literature  being  generated  in  America 
today.  This  is  a  very  broad  statement,  but  I  think  it's  true. 


The  WPI  Journal  I  October  1978117 


THE  OBJECT  OF  THIS  GANE  IS  TO  SORT  48  CARDS  OT  A  STAHOAR0  DECK 

gr  suit,  reon  left  to  bight  starting  kith  2  ono  enoinc  kith  rut. 

HE  CAROS  ARE  DEALT  RAHOOHLY  IN  4  ROHS  Of  13  COLUHNS  flltO  THE  ACES 

•tRE  PICKED  UP>   LEADING  SPACES  BEHIND  SOKE  CARDS.  SORTING  IS  ACCOMPLISHED 

IY  TYPING  THE  NUTIBER  AND  LETTER  REPRESENTING  THE  CARDiSUCH  AS: 

HIM  '.•  siawns —  u 

SEVEN  or  SPAOES ".: 

teh  or  CLUBS FC  IN     ' 

HO  CARRIAGE  RETURNS  ARE  NECESSARY  EXCEPT  HE1  |  NESTM  IS  «S<E0 
[llTIfiLLV  YOU  HILL  BE  ASKED  -  ■  IWttl  C8SK  f«  MIR. 

THIS   IS   JUST   A  REFERENCE  POINT  SO  YOU  CAN  SEE  IF  YOU  NAtE  ANY  PROMTS. 
SPECIFY  ANY  ANOUNT.    IT  HILL  THEN  ASt  fldOUH7  OF  BET.  THE  COBPUTE1 
■IU   CALCULATE   1  --38  Of  BET  TO  SET  PflY-OFF  FIGURE  FOR  WW,  CARD  CORRECTLY 
SORTED.    IT  HILL  TELL  YOU  THE  NUNBERS.YOU  THEN  CAN  ACCEPT  OR  DECLINE. 

-  list  or  ruP'Hts  couMf    ':;.       I  tiM  IK  .-■; 
II       .-  .  ...  --  - 


ORDERS:     STARDATE  =  2-9M 
. NHflNOER  Or  THE  FEDERATION  STARSHIP  EJITEPPRISE 
>OV»  HISSION  IS  TO  RIO  THE  GALAXY  Or  THE  DEAOir 
KM  NENACE.    TO  DO  THIS.  YOU  BUST  DESTROY  THE 

uiHGOit  invasion  roRcr  or  33  battle  cruisers. 

YOU  HAVE  48  SOLAR  YEARS  TO  COHPLETE  YOUR  HISSIOH. 


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TORPEDOES: 

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Prof.  Weizenbaum:  Sherrie,  I  have  some  data  to  supply  to 
you.  (To  the  audience):  What  was  the  name  of  that  game- 
that  was  mentioned?  (response)  Right,  that's  the  word  I 
wanted  to  hear  —  advent.  Did  you  hear  that  ?  Almost 
everybody  said  advent.  The  name  of  this  game  is  adven- 
ture, but  it  got  to  be  advent.  I  think  this  illustrates  the 
co-influence  of  all  sorts  of  things,  even  the  corruption 
introduced  by  one  thing  to  another.  Six  letters  happens  to 
be  a  magic,  historical  number  having  to  do  with  an  early 
implementation  of  the  computer  language  known  as 
Fortran.  So  adventure  gets  truncated  to  ADVENT. 

Yes,  it's  certainly  a  fascinating  game,  but  in  fact  it  also 
has  its  violent  aspects.  It's  interesting  that  the  people  who 
put  together  this  game  couldn't  do  it  without  sticking  in 
some  violence.  They  were  apparently  incapable  of  doing  it 

There  are  a  whole  catalog  of  games  that  don't  show 
violence,  and  some  are  very  nice.  For  example,  chess  is  on 
computers  today.  But  isn't  this  interesting  —  people  will 
sit  down  with  the  computer  to  play  chess  who  haven't 
asked  a  real  person  to  play  chess  for  years.  There's  another 
nice  game  called  pq.  It's  a  version  of  Scrabble.  People  sit  at 
various  consoles  and  the  computer  throws  up  a  world,  a 
sort  of  menu  of  letters  out  of  which  you  can  build  words, 
and  people  play  against  one  another,  building  as  many 
words  as  possible.  Students  play  that  a  lot,  and  the  faculty 
too.  Many  of  us  at  MIT  have  computers  at  home,  and  in 
the  evening  you  can  see  what  other  people  are  doing  using 
a  program  something  like  spy.  And  what  do  you  know,  hal 
the  faculty  is  plaing  pq.  But  they  never  play  Scrabble  with 
one  another.  That's  curious. 


Prof.  Scragg:  It  seems  a  little  unfair  to  point  out  that 
adventure  is  a  violent  game  and  they  couldn't  make  it 
without  violence.  Let's  take  a  look  at  what  it  is.  It  was 
certainly  inspired  by  Tolkien's  Lord  of  the  Rings.  And 
Tolkien's  inspirations  came  from  very  old  folk  tales.  So 
this  violence  is  nothing  new.  Some  people  talk  about  it  as : 
current  trend  in  our  society,  even  if  it  isn't  the  computer's 
fault.  But  the  type  of  violence  that's  in  this  game  is 
centuries  old.  |||p| 


18  I  October  1 978  /  WPI  Journal 


tfrt 


Norton  is  building 
more  than  just  a  name 

in  safety. 


It's  one  thing  to  make  high  quality  personal 
protection  products.  And  Norton  does. 

But  Norton,  more  than  anyone  else  in 
the  business,  goes  beyond  individual  prod- 
ucts for  individual  needs.  Because  the  fact  is 
that  Norton  looks  at  safety  the  way  you  do. 
In  terms  of  cost-effective  programs  for  the 
total  safety  of  every  worker  in  your  plant. 


It's  the  kind  of  capability  in  total  safety 
that  you  should  expect  from  a  corporation  - 
like  Norton -serving  industrial  needs  with 
112  plants  around  the  world.  For  more  infor- 
mation, write  to  the  Norton  Company,  Safety 
Products  Division,  Cranston,  R.I.  02920. 
In  Canada, Norton  Safety  Products  Ltd., 
Rexdale,Ontario,  Canada.  M9W224. 


NORTON 


Respirators,  Protective  Glasses,  Goggles,  Face  Shields,  Hearing  Protection,  Hard  Hats,  Gloves,  First  Aid,  Protective  Clothing 


Roy  Seaberg 


"WPI  is  the  best  place  to  study  in  the 
country  today,"  says  Roy  A.  Seaberg, 
Jr.,  '56.  Nothing  equivocal  about  that 
statement.  Flat  out  Seaberg  says  WPI 
is  the  "best." 

When  you  come  right  down  to  it, 
it's  what  you  might  expect  to  hear 
from  a  faithful  alumnus  and  long- 
time WPI  administrator,  who  helped 
to  mold  the  Plan,  and  who  currently 
sits  in  the  chair  of  the  associate  direc- 
tor of  admissions.  Roy  has  been  in- 
volved in  one  way  or  another  with 
WPI  since  1952,  when  he  entered  as  a 
freshman.  The  changes  that  have 
come  about  on  campus  since  that 
time  have  been  nothing  short  of  revo- 
lutionary. He  is  understandably 
proud  to  have  played  a  part  in  further- 
ing those  changes,  and  in  helping  to 
shape  WPI  into  a  unique  seat  of 
higher  learning. 

"When  I  arrived  at  WPI  twenty-six 
years  ago,  Admiral  Cluverius  was 
president,"  Roy  says.  "The  cur- 
riculum hadn't  been  modified,  except 
in  minor  ways,  since  the  mid- 1930s. 
There  was  a  small  change  in  1 95 7, 
but  basically  the  early  1 9  5  os  were  the 
close  of  the  Victorian  Age  at  WPI." 

Students  of  the  1950s  were  charac- 
terized as  the  "silent  generation,"  he 
continues.  "That  may  have  been  true 
generally,  but  at  WPI  during  that 
period,  many  students  and  faculty 
were  as  alert  and  as  concerned  with 


both  campus  and  off-campus  issues 
as  their  successors  a  decade  later. 
Although  somewhat  more  inhibited 
than  today's  generation,  they, 
nevertheless,  advocated  and  worked 
for  reform.  Most  of  the  Plan  initiators 
on  the  faculty  were  not  Young  Turks, 
but  as  David  Reisman  has  said,  the 
'Old  Guard'  of  the  college.  Perhaps 
they  were  the  real  secret  behind  the 
success  of  the  WPI  Plan.  They  helped 
keep  the  changes  on  campus,  dra- 
matic as  they  were,  orderly  and 
calm." 

People  may  not  have  always  agreed 
with  the  Plan,  admits  Seaberg,  but 
they  managed  to  be  both  civil  and 
tolerant  when  it  was  discussed.  He 
was  in  a  position  to  observe  this  first 
hand.  In  1 969  he  became  a  member  of 
the  WPI  Plan  Committee,  and  served 
as  executive  secretary  of  the  commit- 
tee from  February  to  September. 

"Under  the  Plan  we  opted  for  a  new 
admissions  policy,"  Seaberg  explains. 
Initiated  by  Ken  Nourse,  then  the 
Dean  of  Admissions,  the  purpose  was 
to  add  the  candidate's  appraisal  of  his 
or  her  own  motivation  and  self- 
initiative  qualities  to  the  admissions 
equation.  Instead  of  an  anonymous 
admissions  committee  making  the 
decisions  solely  based  upon  an  appli- 
cant's grades,  SAT  scores  and  rec- 
ommendations, the  student  would  be 
brought  directly  into  the  picture  right 


20 1  October  1 978  I  WPI  Journal 


from  the  beginning,  usually  during  a 
campus  interview.  If  an  application 
followed  the  interview,  then  within 
three  weeks  by  letter,  the  student 
would  receive  a  no-holds  barred  ap- 
praisal of  his  academic  talent.  More 
importantly,  however,  he  would  re- 
ceive a  full  understanding  of  the  col- 
lege's performance-based  education 
and  the  need  for  his  own  continued 
growth. 

Are  applicants  ever  rejected? 
"Most  definitely,  yes,"  Seaberg  re- 
plies. He  admits,  however,  that  the 
whole  procedure  is  under  continued 
review. 

"Our  admissions  process  is  so  dif- 
ferent, as  is  our  educational  approach, 
that  it  is  often  misunderstood,"  he 
continues.  The  phrase  'open  admis- 
sions' keeps  cropping  up.  Whether  we 
keep  it  or  not  is  still  being  discussed. 
But  there's  no  denying  the  fact  that 
SATs  and  the  high  school  record  tell 
only  part  of  the  story.  Motivation  and 
creativity  are  not  measured  by 
three-hour  exams,  yet  they  are  the 
biggest  factor  in  eventual  success." 

Seaberg,  a  member  of  Skull,  PDE, 
and  Phi  Gamma  Delta  Fraternity, 
graduated  from  WPI  in  1 9  5  6  as  a 
mechanical  engineer.  He  was  com- 
missioned a  lieutenant  in  the  ROTC, 
and  served  as  a  field  representative  for 
Phi  Gamma  Delta  from  1956  to  1958, 
and  took  his  six-month  tour  of  duty 
with  the  Army  in  1 9  5  7 . 

"I  was  the  first  Fiji  from  the  WPI 
chapter  ever  selected  as  a  field  repre- 
sentative for  the  fraternity,"  he  says. 
Later  there  were  four  others:  John 
Pelli,  '70;  Tom  Burns,  '72;  Bill 
McDonald,  '62;  and  Bill  Johnson,  '76. 

In  1958  he  left  his  Phi  Gamma 
Delta  post  and  became  a  manufactur- 
er's representative  for  Stewart  Miller 
Associates,  which  represented  manu- 
facturers of  hydraulic  equipment.  He 
was  responsible  for  the  areas  of  Mas- 
sachusetts and  Vermont  from  1 95  8  to 
1962. 


"During  the  late  1950s  I  continued 
to  be  involved  with  Phi  Gam,  too,"  he 
reveals.  "Hans  Koehl,  '56,  Otto  Wah- 
lrab,  '54,  and  I  worked  hard  to  raise 
money  to  renovate  the  chapterhouse. 
Also,  I  served  as  area  adviser  from 
1958  to  1966." 

From  1962  to  1969,  Seaberg  was 
assistant  secretary  of  the  Alumni  As- 
sociation and  worked  with  Warren 
Zepp,  '42,  who  was  then  alumni  sec- 
retary. His  responsibilities  included 
compiling  and  writing  material  for 
the  WPI  Journal,  helping  to  arrange 
reunions,  and  speaking  at  alumni 
chapter  meetings  throughout  the 
country. 

"One  alumni  trip  was  especially 
memorable,"  he  recalls.  "President 
Storke  and  I  were  in  Los  Angeles  for  a 
meeting,  and,  of  course,  we  had  to 
visit  Disneyland.  We  had  only  a  few 
hours  to  spend  there,  but  we  made 
the  most  of  them.  President  Storke 
was  very  enthusiastic  about  the 
jungle  boat  ride.  It  was  hard  to  get 
him  off  of  it!" 

On  the  way  home  from  Los 
Angeles  (it  was  Easter  time),  Roy  had 
an  opportunity  to  stop  off  at  Aspen  for 
some  skiing.  "That  Easter  trip  was 
one  of  the  most  enjoyable  ever,"  he 
comments. 

Roy  did  lots  of  skiing  during  the 
middle  '60s.  Not  only  did  he  chal- 
lenge Aspen,  he  also  hit  the  high 
spots  in  New  England,  as  well  as  at 
Mt.  Tremblant.  "Just  for  pleasure 
though,"  he  says. 

Golfing,  he  has  always  enjoyed 
since  he  was  a  youngster  in  New 
York  City.  He  won  the  New  York 
City  Junior  Championship  in  1952. 
He  coached  the  WPI  golf  team  from 
1963  to  1970.  "We  had  two  unde- 
feated seasons  during  that  period,"  he 
reports  with  a  smile.  "But  the  credit 
has  to  go  to  the  great  golfers,  not  their 
coach." 


Today,  Roy  concentrates  on  his 
golf  at  Holden  Country  Club,  where 
he  has  won  several  tournaments.  "I 
really  consider  myself  more  of  a  plea- 
sure golfer  now,  though." 

Although  he  spends  much  of  his 
time  in  admissions  work,  and  has 
always  been  involved  with  the  actual 
day-to-day  business  at  WPI,  he  has 
also  served  in  other  capacities.  He  has 
been  president  of  the  Worcester 
County  Alumni  Council,  a  repre- 
sentative to  the  Alumni  Council,  a 
member  of  a  special  committee  to 
nominate  alumni  trustees,  a  found- 
ing officer  of  the  Cluverius  Society, 
and  an  original  member  of  the  Pub 
committee.  Currently,  he  belongs  to 
the  nominating  committee  and  the 
awards  committee  of  the  Alumni  As- 
sociation. 

In  the  future,  he  is  considering  tak- 
ing a  possible  'round-the-world  trip. 
But,  recently,  he  made  a  move  of 
another  kind  —  from  his  sunny,  com- 
fortable office  in  Higgins  House  into 
the  newly  renovated  admissions  of- 
fice in  Boynton. 

"It's  good  to  be  back, "  he  says.  For  a 
moment  he  reminisces  about  the 
pleasant  view  he  had  previously  had 
of  the  lush,  east  lawn  of  Higgins 
House.  "I  think,"  he  adds. 

UIPI 


The  WPI  Journal  I  October  1 978 1 21 


1914 

Ray  Crouch  is  recovering  from  an  attack  of 
angina.  Currently,  he  and  his  wife  reside  in 
Dallas,  Texas  near  their  son,  Walter,  and 
family. 


1915 

Charles  Hurd  writes  from  Anna  Maria,  Fla. 
that  he  works  a  couple  of  hours  a  day  and 
still  keeps  going  "in  all  this  heat."  . . . 
Maurice  Steele,  at  the  age  of  86,  was 
honored  by  being  asked  to  deliver  the 
annual  Memorial  Day  address  in  Bellamy 
Park,  Rome,  N.Y.,  on  May  29,  1978. 


manager  of  metallurgical  engineering  at  GE 
in  Pittsfield,  and  was  invited  to  lecture 
abroad.  An  author,  he  is  also  a  fellow  of 
IEEE,  and  belongs  to  the  American  Institute 
for  Chemists,  the  American  Institute  of 
Miningand  Metallurgical  Engineers,  Sigma 
Xi,  and  Tau  Beta  Pi.  He  holds  several  pat- 
ents in  his  field.  Both  of  the  Morrills  are 
interested  in  genealogy  and  mineralogy. 
Mr.  Morrill  has  also  received  photography 
prizes. 


1926 

Howard  Thomson,  who  had  a  severe 
stroke  last  July  and  spent  eight  months  in 
the  hospital,  is  now  home  continuing  to 
improve. ...  A.  Harold  Wendin  says  that  he 
still  winters  in  a  travel  trailer  park  in  Mesa, 
Ariz.  He  expected  to  spend  most  of  the 
summer  in  San  Diego,  Calif,  and  to  make  a 
trip  east  in  August.  Although  his  wife  Bar- 
bara died  last  winter,  he  is  trying  to  con- 
tinue an  active  life  with  a  large  variety  of 
interests. 


1927 

Charles  Moore  has  swum  three  hundred 
miles  in  Cleveland's  Cudell  Recreation  Cen- 
ter pool  from  October  1971  to  June  1978, 
and  has  earned  six  Red  Cross  50-mile  cer- 
tificates. 


1931 

Warren  Doubleday,  who  during  the  de- 
pression worked  on  the  Swift  River  Valley 
project  in  which  his  family  home  in  North 
Dana  (Mass.)  was  flooded,  recently  lec- 
tured on  the  project  at  a  standing- 
room-only  presentation  at  New  Salem 
Town  Hall.  Forty  years  ago  he  was  one  of 
2,500  persons  who  lost  their  homes  when 
the  Swift  River  Valley  was  flooded  to  make 
way  for  the  Quabbin  Reservoir. 


1933 

Dr.  Herman  Dorn,  former  owner  of  Dorn  & 
Co.,  Glen  Ellyn,  III.,  has  just  retired.  He  is 
now  a  food  and  drug  consultant. 

1934 

Recently  John  Birch  had  dinner  with  Ted 
Perry,  '32,  his  wife  and  sister-in-law.  This 
year  he  has  been  program  chairman  of  the 
IEEE  section  that  extends  from  Pensacola 
and  Tallahassee  to  Dothan,  Alabama  and 
Panama  City. . . .  Carl  Hammarstrom  says, 
"I  didn't  retire  after  all,  just  retread."  He  is 
enjoying  his  part-time  work  in  connection 
with  mineral  exploration,  and  part-time 
teaching  and  lecturing  on  surveying  topics. 
His  main  outside  interests  are  with  the 
American  Congress  on  Surveying  &  Map- 
ping and  the  Surveying  and  Mapping  Soci- 
ety of  Georgia.  "I'm  having  a  ball!" 


1921 

Over  fifty  years  ago  Robert  Chapman,  now 
semi-retired,  founded  the  R.  E.  Chapman 
Co.,  a  drilling  company  in  Oakdale,  Mass. 
Today,  it  is  the  largest  New  England-based 
drilling  operation,  according  to  his  son, 
Richard  Chapman,  '58,  vice  president.  "Six 
years  ago  we  dropped  domestic  drilling  in 
favor  of  municipal  and  industrial  work," 
says  the  younger  Chapman.  "The  com- 
pany has  grown  from  two  men  to  fifty  and 
from  one  rig  to  twenty."  The  firm  operates 
in  New  England  and  New  York.  It  has 
developed  wells  for  nearly  all  of  Worces- 
ter's suburban  towns  and  has  completed  a 
well  for  Provincetown.  Nearly  50  percent 
of  its  work  is  now  in  Boston  drilling  for 
hydraulic  elevators. 

Foster  Sturtevant  has  moved  to  the  Mc- 
Lean Home  in  Simsbury,  Conn.  He  writes: 
Except  for  minor  symptoms  of  Parkinson's 
disease,  I  am  in  good  health." 


1923 

The  Weston  Morrills  celebrated  their  50th 
wedding  anniversary  in  June  at  a  party 
attended  by  eighty  people  in  Pittsfield, 
Mass.  Mr.  Morrill,  who  retired  in  1 968  after 
38  years  with  GE,  established  an  interna- 
tional reputation  in  magnetism  and  mag- 
netic materials.  He  had  been  laboratory 


22 1  October  1 978  I  WPI  journal 


1930 

Ed  "FoxyGrandpa"  Delano,  for  the  second 
year  in  a  row,  has  captured  the  national  title 
in  his  age  group  in  the  Master's  25-mile 
time  trial,  which  was  held  this  summer  in 
Milwaukee,  Wis.  At  the  Senior  Olympics  in 
July  he  brought  home  the  gold  in  both  the 
10-mile  time  trial  and  the  25-mile  road 
race.  What  pleased  him  most  was  that  his 
time  beat  any  of  those  in  the  two  60-year 
age  group  classes  in  the  time  trial,  and  all 
but  one  in  the  road  race. 

Delano  pedals  some  6,000  miles  a  year, 
has  ridden  twice  coast  to  coast  since  1970, 
and  has  biked  through  seven  countries  of 
Europe.  Two  years  ago  he  placed  ninth 
among  23  masters  starting  in  the  1976 
International  Championhips  in  Austria.  Re- 
cent tests  performed  at  the  University  of 
Washington  in  St.  Louis,  showed  that  he 
performed  like  a  man  aged  under  forty.  He 
notched  an  unsurpassed  recorded  oxygen 
intake  level  for  someone  aged  73. 

He  advises  older  people  not  to  be  afraid 
to  exercise  (even  those  with  heart  condi- 
tions) under  medical  supervision.  Taking 
his  own  advice,  he  arises  at  7:30  each  day 
and  performs  thirty  limbering  and  stretch- 
ing exercises.  He  then  bikes  to  town  for  his 
mail,  which  often  includes  notices  of  vari- 
ous races  in  which  he  might  wish  to  com- 
pete. 

In  1 970  he  biked  from  Red  Bluff,  Calif,  to 
WPI  for  his  40th  reunion.  Who's  to  say  that 
he's  not  planning  a  repeat  for  his  50th  in 
1980? 


1935 

Walter  A.  Blau,  Jr.,  former  safety  director 
and  plant  manager  for  Wallace  Sil- 
versmiths, Wallingford,  Conn.,  retired  Au- 
gust 1st. . . .  Allan  Hardy,  Jr.,  president  of 
Hardy  Contractors,  Inc.,  Princeton,  Mass., 
also  owns  and  serves  as  executive  vice 
president  of  Creative  Tech,  Micro  Elec- 
tronics, Inc.  in  Rumford,  R.I. 

This  summer  William  Grogan,  '46,  dean 
of  undergraduate  studies  at  WPI,  was 
browsing  through  an  art  gallery  in  Jericho, 
Vermont,  when  a  winter  scene  of  Camel's 
Hump  took  his  eye.  "I  thought  it  was  just 
right  for  my  new  office  in  Boynton,"  he 
says,  "so,  I  bought  it."  Soon  after,  he 
received  a  surprise  note  from  the  artist, 
Douglas  Watkins,  who  was  pleased  to 
learn  that  his  painting  had  found  a  home  at 
his  alma  mater.  "I  had  no  idea  that  an 
alumnus  had  done  my  painting,"  Dean 
Grogan  says. 

Watkins,  who  retired  in  1972  as  chief 
cable  engineer  for  the  electrical  cable  divi- 
sion of  U.S.  Steel  in  Worcester,  is  essentially 
a  self-taught  watercolorist.  He  began  paint- 
ing in  1962,  and  studied  briefly  with  Stan 
Marc  Wright  in  1 974.  He  had  several  paint- 
ings selected  for  the  Worcester  Art 
Museum  biennial  Worcester  area  exhibi- 
tions, and  received  first  prize  in  watercolor 
awards  at  a  number  of  exhibitions  in  the 
area.  He  has  had  two  one-man  exhibitions 


at  the  Wood  Art  Gallery  in  Montpelier 
(Vt),  and  has  exhibited  at  the  Norwich 
University  Art  Show  and  in  numerous 
Northern  Vermont  Artist  Association 
shows,  receiving  honorable  mentions. 

Other  awards  include  an  honorable 
mention  in  1976  and  best-of-show  in  the 
1977  Vergennes  Garden  Club  Exhibition,  a 
show  which  he  judged  this  year  in  July.  He 
won  the  best  watercolor  award  this  year  at 
the  Norwich  University  Art  Show.  He  is  a 
director  of  the  Northern  Vermont  Artist 
Association,  and  is  represented  in  Vermont 
by  the  Monks  House,  Ltd.  Gallery  in  Jericho 
and  the  Art  Cache  Gallery  in  East  Burke. 

Harvey  White  has  become  a  member  of 
the  Society  of  Fire  Protection  Engineers 
(chapters  in  New  York  City  and  in  New 
Jersey);  a  registered  fire  protection  en- 
gineer; and  an  elected  member  to  the 
council  in  the  Borough  of  New  Providence. 
He  has  also  been  awarded  a  diploma  as  an 
associate  in  risk  management.  He  is  the 
grandfather  of  Harvey  W.  White  III  and 
Alexander  Lamonte  White. 

Plummer  Wiley,  a  retired  telephone 
company  executive,  is  keeping  busy  these 
days  with  his  3,000  automobile  license 
plates.  An  avid  collector  for  over  forty 
years,  he  has  three  rooms  and  a  hallway 
paneled  in  plates  at  his  home  in  Baltimore, 
Md.  The  year  he  graduated  from  WPI,  he 
and  three  cousins  drove  across  the  country 
in  a  wooden-body  Model  A  Ford  station 
wagon  festooned  with  plates  from  nearly 
every  state.  "New  Englanders  are  notori- 
ous savers,"  he  explains. 

Today,  as  one  of  the  2,000  members  of 
the  American  License  Plate  Collectors  As- 
sociation, he  trades  tags  by  mail,  in  person, 
and  at  national  conventions.  Wiley,  whose 
collection  has  some  Maryland  tags  going 
back  to  1912,  has  a  complete  set  of  pas- 
senger plates  from  1 916  to  the  present.  He 
also  has  a  number  of  Mexican  and  Cana- 
dian tags.  "Currently,"  he  says,  "license 
plates  from  Delaware  are  among  the  hard- 
est to  find." 


1936 

Perry  Clark  has  retired  from  his  real  estate 
business  in  the  Virgin  Islands.  Presently,  he 

is  residing  in  Columbia,  South  Carolina 

C.  James  Ethier,  chairman  of  Bush  Brothers 
&  Co.  of  Dandridge,  Tenn.,  has  been 
named  a  director  of  Park  National  Bank.  He 
joined  Bush  in  1946,  was  named  president 
in  1964,  and  chairman  last  year.  He  is  a 
director  of  Blytheville  (Ark.)  Canning  Co; 
Valley  Canning  Co.,  Ville  Platte,  La.;  and 
Shiocton  (Wis.)  Kraut  Co.  A  former  trustee 
of  Tusculum  College,  he  is  now  on  the 
board  of  visitors. 


1937 

Morton  Fine,  executive  director  of  the  Na- 
tional Council  of  Engineering  Examiners 
(NCEE),  participated  in  a  program  entitled 
"Statutory  Registration  and  Licensing," 
which  was  held  in  April  at  the  London 
headquarters  of  the  sponsor,  the  Institution 
of  Electrical  Engineers  (IEE)  of  the  United 
Kingdom.  The  meeting  was  designed  to 
provide  an  insight  into  the  registration  and 
licensing  systems  which  are  already  in  op- 
eration in  other  countries,  and  to  indicate 
how  such  systems  might  operate  in  the 
United  Kingdom. 

Fine  pointed  out  that  the  purpose  of 
engineering  registration  in  the  U.S.  is  to 
protect  the  public  health,  safety,  and  wel- 
fare. He  also  discussed  NCEE's  role  as  a 
coordinating  and  service  body  to  all  State 
Registration  Boards. 

Later,  reporting  on  his  visit,  Fine  noted 
that  there  is  no  engineering  registration  or 
engineering  curricula  accreditation  as  such 
in  the  United  Kingdom  comparable  to  the 
U.S.  system.  However,  the  structure  of  the 
engineering  profession  in  the  U.K.  is  similar 
to  that  in  the  U.S.,  in  that  there  are  a 
number  of  technical  professional  societies. 
Each  of  the  U.K.  institutions  has  created 
standards  for  its  type  of  registration,  which 
include  the  creation  of  a  roster  of  "Char- 
tered Engineers." 

A  report  of  the  IEE  discussion  meeting  on 
"Registration  and  Licensing"  was  to  have 
been  presented  to  Sir  Monty  Finniston's 
Committee  on  Inquiry  into  the  Engineering 
Profession  this  summer  following  a  visit  to 
the  U.S.  by  a  subcommittee  of  the  Finnis- 
ton  Committee. 

Fine  served  as  chairman  of  the  Class  of 
1 937  Gift  Committee  during  the  40th  reun- 
ion. For  many  years  he  was  an  active 
alumnus  in  the  Hartford  (Conn.)  area  be- 
fore taking  his  current  post  as  executive 
director  of  the  National  Council  of  En- 
gineering Examiners. 

William  Stanton  has  retired  after  thirty 
years  with  the  Installation  Engineering  Di- 
vision at  General  Electric  Co.  He  resides  in 
Chatham,  New  Jersey. 

1940 

Everett  Smith  retired  April  30th  following 
thirty-seven  years  and  nine  months  with 
U.S.  Steel  in  Worcester. 

1941 

F.  Harold  Holland,  Jr.,  has  retired  from 
Eastman  Kodak  Co.,  Rochester,  N.Y., 
where  he  had  been  employed  for  thirty- 
two  years.  He  had  been  senior  engineer  for 
film  testing. 


1942 

George  Andreopoulos  holds  the  post  of 
sales  manager-engineer  at  United  Baking 
Equipment  Co.  In  Kansas  City,  Kansas.  The 
firm  makes  packaging  and  automatic  han- 
dling equipment  for  bakeries. 

1943 

Henry  Durick,  Jr.,  is  slated  to  return  to  the 
U.  S.  in  November  from  Suriname.  He  has 
been  serving  as  manager  of  the  Suriname 

canning  industry Dr.  Chet  Holmlund 

spent  part  of  the  summer  in  Sweden  visit- 
ing relatives.  While  there,  he  presented 
seminars  at  several  universities.  Currently 
he  teaches  biochemistry  at  the  University 
of  Maryland.  He  writes:  "I  enjoy  the  com- 
bination of  teaching  and  research,  and 
most  especially  the  continuing  contact  with 
young  people." 

Dr.  Richard  Whitcomb,  who,  in  his  35 
years  with  NASA  and  its  predecessor  agen- 
cies, has  become  one  of  the  nation's  most 
distinguished  aeronautical  engineers,  has 
been  named  by  the  NBAA  to  become  the 
twenty-sixth  recipient  of  the  Association's 
Meritorious  Service  to  Aviation  Award.  This 
prestigious  award  is  given  to  those  indi- 
viduals who,  by  virtue  of  a  lifetime  of 
personal  dedication,  have  made  significant 
identifiable  contributions  that  have  mate- 
rially advanced  aviation  interests.  The 
NBAA  board  considered  forty  persons  for 
the  award  before  recommending  Dr.  Whit- 
comb unanimously.  His  selection  was 
based  on  his  research,  design,  and  devel- 
opment work  with  NASA,  which  resulted  in 
two  significant  breakthroughs  in  aeronaut- 
ical design  that  materially  advanced  the 
state  of  the  art:  the  area  rule  (Coke  bottle) 
design  concept  in  1952,  which  reduced 
drag  and  increased  speed  without  addi- 
tional power;  and  the  invention  of  the 
NASA  supercritical  wing.  All  new  aircraft 
built  since  have  been  influenced  by  these 
concepts.  Among  his  other  aviation  awards 
are  the  Collier  Trophy,  the  National  Medal 
of  Science,  AIAA  Aircraft  Design  Award, 
and  the  NAA  Wright  Brothers  Memorial 
Trophy.  Presently,  he  supervises  develop- 
ment of  ways  to  improve  aerodynamic 
performance  of  aircraft  at  transonic  speeds 
and  the  practical  application  of  these  im- 
provements to  specific  aircraft. 

1944 

John  Underhill  works  as  distribution  coor- 
dinator for  the  western  marketing  region  of 
Exxon  Co.  USA,  Dallas,  Texas. 

1945 

Robert  Fay  holds  the  post  of  vice  president 
of  sales  at  Springfield  Moulders,  Inc.  in 
Monson,  Mass. 


The  WPI  foumal  I  October  1 978 1 23 


1946 

^■Married:  Richard  C.  Lawton  and  Eleanor 
Clark  Dwyer  on  June  25,  1978  in  Roches- 
ter, New  York.  Mrs.  Lawton,  a  graduate  of 
Endicott  Junior  College,  is  a  medical  assist- 
ant at  the  Rochester  Gynecological  and 
Obstetrics  Association.  Her  husband  is 
president  of  Buell  Automatics,  Inc. 

1947 

Robert  Mark  continues  as  a  member  of 
GE's  corporate  employee  relations  staff  in 
Fairfield,  Conn.  His  youngest  son,  Fred, 
recently  received  his  master's  in  industrial 
relations  with  high  honors  from  the  Univer- 
sity of  Cincinnati. 

1948 

Lawrence  Minnick  has  been  named  presi- 
dent of  Yankee  Atomic  Electric  Company. 
He  joined  the  Yankee  engineering  staff  in 
1957,  and  in  1963  was  named  assistant 
vice  president.  In  1966  he  became  vice 
president  of  Yankee,  and  two  years  later 
assumed  additional  duties  as  vice  president 
of  engineering  for  Maine  Yankee  and  vice 
president  of  Vermont  Yankee.  For  the  past 
four  years  he  has  been  the  head  of  nuclear 
engineering  and  operations  and  the  liquid 
metal  fast  breeder  reactor  project  at  the 
Electric  Power  Research  Institute  in  Palo 
Alto,  Calif.  Following  graduation,  he 
worked  for  four  years  as  a  training  student 
in  New  England  Electric  retail  company 
offices  in  Worcester  and  Providence.  In 
1 952  he  became  a  technical  assistant  for 
NEP  at  Salem  Harbor  station.  Just  before 
joining  Yankee,  Minnick  took  a  leave  of 
absence  to  work  as  an  assistant  engineer  at 
the  Atomic  Power  Development  Associa- 
tion in  Detroit. 

Robert  Robson  holds  the  post  of  senior 
business  analyst  at  Nalco  Chemical  Co.  in 
Oak  Brook,  III. 

1949 

Albert  Hardaker  has  been  promoted  to 
shift  foreman  in  the  #31  paper  machine 
manufacturing  department  at  Champion 
International  Corporation's  Courtland 
(Ala.)  Champion  Papers  mill.  Prior  to  his 
promotion,  he  was  assistant  to  the  man- 
ager of  #31  paper  manufacturing. 
. . .  Edward  Randall  is  now  vice  president  of 
rolling  mill  project  administration  and  pur- 
chasing at  Morgan  Construction  Co., 
Worcester.  In  1954  he  started  at  Morgan  as 
a  research  engineer.  Recently  he  has  held 
posts  in  project  administration  and  pur- 
chasing. . . .  Robert  Rowse  was  recently 
named  division  vice  president  of  research, 
development  and  marketing  in  the  mate- 
rials division  at  Norton  Co.,  Worcester.  He 
had  been  divisional  vice  president  of  re- 
search and  operations  for  the  division,  and 


has  been  working  in  research  and  devel- 
opment since  joining  Norton  in  1 949.  He 
attended  the  School  of  Industrial  Man- 
agement at  WPI,  and  the  Advanced  Man- 
agement Program  at  Harvard  Business 
School. . . .  John  Snyder  serves  as  manager 
of  packaging  research  at  Pepsi  Cola  Co.  in 
Purchase,  NY. 


1950 

Richard  Carlson  has  assumed  the  post  of 
staff  engineer  at  du  Pontin  Fairfield,  Conn. 
. . .  Col.  Frank  Harding  retired  from  the  U.S. 
Air  Force  in  June.  He  has  joined  TRW 
Systems  in  Redondo  Beach,  Calif. . . . 
Presently  Bartlett  Hastings  is  district  scout 
executive  for  Pioneer  Valley  Council, 
B.S.A.,  in  West  Springfield,  Mass.  . . . 
Arthur  Joyce,  Jr.,  has  been  promoted  to 
marketing  programs  manager  in  the  plastic 
products  and  resins  department  at  du  Pont. 
After  twenty-six  years  with  Creole  Petro- 
leum Corp.  in  Venezuela,  John  Margo  has 
returned  to  the  U.S.  and  is  presently  with 
Exxon  Production  Research  in  Houston. 
Margo  was  an  Exxon  representative  in 
1976  and  1977  when  Creole,  Exxon's  Ven- 
ezuelan affiliate,  was  nationalized.  During 
nationalization,  Exxon  had  to  deposit  $210 
million  to  guarantee  the  condition  of  the 
assets  turned  over  to  the  government. 
After  nationalization,  all  assets  were  re- 
viewed and  deductions  from  the  fund 
made  for  those  assets  not  received  in  good 
operating  condition.  Margo  was  in  charge 
of  this  task,  which  was  completed  in 
November.  He  writes:  "My  family  and  I  are 
now  undergoing  a  reverse  culture  shock, 
but  we're  very  happy  to  be  back  in  the 
U.S.A." 

Formerly  senior  vice  president  for 
strategic  planning  at  United  Technologies 
Corp.,  Robert  Stewart  recently  accepted 
the  post  of  president  and  chief  operating 
officer  at  Arlen  Realty  &  Development 
Corp.,  the  nation's  largest  real  estate  con- 
cern. Arlen  is  comprised  of  an  $800  million 
real  estate  portfolio  and  Korvettes,  Inc. 
Previously  Stewart  held  top  level  posts  at 
Litton  Industries,  Inc.  and  Rockwell  Inter- 
national Corp.  In  June  he  received  an  hon- 
orary doctor  of  engineering  from  WPI. . . . 
Having  been  transferred  from  Providence, 
R.I.  in  January,  Robert  Van  Amburgh  pres- 
ently serves  as  quality  control  manager  for 
Davol's  new  plant  in  Moncks  Corner,  S.C. 
Davol,  Inc.,  manufactures  a  variety  of  med- 
ical goods  from  latex. 

1951 

Dexter  Cate  is  now  a  senior  project  en- 
gineer at  International  Packings  Corp.  in 
Bristol,  N.H.  .  .  .  Charles  Lorenz  works  for 
Hunlor  &  Associates,  Inc.  in  Cincinnati, 
Ohio. . . .  Thomas  McComiskey  holds  the 
post  of  plant  manager  for  the  Buffalo  Tank 
Division  of  Bethlehem  Steel  Corp.  in  Buf- 
falo, N.Y. 


24  I  October  1978 1  WPI  Journal 


1953 

G.  Brady  Buckley  is  now  the  vice  president 
of  marketing  at  Keene  Corporation,  a  New 
York-based  manufacturer  of  industrial,  pol- 
lution control,  lighting,  and  other  building 
products.  Previously  he  was  general  man- 
ager of  the  cutting  tool  products  depart- 
ment of  Babcock  &  Wilcox's  automated 
machine  division.  (He  has  not  been  Keene's 
general  manager  of  marketing  as  stated  in 
the  the  August  Journal.)  He  had  been  with 
GE.  He  resides  in  Darien,  Conn,  with  his 
wife  and  fourchildren. . . .  JackSchmid.Sr., 
is  a  plant  engineer  at  Velsicol  Chemical 
Corp.  in  El  Dorado,  Arkansas. 


1956 

Dr.  Howard  H.  Brown,  associate  professor 
of  management  at  Southeastern  Mas- 
sachusetts University  College  of  Business 
and  Industry,  has  been  appointed  dean  of 
the  School  of  Business  Administration  at 
Ithaca  (N.Y.)  College.  During  his  five  years 
at  SMU,  he  had  served  as  chairman  of  the 
department  of  management,  chairman  of 
the  Graduate  Policy  Committee  that  devel- 
oped the  university's  MBA  degree  pro- 
gram, and  as  chairman  of  the  Business 
Community  Liaison  Group.  At  Ithaca  he 
will  administer  the  second  largest  of  the 
college's  six  schools. 

Brown's  earlier  experience  included 
teaching  part  time  at  Northeastern  and  at 
Worcester  Junior  College.  He  spent  eleven 
years  with  Vee-Arc  Corporation  in 
Westboro,  Mass.,  as  vice  president  and 
member  of  the  board  of  directors,  and  five 
years  with  U.S.  Steel  in  research  and  devel- 
opment. 

Presently  he  is  working  as  co-author  of 
the  book,  Help  for  the  "Trying"  Manager. 
He  has  provided  manuscript  evaluation  for 
Professional  Selling,  and  Industrial  Or- 
ganization and  Management.  He  belongs 
to  the  Academy  of  Management  and  is  a 
registered  professional  engineer  in  Mas- 
sachusetts. 

1957 

Anthony  Matulaitis,  Jr.,  serves  as  plant 
metallurgist  at  National  Standard- 
Worcester  Wire  Division.  .  .  .  James 
Richards  holds  the  post  of  vice  president  of 
manufacturing  at  Bowers-Siemon  Chemi- 
cals in  Coral  City,  III.  He  and  his  wife  Rita, 
who  have  two  children,  live  in  Park  Forest 
South.  .  . .  Richard  Silven  was  recently 
appointed  as  group  vice  president,  interna- 
tional, at  Harvey  Hubbell,  Incorporated  in 
Orange,  Conn.  He  joined  Hubbell  last  year 
as  vice  president  of  corporate  planning  and 
development.  Earlier  he  was  vice  president 
of  corporate  development  and  general 
manager  of  the  metallurgical  products  divi- 
sion at  Bundy  Corporation.  From  1957  to 
1966  he  held  posts  with  Texas  Instruments, 
Inc.  Hubbell  manufactures  electrical  prod- 
ucts for  a  wide  range  of  commercial,  indus- 
trial, and  utility  markets.  It  has  facilities  in 
nine  states  and  overseas. 


John  Stinson,  who  resigned  as  town 
manager  of  Hanover  (N.H.)  on  July  1st, 
was  honored  by  100  people  at  a  reception. 
He  had  served  in  the  post  for  the  past  three 
years.  Previously  he  had  been  adminis- 
trator of  the  Berkshire  Medical  Center  in 
Pittsfield  and  manager  of  several  other 
towns.  He  expects  to  stay  in  the  Hanover 
area  in  a  business  capacity. .  . .  "Spike" 
Vrusho  has  won  his  twenty-second  sug- 
gestion award  at  IBM.  He  operates  the  GSD 
Information  Center,  where  he  is  involved 
with  technical  marketing  support,  and  is 
responsible  for  answering  any  questions 
concerning  the  company.  He  also  serves  as 
a  vice  president  of  the  board  of  trustees  at  a 
Unitarian  Universalist  church  in  Manhat- 
tan, his  goal  being  the  doubling  of  church 
membership  in  three  years.  He  plans  to 
publish  a  church  cookbook  as  a  fund- 
raising  project;  is  in  charge  of  a  monthly 
Underground  Gourmet  Society  which 
dines  at  unique  restaurants;  and  is  taking 
gourmet  cooking  lessons. 

Spike  writes:  "I  recently  had  a  major  role 
in  a  medieval  play,  my  first  acting  stint  since 
my  days  with  WPI's  Masque,  and  only 
flubbed  three  times. .  .  .  The  audience 
didn't  know  the  difference." 


1958 

Everett  Angell  has  returned  from  a  three- 
year  assignment  as  chief  engineer  for  the 
Foster  Wheeler  Rio  de  Janeiro  affiliate  of- 
fice in  Brazil.  Currently  he  is  project  man- 
ager at  corporate  headquarters  in 
Livingston,  N.J. . . .  Neil  Carignan  works  as 
a  senior  mechanical  engineer  for  CDI 
Marine  Co.  in  Jacksonville,  Fla. ...  In  June, 
Paul  Dalton  was  appointed  director  of 
technology  for  the  Fabricated  Products  Di- 
vision of  Monsanto  Plastics  and  Resins 
Company.  He,  wife,  Jan,  and  children, 
Julie,  Jonathan,  and  James,  have  moved 
from  Connecticut  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri.  He 
says,  "Ran  into  Hank  Nowick,  '56  in  Boston 
recently  and  see  Bill  Rogler  in  St.  Louis 
frequently." 

William  McLeod  serves  as  a  project  en- 
gineer doing  consulting  work  in  the  chemi- 
cal industry  for  Herzog-Hart  Corp.,  Bar- 

rington,  R.I This  year  Bill  Rabinovitch  is 

exhibiting  his  art  at  Haverstraw  (N.Y.)  En- 
richment Movement  Gallery  during  a 
group  show,  as  well  as  at  a  one-man  show 
atthe  Rabinovitch  Studio  in  New  York  City. 
Last  year  he  exhibited  at  Whitney  Coun- 
terweight, also  in  New  York  City.  Bill,  who 
is  in  Who's  Who  in  American  Art,  is  one  of 
several  cover  artists  commissioned  by  the 
Paulist  Press  for  its  1978-82  series,  The 
Classics  of  Western  Spirituality. 


1959 

In  May,  Cdr.  Robert  Allen,  U.S.  Navy, 
completed  his  tour  as  commanding  officer 
of  VAW- 123,  a  carrier- based  airborne  early 
warning  squadron  flying  Grumman's  E-2C 
"Hawkeyes."  During  his  tour,  VAW-123 
was  awarded  the  AEW  Excellence  Award 
for  being  the  most  outstanding  VAW 
squadron  in  the  U.S.  Navy  for  1977.  Cdr. 
Allen  is  now  assigned  to  the  office  of  Chief 
of  Naval  Operations  in  Washington,  D.C. 
. . .  Currently  William  Bailey  holds  the  post 
of  sales  engineer  for  Moog,  Inc.,  a  manu- 
facturer of  electrohydraulic  servo-valves. 
He,  his  wife,  and  three  boys  remain  in  the 
Cleveland  area. ...  P.  David  Edwards 
works  as  unit  superintendent  at  Chemplex 
Co.  in  Cunton,  Iowa. 

W.  Michael  Gasek  has  joined  Jamesbury 
Corp.  as  ball  valves  product  manager  in 
Worcester.  Previously,  he  had  owned  Mor- 
ris Co.  for  eight  years. . .  .  The  Rev.  Roger 
Miller,  who  holds  a  Master  of  Divinity 
degree  from  Seabury  Western  Theological 
Seminary,  presently  serves  as  vicar  of  St. 
Margaret's  Episcopal  Church  in  Inverness, 
Fla.  He  and  his  wife  Rita  have  three  chil- 
dren. . .  The  Rev.  Richard  Thompson  has 
been  appointed  minister  of  the  Rockville 
(Conn.)  United  Methodist  Church.  Earlier 
he  had  served  as  minister  of  the  United 
Methodist  Church  in  Hingham  for  six  years 
and  as  an  associate  minister  at  the  Wesley 
United  Methodist  Church  in  Worcester  for 
three  years.  In  his  new  post,  he  will  be 
responsible  for  coordinating  the  work  of 
the  Tolland  Group  United  Methodist 
Churches.  He  graduated  from  the  School  of 
Theology  at  Drew  University,  Madison, 
N.J.  The  Thompsons  and  their  two  sons 
reside  in  Ellington,  Conn. 

Last  fall,  Ernest  Woodtli  transferred  from 
GE's  Space  Division  in  Valley  Forge,  Pa.  to 
the  General  Purpose  Control  Department 
in  Bloomington,  III.,  where  he  is  a  sales 
engineer  covering  the  West  Coast,  South- 
east, and  upper  Midwest. 

1960 

George  Comeau,  SIM,  who  recently  retired 
from  ATF-Davidson  after  thirty-two  years, 
was  honored  at  a  retirement  party  in  June. 
During  the  festivities  he  was  presented 
with  a  weather  data  instrument,  and  a  gift 
of  money.  He  was  also  inducted  into  the 
Erectors  Hall  of  Fame  and  given  a  scale 
model  Erectors  Cricket  to  be  used  as  a 
jewelry  box.  He  graduated  from  Notre 
Dame  University  and  attended  Harvard 
Law  School. . . .  Russell  Fransen  holds  the 
post  of  project  manager  at  Cahn  Engineers 
in  Wallingford,  Conn. . . .  Ivan  Kirsch 
continues  as  engineering  services  manager 
at  Analogic  Corp.  His  oldest  son,  Robert, 
has  completed  his  freshman  year  at  MIT. 


Alexander  Kowalewski  is  the  facility 
manager  at  Hooker  Chemical  Company's 
PVC  plant  in  Burlington,  N.J.  .  .  .  Kenneth 
Matson  has  been  promoted  from  assistant 
division  manager  of  southern  gas  T  &  D  of 
the  Public  Service  Co.  of  New  Jersey  to 
manager  of  advanced  systems  research 
and  development.  He  has  his  MBA  from 
Rider  College  and  has  completed  the  pro- 
gram for  management  development  at 
Harvard  Graduate  School  of  Business.  He 
joined  the  firm  in  1960  and  was  named 
assistant  division  manager  last  year. 

1961 

David  Chesmel  has  been  appointed  man- 
ager of  national  sales  for  Chemplast,  Inc. 
He  will  be  responsible  for  Chemplast's  na- 
tional sales  policy,  line  sales  organization, 
and  distribution  networks.  He  has  his  MBA 
from  Wayne  State  University.  .  . .  James 
Dunn,  registered  professional  engineerand 
land  surveyor,  recently  opened  an  office  on 
Cocasset  St.  in  Foxboro,  Mass.  The  office 
will  offer  all  types  of  land  surveying  services 
and  consulting  engineering  services  in  the 
land  development,  environmental,  and 
land  planning  areas.  The  firm  can  handle  an 
entire  project  from  site  and  soil  examina- 
tion to  inspection.  It  can  service  the  home 
owner,  the  commercial  developer,  and 
those  in  the  public  sector.  Dunn  belongs  to 
the  Boston  Society  of  Civil  Engineers,  Amer- 
ican Congress  on  Surveying  &  Mapping, 
NSPE,  and  the  Massachusetts  Association 
of  Land  Surveyors  and  Civil  Engineers.  For 
the  past  fourteen  years,  he  was  the  vice 
president  and  chief  engineer  of  Schofield 
Brothers. 

George  Durnin,  Jr.,  SIM,  has  been 
named  director  of  personnel  at  Franklin 
County  Public  Hospital.  For  the  past  two 
years,  he  was  personnel  director  at  Fair- 
lawn  Hospital,  a  105-bed  hospital  in 
Worcester.  He  has  taught  evening  person- 
nel management  courses  at  Anna  Maria 
College,  Worcester  Junior  College,  and 
Becker  Junior  College.  In  1976  he  received 
national  recognition  as  an  accredited 
executive  in  personnel,  an  award  given  by 
the  American  Society  of  Personnel  Admin- 
istration. He  served  seven  years  as  person- 
nel manager  at  Rexnord,  Inc.,  and  ten  years 
as  personnel  director  at  Riley  Stoker  in 
Worcester. 

A  graduate  of  the  Army  Command  and 
General  Staff  College,  and  the  Industrial 
College  of  the  Armed  Forces,  Durnin,  a 
lieutenant  colonel,  is  presently  assigned  to 
the  faculty  of  the  1049th  USAR  School  in 
Chicopee  as  instructor  in  the  Command 
and  General  Staff  College. 

He  is  past  president  of  the  Personnel 
Management  Association  and  a  member  of 
the  Massachusetts  Hospital  Personnel  Di- 
rectors Association,  the  American  Legion, 
and  the  Reserve  Officers'  Association. 


The  WPI  Journal  I  October  1 978 1 25 


Ralph  Dykstra,  a  licensed  real  estate 
agent,  has  joined  Community  Real  Estate  in 
Madison,  Conn.  He  is  also  a  pilot  with 
TWA.  He  lives  in  Madison  with  his  wife  and 
two  children. . . .  Gerald  Kuklewicz  has 
changed  from  sales  to  application  engineer- 
ing within  the  central  air  conditioning  and 
heating  division  of  General  Electric  Co.  He 
writes:  "Entire  division  is  transferring  out  of 
Louisville,  Ky.  to  Tyler,  Texas.  Eighty 
families!"  . . .  Thomas  Lopresti  is  an  insur- 
ance industry  administrator  at  IBM  in 
Princeton,  NJ. . . .  Paul  Sledzik  holds  the 
position  of  manager  of  manufacturing  for 
sheet  products  at  GE  in  Mt.  Vernon,  In- 
diana. 


1962 

Richard  Frost  was  recently  appointed  dis- 
trict superintendent  of  transmission  and 
distribution  at  Narragansett  Electric  Co.  in 
Providence,  R.I. . . .  Frederick  Hastings  is 
program  manager  at  the  Armament  Devel- 
opment Lab.,  Elgin  AFB,  Florida. 

1963 

>Born:  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Roger  H.  Mad- 
docks  their  fifth  child,  first  daughter,  on 
May21, 1978.  Maddocks  is  assistant  super- 
intendent of  the  paper  sensitizing  division 
at  Eastman  Kodak  in  Rochester,  N.Y. 

Paul  Buma  is  again  serving  as  a  member 
of  the  Northbridge  (Mass.)  School  Com- 
mittee. He  was  a  member  of  the  school 
board  from  1 969  to  1 977  and  was  chair- 
man from  1972  to  1977.  He  served  as 
chairman  of  the  Regional  School  Study 
Committee  in  1 969.  He  is  self  employed  as 
a  manufacturer's  representative,  is  mar- 
ried, and  the  father  of  three  children. . . . 
Russell  Hokanson  works  at  the  du  Pont 
Savannah  River  plant  in  South  Carolina  as  a 
senior  supervisor  in  the  reactor  depart- 
ment. 

1964 

^Married:  Thomas  A.  Zagryn  and  Nancy 
L.  Chatfield  on  June  2,  1978  in  Plainville, 
Connecticut.  The  bride  graduated  from 
Central  High  School.  Her  husband  has  an 
MS  degree  from  the  University  of  Hartford. 
He  is  a  supervisor  of  personnel  develop- 
ment at  Pratt  &  Whitney  Aircraft. 

Francis  Caradonna  received  his  PhD  in 
aeronautics  and  astronautics  from  Stanford 
in  April.  Presently  he  is  employed  at  the 
U.S.  Army  Aero  Research  Lab.,  Moffett 
Field,  Calif —  Thomas  Modzelewski  holds 
the  post  of  manager  of  application  en- 
gineering at  Leeds  &  Northrup  Co.  in  North 
Wales,  Pa. 


Martin  Cosgrove,  a  section  manager  at 
Loctite  Corp.,  Newington,  Conn.,  along 
with  a  colleague,  have  been  issued  a  patent 
entitled  "Coating  Applicator"  for  a  new 
machine  called  a  Dri-Loc  handcoater.  The 
machine  was  developed  for  either  low  or 
medium  volume  runs,  to  turn  regular  bolts 
into  locking  bolts. 

Dri-Loc,  itself,  is  a  microencapsulated 
adhesive  which  remains  dry  and  inert  on 
bolt  threads  or  other  threaded  parts  until 
they  are  assembled.  After  assembly,  the 
Dri-Loc  capsules  are  crushed,  releasing  a 
locking  adhesive.  After  injecting  a  bolt  into 
the  coating  chamber  of  the  handcoater, 
threads  are  automatically  coated  and  the 
bolt  is  then  ejected.  Bolts  from  3/i6"to5/s"  in 
diameter  can  be  coated.  Users  include  rail- 
road and  bridge  builders  and  automobile 
manufacturers.  Cosgrove  has  been  with 
Loctite  for  five  years. 

Dr.  Alan  Sinclair,  MNS,  has  been  ap- 
pointed a  member  of  the  Massachusetts 
Board  of  Regional  Community  Colleges. 
The  board  sets  policy  for  the  state's  fifteen 
community  colleges  and  specifies  tuition 
rates  for  the  schools  which  provide  educa- 
tional programs  equivalent  to  the  first  two 
years  of  college.  Dr.  Sinclair,  director  of  the 
Alternate  Learning  Center  for  staff  devel- 
opment for  the  Rhode  Island  Department 
of  Education,  will  serve  in  his  new  part-time 
position  until  December  30,  1983.  He  is 
with  the  University  of  Rhode  Island. 

1965 

David  Clayton  holds  the  post  of  director  of 
finance  at  Trans  Ocean  Leasing  Corp.  in 
San  Francisco. . . .  Stephen  Cloues  is  em- 
ployed as  a  church  extension  consultant 
with  the  Baptist  Association's  Council  for 
the  Metropolitan  Birmingham  (Ala.)  area. 
...  Dr.  William  Gasko  has  been  elected 
president  of  Millis  (Mass.)  Research,  Inc. 
The  company  provides  materials  technol- 
ogy and  custom  thin  films  using  sputtering, 
ion  plating,  and  photo-patterning.  Bonding 
and  coatingtechniques  developed  by  Millis 
are  used  in  space,  medicine,  electronics, 
machine  tools,  and  consumer  applications. 
Gasko  is  a  cofounder  of  Millis  Research.  He 
received  his  doctorate  in  theoretical  physics 
fromWPI. 

Paul  Giusti  now  owns  and  manages 
Louie's  on  the  Wharf,  Inc.,  a  restaurant  and 
lounge  on  the  New  Bedford  waterfront. 
The  Giustis  have  a  daughter,  Kimberley 
Mary,  1 V2 . . . .  James  Keith  is  a  principal 
engineer  working  for  I  nstrumentation  Lab- 
oratory, Inc.,  Lexington,  Mass. ...  Did  you 
happen  to  catch  the  two-page  ad  in  the 
April  issue  of  Computer  Design?  It  featured 
Steve  Sutker.  Steve,  whose  picure  heads 
the  ad,  is  quoted  as  saying,  "My  job  is  to 
make  you  successful  with  computers.  And  I 
do  my  job."  Steve  is  OEM  marketing  man- 
ager for  Perkin-Elmer  Data  Systems. . . . 
William  Zetterlund  holds  the  position  of 
president  of  Norflor  Construction  Corp.  in 
Orlando,  Florida. 


1966 

^■Married:  Stephen  D.  Fogarty  and  Miss 
Ruth  B.  Alexander  on  April  29,  1978  in 
Newton,  Massachusetts.  Mrs.  Fogarty 
graduated  from  Northeastern  University 
and  is  with  C&  I  Cryogenics  in  Waltham. 
The  groom  serves  as  manager  of  shipping 
and  receiving  at  Polyform  Corp.  in 
Westboro. 

Recently  changing  jobs,  Paul  Castle 
presently  holds  the  post  of  plant  manager 
for  Beecham  Products,  Inc.  in  Rockwood, 
Mich.  Beecham  took  over  the  Calgon  Con- 
sumer Products  Co.  The  plant  produces  the 
Calgon  line  of  consumer  products.  The 
Castles  have  moved  to  Grosse  lie,  Mich. 
. . .  Kendall  Cowes  now  works  as  a  senior 
development  engineer  at  Datatrol  Inc., 
Hudson,  Mass. . . .  James  Cocci  is  unit 
manager  of  staff  engineering  at  the  gov- 
ernment systems  division  of  RCA  in  Cam- 
den, N.J. . . .  Robert  Holt  serves  as  a 
computer  programmer  in  the  U.S.  Bureau 
of  the  Census  in  Washington,  D.C. . . . 
Edward  Kazanjian,  Jr.,  former  director  of 
school  plants  in  Brookline,  Mass.,  has  been 
appointed  assistant  superintendent  of 
schools  for  business  affairs  in  Billerica.  He 
won  out  over  seventy-five  applicants  for 
the  post.  He  graduated  from  BU,  and  has  a 
master's  degree.  He  previously  worked  in 
industry,  and  was  assistant  director  of 
buildings  and  grounds  for  the  Framingham 
Public  School  Department. 

Earl  Sparks  was  recently  promoted  to 
plant  superintendent  at  IMC  Chemical 
Groups  Ashtabula  plant  with  total  respon- 
sibility for  all  maintenance  and  capital  proj- 
ects. The  plant  produces  chlorine  and  caus- 
tic potash,  utilizing  mercury  cells David 

Wilson  has  been  named  a  project  manager 
for  Sperry  Univac's  Federal  Systems  Divi- 
sion in  Washington,  D.C.  The  project  is  an 
automated  communications  system  for  the 
U.S.  Navy  with  major  installations  around 
the  world.  In  June,  Wilson  was  promoted  to 
major  in  the  U.S.  Army  Reserve.  His  mobili- 
zation assignment  is  with  the  Automatic 
Systems  Branch  of  the  U.S.  Army  Com- 
munications Command  at  Ft.  Huachuca, 
Arizona. 


26 1  October  1 978 1  WPI  Journal 


1967 

Gary  Bossak  is  now  employed  by  Bristol 
Instruments  &  Systems. . .  Wayne  Chiap- 
perini  works  as  a  self-employed  consulting 
engineer  and  land  surveyor  specializing  in 
plant  and  facilities  engineering.  .  .  .  Hugo 
Croft  has  been  a  product  design  engineer 
at  Ford  Motor  Co.,  Dearborn,  Mich.,  since 
July  1  st.  He  and  his  wife  Carolynn  have  two 
children  and  reside  in  Plymouth,  Michigan. 
. . .  Kirit  Desai  was  the  co-author  of  "Laser 
Light  Scattering  Probe,"  which  appeared  in 
the  June  issue  of  Industrial  Research- 
Development.  His  work  has  been  in  the 
areas  of  thermodynamics,  fluid  mechanics, 
and  turbine  aerodynamics.  He  is  with  the 
Westinghouse  Electric  Corp.  in  Philadel- 
phia. 

James  Dunn  is  now  employed  as  product 
manager  for  Hendrix  Electronics,  Inc., 
Manchester,  N.H.  He  has  moved  into  a 
160-year-old  house  and  farm  in  Dunbar- 
ton,  and  is  presently  learning  the  sheep 
business. ...  Dr.  George  P.  Kasper,  as 
co-author,  presented  his  paper,  "Devel- 
opment of  the  Electrostatic  Image"  as  part 
of  a  symposium  of  the  23rd  International 
Congress  of  Photographic  Science  on  Au- 
gust 24th  at  Rochester  Institute  of 
Technology.  About  700  international  sci- 
entists attended  this  first  western  hemi- 
sphere meeting  of  the  congress.  The  Soci- 
ety of  Photographic  Scientists  and  En- 
gineers was  the  host.  Kasper  is  a  research 
associate  at  Eastman  Kodak's  Research 
Laboratories. 

Tom  Keenan  was  recently  elected  trea- 
surer of  Torin  Corporation,  Torrington, 
Conn.,  where  he  continues  as  secretary  of 
the  corporation.  Since  joining  Torin  in 
1969,  he  has  served  in  a  number  of  assign- 
ments, both  domestic  and  abroad.  In  1976 
he  was  elected  assistant  treasurer  and  sec- 
retary. In  his  new  assignment,  he  will  func- 
tion as  the  chief  financial  officer  of  the 
company.  Keenan  is  a  graduate  of  the 
Graduate  Center  of  RPI.  Presently  he  is  a 
director  of  the  Torrington  United  Way,  and 
has  served  in  a  number  of  education- 
related  community  activities  in  Torrington. 
He  is  the  son  of  John  Keenan,  '34. ...  Dr. 
Neil  Shea  has  been  promoted  to  assistant 
professor  of  mathematics  and  physics  at 
North  Shore  Community  College  in  Bev- 
erly, Mass.  He  has  taught  at  the  college 
since  1974  and  has  an  advanced  degree 
from  RPI. . . .  Joseph  Slocik,  a  transformer 
design  engineer  at  GE's  transformer  de- 
partment in  Pittsfield,  Mass.,  has  been  in- 
stalled as  the  new  chairman  of  the  Berk- 
shire Section  of  IEEE.  During  his  eleven 
years  at  GE,  he  has  served  as  program  and 
publicity  chairman  for  the  local  section  as 
well  as  IEEE  Berkshire  section  scholarship 
committee  chairman.  He  is  a  licensed  pro- 
fessional engineer  in  New  York  and  has 
completed  requirements  for  his  master's  in 
industrial  administration  at  Union  College. 
He  is  married  and  has  two  children. 


1968 

^■Married:  Nicholas  L.  Mauro  to  Miss 
Joanne  M.  Olszyk  in  New  Haven,  Connect- 
icut on  June  3,  1978.  Mrs.  Mauro  is  cur- 
rently a  student  at  Quinnipiac  College  in 
Hamden,  Conn.  Her  husband  served  four 
years  in  the  U.S.  Air  Force,  and  was 
stationed  in  Vietnam  with  a  special  en- 
gineering unit. 

Alan  Berg  is  an  assistant  director  of  the 
Department  of  Public  Works  and  town 
engineer  in  Holden,  Mass.  .  .  .  Robert 
Gillies,  MNS,  professor  of  electronics  at 
Quinsigamond  Community  College, 
Worcester,  has  been  awarded  a  $9,000 
National  Science  Foundation  grant  to  de- 
velop a  computer  technician  program  with 
Digital  Equipment  Corp.  of  Marlboro, 
Mass.  Students  in  the  program  will  be 
trained  to  work  as  computer  technicians  in 
area  industries,  and  will  earn  associate  de- 
grees. Gillies  was  named  an  Outstanding 
Educator  in  America  in  1975  and  spent 
1973  in  England  as  a  Fulbright  scholar.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Oxford  (Mass.)  Plan- 
ning Board,  and  a  member  of  the  board  of 
directors  of  Home  Care  Corp. 

Paul  Larini  has  been  named  manager  of 
individual  reinsurance  services  within  the 
individual  life  actuarial  organization  at 
State  Mutual  Life  Assurance  Company  of 
America  in  Worcester.  He  joined  State 
Mutual  as  an  assistant  actuary  in  1971 , 
after  having  experience  as  an  actuarial 
assistant  with  another  large  life  insurance 
company.  In  1973  he  received  his  master's 
degree  in  actuarial  science  from  Northeast- 
ern University.  ...  Dr.  Roger  Ludin  was 
recently  promoted  to  full  professor  at  Bur- 
lington County  College  in  Pemberton,  N.J. 
He  is  still  expanding  his  computer  assisted 
instruction  programs  for  physics  for  which 
he  was  honored  in  1977  by  the  N. S.P.I. . . . 
James  Sinnaman  received  his  PhD  in  me- 
chanical engineering  from  the  University  of 
Michigan  last  April.  He  is  with  General 
Motors  in  Detroit. 


1969 

Raymond  Baker,  who  received  his  MS  in 
management  science  from  WPI  last  year,  is 
director  of  manufacturing  at  Martin- 
Copeland  Co.,  East  Providence,  R.I. ...  Dr. 
Robert  Barnard  holds  the  post  of  materials 
engineering  specialist  at  Reliance  Electric  in 
Cleveland,  Ohio. . . .  Harold  Hemond  is 
now  an  assistant  professor  at  MIT.  He 
received  his  PhD  from  MIT  last  year. . . . 
Ronald  Lewis,  a  lieutenant  in  the  Civil 
Engineer  Corps  of  the  U.S.  Navy,  is  a 
full-time  student  working  for  his  MSCE  in 
an  NROTC  unit  at  the  University  of  Florida 
in  Gainesville. . . .  Mahendra  Patel  has  been 
working  as  a  mechanical  engineer  in  the 
engineering  and  construction  department 
of  the  Boston  Edison  Company  in  Boston 
for  nine  years.  Active  in  the  Boston  section 
of  ASME  for  several  years,  he  presently 
serves  as  chairman  of  the  section.  He  lives 
in  Hanover,  Mass.  with  his  wife  Lekha  and 

daughters,  Mona,  5,  and  Reena,  1 John 

Taylor,  currently  a  senior  development  en- 
gineer with  St.  Regis  Paper  Corporation, 
and  a  recognized  expert  in  his  field,  re- 
ceived the  "Outstanding  Alumnus  of  the 
Year  Award"  during  graduation  exercises 
at  North  Salem  (N.Y.)  High  School  in  June. 
With  Eastman  Kodak  until  June  of  1975,  he 
helped  to  develop  a  U.S.  patent  on  micro- 
wave drying  of  film  surface  coatings.  In  July 
1975,  he  became  senior  development  en- 
gineer at  St.  Regis  in  West  Nyack,  N.Y.  He 
subsequently  served  as  group  leader  of 
coating  process  and  pigmented  coatings, 
and  director  of  the  pilot  plant  in  that  area. 
Recently  he  invented  a  machine  which 
improved  the  coating  on  paper  process,  a 
process  which  had  remained  unchanged 
for  over  thirty  years.  The  machine  is  in  use 
at  the  St.  Regis  Bucksport  (Me.)  plant. 

1970 

Presently  Philip  Bartlett,  Jr.,  serves  as  as- 
sistant manager  of  marketing  for  American 
Cyanamid  Co.  in  Wayne,  N.J. . . .  John 
Boyd,  recently  recognized  as  a  certified 
clinical  engineer,  is  now  a  senior  biomedical 
engineer  at  St.  Vincent  Hospital  in  Worces- 
ter—  David  Brown  holds  the  post  of  chief 
product  engineer  at  Rodney  Hunt  Co.  in 
Orange,  Mass. . . .  Lawrence  Cohen  is 
director  of  research  and  development  at 
Cavedon  Chemical  Co.,  Inc.,  Woonsocket, 
R.I. 

After  working  as  an  experimental  en- 
gineer at  Pratt  &  Whitney  in  East  Hartford, 
Conn,  for  over  six  years,  Kenneth  Cram  has 
accepted  a  post  as  an  evaluation  engineer 
at  GE  in  Lynn,  Mass.  He,  his  wife  and 
daughters,  aged  3  and  5,  now  reside  in 
Topsfield. . . .  Dom  Forcella,  Jr.,  of  Plain- 
ville,  Conn.,  won  the  Democratic  nomina- 
tion for  state  representative  from  the  22  nd 
District  delegates  in  July,  when  a  tie  vote 
was  broken  by  the  chairman  of  the 
nominating  convention.  A  former  Demo- 
cratic Town  Committee  Chairman,  Forcella 


The  WPI  Journal  I  October  1978 1 27 


MORGAN 

CONSTRUCTION  COMPANY 


15  Belmont  Street.  Worcester.  Mass.  01605 

Serving  the  Ferrous  and  Non- Ferrous  World  Markets  since  1888  as 
Engineers  and  Manufacturers  of  Rolling  Mills,  Morgoil  Bearings, 
Wire  Drawing  Machinery  and  Furnace  Equipment 


amesbury 

manufacturers  of 

Double-Seal  ©Ball  Valves 

Wafer- Sphere  ©Butterfly  Valves 

Actuators 

Control  Devices 

Jamesbury  Corp  •  640  Lincoln  Street  •  Worcester,  Mass.  01605 


is  presently  employed  by  the  Department 
of  Environmental  Protection.  He  is  a  past 
chairman  of  the  Inland  Wetlands  Commis- 
sion, was  vice  president  of  the  Connecticut 
Young  Democrats,  and  served  on  the 
Democratic  Platform  Committee.  He  is  also 
on  the  board  of  directors  of  the  Central 
Connecticut  Mental  Health  Association. 

Peter  Cronin  is  the  new  senior  research 
chemist  in  the  Dade  division  of  American 
Hospital  Supply,  Miami,  Fla.  He  writes:  "I'd 
be  glad  to  hear  from  any  alumni  in  the 
Miami  area."  . . .  Robert  Mulcahy  works  as 
supplies  manager  for  New  England  Tele- 
phone in  New  Hampshire  and  Vermont 

Robert  Rosenberg  operates  Childs 
Meadows  Nordic  Site  Area  in  Lassen  Vol- 
canic National  Park,  Mill  Creek,  Calif.  He  is 
also  an  associate  realtor  with  Vehr  &  Taylor 
in  Chester,  California. 


1971 

^Married:  Stephen  N.  Dykes  and  Miss 
Dorothy  J.  Fitzell  on  May  20, 1 978  in  South 
Hadley,  Massachusetts.  The  bride  attended 
Holyoke  Community  College  and  is  with 
Allen  S.  White  Insurance  Co.  of  South 
Hadley.  The  groom  is  a  production  man- 
ager at  Servus  Rubber  in  Chicopee.  .  . . 
Donald  D.  Tanana  and  Miss  Donna  Reed  in 
Solanu  Beach,  California  on  April  29, 1978. 
Mrs.  Tanana  graduated  from  San  Diego 
State  University  and  teaches  in  Escondido. 
She  is  also  a  professional  violinist.  Her 
husband  holds  the  post  of  office  manager 
of  the  Bristol  Meyers  Corp.  La  Mirada 
distribution  center  in  California. 

►fiorn:  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Donald  Usher 
their  second  son,  Colin  Trevor,  on  April  18, 
1978.  Don  is  with  Babcock  &  Wilcox  Con- 
struction, Power  Generation  Division,  in 
Copley,  Ohio. 

Martin  Anderson  owns  Independent 

Software  Co.  in  Highland  Park,  N.J 1/Lt. 

Richard  Brunet  has  arrived  for  duty  at  Hill 
AFB,  Utah.  A  weapons  systems  officer  with 
a  unit  of  the  Tactical  Air  Command,  he 
previously  served  at  Torrejon  AB  in  Spain. 


. . .  Bryan  Foster,  SIM,  was  recently  named 
product  engineering  manager  in  Norton 
Company's  armor  and  spectramic  products 
group.  He  began  work  at  the  Worcester 
firm  in  1963.  He  is  a  graduate  of  Alfred 
(NY.)  University.  .  .  .  David  Greenhalgh 
writes:  "Upon  graduation  from  WPI,  I 
went  on  active  duty  with  the  U.S.  Army.  I 
spent  nine  months  at  Ft.  Knox  in  training, 
followed  by  three  years  in  Germany.  My 
company  positions  included  platoon 
leader,  motor  officer  and  executive  officer. 
While  overseas  I  met  and  married  my  wife, 
Angel.  We  returned  stateside  in  1975. 1 
then  joined  Airco  Industrial  Gases  as  a  plant 
engineer  in  Acton,  Mass.  In  1976  I  moved 
near  Albany,  N.Y.  to  start  up  a  new  635- 
ton  per  day  air  separation  plant.  Last  fall  I 
was  promoted  to  assistant  production  su- 
perintendent at  Airco.  My  wife  and  I  have  a 
son,  Brian  Fowler,  born  last  year.  In  May  of 
1977,  we  purchased  a  house  in  Glenmont, 
N.Y." 

Michael  Latka  holds  the  post  of  contract 
management  coordinator  in  the  Worcester 
city  manager's  office. . . .  W.  Robert  Mel- 
ville is  employed  as  the  senior  facilities 
engineer  at  Rochester  Products  Division  of 
General  Motors. . . .  John  C.  Moore  III  has 
left  Westinghouse  in  Minneapolis,  and  is 
now  with  the  Cooperative  Power  Associa- 
tion, where  he  is  involved  in  project  en- 
gineering, design,  and  management.  He 
and  his  wife  Joan  have  a  two-year-old  son, 
Bradley  Clark,  and  reside  in  Mendota 
Heights  near  St.  Paul.  . . .  John  Sieczkos  is 
the  supervisor  of  quality  assurance  at  GE  in 
Binghamton,  N.Y. . . .  Lawrence  Sniegoski 
has  been  traveling  quite  a  bit,  and  has 
visited  nearly  every  capital  in  Western 
Europe.  He  is  manager  of  international 
marketing  for  the  Contherm  Division  of  De 
Laval  Separator  Co.,  Newburyport,  Mass. 
. . .  Glenn  Tuomi  has  rejoined  Chromalloy 
Standard  Foundry  Division,  Worcester,  as 
supervisor  of  engineering.  He  had  served  at 
Chromalloy  from  1 973  to  1 976  as  an  indus- 
trial engineer.  For  two  years  he  was  with 
Foster  Grant  Corp.,  Leominster.  He  has  a 
BS  in  industrial  engineering  from  Central 
New  England  College  of  Technology. 

1972 

Ralph  Blackmer  has  received  his  master's 
degree  in  business  science  and  engineering 
from  WPI.  Presently,  he  is  manager  of  the 
preparation  and  sterile  filling  departments 
at  Astra  Pharmaceuticals  in  Worcester. . . . 
Dr.  Gordon  Chess,  who  has  been  acting 
dean  of  the  faculty  of  engineering  science 
since  last  fall,  has  been  appointed  dean  for 
a  seven-year  period  at  the  University  of 
Western  Ontario  (UWO)  in  London,  On- 
tario, Canada.  He  is  a  professional  engineer 
and  has  degrees  from  the  University  of 
Toronto  and  McGill.  He  has  served  as  a 
technical  officer  in  the  Canadian  Army,  and 
has  made  extensive  contributions  to  UWO 
administration,  serving  in  a  senior  capacity 
on  many  committees. 


28  I  October  1 978  I  WPI  journal 


Kerop  "Kenny"  Gebeshian,  a  product 
development  engineer,  selects  fabrics  and 
checks  production  feasibility  of  designs  and 
patterns  in  the  soft  goods  division  at 
Fisher-Price  Toys.  For  the  past  two  years 
he's  researched  American  fashion  from 
early  colonial  days  to  the  present  at  various 
museums  like  the  Smithsonian  and  the 
Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art.  He  was 
slated  to  present  forty  of  his  American- 
inspired  creations  at  Mechanics  Hall  in 
Worcester  on  Sept.  23rd. 

Kenny  has  invented  a  loom  on  which  he 
makes  women's  shawls  reflecting  Ameri- 
can design.  He  also  has  originated  the  use 
of  the  shell  of  silk  cocoon  in  appliqued 
designs  to  women's  clothes. 

After  studying  at  WPI,  he  wentto  Rhode 
Island  School  of  Design  and  the  New  York 
Institute  of  Fashion  Technology.  He  says, 
"Why  should  France  dictate  fashion  to  us? 
We've  got  it  all  here." 

Kenny  was  born  in  Lebanon  of  Armenian 
descent.  "I  felt  at  home  the  minute  I  arrived 
here,"  he  says.  He  will  become  an  Ameri- 
can citizen  within  six  months. 

Joseph  Gotta,  who  received  his  MBA 
from  Western  New  England  College  last 
year,  is  assistant  manager  of  product  and 
inventory  control  at  Ludlow  Papers  & 
Packaging,  Holyoke,  Mass. . .    Patrick 
Lafayette  has  been  appointed  city  engineer 
in  Norwich,  Conn.  Previously  he  was  with 
C.  E.  Maguire.  He  has  a  master's  in  civil 
engineering  from  the  University  of  Maine. 
He  and  his  wife,  Ann  Marie,  have  an  18- 
month-old  son,  James  Patrick.  . .  .  Howard 
Levine  says,  "Am  working  on  my  PhD  in 
low  temperature  magnetic  phenomena." 
In  regard  to  WPI  today,  he  continues,  "I've 
always  felt  that  it's  a  first-rate  institution. 
The  best  part  is  its  closeness  of  faculty  and 
students."  .  .  .  Steven  Rudman  works 
as  a  sales  engineer  for  Combustion 
Engineering. 

1973 

^■Married:  Bernard  O.  Bachenheimer  to 

Miss  Melinda  P.  Hopkins  on  May  28,  1978 
in  Fairfield,  Connecticut.  Mrs. 
Bachenheimer  graduated  from  Stephens 
College.  The  groom,  a  project  engineer 
with  Angel  Engineering  Corporation  in 
Stratford,  is  also  a  student  at  the  University 
of  Bridgeport. . . .  Joseph  J.  Vallera  and 
Miss  Kathy  E.  Krause  on  April  22,  1978  in 
Manchester,  Connecticut.  The  bride  at- 
tended Wagner  College  and  Computer 
Processing  Institute.  She  is  a  computer 
programmer  at  Finast,  Inc.  in  Somerville, 
Mass. 

Dr.  James  Mon-Her  Chen  is  a  chemical 
engineer  assistant  at  Brookhaven  National 
Laboratory. . . .  John  Cirioni  now  serves  as 
auditor  for  Southland  Corp.  in  West  Palm 
Beach,  Florida. . . .  Edward  Jamro  was 
recently  promoted  to  senior  engineer  and 
has  transferred  to  Monsanto's  Delaware 
River  plant  in  Bridgeport,  N.J.  He  is  the  site 


environmental  specialist,  and  monitors  and 
aids  the  site  in  recognizing  and  complying 
with  all  environmental  regulations.  He,  his 
wife  Joyce,  and  son  Terry  have  moved  from 
St.  Louis  to  New  Jersey.  . .  .  Dale  Ladysh 
holds  the  post  of  mechanical  supervisor  at 
du  Pont  in  Cleveland,  Ohio. . . .  T.  Daniel 
Latina  is  with  Hewlett-Packard  in  Andover, 
Mass.,  where  he  is  a  project  engineer. 

John  Luikey,  Jr.,  who  has  his  MBA  from 
Boston  University,  is  a  staff  engineer  in  the 
oil  well  division  of  U.S.  Steel  Corp.  in  Oil 
City,  Pa. . . .  Dr.  Thomas  Mikolinnas  has 
received  his  PhD  from  WPI,  and  has  joined 
Power  Technologies  Inc.  system  operation 
and  reliability  section  as  an  analytical  en- 
gineer. He  is  located  in  Schenectady,  N.Y. 
.  .  .  Currently  on  assignment  at  the 
Shoreham  nuclear  power  station  at  Wad- 
ing River,  L.l,  N.Y.,  Albert  Popoli  con- 
tinues with  Stone  &  Webster  as  a  senior 
structural  designer.  .  . .  C.  Paul  Russell  has 
been  appointed  technical  sales  representa- 
tive for  Hughson  Chemicals,  Wakefield, 
Mass.  Previously,  he  had  served  in  various 
development  design  and  process  engineer- 
ing functions  at  Goodyear  Tire  &  Rubber, 
Maiden  Mills,  and  Herzog  Hart  Co.,  Inc. 
Hughson  manufactures  a  complete  line  of 
adhesives  and  coatings  for  industrial  appli- 
cations. 

Martin  Sklar  recently  received  his  master 
of  engineering  degree  from  the  Thayer 
School  of  Engineering  at  Dartmouth  Col- 
lege in  Hanover,  N.H Lt.  Greg  Stamper 

is  a  patrol  plane  commander  with  the  U.S. 
Navy.  . . .  Currently  a  sales  engineer  for 
Morse  Chain,  Anthony  Urjil  is  now  located 
in  Boyertown,  Pa. . . .  Ralph  Veenema,  Jr., 
is  employed  as  an  analytical  engineer  at 
Pratt  &  Whitney  Aircraft  in  East  Hartford, 
Conn. . . .  Stuart  Wallack  serves  as  district 
engineer  at  Torrington  Co.,  Dayton,  Ohio. 
. . .  Andrew  White  holds  the  post  of  senior 
software  specialist  at  Tymshare,  Inc.  in 
Cupertino,  Calif. 


1974 

>Married:  Robert  H.  Becker  and  Katherine 
R.  Fowler,  '75,  on  May  21 ,  1978  in 
Lexington,  Massachusetts.  Mrs.  Becker, 
who  is  with  Data  Terminal  Systems  in 
Maynard,  is  doing  graduate  work  evenings 
at  Northeastern  University  in  Boston.  The 
bridegroom  is  a  programmer  for  Bedford 
Computer  Systems. .  . .  Stephen  E.  Braley 
and  Susan  E.  MacCreery  in  Lansing,  Michi- 
gan on  June  17,  1978.  Among  the  at- 
tendants were  Gene  Lukianov  and  Steve 
McGrath.  The  bride,  a  registered  nurse,  is 
employed  as  an  RN  instructor  in  a  Mil- 
waukee (Wis.)  hospital.  Her  husband  was 
recently  promoted  to  area  supervisor  and 
transferred  to  Milwaukee  by  Hercules,  Inc. 
. . .  Paul  A.  Sears  and  Deborah  R.  Kitchen 
on  June  24, 1978  in  Westfield,  Mas- 
sachusetts. Mrs.  Sears  graduated  from 
UMass  and  is  a  special  needs  teacher  in 
Southwick.  The  groom  works  for  GE  in 
Schenectady,  N.Y. 

Brian  Anderson  serves  as  account  man- 
ager at  Taylor  Instrument  Co.  in  Newton, 
Mass. . . .  Presently,  John  Fanotto,  Jr.,  holds 
the  post  of  lead  construction  field  engineer 
for  Bechtel  Power  Corp.,  San  Clemente, 
Calif. ...  Dr.  Michael  Hartnett  has  been 
named  supervisor  of  analytical  engineering 
in  the  Bearing  Engineering  Department  at 
the  Torrington  (Conn.)  Co.  With  the  firm 
since  1972,  he  holds  a  BSME  from  the 
University  of  New  Haven,  an  MSME  from 
WPI,  and  a  PhD  in  applied  mechanics  from 
the  University  of  Connecticut.  After  a  short 
time  in  manufacturing  engineering,  he 
transferred  to  bearing  engineering,  advanc- 
ing from  project  engineer  to  product  de- 
sign engineer,  to  theoretician  and  product 
engineer. . .  .  Dennis  Hattem  is  in  his  third 
year  of  Peace  Corps  volunteer  service  with 
Malaysia's  drainage  and  irrigation  depart- 
ment in  the  city  of  Kota  Bharu.  Working  as 
the  department's  engineer  in  charge  of 
development,  he  is  currently  supervising 
construction  of  a  large  earthen  dam  that 
will  help  rice  farmers  increase  their  yields 
through  irrigation. 

Robert  Houston  spoke  on  the  topic: 
"New  Bond  Development  for  CBN  Dry 
Tool  Room  Grinding  of  High  Speed  Steels" 
at  a  meeting  of  the  Abrasive  Engineering 
Society  in  May.  He  is  a  product  engineer  in 
the  Grinding  Wheel  Division  of  Norton's 
Abrasives  Marketing  Group.  He  is  con- 
cerned with  the  development  and  applica- 
tion of  super  abrasives  and  diamond.  He 
has  also  helped  develop  metallic  bonds  for 
diamond  products  at  Norton  R&D  Labora- 
tory, and  holds  a  patent  in  this  field.  He  is  a 
registered  professional  engineer  in  Mas- 
sachusetts. .  .  .  Gerald  McCullough  is  an 
industrial  systems  engineer  at  GE  in  Fitch- 
burg,  Mass. . . .  Robert  Pamass  works  as  an 
occupational  engineer  at  Teletype  Corp.  (R 
&  D)  in  Skokie,  III.  In  May  he  received  his 
MS  in  computer  science  from  Purdue  Uni- 
versity. 


The  WPI  Journal  I  October  1 978 1 29 


Peter  Petroski  writes:  "I  am  now  settled 
in  Idaho  and  have  recently  purchased  a 
new  home.  My  job  is  coming  along  well, 
and  I'll  be  doing  some  important  circuit 
design  for  one  of  ou r  upcoming  products. " 
Petroski  is  a  development  engineer  in  the 
disc  memory  division  at  Hewlett-Packard  in 
Boise. ...  In  June,  Gary  Pontbriand  joined 
the  engineering  staff  of  Quabaug  Rubber 
Company  in  North  Brookfield,  Mass.  He 
had  been  a  production  engineer  for  the 
New  Jersey  Zinc  Co.  in  Palmerton,  Pa.  .  . . 
Stephen  Skutel  was  recently  promoted 
within  the  computer  research  and  educa- 
tion organization  at  State  Mutual  Life  As- 
surance Company  of  America  in  Worces- 
ter. He  is  now  advisory  computer  research 
and  education  consultant.  He  started  at 
State  Mutual  in  1974  as  systems  analyst  in 
the  systems  development  organization. 
Last  year  he  transferred  to  the  computer 
research,  technical  support  organization,  as 
computer  research  and  consultant. . . .  Still 
with  Combustion  Engineering  in  Windsor, 
Conn.,  Mark  Whitney  has  also  completed 
60  percent  of  his  MBA  degree  studying 
part-time  at  the  University  of  Connecticut. 
Since  1975  he  has  served  as  a  member  of 
the  volunteer  fire  department.  He  has  re- 
stored, with  some  assistance,  a  1930 
Model  A  Ford  rumble  seat  coupe. 


1975 

^-Married:  Richard  C.  Aseltine,  Jr.,  and 

Miss  Joan  Gibson  in  Longmeadow,  Mas- 
sachusetts on  June  24,  1978.  Mrs.  Aseltine 
graduated  from  Westbrook  College  and 
Springfield  College.  She  was  director  of  the 
YWCA  Women's  Center  in  Louisville,  Ky. 
The  groom  is  employed  by  the  Medical 
Systems  Division  of  GE  in  Milwaukee. . . . 
Barry  D.  Braunstein  to  Deborah  N.  Rubin 
on  July  9, 1978  in  Newton,  Massachusetts. 
The  bride,  who  graduated  from  Simmons 
College  and  attended  the  Institute  of  Euro- 
pean Studies  in  Madrid,  is  a  field  sales 
representative  for  the  Drackett  Products 
Company.  Her  husband  is  a  field  sales 
engineer  for  the  Intel  Corporation.  .  .  . 
Bruce  A.  Chamberlin  and  Susan  G. 
Rothman  on  July  15, 1978  in  Herkimer, 
New  York.  Mrs.  Chamberlin  graduated 
from  Brockport  (N.Y.)  State  University  and 
received  her  master's  degree  from  the  Uni- 
versity of  Stony  Brook,  N.Y.  She  was  with 
the  King  Park  School  District,  Long  Island, 
N.Y.  The  bridegroom  is  with  du  Pont  Co., 
Wilmington,  Delaware. 


^■Married:  Kevin  J.  Fielding  and  Miss 
Jo-Ann  M.  White  in  Warwick,  Rhode  Island 
on  June  25,  1978.  Mrs.  Fielding  graduated 
from  Mount  St.  Joseph  College  and  teaches 
in  Warwick.  The  groom  works  for  En- 
gineered Plastics,  Inc.,  Providence. . . . 
Daniel  C.  Lapen  and  Jennifer  Smith  in  West 
Brookfield,  Massachusetts  on  June  17, 
1978.  The  bride  graduated  from  North- 
eastern University  School  of  Radiologic 
Technology  and  Quinsigamond  Commu- 
nity College  School  of  Radiologic  Technol- 
ogy. She  is  a  radiologic  technologist  and 
student  coordinator  at  Hahnemann  Hospi- 
tal in  Worcester.  The  groom  has  his  MS 
degree  from  UMass. . . .  Robert  N.  Wivagg 
to  Miss  Janice  M.  Krombel  on  June  17, 
1978  in  New  Haven,  Connecticut.  Mrs. 
Wivagg,  a  data-systems  specialist  for 
Southern  New  England  Telephone  Co., 
graduated  from  Pace  University,  White 
Plains,  N.Y.  Her  husband  is  also  a  data- 
systems  specialist  at  the  same  company. 

Bruce  Altobelli  was  recently  promoted 
to  plant  engineer  at  Tampax  Incorporated 
in  Rutland,  Vt.  . .  .  Robert  And resen  is 
manager  of  software  services  at  Com- 
putervision  Corp.  in  Bedford,  Mass.  .  . . 
Armand  Balasco,  who  has  his  MS  in  chemi- 
cal engineering  from  Tufts  University,  is 
presently  an  engineering  consultant  at  Ar- 
thur D.  Little,  Inc.  in  Cambridge,  Mass. . . . 
Mark  Chevrier  serves  as  project  engineer  at 

Ensign-Bickford  Co.  in  Simsbury,  Conn 

Steven  Coes  is  an  administrative  assistant 
for  the  town  of  Seabrook,  N.H. .  . .  Judy 
Nitsch  Donnellan  became  office  manager 
of  Freeman  Engineering  Co.,  a  branch  of- 
fice of  Schofield  Brothers,  Inc.  in  June.  She 
is  located  in  Attleboro,  Mass.  She  is  serving 
as  chairman  of  the  exhibits  committee  for 
the  ASCE  National  Convention  and  Exposi- 
tion to  be  held  in  Boston  next  April.  Over 
100  exhibitors  are  expected,  including 
firms  offering  construction  products,  ser- 
vices and  goods  used  by  the  engineering 
facility  and  exhibits  related  to  the  Technical 
sessions.  Attendance  at  the  convention, 
which  starts  April  1  st  at  the  Sheraton- 
Boston,  is  expected  to  be  about  3,500.  The 
Boston  Society  of  Civil  Engineers  is  a  co- 
sponsor  of  the  event. 

Ronald  Ford  and  his  partner,  William 
Knox,  have  opened  a  new  real  estate  office 
on  Washington  St.  in  Norwell,  Mass.  Last 
year  he  opened  his  first  real  estate  office  in 
Brockton.  Formerly,  Ford  was  employed  by 
a  Boston  engineering  firm. . . .  Tom  McGo- 
wan  is  a  programmer  at  Hendrix  Electronics 
in  Manchester,  N.H.  .  .  .  David  Medeiros 
holds  the  post  of  senior  development  en- 
gineer for  the  outdoor  living  products  line 
in  the  Thermos  Division  of  the  King-Seeley 
Thermos  Company  of  Norwich,  Conn.  . . . 
Elizabeth  Pennington  is  an  operations  re- 
search analyst  at  Equitable  Life  Assurance 
Society  in  New  York  City. 


Mel  Noll  '74  and  Norman  Rehn,  co- 
chairmen  of  the  Appalachian  Mountain 
Club  (AMC)  Boston  Chapter's  Canoe 
Safety  Committee,  are  concerned  about 
amateurs  who  attempt  Whitewater  canoe- 
ing. Quoted  in  a  recent  article  in  theBosfon 
Globe,  Noll  says,  "People  in  mass  numbers 
have  just  discovered  the  sport . . . ,  but  are 
not  educated  as  to  the  hazards  involved  in 
this  stuff."  Inexpensive  canoes  and  cheap 
daily  rentals  add  to  the  problem.  Noll, 
Rehn,  and  others  have  spent  hours  pulling 
people  and  equipment  from  hazardous 
spots.  They  feel  that  canoeists  should  re- 
ceive proper  instruction,  know  their  own 
capabilities,  and  be  thoroughly  familiar 
with  the  river  before  attempting  Whitewa- 
ter canoeing.  Rehn  serves  as  a  senior  en- 
gineer at  GTE  Sylvania  in  Waltham,  Mass. 

Siddharth  Shah  works  as  a  design  en- 
gineer for  GE  in  South  Portland,  Me.  . . . 
James  Weber  is  an  industrial  engineer  at 
Boeing-Wichita  in  Wichita,  Kansas.  . . . 
Jeffrey  Yu  holds  the  post  of  Far  East  re- 
gional manager  for  the  Morse  Division  of 
Borg-Warner  Corp.,  Ithaca,  N.Y.  His  mar- 
keting responsibility  covers  seven  countries 
in  the  Far  East. . . .  Johnny  Yuk,  who 
received  his  MS  from  Ohio  State  University 
last  year,  is  a  lighting  design  engineer  for 
Philips  Hong  Kong  Ltd.  in  Hong  Kong. 


1976 

^Married:  Edward  J.  Holmes  and  Miss 
Jody  E.  Lippard  on  April  29,  1978  in  Dux- 
bury,  Massachusetts.  Mrs.  Holmes 
graduated  from  Becker  and  is  with  the 
Worcester  Area  Chamber  of  Commerce. 
The  bridegroom  works  for  Wyman- 
Gordon  as  a  quality  engineer. . . .  Steven 
Lowe  and  Madeleine  Gauthier  on  April  22, 
1978.  The  bride  is  with  Sperry  Rand  Uni- 
vac,  Blue  Bell,  Pa.  Her  husband  works  for 
Scott  Paper  Co.  in  Chester,  Pa. 

^■Married:  James  L.  O'Connor  and  Miss 
Lauretta  L.  Hadley  on  June  10,  1978  in 
New  Haven,  Connecticut.  Mrs.  O'Connor 
is  a  Becker  graduate.  The  bridegroom  is  a 
design  development  engineer  at  Millipore 
Corp.  in  Bedford,  Mass.  He  had  been  a 
graduate  student  at  Colorado  State  Univer- 
sity. . . .  Richard  Rudis  and  Susan  M. 
Greene  in  Greenville,  Rhode  Island  on  July 
22, 1978.  Mrs.  Rudis  graduated  from 
Katharine  Gibbs  School.  Her  husband  is 
with  Stone  &  Webster,  Oswego,  N.Y.  . . . 
GuntherTrentini  and  Miss  Sheila  M.  Lilley 
in  Natick,  Massachusetts  on  June  17, 1978. 
The  bride  attended  Massachusetts  Bay 
Community  College  and  is  now  at 
Greenfield  Community  College  as  an 
executive  secretarial  science  major.  The 
groom  is  a  political  science  major  at  UMass. 


30 1  October  1978  I  WPI  Journal 


Richard  Allen,  a  design  engineer  for 
Kramer,  Chin  &  Mayo,  Inc.,  was  co-author 
of  "Plant  to  Disinfect  Wastewater  With 
Ozone,"  which  appeared  in  the  July  issue 
of  Water  &  Sewage  Works.  He  designed 
the  ozone  generation  and  diffusion  system 
for  the  LOTT  facility,  a  wastewater  treat- 
ment facility  in  Olympia,  Washington. 
Also,  he  has  conducted  research  in  chlorine 
disinfection  at  McGill  University.  .  .  .  Wil- 
liam Baker  is  an  engineer-adviser  for  the 
U.S.  Army  at  Denver  Federal  Center  in 
Denver,  Colo. .  .  .  Andre  Bissonnette 
works  for  Mobil  Oil  Corp.  in  East  Boston, 
Mass. .  .  .  Presently,  Jonathan  Bradley  is  an 
electrical  engineer  at  Texas  Instruments  in 
Houston. .  .  .  Richard  Brandoli  holds  the 
post  of  manufacturing  supervisor  at  Texas 
Instruments  in  Attleboro,  Mass. . . .  Bill 
Johnson,  class  president,  has  been  named 
assistant  executive  secretary  for  programs 
for  Phi  Gamma  Delta  fraternity  at  interna- 
tional headquarters  in  Lexington,  Ky.  Pre- 
viously, he  had  served  two  years  as  field 
secretary,  visiting  over  100  campuses  and 
traveling  more  than  70,000  miles. 

K.  Alan  Kelley  is  a  senior  manufacturing 
and  development  engineer  in  the  Electro 
Division  of  Ferro  Corp.,  Buffalo,  N.Y. . . . 
Rajendra  V.  Kibe  is  working  as  a  junior 
research  fellow  in  the  university  teaching 
department  for  graduate  and  doctoral  stu- 
dents at  the  University  of  Indore,  Indore, 
India. . . .  Carey  Lazerow  serves  as  a 
software  specialist  for  Digital  Equipment 
Corp.  in  Meriden,  Conn. . . .  2/Lt.  Peter 
Magnuson  has  graduated  with  honors 
from  U.S.  Air  Force  pilot  training  at  Colum- 
bus AFB,  Miss.,  and  has  been  awarded 
silver  wings.  He  is  now  a  pilot  at  Holoman 
AFB,  New  Mexico. . . .  Ronald 
Medrzychowski  is  now  a  nuclear  test 
supervisor  at  General  Dynamics-Electric 
Boat  in  Groton,  Conn. . . .  Thomas  Vaughn 
works  for  Albany  Engineered  Systems,  a 
division  of  Albany  International  Corp. 

Edward  Whittaker,  who  received  his  MA 
from  Columbia  University  last  year,  is  now 
a  graduate  research  assistant  at  Columbia 

Radiation  Lab  in  New  York  City Jeffrey 

Wilcox  is  a  marketing  representative  for 
Mobil  Oil.  He  has  his  MBA  from  the  Univer- 
sity of  Pittsburgh,  and  is  located  in  Green 
Bay,  Wis —  Currently,  Thomas  Wimbrow 
works  as  a  service  center  engineer  for 
Worthington  Service  Corp.  in  Newport 
News,  Va. . . .  Robert  Winter  serves  as  a 
sales  engineer  for  Raymond  International, 
Inc.  in  Westville,  N.J. 


1977 

^■Married:  Brian  P.  Belliveau  and  Brenda  J. 
Desmarais  on  June  17,  1978  in  Jaffrey, 
New  Hampshire.  The  bride,  a  graduate 
nurse,  attended  St.  Vincent  Hospital  School 
of  Nursing,  Worcester.  Her  husband  is  with 
Westinghouse. . . .  Timothy  M.  Casey  and 
Miss  Elizabeth  A.  Kendall  in  West  Boylston, 
Massachusetts  on  May  27,  1978.  Mrs. 
Casey  graduated  from  MIT.  She  is  a  me- 
chanical engineer  at  Boeing  Marine  Sys- 
tems Division  in  Seattle.  Her  husband,  also 
with  Boeing,  is  a  safety  and  reliability  en- 
gineer. . . .  William  A.  Cloutier,  Jr.,  and 
Miss  Maureen  Cronin  in  Salem,  Mas- 
sachusetts recently.  Mrs.  Cloutier 
graduated  from  Framingham  (Mass.)  State 
College.  The  groom  is  employed  by  Ebasco 
Services,  Inc.  in  New  York  City.  .  . .  Robert 
W.  Decker  and  Miss  Jo-Ellen  Wilkinson  on 
June  24, 1 978  in  Lynnfield,  Massachusetts. 
The  bride  graduated  from  Katharine  Gibbs 
School,  and  is  employed  as  assistant  to  the 
registrar  at  Bradford  College.  The  bride- 
groom is  a  construction  engineer  and  man- 
ager with  Hollett  Building  Corporation, 
Wakefield,  Mass. 

^■Married:  Robert  J.  Dolan  and  Patricia 
M.  Fogarty  in  Madison,  Connecticut  on 
July  8,  1 978.  Mrs.  Dolan  graduated  from 
Becker  with  an  associate  degree,  and  from 
Eastern  Connecticut  State  College  with  a 
BA  in  applied  social  relations.  Her  husband 
is  with  the  Ford  Motor  Company  in  North- 
field,  Ohio. .  . .  John  J.  Foley,  Jr.,  and  Miss 
Deborah  L.  Blondin  in  Worcester  on  June 
18, 1978.  The  bride  graduated  from  St. 
Vincent  Hospital  School  of  Nursing.  The 
bridegroom  is  with  Pratt  &  Whitney  Air- 
craft, Hartford,  Conn.  . . .  David  J.  Lafer- 
riere  to  Sharon  A.  Bartsch  on  July  28, 1978 
in  Holyoke,  Massachusetts.  Mrs.  Laferriere 
has  a  BS  degree  in  nursing  from  the  Univer- 
sity of  Massachusetts.  The  groom  works  for 
Goodyear  Tire  and  Rubber  Company  in 
Point  Pleasant,  W.  Va. 

^Married:  Anthony  M.  Marrese  and 
Robyn  L.  Brown  on  July  15,  1978  in 
Granby,  Massachusetts.  The  bride 
graduated  from  Becker  and  is  assistant 
manager  for  the  Casual  Male  in  West 
Boylston,  Mass.  Her  husband  is  with 
Raytheon  Company,  Sudbury. . . .  Jack 
Rosenfield  and  Miss  Margo  J.  Van  Alstine 
onJune8, 1978  in  Newport  News,  Virginia. 
Mrs.  Rosenfield  graduated  from  Framing- 
ham  State  College Gregory  P.  Ruthven 

to  Miss  Mary  J.  Tomasello  on  June  9,  1978 
in  East  Haven,  Connecticut.  The  bride 
graduated  from  Southern  Connecticut 
State  College.  The  groom  is  a  design  en- 
gineer with  General  Dynamics-Convair  di- 
vision in  San  Diego,  Calif. . . .  Peter  G. 
Stanton  and  Cynthia  L.  Hoyt  on  July  3, 
1978  in  St.  Johnsbury,  Vermont.  Mrs.  Stan- 
ton has  a  BA  in  speech  pathology  and  a  BS 
in  elementary  special  education  from  the 


University  of  Vermont.  She  has  been  em- 
ployed by  St.  Johnsbury  Academy.  Her 
husband  is  with  North  Country  Farms  in 
Monroe,  N.H.  .  .  .  2/Lt.  David  L.  White,  Jr., 
to  Miss  Donna  L.  Baranowski  on  December 
18,  1977  at  Aberdeen  Proving  Ground  in 
Maryland.  Mrs.  White  graduated  from 
Rutgers  with  a  bachelor's  degree  in  botany. 
The  bridegroom  is  in  the  U.S.  Army. 

Allyn  Amabile  is  an  instrument  engineer 
at  Monsanto  in  Springfield,  Mass. . . . 
Currently,  Anthony  Antuono  serves  as  a 
development  engineer  at  Western  Electric 
in  North  Andover,  Mass. . . .  Russell  Bauer 
is  a  design  engineer  for  Instron  Corp., 

Canton,  Mass Chris  Cocaine  serves  as  a 

test  engineer  at  Sikorsky  Aircraft  in  Strat- 
ford, Conn.  .  .  .  Bill  Cunningham  is  now 
management  employment  supervisor  for 
A.T.&T.  Long  Lines,  White  Plains,  N.Y.  He 

lives  in  Stamford,  Conn Paul  Curdo  has 

been  employed  in  the  General  Dynamics 
Convair  Division  on  the  Tomahawk  Cruise 

Missile  Program Don  Drinkwater  works 

for  Digital  Equipment  Corp.  in  Tewksbury, 
Mass —  John  Dyer  is  a  welding  supervisor 
at  Farrel  Co.  in  Ansonia,  Conn.  .  .  .  David 
Edgerton  holds  the  post  of  systems  en- 
gineer at  Singer/Kearfott  in  Little  Falls,  N.J. 

Ron  Gusowski  works  as  a  design  en- 
gineer at  Data  General  Corp.  in  Westboro, 
Mass. . . .  Presently  at  sea  with  the  Mer- 
chant Marine,  Barry  Hamilton  is  a  radio 
operator  for  Sealand  Shipping  Co.  of  New 
York  City.  . . .  Jeffrey  Harrington  is  with 
Industrial  Risk  Insurers,  Atlanta,  Ga.  . . . 
Keith  Harrison  is  employed  as  a  highway 
engineer  trainee  with  the  Federal  Highway 
Administration  in  Albany,  N.Y.  In  June,  he 
received  his  MS  in  transportation  planning 
and  engineering  from  the  Polytechnic  Insti- 
tute of  New  York.  .  .  .  Richard  Knapik  is 
with  the  Stanley  Works  in  New  Britain, 
Conn. . . .  Henry  LeBlanc  holds  the  post  of 
project  engineer  at  Mobil  Chemical  Co.  in 

Macedon,  N.Y Tina  Perry  has  accepted 

the  position  of  civil  engineer  in  the  en- 
gineering division  of  the  Department  of 
Public  Works  in  Holden,  Mass. 

Scott  Sminkey  is  a  systems  programmer 
at  Prime  Computer,  Inc.  in  Newton,  Mass. 
.  .  .  Bruce  Smith  serves  as  a  loss  preven- 
tion representative  for  Liberty  Mutual  In- 
surance Co.,  Lexington,  Mass.  He  and  his 
wife  Carol  live  in  Nashua,  N.H.  . .  .  Kurt 
Sonstroem  is  an  associate  engineer  at  Riley 
Stoker  Corp.,  Worcester. . . .  Stephen  Suba 
works  as  an  assembly  engineer  at  Intel 
Corp.  in  Santa  Clara,  Calif. .  . .  Currently, 
Joe  Williams  holds  the  post  of  product 

engineer  at  Ford  Motor  Co J.  Gilbert 

Wilson  III  has  received  certification  as  a 
professional  civil  engineer.  He  is  a  structural 
engineer  for  Varco-Pruden  in  Evansville, 
Wis. 


The  WPI  Journal  I  October  1978131 


1978 

^■Married:  Wayne  J.  Beisecker  and  Miss 
Kim  V.  EklofonJune17,  1978  in  Warwick, 
Rhode  Island.  The  bride  attends  Clark  Uni- 
versity. The  bridegroom  works  for  Ciba- 

Geigy,  Cranston,  R.I EricT.  Boucher 

and  Debra  M.  Lapointe  on  June  9,  1978  in 
Chicopee,  Massachusetts.  The  bride 
graduated  from  Chicopee  High  School  and 
is  employed  by  Insurance  Company  of 
North  America.  The  groom  works  as  a 
mechanical  engineer  at  Hamilton  Standard, 
Windsor  Locks,  Conn. 

^Married:  Richard  Corsi  and  Miss 
Pamela  A.  Bickford  on  June  24,  1978  in 
Jamestown,  Rhode  Island.  Jeffrey  Crav- 
dahl,  '76,  was  best  man.  Mrs.  Corsi  is 
attending  the  Boston  Museum  School  of 
Fine  Arts. . . .  John  P.  Crossin  and  Miss 
Laurie  J.  Pichnarcik  in  Purchase,  New  York 
on  May  26, 1978.  Mrs.  Crossin  graduated 
from  Manhattanville  College  and  has  re- 
ceived her  MBA  from  the  University  of  New 
Haven.  She  is  a  programmer-analyst  with 
the  Polaroid  Corporation  in  Waltham, 
Mass.  Her  husband  is  a  senior  engineer 
with  Digital  Equipment  Corporation  in 
Maynard. . . .  Joseph  A.  Sage,  Jr.,  and  Miss 
Susan  M.  Tully  on  April  30, 1978  in  Lon- 
don, England.  The  bride  attended  Fitch- 
burg  State  College  and  plans  to  continue 
her  studies  at  the  University  of  Wisconsin  in 

Milwaukee Raimond  L.  Winslow,  Jr., 

and  Susan  Kent  in  Falmouth,  Mas- 
sachusetts on  July  1 ,  1978.  The  bride,  a 
graduate  of  BU,  is  attending  Simmons  Col- 
lege Graduate  School  of  Social  Work,  Bos- 
ton. The  groom  works  for  GTE  Sylvania  in 
Needham,  Mass. 


Richard  Carpenter  has  accepted  a  post  in 
design  engineering  at  Hamilton  Standard, 
Windsor  Locks,  Conn.  . . .  Paul  Cody  is 
employed  at  Westinghouse  in  Pittsburgh, 
Pa. . . .  Louis  Collette,  who  has  designed  a 
typewriter  keyboard  which  will  help  hand- 
icapped people  communicate,  is  currently 
seeking  a  patent  on  the  device.  The  pro- 
totype keyboard,  which  he  developed  after 
visiting  a  school  for  handicapped  children 
during  a  WPI  project  last  year,  now  is  in 
regular  use  at  the  school.  It  is  made  of 
wood  and  the  keys  are  recessed  about  a 
quarter  of  an  inch  below  the  board's  sur- 
face/The space  around  each  key  is  carved 
in  a  sloping  V-shaped  notch,  guiding  the 
finger  to  the  key.  When  a  key  is  depressed, 
a  switch  is  closed  completing  a  circuit  be- 
tween the  keyboard  and  typewriter,  ac- 
tivating the  corresponding  key  on  the 
typewriter  through  a  mechanical  linkage 
set-up.  Presently  the  device  is  helping  a 
non-verbal  cerebral  palsy  victim  to  com- 
municate better. 

Mark  Duchesne,  an  employee  of  Harris 
Corp.,  is  located  in  Charlestown,  R.I. . . . 
Anne  Dyer  has  taken  a  new  position  as  a 
naval  architect  with  the  Taylor  Research 
and  Development  Center  in  Bethesda,  Md. 
. . .  William  B.  Gist  is  an  associate  engineer 
at  Digital  Equipment  Corp.  in  Maynard, 
Mass. . . .  Jeffrey  Hovhanesian  serves  as  a 
naval  architect  at  Portsmouth  (N.H.)  Naval 
Shipyard. . . .  Peter  Hunt  is  a  Titan  III 
Systems  engineer  for  the  U.S.  Air  Force  at 
Vandenberg  AFB,  Calif. . . .  Jeremy  Jones  is 
employed  as  an  R  &  D  engineer  in  the  Film 
Division  at  Polaroid  Corp.  in  Waltham, 
Mass. . . .  John  Kuchachik  is  with  the 
Kemper  Insurance  engineering  department 

in  North  Quincy,  Mass Jerome  Mar- 

cotte  has  accepted  a  position  with  the  U.S. 
Environmental  Protection  Agency  in 
Washington,  D.C. 


Joseph  Maslar  works  for  RCA  in  Bur- 
lington, Mass. . . .  Dennis  Metrick  is  a  field 
service  engineer  at  Ionics  Corp.  in  Water- 
town,  Mass.  .  .  .  Peter  Mulvihill  has  joined 
Industrial  Risk  Insurers  of  Hartford  as  afield 
representative  in  the  Syracuse  (N.Y.)  area. 
.  .  .Theresa  Murphy  is  a  project  engineer  at 

the  Torrington  (Conn.)  Co Thomas 

Panek  has  joined  Eastman  Kodak  as  a 
development  engineer  in  the  recovery  de- 
partment, chemical  manufacturing  divi- 
sion, at  Kodak  Park,  Rochester,  N.Y.  He 
belongs  to  the  American  Institute  of  Chem- 
ical Engineers.  Kodak  Park  is  the  company's 
largest  plant  and  center  of  its  photographic 
film,  chemical  and  paper  manufacture. . . . 
Robert  Rossier  is  studying  ocean  engineer- 
ing at  the  University  of  Rhode  Island.  . . . 
Margaret  Ann  Moriarty  Staruk  holds  the 
post  of  systems  analyst  at  State  Mutual  in 
Worcester. 


32 1  October  1 978  I  WPI  journal 


LORA  T 

DUDLEY 
OXFORD 


BRUECK 

PD 

MA   01540 


December  1978 


WORCESTER 
POLYTECHNIC  INSTITUTE 

JAN  M    1979 

GORiiON   LIBRARY 

THE    INAUGURATION    OF 


Edmund  Titus  Cranch 


AS    TWELFTH    PRESIDENT    OF 


WORCESTER    POLYTECHNIC    INSTITUTE 


OCTOBER    20,    1978 


What's  happening! 


home  games- 


BASKETBALL 


"January  11 
January  13 

"January  17 
January  19 
January  20 

"January  25 

"January  27 
February  1 

*  February  3 
"Febmary  6 

Febmary  9 
"February  10 

February  14 
"February  17 

*  Febmary  22 
"Febmary  24 


WOMEN'S  BASKETBALL 


"January  25 

January  27 

January  31 
"Febmary  2 
"Febmary  5 
"Febmary  8 
"Febmary  10 
"Febmary  12 
"Febmary  14 

Febmary  17 
"Febmary  20 

Febmary  22- 2-i 

Febmary  27 


.L 

SWIMMING 

WRESTLING 

Stevens  Tech 

"January  23 

Southeastern  Massachusetts 

January  9 

Amherst 

January  27 

MIT,  Lowell  (at  Clark) 

"January  13 

Upsala 

January  31 

Rhode  Island 

January  20 

Bowdoin 

"Febmary  3 

Coast  Guard 

"January  24 

Bates 

Febmary  8 

Trinity 

"January  27 

A1C 

Febmary  12 

Keene  State 

Febmary  3 

Babson 

Febmary  15 

Brandeis 

Febmary  6 

Brandeis 

Febmary  17 

Tufts 

February  10 

Suffolk  (Alumni  Night! ) 

Febmary  20 

Nichols 

"Febmary  14 

Trinity 

Febmary  15-17 

Women's  New  Englands, 

Febmary  22-24 

Coast  Guard 

at  Springfield 

Middlebury 

March  1-3 

Women's  Easterns 

Williams 

Men's  New  Englands 

March  1-3 

Tufts 

March  8-10 

AIAW  Small  College 

MIT 

Nationals 

Clark 

March  15-17 

NCAA  Division  III  Swimming 
and  Diving  Nationals 

Febmary  14 


Febmary  17 
Febmary  24-25 


Coast  Guard 

Williams 

RPI 

Amherst 

Rhode  Island  College 

Lowell 

at  UConn,  with  MIT 

at  Wesleyan,  with  Hartford 

Western  New  England 

NEIWA  championships 

at  Mass  Maritime 

Academy 

NCAA  Division  III  Nationals 


FILMS  ON  CAMPUS 


Gordon 

( *  =  admission  ch 

MIT 

Amherst 

January  16 

A1C 

January  18 

Suffolk 

"January  21 

Clark 

January  2^ 

Anna  Maria 

January  25 

Rhode  Island  College 

"Febmary  4 

Brandeis 

Febmary  6 

Stonehill 

Febmary  13 

Assumption 

"Febmary  18 

MAIAW  Division  III 

"March  2 

Tournament 

"March  3 

Babson 

"March  4 

March  6 

March  13 

ACK 

April  10 

April  17 

at  Holy  Cross,  with 

"April  22 

Assumption  &  Worcester 

April  24 

State 

"May  6 

Easterns,  at  Tufts 

New  Englands,  at  UConn 

CONCERTS 

January  22 

Febmary  5 

March  5 

TheGl  Blues 

A  Hard  Day's  Night and  The  Sixties 

Uptown  Saturday  Night 

The  Yellow  Submarine 

Gimme  Shelter 

Heroes 

Ion  ah  who  will  he  twenty  fire  in  the  year  2000 

The  Marquise  of  O 

Coma 

Blazing  Saddles  and  Young  Frankenstein 

Young  Frankenstein  and  Blazing  Saddles 

High  Anxiety 

The  Best  Way 

Effie  Briest 

Three  Women 

That  obscure  object  of  desire 

Saturday  Sight  Fever 

The  Wonderful  Crook 

The  Gauntlet 


Jerry  Hartnett  and  his 
Marionette  Musicale 
The  International  String  Quartet 
Phoenix  Dance  Theatre 


Kinnicutt,  7:30 

Kinnicutt,  7:30 

Alden,  8:00 

Kinnicutt,  7:30 

Kinnicutt,  7:30 

Alden,  8:00 

Kinnicutt,  7:30 

Kinnicutt,  7:30 

Alden,  8:00 

Alden,  7:30 

Alden,  7:30 

Alden,  8.00 

Kinnicutt,  7:30 

Kinnicutt,  7:30 

Kinnicutt,  7:30 

Kinnicutt,  7:30 

Alden,  8:00 

Kinnicutt,  7:30 

Alden,  8:00 


Alden,  8:00 
Alden,  8:00 
Alden,  8:00 


Vol.  82,  No.  4 


December  1978 


2  Wasn't  it  a  lovely  day  for  an  inauguration! 

6  Inaugural  address 

by  President  Edmund  T.  Cranch 

14  3WPIWomen 

A  look  at  the  careers  of  3  recent  WPI  women  graduates 

21   Football,  the  continuing  story 

Sports  Information  Director  Steve  Raczynski  examines  the  78 
season  as  the  team  hits  the  comeback  trail. 

24  Your  Class  and  Others 
24  The  good  old  days 

26  Arthur  Nutt, '16,  aviation  pioneer 

30  The  biggest  beach  ball 

A  new  concept  for  ocean-going  vessels,  from  Kenneth  Mayo, 
'51 

38  Completed  careers 


Editor:  H.  Russell  Kay 

Alumni  Information  Editor:  Ruth  S.  Trask 

Publications  Committee:  J   Michael  Anderson, 
'64,  chairman 

Design:.  H.  Russell  Kay 

Typesetting:  Davis  Press,  Worcester,  Mass. 

Printing:  The  House  of  Offset,  Somerville,  Mass. 


Address  all  correspondence  regarding  editorial 
content  or  advertising  to  the  Editor,  WPI  Jour- 
nal, Worcester  Polytechnic  Institute,  Worcester, 
MA  01609.  Telephone  (617)  753-141 1 . 

The  WPI  Journal  is  published  for  the  Alumni 
Association  by  Worcester  Polytechnic  Institute. 
Copyright  ©  1978  by  Worcester  Polytechnic 
Institute.  All  rights  reserved. 

The  WPI  Journal  is  published  six  times  a  year,  in 
August,  September  (catalog  issue),  October, 
December,  February,  and  April.  Second  class 
postage  paid  at  Worcester,  MA 
Postmaster:  Please  send  for  3579  to:  Alumni 
Association,  Worcester  Polytechnic  Institute, 
Worcester,  MA  01 609. 


WPI  ALUMNI  ASSOCIATION 

President:  William  A.  Julian,  '49 

Senior  vice  president:  Ralph  D.  Gelling,  '63 

Vice  president:  Walter  B.  Dennen,  Jr.,  '51 

Secretary-treasurer:  Stephen  J.  Hebert,  '66 

Past  president:  Francis  S.  Harvey,  '37 

Executive  Committee  members- at-large: 
Richard  A.  Davis,  '53;  Anson  C.  Fyler,  45;  John 
H.  McCabe,  '68;  Julius  A.  Palley,  '46 

Faculty  representative:  Kenneth  E.  Scott,  '48 

Fund  Board:  G.  Albert  Anderson,  '51,  chairman; 
Richard  B.  Kennedy,  '65;  Gerald  Finkle,  '57; 
Philip  H.  Puddington,  '59;  Leonard  H.  White, 
'41;  Henry  Styskal,  Jr.,  '50;  C.  John  Lindegren, 
'39 


b'3  it 


Wasn't  it  a  lovely  day  for  an  inauguration! 


by  Russell  Kay 


All  inauguration  photographs  were  taken  by  Carol  Lee,  unless 
otherwise  credited. 


There  are  few  occasions  in  the  life  of  a  university  more 
colorful,  more  meaningful,  or  more  forward-looking  than 
the  installation  of  a  new  president.  It  is  then  that  all  the 
eyes  of  the  community  are  focused  on  one  person  and  the 
significance  he  holds  for  the  institution.  It  is  a  time  of 
changing  leadership,  replete  with  a  large  measure  of 
optimism  and  only  a  small  dose  of  anxiety  for  the  future.  It 
is  a  time  for  posing  questions,  and  for  celebrating  the 
search  for  answers.  It  is  a  new  beginning  at  the  highest 
level. 

At  every  commencement  of  every  college,  tradition 
dictates  there  be  an  "academic  procession,"  with  every 
member  of  the  community  dressed  in  the  centuries-old 
manner  of  academic  cap  and  gown  and  hood.  It  is  an 
impressive  sight,  those  hundreds  of  people  dressed  in  their 
costumes.  But  no  mere  commencement  can  begin  to 
compare  with  the  academic  procession  which  precedes 
the  inauguration  of  a  new  president. 

Some  would  say  it  is  merely  a  matter  of  numbers;  an 
inauguration  brings  out  more  people.  Perhaps  it  has  to  do 
with  more  people  wearing  hoods,  those  colorful  modern 
vestiges  of  the  medieval  cowl.  But  whatever  the  reasons, 


2  /  December  1 978 1  The  WPI  Journal 


and  they  really  don't  matter,  the  academic  procession 
before  President  Cranch's  inauguration  was  a  beautiful 
sight.  More  than  1 5  o  delegates  representing  other  colleges 
and  universities  and  professional  and  learned  societies 
attended,  each  garbed  in  the  colors  of  his  or  her  discipline 
and  institution.  Most  faculty  and  many  of  WPI's  profes- 
sional staff  and  delegates  from  28  student  organizations 
also  took  part  in  the  ceremonial  ritual. 

Friday,  October  20  was  a  date  picked  months  before,  in 
the  middle  of  summer.  Then  one  could  only  hope  for  good 
weather.  When  the  day  came,  it  was  glorious.  Rain  had 
ended  the  day  before,  the  fall  colors  on  the  trees  were  still 
vivid,  and  the  temperature  rose  into  the  high  60s.  It  was  a 
good  sign. 

Harrington  Auditorium  was  filled  with  an  overflow 
audience  of  more  than  2,500.  Music  before  and  during  the 
procession  was  provided  by  the  Intercollegiate  Symphonic 
Band  and  Brass  Choir  and  Chorale.  The  sides  of  the  lower 
level  were  draped  with  the  flags  of  WPI's  fraternities  and 
sorority  and  other  student  organizations.  The  procession 
entered,  led  by  Grand  Marshal  (and  physics  professor) 
Thomas  Keil.  He  was  followed  by  delegates  from  student 
organizations,  the  faculty  and  administration,  delegates 
from  other  colleges  (arranged  in  the  order  of  the  founding 
of  those  institutions,  ranging  from  Harvard  [1636]  to 
Laboure  Junior  College  [1972]. 

Last  to  come  in  were  President  Cranch  and  Board 
Chairman  Paul  S.  Morgan. 

An  invocation  was  delivered  by  Father  Peter  Scanlon,  a 
familiar  figure  around  campus  who  was  now  wearing  his 
full  title,  Bishop's  Vicar  for  Colleges.  Greetings  to  the  new 
president  from  the  city  of  Worcester  and  a  letter  from 
Governor  Dukakis  were  presented  by  Mayor  Thomas 
Early.  Congressional  representative  Joseph  Early  greeted 
Dr.  Cranch  and  then  read  a  letter  which  was  simply  signed 
"Jimmy  Carter."  Faculty  secretary  Gordon  Branche  wel- 
comed Cranch  to  the  WPI  community  of  scholars,  and 
Alumni  Association  president  William  A.  Julian,  '49, 
extended  the  good  wishes  of  all  WPI  alumni. 

Up  to  this  point,  things  had  been  rather  serious  in  tone. 
The  final  greeter,  student  body  president  Jeff  Boike,  ob- 
served that  Dr.  Cranch  was  WPI's  newest  freshman,  but 
noted  that  he  wasn't  wearing  his  beanie.  To  correct  this 
oversight,  Boike  presented  Cranch  with  a  genuine 
maroon-and-gray  WPI  freshman  beanie,  which  the  presi- 
dent promptly  put  on  and  kept  on  while  the  student  leader 
spoke.  Boike  commented  that  education  takes  place  in 
many  spots  outside  the  classroom,  and  so  he  also  pre- 
sented a  pewter  beer  mug  along  with  a  perpetual  invitation 
to  the  Goat's  Head  Pub. 

At  this  point,  President  Cranch  was  now  formally 
presented  and  introduced  by  his  long-time  colleague,  Dr. 
Dale  Corson,  chancellor  of  Cornell  University,  where 
Cranch  had  studied  and  taught  for  so  long.  In  his  introduc- 
tion, Chancellor  Corson  also  commented  on  the  need  for 
institutions  of  higher  education  to  play  a  greater  part  in  our 
society,  and  on  the  serious  problems  confronting  our 
world  by  a  growing  population. 


Left-hand  page,  and  top:  The  academic  procession.  At  left,  Grand 
Marshall  Thomas  Keil  holds  the  walking  stick  of  John  Boynton, 
founder  of  WPI. 

Above:  President  Cranch  puts  on  the  once  traditional  WPI 
fresliman  headgear. 

Below:  President  Cranch  accepts  the  charter  of  Worcester 
Polytechnic  Institute  from  Board  Chairman  Paul  Morgan,  as 
Professor  Keil  prepares  to  present  the  official  seal. 


The  WPI  Journal  I  December  197813 


Chairman  Morgan  took  the  podium  and  formally 
charged  Dr.  Cranch  with  the  care  and  nurture  of  Worcester 
Polytechnic  Institute. 

After  Dr.  Cranch  delivered  his  address,  the  WPI  alma 
mater  was  sung  by  the  Chorale,  using  slightly  different 
words  than  Willard  Hedlund  wrote  back  in  1 9 1  o.  The  Rev. 
James  Miller  of  WPI's  neighbor,  the  First  Baptist  Church, 
gave  the  benediction,  including  Reinhold  Neibuhr's  clas- 
sic prayer:  "God  grant  me  the  courage  to  change  what  I 
can,  the  serenity  to  accept  what  I  cannot  change,  and  the 
wisdom  to  know  the  difference."  Potent  and  yet  highly 
appropriate  thoughts  on  which  to  end  this  event. 


From  left:  Rev.  fames  Miller,  Faculty  Secretary  Gordon  Branche, 
Trustee  Anson  Fyler  '45,  Mayor  Thomas  Early,  Dr.  George  W. 
Hazzard,  President  Edmund  Cranch,  Board  Chairman  Paul 
Morgan,  Cornell  University  Chancellor  Dale  Corson,  Con- 
gressman Joseph  Early,  Alumni  Association  President  William 
A.  Julian  '49,  and  Student  Body  President  Jeff  Boike.  Father  Peter 
Scanlon  is  giving  the  invocation. 


Pictures  on  right-hand  page:  top,  the  long  and  the  short  of  things. 
Middle,  the  ringing  of  the  Spencer  Bell.  Bottom,  Ed  and  Virginia 
Cranch  at  the  reception  following  the  inauguration.  The  flowers 
were  presented  to  Mrs.  Cranch  by  the  WPI  student  body. 


At  left:  The  eleventh  and  twelfth  presidents  of  WPI:  George 
Hazzard  and  Edmund  Cranch. 


4 1  December  1978  I  The  WPI  Journal 


J 


For  all  the  pomp  and  circumstance,  the  color  and 
pageantry,  the  smooth  pace  of  the  day,  the  planning  that 
went  into  making  it  a  success  was  extensive,  and  required 
a  lot  of  work  by  many  people.  A  22-member  Inaugural 
Committee  was  chaired  by  Professor  Donald  N.  Zwiep. 
They  were  charged  with  planning  the  event  itself,  arrang- 
ing for  invitations,  announcements,  addressing,  corre- 
spondence with  delegates  from  other  institutions  and 
from  student  groups,  music,  programs,  ushers,  flowers, 
stage  decorations  .  . .  literally  thousands  of  details,  all 
essential  to  the  success  of  the  day.  Careful  planning, 
followed  by  crisis  and  emergency,  and  in  the  end  every- 
thing worked. 

Before  the  Inauguration  proper  was  scheduled  to  start,  a 
brief  ceremony  was  held  on  the  quadrangle  in  front  of 
Harrington.  It  had  been  billed  as  "the  first  sounding  of  the 
new  college  treasure"  in  the  invitation  which  the  Glee 
Club  had  sent  out  earlier,  leading  to  speculation  as  to  just 
what  was  going  on  anyway!  The  new  college  treasure 
turned  out  to  be  a  bell,  which  had  its  own  interesting 
history.  Known  as  "the  Spencer  Bell,"  it  was  given  to  WPI 
through  the  generosity  of  the  Worcester  County  National 
Bank  on  April  20,  1 970.  It  was  on  that  day  that  major 
portions  of  the  fomier  Park  Avenue  Baptist  Church  were 
being  demolished  to  make  way  for  a  new  addition  to  the 
bank's  branch  there.  During  the  early  afternoon,  music 
professor  Louis  J.  Curran,  Jr.,  was  going  past  the  church, 
and  he  saw  that  the  tower  was  still  standing,  with  a  tower 
bell  inside. 

Professor  Curran  immediately  called  Mr.  Harry  I. 
Spencer,  Jr.,  executive  vice  president  of  the  bank.  Spencer 
agreed  that  the  bell  would  be  given  to  the  college  if  it  could 
be  removed  early  in  the  morning  so  as  not  to  cut  into  the 
scheduled  demolition.  So  at  8:00  a.m.  on  April  21,  the  bell 
was  lowered  by  crane  onto  a  WPI  truck,  brought  to 
Boynton  Hall,  and  finally  stored  out  at  Alden  Research 
Laboratory  until  it  could  be  properly  used.  It  sat  there  for 
eight  years. 

The  WPI  Glee  Club  decided  that  the  inauguration  of 
President  Cranch  would  be  the  perfect  time  for  the  bell  to 
make  its  reappearance.  It  was  sandblasted  and  refinished, 
and  came  back  to  campus  on  Inauguration  Day.  At  the 
brief  ceremonies,  Glee  Club  president  Stephen  C.  Salamin 
told  a  large  gathering  of  students  and  visiters,  "this  bell  is 
dedicated  that  we  —  who  are  this  college  —  may  be 
'summoned  by  bells.'  " 

The  best  view  of  the  proceedings  outside  was  undoubt- 
edly that  of  senior  Winsor  Naugler,  who  watched  it  all 
from  the  seat  of  his  six-foot  tall  unicycle.  (Yes,  that's  right, 
unicycle.)  Wearing  a  cap  and  gown,  Windsor  carried  two 
sandwich  boards  signs  that  proclaimed  "Good  Luck  Ed 
Cranch." 


K 


v*. 


/&** 


INAUGURAL  ADDRESS 


I  thank  you,  Mr.  Morgan,  and  I  accept  the  trust  and  charge 
which  you  and  the  Board  of  Trustees  have  given  me  with  a 
sense  of  deep  dedication  and  humility.  It  is  a  responsibility 
which  no  one  man  can  discharge  without  the  ongoing 
commitment  and  support  of  the  entire  WPI  community  — 
its  faculty,  staff,  students,  alumni,  and  friends.  The  kind 
greetings  from  those  on  the  platform  give  evidence  to  both 
the  depth  of  your  willingness  to  share  this  partnership,  and 
to  the  high  value  you  place  on  this  endeavor. 

In  accepting  this  responsibility,  I  am  also  cognizant  of 
the  contribution  made  by  those  who  had  the  founding 
vision,  the  determination  to  sustain  it,  and  the  foresight  to 
nurture  its  need  for  adaptation. 

The  college  motto,  Lehr  und  Kunst,  together  with  the 
seal  of  Worcester  Polytechnic  Institute,  summarize  its 
purpose  and  goal: 

teaching  and  skill 
head  and  hand 
theory  and  practice 

It  is  this  intimate  union  of  knowledge  and  its  applica- 
tion which  keeps  education  vital.  Especially  in  the  case  of 
a  child,  we  have  all  witnessed  the  rapid  translation  of 
concept  to  practice.  That  is  why  we,  as  adults,  have  such  a 
weighty  responsibility  for  our  behavior,  why  we  stand 
exposed  to  the  admonition  to  "practice  what  we  preach." 
This  dual  nature  of  education  implies  another  important 
aspect  of  learning  —  the  willingness  and  challenge  to 
experiment.  Experiment  is  absolutely  essential  in  helping 
us  avoid  the  latent  self-deception  of  knowledge  untested 
by  application  and  in  arousing  our  curiosity  to  understand 
the  reason  behind  observed  practice.  I  believe  that  the 
willingness  to  test  concept  with  practice,  and  practice 
with  concept,  extends  far  beyond  the  domain  of  science 
and  technology.  If  we  are  to  preserve  our  democratic 
institutions,  we  must  test  sociopolitical  orthodoxies  and 
procedures  with  our  experience  as  free  men.  Lehr  und 
Kunst  is  an  expression  of  the  binary  nature  of  education 
—  a  property  which  is  essential  if  it  is  to  remain  authentic 
and  vigorous. 


The  Two  Towers  tradition  of  WPI  reflects  in  structural 
form  this  binary  concept  of  education.  I  hope  that  you  have 
had  a  chance  to  view  these  two  towers.  If  not,  take  a  small 
excursion  after  this  ceremony  to  do  so.  Boynton  Hall  was 
erected  by  the  citizens  of  Worcester  in  response  to  a 
challenge  by  lohn  Boynton  for  them  to  match  his  gift  of  his 
personal  fortune  to  found  a  free  institute  of  industrial 
science.  It  symbolizes  the  foresight  of  a  peddlar  of  tinware 
joined  by  a  community  of  artisans  who  perceived  the  need 
for  knowledge  to  give  understanding  to  their  labor.  Not 
only  was  their  concept  based  on  a  sound  foundation,  but  it 
was  given  substance  by  the  quality  of  the  building  they 
erected.  We  had  the  pleasure  and  honor  of  rededicating 
Boynton  Hall  just  a  month  ago  for  a  second  hundred  years 
of  service. 

The  second  tower,  on  Washburn  Hall,  symbolizes  the 
importance  of  the  practical  arts  and  the  determination  of 
Ichabod  Washburn  to  have  the  institution  include  "in- 
struction in  use  of  tools  and  machinery"  so  that  the  school 
would  not  be  confined  to  "the  theories  of  science,  but  as  far 
as  possible  extend  to  the  practical  application  of  its 
principles  which  will  give  the  greatest  possible  advantages 
in  the  affairs  of  life."  This  concern  for  the  practical  arts  is 
reflected  in  the  arm  and  forging  hammer  atop  Washburn 
Hall  and  its  appearance  in  the  seal.  When  a  young  man, 
Ichabod  Washburn  was  a  blacksmith,  so  he  had  great 
respect  for  things  applied.  Later  in  life,  as  a  result  of 
devising  methods  to  make  wire  production  practical  and 
economical,  he  became  the  proprietor  of  the  largest  wire 
mill  in  the  world,  situated  in  Worcester.  Mr.  Washburn 
suffered  a  paralyzing  stroke  when  his  machine  shop  was 
only  half  erected,  but  Charles  Morgan,  a  trustee  of  the 
school  and  the  great-grandfather  of  our  present  Chairman 
of  the  Board,  was  given  the  responsibility  for  completing 
and  equipping  the  machine  shop.  And  it  was  the  grand- 
father of  Milton  Higgins,  our  recently  retired  Chairman  of 
the  Board,  who  was  named  the  first  superintendant  of  the 
Washburn  Shops. 

So  it  was  that  the  binary  conept  of  education  took  root 
and  Worcester  Polytechnic  Institute  proceeded  to  turn  out 


The  WPI  Journal  December  1 978  !  7 


lltMiniHKH 


its  yearly  class  of  students  who  spread  across  the  country 
to  become  leaders  in  the  Industrial  Revolution  upon 
which  the  prosperity  of  the  nation  depended. 

"The  antithesis  between  a  technical  and  a  liberal  educa- 
tion is  fallacious.  There  can  be  no  adequate  technical 
education  which  is  not  liberal,  and  no  liberal  education 
which  is  not  technical:  that  is7  no  education  which  does 
not  impart  both  technique  and  intellectual  vision."  This 
quotation  from  Alfred  North  Whitehead  implies  that 
there  exists  an  inherent  tension  between  these  two  di- 
mensions of  binary  education. 

In  the  early  days  of  WTT,  the  applied  was  successful  to 
the  point  that  it  was  perceived  to  thwart  the  development 
of  new  fields  of  engineering.  In  an  era  of  rapidly  developing 
mechanical  and  electrical  technologies,  a  stable  balance 
was  not  achieved.  In  more  recent  times  in  engineering 
education,  the  situation  has  been  reversed  and  theory  has 
been  dominant.  I  call  this  the  principle  of  maximum 
academic  purity,  which  can  be  stated  as  follows:  Any 
academic  organization  with  the  freedom  to  pursue  both 
theory  and  practice  will,  in  the  absence  of  external  con- 
straints, so  conduct  its  affairs  that  sooner  or  later  theory 
will  dominate.  In  short,  the  pure  drives  out  the  applied. 

This  tension  is  not  restricted  to  institutes  of  technology 
but  exists  equally  well  in  the  liberal  arts.  It  is  at  the  root  of 
the  current  national  debate  over  "general  education,"  a 
debate  whose  outcome  will  be  misdirected  if  it  fails  to 
achieve  the  required  balance.  The  flaw  in  the  platonic 
concept  of  the  development  of  the  ideal  human  being  is 
the  complete  neglect  of  technique  and  experience  by 
erecting  two  antitheses  which  place  mind  over  body  and 
thought  over  action.  It  is  the  concept  of  an  intellectual 
aristocracy  in  which  knowledge  is  elevated  above  experi- 
ence and  experiment. 

Professional  schools  in  universities,  and  especially  in- 
stitutes of  technology,  have  an  inherent  advantage  in 
adapting  the  concept  of  binary  education  to  the  unfolding 
advance  in  man's  knowledge  and  social  development. 
Although  they  have  rarely  used  this  advantage  for  educa- 
tional reform  outside  of  their  own  domains  of  influence, 
there  are  now  distinct  signs  that  higher  education  will 
recognize  the  importance  of  a  broadly  conceived  technical 
component.  Exploratory  programs  which  have  their  ori- 
gins in  engineering  or  applied  science  are  being  tried  in  a 
number  of  institutions. 

The  furthest  developed  and  most  thorough -going  of 
these  programs  is  the  one  conceived  and  implemented  by 
the  faculty  at  WPI  less  than  a  decade  ago.  The  strength  of 
the  WPI  Plan  lies  in  its  assertion  in  new  form  of  the  basic 
unity  of  knowledge  and  practice.  But  now  this  unity  is 
enhanced  by  the  explicit  recognition  that  the  ultimate 
purpose  is  the  elevation  of  the  human  spirit  and  the 
improvement  of  social  relationships.  It  is  asserted  that  a 
new  educational  hybrid  is  possible,  one  that  can  assist  us 
to  adapt  and  contribute  to  the  succession  of  rapid  changes 
which  occur  in  but  one  lifetime  in  our  modern  society.  We 
have  named  this  hybrid  the  technological  humanist.  Its 
growth  requires  creating  a  root  system  through: 


First,  the  development  of  competency  in  a 
major  field  of  science  or  engineering;  and 

Second,  a  major  project  which  encourages 
independent  initiative  and  self-confidence. 

The  cultivation  of  this  sturdy  hybrid  involves 

A  humanities  sufficiency  requirement  which 
develops  a  focused,  in-depth  study  of  an 
area  of  humanities,  together  with 

An  interactive  project  which  develops  an 
integration  between  science  or  technology 
and  social  concern  and  human  values. 

Observe  that,  in  the  WPI  seal,  humanity  is  symbolized 
by  the  heart,  and  social  unity  by  the  sheaves  of  grain.  It  is 
no  longer  important  to  contest  the  dominance  of  the  head 
over  the  human  hand,  or  the  human  brain  over  the  hand. 
But  what  is  important  is  to  recognize  that  both  require 
guidance  from  the  heart  and  sustenance  from  society. 


I  believe  that  this  modem  adaptation  of  the  binary 
concept  of  education  will  prove  to  be  a  powerful  force  in 
the  future  of  higher  education.  Different  institutions  will 
express  it  in  somewhat  different  forms,  but  its  authentic- 
ity is  compelling.  Further,  I  believe  that  such  an  education 
will  be  required  for  leadership  in  a  world  caught  up  in  a 
maelstrom  of  change  and  conflict,  a  world  in  which  the 
lamp  of  liberty  stands  in  peril  of  extinction  after  but  two 
hundred  years  of  flickering  light.  In  all  our  affluence  and  65 
mile-per-hour  pursuit  of  happiness,  we  dare  not  forget  that 
there  are  serious  forces  at  work  which  threaten  the  very 
basis  of  our  democracy  and  its  system  of  independent 
education. 

The  urgency  of  the  situation  can  be  likened  to  a  riddle, 
popular  with  French  children,  about  a  farmer,  a  pond,  and  a 
water  lily.  The  lily  is  doubling  in  size  every  day,  and  in 
thirty  days  it  will  cover  the  entire  pond,  killing  all 
creatures  living  in  it.  The  farmer  does  not  want  that  to 
happen,  but,  being  busy  with  other  chores,  he  decides  to 
postpone  cutting  back  the  plant  until  it  covers  half  the 
pond.  The  question  is,  on  what  day  will  the  lily  cover  half 
the  pond?  You  do  not  need  a  course  in  differential  equa- 
tions to  conclude  that  the  answer  is,  on  the  twenty-ninth 
day,  leaving  the  farmer  just  one  day  to  save  his  pond! 

This  riddle  illustrates  many  features  of  modem  living 
which  are  ever-present  in  our  daily  existence.  The  tend- 


8  /  December  1 978  I  The  WPI  Journal 


J. 


ency  of  some  of  our  social,  technological,  and  human 
systems  to  grow  beyond  manageable  bounds  is  an  unmis- 
takeable  feature  of  our  society.  In  the  world  of  internation- 
al affairs  and  the  processes  of  our  own  government,  we 
witness  delays  that  not  only  seem  to  take  us  to  the 
twenty-ninth  day,  but  they  sometimes  take  us  to  mid- 
night on  that  day.  Notice  that  the  riddle  involves  a  pond  of 
finite  extent  which  cannot  tolerate  unlimited  growth.  Its 
boundaries  are  known  and  the  life  within  must  accommo- 
date accordingly.  This  finiteness  gives  significance  to  the 
important  time  constant  in  that  riddle  —  one  day. 
Whereas  the  time  constants  of  previous  generations  were 
sufficiently  long  to  permit  adaptation,  they  have  now  been 
truncated  to  the  point  where  people  and  their  social 
institutions  hardly  have  time  to  respond  in  a  manner 
which  permits  stability.  On  any  scale  of  historical  time, 
we  are  surely  living  in  an  era  of  social  and  technological 
mutation,  which  gives  rise  to  relatively  abrupt,  irrever- 
sible changes  in  our  social  conditions. 

I  wish  to  emphasize  the  irreversible  nature  of  this 
mutation  because  it  is  almost  certain  to  be  a  dominant 
characteristic  of  the  world  ahead.  I  believe  it  is  a  fair 
description  to  observe  that  until  quite  recently,  say  prior  to 
World  War  II,  it  was  popularly  believed  that  many  of  our 
problems  were  somehow  imbedded  in  a  reversible  system 
which,  under  ideal  conditions,  would  in  due  time  be 
brought  to  a  state  of  equilibrium  within  a  framework  of 
government  and  values  which  were  commonly  accepted 
as  the  self-evident  norm  of  our  bountiful  Western  world. 

As  every  good,  or  even  incompetent,  student  should 
know,  the  concept  of  reversibility  is  an  ideal  one  which 
cannot  be  realized  in  practice.  Otherwise  we  could  ac- 
complish perpetual  motion.  The  real  world  is  an  irrevers- 
ible, non-ideal  system  which  we  ourselves  must  learn  to 
control  or  the  vision  which  we  hold  for  humanity  will  not 
be  realized. 

The  riddle  involves  growth,  finiteness,  and  delay  com- 
bined to  form  an  environment  of  imminent  disaster.  The 
real,  irreversible  world  in  which  we  now  live  contains  the 
same  elements.  I  will  illustrate  the  effects  using  several 
areas  where  they  are  clearly  evident. 


For  far  too  long  man  has  treated  his  environment  in  a 
spendthrift  manner  as  though  nature's  natural  resources 
were  without  end.  It  is  not  difficult  to  see  how  man  was  led 
into  a  state  of  complacency.  For  Stone  Age  man,  directly 
usable  mineral  resources  consisted  mainly  of  flint  and 
other  kinds  of  rock  which  he  shaped  into  tools  and 
weapons,  surface  water,  and  perhaps  salt.  Wood  was  his 
only  fuel.  Keep  in  mind  that  the  population  of  American 
Indians  prior  to  the  arrival  of  the  white  man  in  what  is  now 
the  United  States  has  been  estimated  to  be  about  one 
million.  With  these  natural  resources  of  rock,  water,  and 
wood,  together  with  a  largely  food-gathering  existence,  he 
is  believed  to  have  been  more  or  less  in  equilibrium  with 
the  available  resource  base. 


Even  the  arrival  of  Western  man  did  not  seriously 
perturb  the  resource  system,  for  as  any  true  New  En- 
glander  is  anxious  to  explain,  the  early  generations  lived  a 
spartan  life,  surviving  by  limiting  their  needs  and  using 
Yankee  ingenuity.  The  same  primitive  resource  base 
supplemented  by  an  agrarian  economy  could  still  support 
a  total  population  perhaps  ten  times  as  large  as  the 
indigenous  Indians.  Even  at  the  turn  of  the  century  after 
the  Industrial  Revolution  was  well  underway,  only  about 
twenty  of  the  chemical  elements  were  in  commercial  use. 
However,  the  finite  fuel  pond  of  wood  no  longer  sufficed, 
and  emerging  twentieth-century  man  was  totally  depen- 
dent upon  the  mineral  fuel,  coal.  The  United  States  was 
nearly  self-sufficient  in  minerals  and  mineral  fuels  until 
after  World  War  H\ 

But  the  growth  in  population,  combined  with  a  vastly 
increased  level  of  consumption,  began  to  uncover  the 
boundaries  of  our  finite  resources.  Our  use  of  oil  and  gas 


The  WP1  Journal :  December  1 978   9 

IBHOBBI 


grew  as  the  lily  in  the  fanner's  pond  to  the  point  where  our 
present  economy  is  absolutely  dependent  upon  it.  We  are 
consuming  oil  and  gas  at  a  rate  such  that  it  is  estimated 
they  will  he  exhausted  m  less  than  100  years,  and  some 
other  minerals  are  showing  equivalent  rates  ot  depletion. 
When  calculated  on  a  scale  ot  geological  time,  the  time  of 
natural  resource  formation,  we  are  close  to  the  twenty- 
ninth  day.  Whether  driven  by  either  exponential  growth  or 
a  high  level  ot  constant  consumption,  a  finite  supply  will 
he  rapidly  exhausted. 

Certainly,  a  natural  resource  mutation  has  occurred, 
and  the  process  is  mv\  visible.  As  Genesis  describes,  it  is 
God  who  creates  minerals  but  it  is  man  who  converts 
them  into  resources.  And  it  is  this  process  of  conversion 
which  will  require  a  greatly  accelerated  pace  of  technolog- 
ical development  and  human  ingenuity.  The  alternatives 
mav  appear  to  he  economically  painful  to  contemplate, 
hut  we  have  only  just  begun  to  apply  ourselves  to  the 
problem. 


The  natural  resource  pond  has  a  tributary  which  leads 
directly  into  the  second  major  area  I  wish  to  describe.  The 
unequal  distribution  and  finite  supply  of  raw  materials 
inevitably  give  rise  to  intense  international  competition. 
However,  it  is  not  the  competitive  aspect  I  am  concerned 
about  but  rather  the  interdependence  of  all  peoples  of  the 
world.  Of  course,  the  concept  of  human  unity  and  our 
common  destiny  have  been  described  by  philosophers  mid 
spiritual  leaders.  Yet  it  was  only  after  the  relatively  recent 
technological  advances  in  transportation  and  communica- 
tions that  the  full  impact  of  this  interdependence  was 
experienced.  These  advances  resulted  in  an  abrupt  change 
in  the  time  constants  —  by  a  factor  of  i  oo  for  transporta- 
tion, and  by  a  factor  of  at  least  1,000,000  for  communica- 
tions. 

International  affairs  can  no  longer  be  considered  to  be  of 
secondary  importance,  because  the  stability  and  economic 
welfare  of  nations  combine  to  create  an  international 
imperative.  Although  originally  based  on  common  cul- 
tural origins  or  natural  military  alliances,  in  but  three 
decades  this  international  imperative  has  grown  to  span  at 
least  three  politicalyeconomic  worlds.  The  destinies  of  the 
technologically  advanced  nations  are  entwined  with  those 
of  the  less  developed  countries,  countries  in  which  hun- 
dreds of  millions  of  people  have  incomes  of  only  a  few 
hundred  dollars  a  year.  The  traditional  pattern  of  devel- 
opment involving  a  100-year  evolution  from  an  agricul- 
turally based  economy  to  one  having  a  major  industrial 
thrust  and  infrastructure  is  no  longer  acceptable.  The 
historical  process  is  far  too  slow  to  respond  to  the 
socioeconomic  and  political  pressures  of  today's  world. 
Their  political,  social,  and  economic  systems  too  often 
exist  in  the  twenty-ninth  day,  with  resultant  instability 
and  human  degradation.  Furthermore,  these  countries 
possess  markets,  sources  of  raw  materials,  as  well  as 
increasingly  sophisticated  manufactured  products,  so  that 


they  are  not  ignored  by  either  the  first  or  second  worlds. 
Economic  considerations  are  dominant,  with  success 
heavily  dependent  upon  technological  adaptation. 

Yet  in  the  face  of  this  international  imperative,  our 
institutions  of  higher  education  have  not  in  any  com- 
prehensive fashion  perceived  the  need  and  opportunity. 
This  opportunity  is  especially  important  for  schools  of 
science  and  technology,  for  it  is  certain  that  many  of  their 
graduates  will  be  thrust  into  the  international  arena. 
Unfortunately,  American  students  are  only  sporadically 
given  a  glimpse  of  this  dimension,  and  the  many  foreign 
students  in  our  institutions  are  faced  with  a  program 
poorly  adapted  to  the  needs  of  their  countries.  The  United 
States  and  some  of  its  pioneering  education  institutions 
must  find  a  way  to  alter  this  situation. 


In  a  third  important  area,  ever-expanding  growth  is 
now  reaching  the  boundaries  of  finitencss  and  beginning 
to  choke  off  the  vitality  of  the  very  system  it  is  intended  to 
nurture.  We  have  moved  into  an  age  of  big  government 
with  its  concomitant  expansion  of  public  sector  respon- 
sibilities. Its  unrelenting  and  nonproductive  nature  is 
already  causing  major  economic  stress.  The  influence  of 
big  government  is  summarized  in  the  statistics  of  its 
growth.  In  1  y$o  one  out  of  ten  Americans  worked  for  a 
federal,  state,  or  local  government;  today  the  ratio  stands 
at  one  out  of  six,  so  that  there  arc  now  1 4.7  million  persons 
so  employed.  Over  the  past  ten  years,  the  number  of 
government  employees  has  grown  at  double  the  rate  of 
employment  in  the  private  sector.  Government  is  now  the 
biggest  single  employer  in  the  nation. 

This  is  a  new  phenomenon  in  the  life  of  our  nation,  and 
we  have  little  reason  to  believe  that  the  system  is  revers- 
ible. I  believe  that  we  are  witnessing  a  sociopolitical 
mutation  of  far-reaching  significance. 


1 0 1  December  1 978  I  The  WPI  journal 


The  system  is  complex  and  very  poorly  understood.  The 
interplay  of  regulation,  taxation,  inflation,  and  economic 
expediency  results  in  a  system  which  dampens  initiative 
and  erects  a  confining  network  of  controls. 

Our  system  of  higher  education  has  also  been  influenced 
by  growth  in  the  public  sector.  In  1950  independent 
institutions  enrolled  50  percent  of  the  students,  while  the 
public  sector  enrolled  so  percent.  We  are  now  approach- 
ing a  configuration  where  80  percent  of  the  college  stu- 
dents are  in  public  institutions  and  but  20  percent  in 
independent  colleges.  As  previously  mentioned,  WPI  was 
initially  named  the  Free  Institute  of  Industrial  Science. 
The  word  "free"  signified  the  intention  of  Ichabod 
Washburn  to  make  the  school  accessible,  especially  to 
indigent  and  deserving  young  artisans.  The  institution  has 
always  provided  the  opportunity  for  upward 
socioeconomic  mobility,  and  we  must  insure  that  will 
always  be  so. 


But  in  this  age  of  big  government,  there  is  another 
meaning  to  the  word  "free,"  and  it  strikes  at  the  heart  of 
our  concept  of  the  right  relation  between  the  citizen  and 
his  government.  However  well-intentioned  large  bureauc- 
racies may  be,  their  histories  are  such  as  to  cause  serious 
concern.  Their  initial  well-intentioned  open  hands  of 
assistance  can  change  to  clenched  fists  of  economic  and 
hence  social  control.  If  economic  stability  cannot  be 
achieved,  if  pernicious  inflation  cannot  be  curbed,  then  we 
will  indeed  reach  the  twenty-ninth  day.  Under  such 
circumstances,  governments  respond  by  appealing  to  the 
materialist  survival  instinct  in  each  of  us.  C.  S.  Lewis  in 
his  book  Surprised  by  Joy,  in  which  he  gives  his  personal 
account  of  trying  to  find  truth,  shows  great  insight  with 
his  observation  that  "the  materialist's  universe  has  the 
enormous  attraction  that  it  offers  you  limited  liabilities." 
Undisciplined  big  government  can  offer  us  limited 
liabilities  in  exchange  for  liberty. 

Listen  to  what  Justice  Learned  Hand  said  on  liberty:" . . . 
Once  you  get  people  believing  that  there  is  an  authorita- 
tive well  of  wisdom  to  which  they  can  turn  for  absolutes, 
you  have  dried  up  the  springs  on  which  they  must  in  the 
end  draw  even  for  the  things  of  this  world.  As  soon  as  we 
cease  to  pry  about  at  random,  we  shall  come  to  rely  upon 
accredited  bodies  of  authoritative  dogma,-  and  as  soon  as 
we  come  to  rely  upon  accredited  bodies  of  authoritative 
dogma,  not  only  are  our  days  of  liberty  over,  but  we  have 
lost  the  password  that  has  thitherto  opened  to  us  the  gates 

of  success  as  well Where  heterodoxy  in  what  men  prize 

most  is  a  crime,  fresh  thinking  about  anything  will 
disappear.  Even  the  loaves  and  fishes  will  not  be  multi- 
plied." 


Higher  education  may  yet  prove  to  have  a  decisive  role 
in  our  protection  of  liberty.  Learning  is  essential  to  liberty. 
In  spite  of  the  certain  increase  in  competition  between  the 
public  and  private  sectors,  it  is  crucial  that  we  not  let  a 
great  rift  develop  between  the  two  —  a  San  Andreas  fault  of 
policy.  If  that  is  not  avoided,  then  the  ultimate  freedom  of 
our  society  could  well  rest  on  that  residual  20  percent  and 
the  liberty  which  it  represents. 

The  educational  concept  of  knowledge  tempered  by 
experience  provides  a  double  mirror  in  which  to  view 
authoritative  bureaucracy.  If  left  free  and  properly  di- 
rected, binary  education  can  support  the  cause  of  liberty, 
help  perfect  government  to  serve  the  citizenry,  and  assist 
in  creating  a  spiritually  satisfying  social  system.  Worces- 
ter Polytechnic  Institute  is  dedicated  to  that  purpose. 


The  past  ten  years  in  WPI's  history  have  been  ones  of 
remarkable  educational  vigor.  The  faculty,  students,  and 
staff,  with  the  outstanding  leadership  of  George  Hazzard, 
have  transformed  the  institution  from  within.  We  must  be 
alert  for  further  improvements,  avoid  stasis  in  our  newly 
acquired  orthodoxies,  and  try  to  deepen  the  modem  educa- 
tional meaning  of  the  WPI  Plan.  Though  major  im- 
provements will  clearly  require  a  partnership  of  thought 
and  action  by  all  of  us  responsible  for  the  educational 
program,  I  would  recommend  that  we  give  attention  to  a 
number  of  areas.  We  need  to  ask  questions  of  the  following 
kinds: 


The  WPI  Journal  December  1978    11 


■"-""-- 


1 .  Is  it  time  that  we  reexamined  our  educational  goals 
at  the  graduate  level?  The  history  of  graduate  educa- 
tion in  the  past  2  5  years  has  been  one  of  unprece- 
dented growth;  yet  that  growth  has  been  directed 
toward  almost  a  single  goal  —  research  and  the  PhD 
degree.  A  kind  of  institutional  cloning  has  occurred. 
There  is  a  need  for  an  alternate  goal  —  one  which 
extends  to  the  master's  degree  level  and  reaches  out 
to  professionals  needing  a  binary  concept  of  educa- 
tion for  their  career  development. 

2.  How  can  we  enhance  the  place  of  economic  consid- 
erations in  our  program?  By  that  I  do  not  necessarily 
mean  merely  more  courses  in  economic  theory,  but 
rather  weaving  economic  reality  into  parts  of  disci- 
plinary courses  and  projects.  If  done  properly,  this 
could  be  a  significant  contribution  to  engineering 
education. 

3.  How  might  we  include  in  our  program  a  natural 
resource  dimension  that  should  also  involve  renew- 
able resources  represented  by  the  life  sciences? 

4.  Is  it  possible  to  include  a  more  visible  and  coherent 
international  dimension  for  both  American  students 
and  the  substantial  number  of  foreign  students  en- 
rolled at  WPI  and  in  other  similar  institutions? 

5.  Can  we  devise  ways  of  making  our  education  more 
attractive  to  women  and  assist  them  in  developing 
leadership  roles?  If  not  enough  women  have  com- 
plete high  school  prerequisites,  can  we  create  a 
bridging  experience  to  compensate? 

6.  How  can  we  deepen  and  strengthen  the  scholarly 
dimension  of  our  endeavors?  This  is  necessary  in  a 
community  of  scholars,  and  it  requires  the  opportu- 
nity for  faculty  renewal. 

7.  Is  it  possible  to  create  clusters  of  emphasis  which 
support  the  scholarly  dimensions,  complement  the 
concept  of  the  WPI  Plan,  yet  emphasize  neglected 
areas?  Examples  might  be  safety  and  product  liabil- 
ity, materials,  productivity,  or  manufacturing  pro- 
cesses. 

8.  Can  we  achieve  a  higher  level  of  creativity  and  use  of 
our  extensive  instructional  television  facilities  in 
order  to  improve  our  program  of  education?  It  is 
certain  that  such  approaches  will  expand  and  give 
added  support  to  education. 

9.  How  can  we  strengthen  and  expand  the  major  and 
interactive  project  work  of  our  experiential  program? 
We  must  try  to  maintain  our  Washington  Project 
Center,  because  it  permits  an  ideal  entry  to  the 
public  sector  and  government.  Although  we  pres- 
ently have  hundreds  of  industry-based  projects,  we 
should  be  alert  to  further  expansion  of  this  valuable 
experience.  And  could  we  not  find  a  way  to  encour- 
age entrepreneurship  through  our  project  mode? 


If  we  can  refine  such  questions  and  implement  con- 
structive answers  to  some  of  them,  we  will  be  able  to  keep 
vital  our  pioneering  program. 

Institutes  of  technology  and  universities  containing 
strong  technological  components  are,  in  my  opinion,  at 
the  forefront  of  education  for  the  twenty-first  century.  By  a 
technological  education,  I  mean  one  conceived  to  encour- 
age mutual  exchange  between  the  technical  and  the  liberal 
traditions,  and  between  knowledge  and  practice.  Such  an 
education  provides  the  opportunity 

•  to  use  one's  knowledge  in  a  creative  and  useful 
manner; 

•  to  understand  and  cope  with  the  driving  forces  in  a 
world  of  change; 

•  to  frame  at  least  some  intellectual  problems  in  a 
man-societal  context; 

•  to  cultivate  action  roles;  and 

•  to  experience  first-hand  knowledge  and  then  use  this 
to  assess  the  authenticity  of  ideas  and  social  programs. 

These  ideas  have  the  potential  to  actually  produce  a  new 
and  vibrant  crop  of  leaders  who  can  give  our  democracy 
new  directions  and  new  meaning. 

[At  this  point,  President  Cranch  took  off  his  academic 
mortarboard  and  donned  the  WPI  freshman  beanie 
which  had  been  earlier  presented  to  him  by  the  student 
body  president] 


12 1  December  1 978  I  The  WPI  Journal 


'1H 


To  the  students  of  WPI,  their  delegates  here  today,  and  the 
many  of  you  who  have  made  my  wife  and  me  so  welcome 
in  this  community: 

A  very  large  part  of  a  student's  life  is  spent  studying,  and 
in  an  institution  which  holds  high  standards  that  is  as  it 
must  be.  But  life  contains  a  wider  subject  matter  of 
relationships,  not  only  among  disciplines  and  ideas,  but 
also  relationships  among  people.  And  it  is  from  these 
personal  relationships  that  some  of  the  most  meaningful 
and  formative  lessons  are  learned.  Group  living  and  social 
interactions  provide  the  occasion  for  deepening  these 
associations  —  in  many  cases,  forming  the  life-long  friend- 
ships and  shared  experiences  of  alumni.  Let  us  look 
beyond  "Animal  House"  to  the  more  lasting  and  higher 
purpose  of  these  relationships.  When  you  as  students 
achieve  this,  you  add  immensely  to  the  quality  of  the  WPI 
experience. 

I  am  certain  you  sense  my  feeling  of  optimism  for  your 
future.  The  lily  ponds  are  real,  but  in  each  case  I  see 
nothing  but  opportunity  for  persons  educated  in  a  program 
having  a  liberal  spirit  with  a  technological  base.  You  will 
hear  many  voices  of  advice:  from  your  colleagues,  from 
your  parents  and  those  who  love  you,  from  the  faculty,  and 
from  society.  As  in  Isaac  Singer's  story,  "A  Crown  of 
Feathers,"  you  will  receive  seemingly  authoritative  advice 
from  many  conflicting  sources.  Out  of  it  you  must  find 


your  own  crown,  whether  it  be  of  feathers,  thorns,  or  lilies. 
Establish  goals  for  yourself.  Make  them  reasonable,  but 
keep  them  as  high  as  possible  in  order  that  they  represent 
the  best  of  you. 

Any  program  of  education  has  a  limit  as  to  how  far  its 
structure  can  and  should  guide  you.  We  can  assist  you,  and 
we  are  dedicated  to  that  purpose,  but  ultimately  it  is  your 
own  firsthand  experience  and  the  voice  within  that  must 
serve  as  your  guide.  Martin  Buber's  tale  of  the  growing  tree 
captures  the  essence  of  this  beautifully: 

"Man  is  like  a  tree.  If  you  stand  in  front  of  a  tree  and 
watch  it  incessantly  to  see  how  it  grows  and  to  see  how 
much  it  has  grown,  you  will  see  nothing  at  all.  But  tend 
to  it  at  all  times,  prune  the  runners,  and  keep  the  vermin 
from  it,  and  —  all  in  good  time  —  it  will  come  into  its 
growth.  It  is  the  same  with  man:  All  that  is  necessary  is 
for  him  to  overcome  his  obstacles  and  he  will  thrive  and 
grow.  But  it  is  not  right  to  examine  him  every  hour  to 
see  how  much  has  been  added  to  his  growth." 

Preserve  a  place  for  joy  and  zest  in  your  life,  thereby 
helping  us  achieve  humane  survival  rather  than  mere 
human  survival. 

Mr.  Morgan,  in  accepting  this  charge  I  hope  and  pray  to 
have  the  sensitivity  to  learn,  the  wisdom  to  judge,  and  the 
courage  to  act. 


WPI 


The  WPI  Journal  I  December  1978    13 


Three  WPI  Women 


Some  colleges  produce  look-alikes,  talk-alikes,  and 
think-alikes,  but  WPI  will  never  be  one  of  them.  Although 
there  are  over  200  women  undergraduates  on  the  campus 
today,  barely  a  decade  ago  there  were  none.  WPI  tradi- 
tion, so  far  as  women  students  are  concerned,  is  only 
about  ten  years  old.  There  are  no  cookie-cutter  alumnae 
from  WPI. 

This  lack  of  tradition,  however,  has  proved  to  be  far 
from  debilitating.  Women  students  have  joined  men's 
groups  in  order  to  further  their  educational  or  social  aims, 
and  have  formed  their  own  special  interest  groups.  They 
have  tackled  the  same  tough  curriculum  and  projects  as 
their  male  counterparts,  and  have  fared  as  well,  or  even 
better,  academically.  And  when  they  graduate,  they  are 
offered  the  same  challenging  jobs. 

Here  are  the  stories  of  three  recent  WPI  women 
graduates.  Their  careers  and  life  styles  are  all  very  differ- 
ent. Only  the  common  thread  of  their  individually -sty led 
WPI  backgrounds  holds  them  together. 


Michele  Wronski  — 
Quality  Control 


It  wasn't  a  foregone  conclusion,  but,  then  again,  it's  not  at 
all  surprising  that  Michele  Beaupre  Wronski,  '77  is  at 
Norton  Company.  She  has  both  spirit  and  intelligence, 
qualities  that  successful  companies  always  seek  out.  She 
also  has  a  personal  reason  .... 

"I'm  second-generation  Norton,"  she  says  with  a  smile. 
"My  father,  Armand  Beaupre  of  West  Boy  Is  ton,  has  been 
with  the  company  for  over  twenty-five  years.  He's  in 
Central  Engineering.  I  grew  up  with  Norton  all  around  me. 
So  when  I  graduated  from  WPI,  Norton  was  high  on  my 
list." 

Michele  started  out  as  a  facilities  engineer  in  Central 
Engineering  in  January  of  1977,  and  worked  right  along 
with  her  father  and  about  eighty  other  male  engineers.  Not 
only  was  she  the  only  woman  engineer  in  the  department, 
she  was  also  the  only  chemical  engineer.  ("No  problem.  I 
was  accepted  very  well.  We  developed  fine  working  rela- 
tionships.") 

While  in  Central  Engineering,  Michele  was  concerned 
with  air  and  water  pollution  abatement,  energy  conserva- 
tion, and  general  utility  projects. 

"We  were  almost  like  an  outside  consulting  firm,"  she 
says.  "Any  Norton  department  or  division  could  present 
us  with  a  problem.  We'd  try  to  figure  out  how  to  solve  the 
difficulty,  how  long  it  would  take,  and  how  much  it  would 
cost." 


Her  duties  were  varied.  She  helped  to  plan  a  new  ladies' 
room  for  Central  Receiving  in  the  Greendale  complex. 
While  on  loan  as  an  environmental  engineer  to  a  Norton 
distributor  in  Rhode  Island,  she  worked  on  an  odor  abate- 
ment project. 

She  also  solved  a  combination  dust  collector  and  heat- 
ing problem  at  the  Worcester  plant.  The  huge  collectors 
were  taking  out  dust-laden  air  that  was  at  room  tempera- 
ture and  had  to  be  replaced  through  the  use  of  gas-fired 
make-up  air  units.  "Changing  from  gas  to  steam  was  an 
economy  in  our  Worcester  plant  due  to  our  co-generation 
capabilities  in  the  power  house,"  she  reports.  "And  putting 
fans  that  utilize  waste  ceiling  heat  over  the  hot  kilns 
returned  both  heat  and  fresh  air  to  the  working  area." 

In  March,  Michele  transferred  to  the  Quality  Assurance 
Department  in  the  Grinding  Wheel  Division  as  a  senior 
raw  material  engineer.  She  is  accountable  for  the  quality  <  >f 
all  raw  materials  used  in  the  division.  She  assists  in 
defining  required  quality  levels  and  develops  and  imple- 
ments cost-effective  control  programs.  She  directs  the  raw 
materials  quality  section  and  insures  that  specific  raw 
material  efforts  support  overall  business  group  objectives. 

"Basically,  I  see  that  raw  materials  meet  our  specif- 
ications before  they  are  put  into  production,"  she  explains. 
"I  try  to  stop  trouble  before  it  starts.  Take,  for  example, 
this  sulphur  'cookie.'  " 

She  opens  a  brown  envelope,  and  a  black,  yellow- 
encrusted  lump  plops  out  onto  her  desk. 

"See.  It  does  look  like  a  macaroon.  Doesn't  it?" 

It  does. 

"Well,  at  first  I  thought  it  was  hydrocarbon  grease  mixed 
with  the  sulphur,  but  a  laboratory  analysis  proved  that  it 
wasn't,"  she  says.  "I  called  the  vendor  and  told  him  that 
we  were  finding  junk  in  his  sulphur.  He  did  some  inves- 
tigating of  his  own,  and  discovered  that  it  was  a  release 
agent  he  was  using  that  was  globbing  things  up.  He  took 
action  against  the  release  agent,  and  that  solved  the 
problem." 

She  points  to  a  variety  of  glass  vials  on  top  of  a  cabinet. 
"Man-made  abrasives,"  she  observes.  "I  suppose  it  sounds 
strange,  but  I  think  they're  beautiful." 

The  abrasives,  it  turns  out,  are  made  by  Norton  at  a 
plant  in  Chippawa,  Ontario.  And  they  are  beautiful. 
Almost  as  lovely  as  the  tubes  of  colored  sand  one  can  buy 
at  the  Painted  Desert.  The  abrasives,  some  fine  as  desert 
sand,  others  pellet-sized,  are  brown,  white,  black,  and 
multi-hued. 

"The  green  silicon  carbide  is  expensive,"  Michele  re- 
marks. "Because  it's  pure." 

And  what  would  such  abrasives  be  used  for? 

"For  snagging  cast  iron,  grinding  steel,  and  for  use  with 
ceramics,  glass,  bronze,  or  plastics,"  Michele  answers. 
"Almost  every  big  business  uses  grinding  wheels.  Speak- 
ing of  big  business,  Norton  is  the  world's  largest  manufac- 
turer of  abrasives.  How  about  a  tour  of  the  plant?" 

Tour  Guide  Michele  puts  on  a  pair  of  thick  safety 
glasses,  and  selects  a  coat.  She  grins.  "You  never  know 
what  to  expect  around  here.  I  prepare  for  anything.  Some 
people  are  always  changing  hats.  With  me,  it's  coats." 


The  WPI  Journal   December  1978    15 


Entry  into  the  Grinding  Wheel  Division  factory  area  is 
past  a  massive,  antique  kiln  that  reaches  up  to  the  ceiling. 

"Once  this  whole  room  was  filled  with  kilns  like  this," 
she  reports.  "The  new  ones  are  long,  horizontal,  and 
automated.  They're  in  another  area  now." 

Grinding  wheels  of  various  sizes  lay  stacked  on  the 
floor.  Some  are  made  with  black  silicon  carbide.  Others  are 
made  with  the  "expensive"  green  abrasive.  Premixed 
bonds  in  barrels  stand  close  by.  In  a  whirling  tank,  some 
white  Alundum  (registered  trademark)  is  being  mixed. 

"The  whole  process  is  very  much  like  making  a  cake," 
Michele  explains.  "First,  there  is  the  mixing,  then  the 
molding,  the  baking,  and  the  cooling.  In  this  case,  though, 
the  finished  product  is  a  grinding  wheel  instead  of  a  cake." 

In  the  next  room  is  a  big,  modem  tunnel  kiln.  "It's  kept 
running  365  days  a  year, ' '  Michele  say s .  "The  workers  load 
the  wheels  just  so  onto  the  flat  car  racks  that  go  through 
the  tunnel.  It's  an  art.  Many  wheels  have  different  bonds, 
and  have  to  be  put  into  a  certain  place  on  the  racks." 

The  route  to  the  metal  parts  inspection  office,  where 
Michele  is  due  for  a  consultation,  twists  along  a  tunnel 
beneath  a  railroad  bed  and  through  a  factory  area  beehiving 
with  activity.  Both  men  and  women  are  truing  wheels, 
doing  finish  work,  inspecting,  and  packing.  Several 
women  are  cementing  metal  spindles,  many  of  which 
have  been  inspected  by  the  Raw  Material  Section,  into 
wheels.  Grinding  wheels  vary  in  size  from  the  very  small 
diameter  mounted  points  used  in  producing  spacecraft 
instrumentation  to  wheels  of  up  to  five  and  a  half  feet  in 
diameter  —  the  kind  used  to  crush  logs  into  pulp  for 
making  paper. 

Once  outside  of  the  factory,  across  a  wide  open  yard,  is 
another  longer  tunnel  that  leads  up  to  the  street  and  the 
inspection  office.  "We're  pretty  spread  out,"  Michele 
admits.  "The  complex  is  located  on  300  acres  and  has  123 
buildings.  I  make  this  particular  trip  at  least  five  times  a 
week." 

After  a  brisk,  five-minute  walk,  the  building  which 
houses  the  inspection  office  comes  into  view.  The  office 
itself  proves  to  be  a  small,  no-nonsense  affair,  filled  with 
containers  full  of  small  metal  parts,  including  bushings, 
spindles,  and  wheel  backs. 

Marie  Longbottom,  the  inspector  on  duty,  explains  that 
raw  materials,  such  as  the  metal  parts,  are  logged  in  first. 
"We  then  take  random  samples  and  inspect  them.  If  they 
meet  our  standards,  we  mark  them  'accepted.'  Otherwise, 
they  are  rejected." 

Although  the  inspection  office  is  not  large,  it  does 
contain  a  considerable  amount  of  sophisticated  equip- 
ment. Another  inspector,  Robert  Sliwoski,  who  also 
works  with  Michele,  describes  how  some  of  the  equip- 
ment works. 

There  is  an  optical  comparator  that  through  a  shadow 
graph  projects  the  angle  and  the  radius  of  an  object.  There 
is  a  micrometer  for  checking  the  external  dimensions  of  an 
object  while  allowing  the  piece  to  be  positioned  so  that  it 
can  roll  easily.  An  internal  micrometer  with  interchange- 
able contacts  can  measure  holes  from  four  inches  to  forty 


inches.  Also,  there  are  telescoping  gauges,  as  well  as  dial 
gauges  for  smaller  holes.  Finally,  there  is  the  vernier, 
which  measures  outside  diameters  and  depths,  and  a 
high-powered  microscope. 

"These  instruments  are  invaluable  to  the  inspection 
phase,"  Michele  says.  "They  help  us  to  root  out  rejects 
before  they  reach  the  production  line." 

Michele  appears  to  thrive  in  her  new  quality  assurance 
post.  "We're  just  loaded  with  work,  but  I  like  it  that  way," 
she  enthuses. 

She  is  responsible  for  the  quality  of  millions  of  metal 
parts  a  year,  as  well  as  the  other  raw  materials  that  make 
up  the  wheel,  including  the  abrasives  and  bonds. 

"Every  day  when  I  go  to  work,  I  write  a  list  of  things  I 
have  to  do,  and  people  I  have  to  see,"  she  reveals.  "We  have 
a  lot  of  new  personnel,  and  I  spend  about  forty  percent  of 
my  time  in  a  supervisory  capacity.  Fortunately,  the  new 
people  are  coming  along  very  well.  I  enjoy  working  with 
them." 

She  also  likes  the  traveling  aspects  of  her  position.  "In 
October  I  went  to  our  Chippawa  plant  to  help  orient 
myself  to  my  new  job,"  she  says.  "I  toured  the  facilities  to 
see  how  abrasives  are  made,  and  also  visited  the  research 
and  development  department."  She  smiles.  "How  conve- 
nient that  Chippawa  is  right  next  to  Niagara  Falls!" 

How  does  Michele  Wronski  manage  both  a  full-time  job 
ind  a  full-time  marriage? 

"We  take  turns  doing  some  of  the  household  chores  and 
errands,"  she  says.  "My  husband,  Richard,  works  at  Riley 
Stoker  and  attends  college  classes  at  night.  I'm  also  taking 
evening  management  science  courses  for  my  master's  at 
WPI,  as  well  as  a  botany  course  at  Quinsigamond  Com- 
munity College.  This  doesn't  leave  us  too  much  extra 
time.  We  have  a  cleaning  woman  come  in  every  couple  of 
weeks  to  help  out." 

When  they  do  have  a  free  moment,  the  Wronskis  like  to 
play  with  their  cats,  Tyrodd  and  Pushrod.  They  are  also 
into  photography,  tennis,  cross  country  skiing,  and  espe- 
cially, bike  touring. 

Civic-minded,  Michele  has  served  on  the  West  Boylston 
Conservation  Commission  for  over  a  year,  and  is  the 
current  chairman.  "The  committee  enforces  the  Wetlands 
Protection  Act,  and  has  been  dealing  with  the  order  of 
conditions  for  the  continuation  of  I-i  90,"  she  explains. 
"We  are  quite  deeply  involved  in  community  affairs." 

Deeply  involved.  Motivated,  Enthusiastic.  That's 
Michele  Beaupre  Wronski,  wherever  she  may  be. 


16  I  December  1 978  I  The  WPI  Journal 


_ 


I 


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— 


Tina  Perry  —  Town  Engineering 


When  the  town  of  Holden  needed  an  additional  member  in 
the  town  engineering  department,  they  chose  a  Holden 
native,  Kristina  Tait  Perry,  '77,  who  earned  her  degree  in 
urban  and  environmental  planning  after  initially  majoring 
in  civil  engineering.  Her  background  of  studies  fit  the 
town's  need  for  someone  to  concentrate  on  subdivision 
control  in  this  growing  suburb  of  Worcester. 

"I  was  pretty  nervous  that  first  day  when  I  walked  into 
the  Town  Engineers  office  to  begin  my  first  real  job,"  said 
Tina,  "especially  when  I  saw  that  big  empty  desk.  But 
when  I  saw  a  coffee  mug  with  my  name  printed  on  it  right 
in  the  middle  of  the  desk,  I  knew  the  three  men  I'd  be 
working  with  were  going  to  make  me  feel  welcome." 

As  a  member  of  the  engineering  department,  Tina 
reports  to  Alan  Berg,  '68,  the  town  engineer.  She  studies 
the  suitability  of  developments  relative  to  existing  and 
planned  town  facilities  and  evaluates  preliminary  subdivi- 
sion plans.  Other  responsibilities  include  the  review  of 
definitive  plans  for  conformance  with  safeguards,  and  the 
preparation  of  estimates  of  quantities  and  amounts  for 
subdivision  bonds. 

One  of  her  duties  is  the  supervision  of  the  construction 
of  subdivision  sewer,  water,  drainage,  roads,  and  walks. 
Others  are  to  attend  planning  board  meetings,  to  prepare 
studies  and  designs  for  recreational  or  environmental 
projects,  and  to  assist  the  town  engineer  and  town  sur- 
veyor in  surveying  field  projects. 


Tina's  day  starts  at  8  a.m.  when  she  checks  into  the 
Department  of  Public  Works  office.  "We  usually  don't 
spend  much  time  there,"  she  reports.  "We  go  there  to  find 
out  what's  on  the  schedule  for  the  day  and  then  we  drive  to 
the  job  site." 

The  job  can  be  anywhere  in  Holden's  thirty-six  square 
miles.  The  DPW  station  wagon,  which  is  equipped  with 
two-way  radio  and  a  complete  set  of  surveying  equipment, 
is  their  transportation.  "We're  equipped  to  handle  almost 
any  engineering  job  that  we  might  encounter  with  what 
we  carry,"  said  Tina.  "What  I  like  about  the  work  is  that 
every  day  it's  different." 

Most  days,  Tina  teams  up  with  Winston  Fox,  the  town 
surveyor.  A  recent  job  required  them  to  survey  Holden's 
landfill.  When  they  returned  to  the  office,  they  converted 
their  field  notes  into  a  topographic  map. 

"That's  how  we  determine  the  life  expectancy  of  the 
landfill, "  said  Fox.  "It's  been  in  use  for  more  than  six  years 
now.  Our  survey  will  show  how  many  more  years  the 
town  can  plan  on  using  this  site." 

While  surveying  the  landfill,  Tina  spotted  a  teacher 
she'd  known  when  she  was  a  student  at  Wachusett 
Regional  High  School.  He  was  dumping  his  rubbish. 
"What's  a  woman  doing  out  here  with  instruments  like 
that,"  he  teased.  She  gave  him  a  flip  answer,  one  she  might 
not  have  used  had  she  still  been  in  high  school.  Women 
civil  engineers  are  still  a  rarity  and  Tina,  like  a  great  many 
WPI  alumnae,  has  learned  to  expect  a  male  reaction  when 
she's  on  the  job. 

"I  don't  mind  a  little  good-natured  teasing  from  some- 
one I  know  because  I  can  give  it  right  back,"  said  Tina. 
"People  react  strangely  to  a  woman  in  a  job  where  they 


a.  ■ 


The  WPI  Journal  I  December  1978117 


MUMUMM 


usually  find  men.  There's  one  developer  who  didn't  take 
me  seriously  at  first  and  started  to  give  me  a  hard  time 
which  I  understand  he  does  to  everyone.  He  changed  his 
tune  when  we  checked  some  work  he'd  done  and  I  told 
him  he  had  to  rebuild  some  manholes  to  make  them 
conform  to  the  specifications.  He  wasn't  very  pleased,  but 
he  changed  them." 

From  the  DPW  office,  Tina  can  see  a  problem  that  she's 
helping  to  solve.  The  junction  of  Main  Street  and 
Shrewsbury  Street  is  a  major  intersection.  Traffic  keeps 
backing  up  because  more  "green  time"  is  needed  from 
Shrewsbury  Street  to  Main  Street  north.  The  problem, 
Tina  discovered,  was  in  the  traffic  light  controller  which 
has  since  been  sent  back  to  the  manufacturer  for  repair. 
"The  traffic  should  be  flowing  more  smoothly  soon,"  she 
says. 

Fox  says  that  about  fifty  percent  of  Tina's  work  to  date 
has  been  concerned  with  surveys  of  various  types. 

"We  did  one  right  next  door  to  the  DPW  office  for  the 
state,"  Tina  adds.  "The  state  is  looking  for  locations  for 
road  salt  sheds,  and  wanted  us  to  survey  the  adjoining  lot 
to  locate  the  building  site." 

"It  appears  that  it  will  be  a  suitable  location,"  Fox  says. 
"As  it  has  previously  been  stored  in  the  open,  the  salt 
would  drain  into  a  nearby  pond,  which  in  turn  feeds  into 
the  MDC  reservoirs  in  Clinton  and  West  Boylston.  Also, 
Holden  needs  the  pond  to  be  environmentally  protected." 

The  town  engineers  are  always  on  the  lookout  for  water. 
Holden  has  no  reservoir  of  its  own,  sharing  one  with 
Rutland.  It  isn't  that  there  isn't  water  in  Holden.  Three 
reservoirs  in  town  supply  the  city  of  Worcester.  The 
watershed  on  the  other  side  of  town  was  taken  over  years 
ago  by  the  Metropolitan  District  Commission  to  protect 
the  waters  flowing  into  the  Wachusett  Reservoir.  Holden 
is  a  rapidly  growing  town  and  now  it's  facing  a  water 
shortage. 

"We  have  been  looking  for  ground  water  supplies,"  Tina 
reports.  "There  are  so  many  residences  and  businesses 
here,  that  what  little  water  we  have  is  rapidly  becoming 
depleted.  A  senior  citizen  is  helping  us  in  the  search.  From 
memory,  he  tells  us  where  he  believes  the  ground  water  to 
be." 

"If  we  find  a  likely  spot,"  Fox  interjects,  "we  call  in  a 
consulting  engineer  from  Boston." 

Tina  has  become  accustomed  to  tramping  six  miles  a 
day  or  more  through  the  woods.  "When  I  come  to  a  river,  I 
simply  take  off  my  shoes,  and  wade  across,"  she  says. 

She  grins.  "Some  of  the  men  I  work  with  didn't  know 
how  to  take  me  till  I  passed  the  'pressure  test,'  "  she 
confides.  The  "test"  happened  while  applying  a  pressure 
test  to  a  new  water  main  before  Manning  Street  was  paved. 
The  hoses  were  hitched  up  to  a  pump,  which  was  building 
up  to  the  test  pressure.  Everyone  was  watching  the  pres- 
sure gauge. 

"It  was  a  dusty,  dirty  business,"  Tina  recalls.  "All  at 
once,  the  coupling  on  one  of  the  hoses  blew,  and  the  hose 
started  whipping  around  like  a  giant  snake.  All  of  us  were 
freckled  with  mud  from  head  to  foot.  Everyone  looked  in 


my  direction,  wondering  how  I'd  react.  I  just  laughed  and 
wiped  the  mud  out  of  my  eye.  It  was  then  that  I  felt  fully 
initiated  into  the  group." 

Because  Holden  is  a  fast-growing  town,  Tina  often 
comes  in  contact  with  the  developers.  Currently,  she  is 
involved  with  a  road  paving  problem.  The  developer  has 
only  the  first  course  of  pavement  down.  Tina  estimates 
that  about  $20,000  is  needed  to  complete  the  project. 
"When  the  project  is  completed,  the  developer  will  get 
back  the  $17,000  he  posted  with  the  town  for  the  initial 
bond,"  she  explains. 

Tina  and  Win  Fox  have  done  a  layout  for  land  taking  for 
a  highway.  "A  dangerous  corner  in  a  heavily  residential 
area  will  be  eliminated  through  the  land  taking,"  Win 
explains.  "Right  now  a  nearby  fifty-four  lot  subdivision 
(which  will  benefit)  is  in  three  stages:  rough,  half  finished, 
and  finished.  We  are  concerned  with  the  construction  of 
the  sewer,  drainage,  walks,  and  roads,  as  well  as  water 
sources  in  the  subdivision." 

What  is  on  the  schedule  for  winter? 

"I  expect  we'll  be  doing  more  inside  work,  then,"  Tina 
replies.  One  project  which  she  will  be  dealing  with  is  a 
drainage  plan  for  an  area  between  Salisbury  Street  and 
Wyndhurst  Drive.  Currently,  the  drainage  from  a  subdivi- 
sion on  Salisbury  Street  flows  into  a  brook,  which  takes 
the  silt  ultimately  to  Wyndhurst  Drive.  Tina  plans  to 
design  a  drainage  system  so  that  the  silt  will  be  directed 
away  from  residents'  back  yards. 

Meanwhile,  she  spends  considerable  time  in  the  base- 
ment of  the  Worcester  County  Courthouse  looking  for 
deeds  through  books  and  papers  that  go  back  to  1 632. 
"This  is  a  tedious  and  time-consuming  job  but  it  is  a 
necessary  preliminary  step  to  all  surveys." 

But,  then,  Tina  Perry,  who  is  the  daughter  of  Roger 
Perry,  '45 ,  director  of  public  relations  at  WPI,  has  a  habit  of 
finding  what  she's  looking  for.  While  still  a  student,  she 
had  definite  ideas  about  what  kind  of  summer  employ- 
ment would  suit  her  best.  "I  wasn't  looking  for  regular, 
everyday  work,"  she  recalls.  She  ended  up  being  the  first 
woman  conservation  worker  at  Rutland  State  Park. 

Being  the  first  woman  engineer  in  the  Holden  Depart- 
ment of  Public  Works,  then,  hasn't  been  all  that  unsettling 
to  Tina.  She's  accustomed  to  being  the  only  woman  in  a 
man's  bailiwick.  At  WPI,  she  even  earned  her  letter  as 
manager  of  the  WPI  Wrestling  Team. 

"So  far,  I've  tramped  the  woods,  sloshed  through  rivers, 
and  become  familiar  with  dumps,  sewer  lines,  and  con- 
struction sites,"  Tina  says,  "but  I  really  love  what  I'm 
doing.  I've  lived  in  Holden  all  my  life  but  in  the  time  I've 
worked  here,  I've  seen  parts  of  Holden  I  never  knew 
existed. 

"I  like  being  out  of  doors.  The  people  I  work  with  are 
great.  The  head  of  the  highway  department  even  gave  me  a 
lesson  in  driving  the  road  grader.  I  don't  ever  expect  to 
drive  it,  but  his  letting  me  try  means  that  they've  accepted 
me  as  part  of  the  team.  That  means  everything  to  me." 


18  I  December  1978  I  The  WPI  journal 


Peggy  Staruk  — 
Systems  Analysis 


Last  June,  Peggy  Moriarty  Staruk  was  one  of  some  three 
hundred  seniors  who  graduated  from  WPI.  She  received 
her  BS  in  mathematics,  and  had  a  good  job  as  a  systems 
analyst  ahead  of  her  at  State  Mutual  Life  Assurance 
Company  of  America. 

Not  unusual,  one  might  think.  Plenty  of  women  major 
in  math  at  WPI,  and  have  good  jobs  (or  grad  school)  waiting 
for  them  on  graduation  day.  Peggy  Staruk,  however,  had 
more  than  a  good  job  waiting.  She  also  had  a  husband  and 
two  children. 

How  did  Peggy  Staruk  manage  to  juggle  college,  mar- 
riage, and  motherhood  all  at  the  same  time? 

"It  wasn't  easy,"  she  admits.  "And  with  my  job,  it  still 
isn't.  But,  all  things  considered,  it's  been  well  worth  the 
effort." 

Peggy  Moriarty  and  Harry  Staruk  met  over  a  bridge  table 
in  the  old  Riley  snack  bar.  "Every  day  several  of  us  would 
meet  for  a  game,"  she  says,  "and  Harry  and  I  were  among 
the  more  faithful  players.  By  1974,  we  decided  to  become 
permanent  partners." 

Her  husband  dropped  out  of  school  to  take  a  full-time 
job.  (He  is  now  completing  his  degree  in  math  at  Worcester 
State.)  In  1975  their  daughter  Kathy  was  bom,  and  in  1976, 
Barbara  arrived.  Last  year,  having  earlier  completed  three 
years  at  WPI,  Peggy  began  the  last  leg  of  her  undergraduate 
career. 


"I  took  nine  courses,"  she  says.  "Including  four  in 
computer  languages  at  Worcester  State.  I  never  could  have 
done  it  without  the  support  of  my  husband  and  mother- 
in-law,  who  were  in  back  of  me  all  the  way.  Also,  I  can't 
say  enough  for  our  bridge-playing  friends  at  WPI.  They 
often  babysat  for  me  in  the  Wedge,  while  I  attended  class." 

The  bridge  players  helped  with  babysitting  chores  dur- 
ing her  evening  classes,  too.  "I  depended  on  one  for  basic 
sitting  and  on  four  others  during  emergencies,"  she  recalls. 
"I  don't  think  I  could  have  ever  gotten  my  degree  without 
them.  They  were  terrific." 

Now  that  she  has  earned  her  degree  and  is  working, 
Peggy  and  her  husband  have  reversed  roles.  He  is  going  to 
college  hill  time,  and  shares  babysitting  stints  with  his 
mother. 

"He  takes  the  girls  to  the  park  every  day,"  she  reports. 
"We  live  on  the  top  floor  of  a  three-decker  in  a  quiet 
residential  neighborhood  within  walking  distance  of  sev- 
eral parks.  They  get  variety.  Kathy  goes  to  nursery  school 
during  the  week,  so  often  he  has  only  Barbara  to  take  care 
of." 

At  State  Mutual,  Peggy,  who  "fell  into  insurance  quite 
by  accident,"  has  her  children's  pictures  tacked  up  on  the 
wall  in  her  office  area.  Beneath  the  photos,  on  top  of  her 
desk,  is  a  giant  computer  printout  slashed  with  notations. 

Peggy  gestures  in  the  general  direction  of  the  desk  and 
says  with  a  sigh,  "This  is  a  dump." 

There  are  papers  piled  on  the  desk,  but  they  are  arranged 
in  neat  stacks.  There  are  no  stray  coffee  rings  or  scattered 
cigarette  ashes.  For  a  working  desk,  Peggy  Staruk's  is 
surprisingly  orderly.  A  dump? 

She  laughs.  "Not  the  desk,  the  printout.  We  call  the 
output  of  a  program  that  doesn't  work,  a  'dump. 'It  simply 
means  that  I've  got  to  find  out  why  it  doesn't  work,  and 
straighten  it  out.  I'll  get  to  the  bottom  of  it  later." 


The  WPI  Journal '  December  1978    19 


•  ■"•- 


Is  she  working  on  a  specific  program  at  present? 

"Yes.  The  programs  for  a  software  system  from  Dallas 
are  being  redone  for  State  Mutual.  About  forty  of  us  have 
been  assigned  to  the  project.  I  am  modifying  the  files  so 
that  Dallas  can  read  them.  It's  a  conversion  process." 

In  Peggy's  area,  a  woman  is  head  of  this  particular 
conversion  project.  "A  woman  from  Dallas  is  overseeing 
installation.  Her  husband  is  doing  the  on-line  system, "  she 
says. 

In  order  to  facilitate  her  work,  Peggy  has  access  to  a 
computer  in  the  basement  at  State  Mutual.  She  also  uses 
the  firm's  new  teletype  terminals  to  help  speed  up  her 
testing.  On  her  desk  is  a  microfiche  reader,  where  she  can 
refer  to  miniaturized  copies  of  her  computer  printouts. 

"I  really  like  this  job,"  she  reveals.  "Even  though  for  two 
years  I  will  be  considered  as  a  systems  analyst  trainee,  I 
have  been  given  considerable  independent  responsibility. 
Nobody  is  breathing  down  my  neck.  I  am  allowed  to  go  at 
my  own  pace." 

Should  Peggy  want,  or  need,  to  work  overtime,  she  can. 
(Trainees  are  paid  overtime.)  State  Mutual  is  open 
twenty-four  hours  a  day. 

"It's  not  at  all  unusual  for  some  of  the  analysts  to  be  here 
at  two  or  three  in  the  morning,"  she  says.  "I  work  after 
hours  sometimes,  myself,  but  never  that  late.  Outside  of 
working  hours,  a  security  guard  checks  everybody  in  and 
out." 

Peggy  is  one  of  about  twenty-one  women  systems 
analysts  in  an  area  that  employs  a  hundred  and  twenty 
analysts  overall.  "They  really  try  to  accommodate  women 
employees  here,"  she  emphasizes.  "Some  experienced 
women  analysts,  who  now  have  families,  are  encouraged 
to  come  back  to  work  on  a  part-time  basis.  There  is  a 
cafeteria  in  the  building,  and  at  lunchtime  baby  sitters 
often  bring  children  to  eat  with  their  parents  who  are 
employees.  My  husband  has  brought  our  daughters  to 
lunch  with  me  several  times." 

State  Mutual  offers  in-house  computer  and  manage- 
ment programs.  "I  have  already  taken  subsidized  courses 
on  the  hardware,"  she  says,  "and  expect  to  take  a  man- 
agement course  in  the  future.  The  company  also  pays  half 
the  tuition  fee  upon  completion  of  a  course  at  an  outside 
college." 

Originally,  Peggy  had  thought  she  would  start  studying 
for  her  master's  degree  directly  after  her  graduation  from 
WPI.  "Being  a  working  mother  has  definitely  changed  my 
mind  about  this,"  she  admits.  "You  can  quote  me.  Being  a 
full-time  working  mother  is  exhausting!" 

For  instance,  she  works  at  State  Mutual  from  8:30  to 
4 130  five  days  a  week.  "Then,  "she  says,  "I  rush  home  after 
work,  get  supper,  and  clean  the  house  until  nine  o'clock. 
Then  my  'free'  time  begins." 

Weekends,  however,  are  a  different  story.  "Saturday 
morning  I  finish  up  any  leftover  housework,"  she  goes  on. 
"But  Saturday  afternoon  and  all  day  Sunday  are  reserved 
for  family  activities.  We  go  for  long  rides  and  visit  rela- 
tives." 


There  is  one  hobby  that  the  senior  Staruks  continue  to 
indulge  in,  despite  their  hectic  schedule.  Bridge.  Not  just  a 
quick  game  with  the  neighbors,  but  serious,  tournament 
stuff.  They  are  experts.  The  trophies,  medals,  and  master 
points  that  they  have  garnered  attest  to  that. 

They  have  won  a  number  of  bridge  tournaments  in  the 
Worcester  area.  Last  year  they  won  enough  script  money 
in  the  regionals  in  Hartford  to  help  send  them  to  Atlanta 
for  the  nationals. 

"We,  and  three  other  WPI  players,  did  poorly  in  At- 
lanta," Peggy  reveals,  "but  there's  always  next  year."  They 
keep  Thursday  nights  open  for  polishing  up  their  bridge 
game,  with  an  eye  toward  the  upcoming  national  competi- 
tion. They  belong  to  the  Cavendish  Bridge  Club  in 
Worcester  and  play  in  as  many  tournaments  as  time 
allows. 

Daytimes,  however,  Peggy  Staruk  can  still  be  found  at 
State  Mutual  reading  the  microfiche  or  programming  a 
computer,  "more  or  less  on  my  own." 

Didn't  her  employers  ever  give  her  a  list  of  'don'ts,' 
when  she  first  started  out  as  a  systems  analyst  at  State 
Mutual? 

"They  don't  have  many  'don'ts'  around  here,  but  I  do 
recall  one." 

What  was  that? 

'  "Please  don't  charge  up  $5  million!'  " 

WPI 


20 1  December  1 978 1  The  WPI  Journal 


WPI  football: 

hitting  the  comeback  trail 


by  Stephen  Raczynski 

WPI  Sports  Information  Director 


When  last  we  left  off  the  football  story — a  season  marked 
by  seven  losses  and  only  one  win,  ending  in  the 
resignation  of  Coach  Mel  Massucco  and  an  investigation 
by  a  Trustee  committee  to  determine  whether  football 
should  be  continued  as  a  varsity  sport — the  Trustees  had 
agreed  that  football  should  be  continued  and  encouraged. 
Since  then,  there  have  been  a  great  many  changes  in 
people,  ideas,  and  the  1978  season  has  been  played  out. 
Well,  you  ask,  What  happened? 


First,  the  bad  news:  the  Engineers  only  won  two  games 
this  year— a  100  percent  improvement,  but  it  would 
hardly  seem  much  to  talk  about.  On  the  face  of  it,  not 
much  different  than  1977. 

But  it  wasn't  really  that  bad  at  all.  The  WPI  gndders 
were  in  fact  competitive  this  season.  It  is  a  much  better 
team  than  the  won-lost  score  indicates.  Not  since  1962 
had  any  Engineer  football  team  won  their  final  two  games. 
Not  until  now. 


Since  the  Trustee  report,  three  new  people  have  come  to 
WPI  concerned  with  meeting  the  stated  objectives.  They 
are  President  Edmund  Cranch,  Director  of  Athletics  and 
Physical  Education  George  W  Flood,  and  Head  Football 
Coach  Robert  R.  Weiss. 

The  benefits  of  a  successful  athletic  program  are  not 
lost  on  President  Cranch,  who  considers  athletics  "a  vital, 
integral  part  of  the  entire  educational  experience." 

George  Flood  has  recently  said:  "I  have  already  found 
that  WPI  is  highly  regarded  as  an  academic  institution.  It 
is  my  contention  that  good  academics  and  good  athletics 
can  be  very  compatible. 


"My  major  concern  right  now,"  said  Flood,  "is  trying  to 
make  the  two  highly  visible  programs,  football  and 
basketball,  as  competitive  as  the  other  sports  in  our 
overall  program,  within  the  schedules  they  now  play.  I'm 
not  concerned  with  the  other  programs  declining,  because 
we  have  good  people,  knowledgeable  people,  in  command 
of  those  programs.  They  will  continue  to  flourish  as  they 
always  have." 

Coach  Bob  Weiss  isn't  satisfied  with  the  season  record. 
But  he  is  happy  with  the  team.  "I  am  satisfied  with  the 
efforts  put  forth  by  my  kids.  When  success  didn't  come 
early,  they  could  easily  have  said,  'Hey,  just  what  is  this 
guy  trying  to  sell  us?  But  success  came  because  they 
worked  hard.  Our  two  successive  wins  in  the  final  games 
were  not  flukes.  We  were  in  total  command  from  start  to 
finish." 

And  indeed  they  were.  WPI's  28-15  drubbing  of  RPI  was 
not  nearly  as  close  as  the  final  score  indicates.  WPI  raced 
to  a  21-0  halftime  lead,  tipping  that  to  28-0  before  RPI 
scored  15  points  in  the  closing  stages  of  the  game.  In  that 
contest,  the  WPI  team  chalked  up  a  football  rarity  as 
three  WPI  backs  gained  over  100  yards  for  the  day.  Onlv 
one  other  college  in  the  NCAA  achieved  that  feat  this 
past  season. 

In  the  final  game,  at  home  versus  Hamilton  College, 
junior  halfback  Mike  Robinson  of  New  London,  Conn., 
put  on  an  incredible  performance,  rushing  for  a  school 
record  228  yards  and  two  touchdowns  as  WPI  easily 
triumphed  21-8. 

Even  the  losing  games  had  their  notable  moments.  During 
the  Homecoming  game  against  Bates,  senior  punter  Paul 
Barrett  booted  a  school  record  kick  of  77  vards. 


m 


The  WPI  Journal  I  December  1 978  1 21 


With  such  a  strong  finish,  local  alumni  have  already 
begun  making  comparisons  to  the  Holy  Cross  football 
situation.  Two  years  ago,  the  Crusaders  were  0-9  entering 
their  final  two  games.  Not  only  did  they  win  those  two, 
they  went  on  to  record  a  7-4  slate  this  past  season.  Can 
Boynton  Hill  do  as  well  as  Mt.  St.  lames? 

"Let's  hope  so,"  says  Bob  Weiss.  "We  actually  didn't  come 
far  from  producing  a  winning  season  this  year.  To  be  very 
candid,  if  we  had  been  here  a  year  sooner,  the  team  may 
have  won  three  more  ballgames.  We  only  lost  the  Coast 
Guard  (21-13),  Union  (14-7),  and  Bowdoin  (7-0)  games  by  a 
touchdown.  You  have  to  remember  that  everything  was 
new  for  the  entire  team,  and  our  seniors,  juniors,  and 
sophomores  were  pretty  much  the  same  as  the  freshmen 
when  it  came  to  learning  the  kind  of  offense  and  defense  I 
wanted  them  to  play.  When  you  consider  this  fact,  I 
believe  our  players  didn't  do  badly. 

"Versus  Coast  Guard,  six  times  we  were  inside  the 
opponents'  30-yard  line,  but  did  not  score,"  laments  coach 
Weiss.  "Versus  Union,  our  defense  had  a  great  goal-line 
stand  and  we  were  still  leading  well  into  the  fourth 
quarter,  7-6.  Versus  Bowdoin,  we  were  driving  for  a  tying 
score  when  we  fumbled  on  their  7-yard  line.  If  we  had  tied 
it,  I'm  sure  we  could  have  gone  ahead  with  the 
momentum  we  had  gathered  to  that  point.  In  those  three 
games,  we  weren't  that  far  away. 

"We  have  established  many  positive  things  to  build  on 
for  1979,"  continues  Weiss.  "I  was  pleased  and  surprised — I 
mentioned  this  to  the  president — to  see  the  good  support 
we  received  at  both  our  home  and  away  games.  I  know  it 
did  not  go  unnoticed  by  the  players.  We  seem  to  possess  a 
family  atmosphere  at  WPI,  a  closeness  unequaled  by 
many  schools.  That  was  apparent  by  the  number  of 
people,  families  and  friends  of  WPI  players,  who  attended 


our  post-game  'coffee  and  doughnuts  sessions'  in 
Harrington  Auditorium.  It  is  also  apparent  that  there  is  a 
great  deal  of  pride  among  WPI  alumni." 

The  players  seemed  to  share  Coach  Weiss's  feelings. 
Certainly,  as  the  season  wore  on  with  six  consecutive 
losses,  there  must  have  been  a  temptation  to  just  "play  out 
the  string" — an  accusation  made  about  WPI  gridiron 
teams  over  the  years.  But  they  didn't  do  that.  They 
became  more  confident,  stronger,  more  competitive.  That 
marked  a  real  difference  between  1977  and  1978.  There 
were  others. 

"There  was  an  overall  change  in  attitude,"  commented 
senior  captain  Mark  McCabe.  "You  were  expected  to  work, 
to  dedicate  yourself  to  the  sport,  to  commit  yourself  to 
work,  but  not  to  the  point  where  it's  your  life." 

"Another  difference,"  said  co-captain  Bob  Reed,  "was  the 
fact  that,  for  the  seniors,  this  season  was  actually  fun.  The 
seniors  went  out  on  a  strong  note,  and  that  was 
important.  Now  the  seniors  are  going  to  keep  pushing  the 
juniors,  sophomores,  and  freshmen  because  they  have  a 
chance  to  achieve  something  the  seniors  never  could — a 
winning  season." 


What  are  the  priorities  for  1979?  "Probablv  the  two  most 
important  things  we  have  to  do  between  now  and  next 
season,"  according  to  Coach  Weiss,  "are  first  to  establish  a 
solid  weight  program  and  upgrade  our  present  weight- 
lifting  facilities,  and  second,  to  recruit  enough  football 
players  to  supplement  those  who  will  return.  By  doing 
this,  we  will  have  one  more  ingredient  necessary  for 
creating  a  winning  team — competition  for  starting 
positions." 


22 1  December  1 978  I  The  WPI  journal 


Creating  winning  teams  is  nothing  new  to  Bob  Weiss 
His  traek  record  is  one  of  turning  football  programs 
around,  from  losers  to  winners.  His  overall  record,  before 
he  came  to  WPI,  is  65-32;  for  a  winning  percentage  of  .670 
that  speaks  for  itself.  He  feels  the  key  to  turning  WPI 
around  is  recruiting. 

"We  are  in  the  process  right  now  of  asking  alumni  to 
help  in  otir  recruiting  program,  mostly  through — but  not 
limited  to— the  Poly  Club,"  says  Weiss.  "I  don't  believe  this 
should  be  an  extensively  time-consuming  job  for  the 
alumnus  who  wants  to  help.  Frankly  we  could  tise  alumni 
help  in  two  areas.  First,  identifying  academically  qualified 
student-athletes  (and  where  they  live)  to  us  in  the  athletic 
department;  and  second,  following  up  with  those  student- 
athletes  whom  we  are  actively  recruiting.  Many  times, 
people  don't  understand  how  little  they  have  to  do. 
Sometimes  a  simple  telephone  call  to  a  prospect,  or 
personally  talking  to  the  family  can  give  us  the  edge 
which  ultimately  leads  to  the  student's  enrolling  at  WPI. 

"I  believe  we  have  to  spread  the  word  about  the  great 
things  being  done  here  at  WPI.  People  in  the  field  know 
the  type  of  school  we  have  here  in  Worcester.  But  how 
about  the  young  man  outside  of  Massachusetts  who 
thinks  he  wants  to  be  an  engineer  and  has  little 
knowledge  about  engineering  schools'  I  am  a  little- 
surprised,  and  very  encouraged,  by  the  number  of  student- 
athletes  who  have  indicated  they  are  interested  in 
engineering  education.  We  must,  and  this  is  where  an 
alumnus  can  be  of  great  help,  make  personal  contact  with 
these  students  in  order  to  give  WPI  a  fair  and  eqtial 
chance.  It  can  be  as  simple  as  reading  the  sports  pages  in 
your  area  and  giving  us  a  call." 


Just  how  far  do  we  intend  to  push  football  at  WPI-  Are  we 
attempting  to  become  the  Alabama  of  Division  UK  Are  we 
willing  to  compromise  our  academic  standards  and 
reputation  in  order  to  create  a  football  factory? 

No.  WPI  is  merely  trying  to  catch  up  to  the  level  of 
football  attained  by  many  other  outstanding  small 
colleges  in  New  England— schools  like  Williams, 
Wesleyan,  and  Amherst.  No  one  considers  those 
institutions  football  factories  (though  consider  that 
Amherst  has  three  pros  active  in  the  NFL  nght  now).  Yet 
their  academic  and  athletic  programs  are  verv  highly 
regarded. 

"Our  ultimate  goal  is  to  be  competitive  within  the 
structure  of  Division  III  of  the  NCAA,"  notes  Weiss.  "We 
aren't  attempting  to  bring  a  big-time  football  program 
here,  but  merely  trying  to  install  a  system  and  program 
that  will  develop  pride  and  promote  good  feelings  among 
all  those  associated  with  WPI. 

"We  strive  for  excellence,  and  we  have  achieved  it,  in 
educating  young  people  here  at  WPI.  Why  not  try  to 
develop  the  same  goal  in  a  football  program  that  has  had 
only  one  winning  season  in  the  last  19  years?" 

WPI 


Is  that  opportunity  knocking — 
opportunity  for  professional 
advancement — opportunity  for 
change  in  your  career  or 
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Then  take  advantage  of  the  special 
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changing  jobs,  careers,  or  finding  a 
job  if  you  should  be  unemployed. 
Scores  of  alumni  have  been  helped 
by  this  valuable  career  planning 
package.  Shouldn't  you  be  one  of 
them? 

Send  your  request  to: 

William  F.  Trask 

Director  of  Graduate  and  Career  Plans 

Worcester  Polytechnic  Institute 

Worcester,  MA  01609 


The  WPI  journal  I  December  1 978  1 23 


iM 


^^,.„„.^..™...,.-~-.-~...--.-.-^ -i 


1926 

Secretary 
Arthur  C.  Parsons 

William  Crabtree  has  probably  attended 
more  meetings  of  the  Wilmington  (N.C.) 
Transit  Authority  than  the  Authority  com- 
missioners themselves.  Retired  from  the 
Chemstrand  Research  Center,  he  has  rep- 
resented the  local  chapter  of  the  American 
Association  of  Retired  Persons  at  Authority 
meetings  for  several  years.  In  four  years, 
he's  missed  only  two  meetings. 

He  always  sits  in  the  front  row  and  listens 
intently.  Whatever  is  under  discussion,  a 
proposed  shuttle  bus  or  a  route  change,  he 
has  adopted  a  diplomatic  policy  of  observa- 
tion, not  comment.  "If  they  ask  me  to  say 
something  about  what  they  are  discussing, 
I  oblige,"  he  says. 

Although  he  presently  uses  his  car  for 
most  of  his  transportation  needs,  between 
1972  and  1974,  he  had  cataract  trouble 
and  had  to  ride  the  bus  a  lot.  "It  was  then 
that  I  mentioned  to  the  WTA  that  a  driver 
on  one  of  the  routes  was  taking  a  shortcut. 
He  was  cutting  out  the  last  couple  of  blocks 
from  the  end  of  his  route." 

Mr.  Crabtree  is  also  active  in  the  local 
chapter  of  SCORE.  He  tutors  remedial  read- 
ing at  his  neighborhood  elementary  school, 
where  he  assists  second  graders  who  can- 
not read  at  first  grade  level.  He  writes: 
"This  activity  is  especially  rewarding  for 
anyone  with  a  sense  of  humor.  At  the  end 
of  the  last  school  year  one  youngster  told 
me,  'You  done  real  good  for  an  old  man.'  " 


1931 


Secretary 
Edward  J  Bayon 


Representative 

A.  Francis  Townsend 


James  McWhirter,  Jr.  has  retired  as  general 
manager  of  Pennwalt  Corp.,  Philadelphia, 
Pa. 


1932 

Representative: 
Howard  P  Lekberg 

Herbert  Borg,  formerly  with  U.S.  Steel  in 
Worcester,  now  summers  in  Pittsfield,  N.H. 
and  winters  in  Hollywood,  Fla. 


1934 


Secretary: 
Dwight  J  Dwinell 


Representative 
Dwight  J  Dwinell 


Howard  Stockwell,  director  of  hydro  pro- 
duction for  the  New  England  Power  Co., 
was  honored  at  a  retirement  party  in  Leba- 
non, N.H.  in  September.  He  joined  the  New 
England  Electric  System  companies  in  1934 
at  Comerford  Station,  which  was  then  a 
part  of  Connecticut  River  Power  Co.  He 
later  served  in  various  operating  positions 
in  Littleton,  N.H.  and  Shelburne  Falls.  In  the 
early  1960s  he  worked  at  system  head- 
quarters in  Boston  as  an  assistant  operating 
engineer  and  as  an  executive  assistant.  !n 
1965  he  moved  to  Lebanon  as  assistant 
manager  of  hydro  production.  In  1969  he 
became  director  of  hydro  production. 

Mr.  Stockwell  is  a  registered  professional 
engineer.  Also,  he  is  a  former  president  and 
director  of  the  Lebanon  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce, and  currently  serves  as  vice  chair- 
man of  the  Zoning  Board  of  Adjustment. 
He  will  continue  to  serve  New  England 
Power  as  a  consultant. 


1935 


Secretary: 
Raymond  F  Starrett 


Representative 
Plummer  Wiley 


Ted  Latour,  retired  after  thirty-eight  years 
as  a  senior  chemist  and  chemical  engineer 
with  du  Pont,  is  seeking  election  to  the 
District  B  seat  on  the  State  Board  of  Educa- 
tion in  Nevada.  He  has  been  a  resident  of 
Las  Vegas  for  five  years.  An  advocate  of 
competency  tests,  he  believes  in  the  three 
A's:  attendance,  attitude,  and  achieve- 
ment. He  also  feels  that  his  being  retired 
would  allow  him  to  devote  a  great  deal  of 
time  to  the  educational  needs  of  the  state. 


1937 


Secretary 
Richard  J   Lyman 


Representative 
Richard  J  Lyman 


Francis  S.  Harvey  is  serving  as  the  current 
president  of  the  Worcester  Engineering 
Society.  Among  the  member  societies  in- 
cluded in  the  Society  are  the  American 
Chemical  Society,  AIIE,  ASME,  IEEE,  and 
the  Society  of  Plastics  Engineers. 


The 
GoodC 


Thanks  to  the  collecting  bent  of  the 
late  Enos  H.  Bigelow  of  the  Class  of 
1875,  and  to  the  generosity  of  Warren 
Davis  of  the  Davis  Press,  who  pro- 
vided us  with  the  Bigelow  WPI 
memorabilia,  we  are  afforded  a  fas- 
cinating glimpse  of  WPI  as  it  was  in 
the  late  nineteenth  century. 

Enos  Bigelow,  who  eventually 
went  on  to  become  a  doctor  of 
medicine  in  Framingham,  Mas- 
sachusetts, was  a  faithful  keeper  of 
WPI  mementos.  Included  in  his  col- 
lection are  a  WPI  song  book,  a  senior 
examination  announcement,  a  report 
card,  a  notice  of  Class  Tree  Exercises, 
his  diploma,  a  class  picture,  a  sump- 
tuous banquet  menu,  a  WPI  exhibit 
catalogue,  and  a  college  catalogue. 

Ever  wonder  what  it  was  really  like 
back  in  the  "good  old  days"  on  the 
Hill?  Dr.  Bigelow's  1872  catalogue  of 
the  "Worcester  County  Free  Institute 
of  Industrial  Science"  gives  us  some 
clues. 

First,  that  "Free"  in  the  original 
school  name  meant  exactly  what  it 
said.  Any  student  residing  in  Worces- 
ter County,  who  was  sixteen  or  over 
and  who  could  pass  an  entrance 
examination,  could  attend  the  Insti- 
tute free  of  charge. 

John  Boynton,  Esq.,  who  donated 
land  and  money  for  the  school,  made 
that  perfectly  clear  in  1865  in  his 
letter  of  intent  which  stated:  "I  give 
the  sum  of  $100,000  for  the  endow- 
ment and  perpetual  support  of  a  free 
school  or  institute  to  be  established 


24 1  December  1 978 1  The  WPI  Journal 


Id  Days 


in  the  County  of  Worcester,  for  the 
benefit  of  the  youth  of  that  county." 

He  also  declared  that  the  aim  of  the 
school  would  be  the  instruction  of 
youth  in  those  branches  of  education 
not  usually  taught  in  the  public 
schools,  which  are  essential  and  best 
adapted  to  train  the  young  for  practi- 
cal life:  i.e.,  students  would  be  in- 
structed as  mechanics,  manufactur- 
ers, farmers,  mercantile  busi- 
nessmen, or  teachers. 

To  Boynton's  generous  gifts, 
Stephen  Salisbury  added  $i  65,000  to 
enable  the  Institute  to  receive  stu- 
dents who  were  not  county  residents. 
His  belief  was  that  the  "school  will 
not  attempt  to  turn  out  a  Fulton,  but 
it  may  give  [students]  facilities  which 
that  great  mechanic  did  not  possess." 

With  the  general  principles  for  the 
school  thus  enunciated,  the  Institute 
in  1872  offered  the  following  courses 
of  instruction:  Mechanical  drawing, 
civil  engineering,  architecture,  draw- 
ing and  design,  chemistry,  and  En- 
glish, French,  and  German.  The  cur- 
riculum was  especially  designed  to 
meet  the  needs  of  those  who  had  no 
desire  for  classical  training,  but  who 
wished  to  be  prepared  as  mechanics, 
civil  engineers,  chemists,  architects 
or  designers  —  "for  the  duties  of  an 
active  life."  The  course  of  study  for 
regular  students  covered  three  years 
—  Junior,  Middle,  and  Senior.  There 
was  also  an  Apprentice  Class,  which 
some  students  entered  prior  to  join- 
ing the  Junior  Class. 


Candidates  for  admission  had  to 
give  evidence  of  proficiency  in  his- 
tory, geography,  grammar,  arithme- 
tic, and  in  algebra  as  far  as  quadratic 
equations.  According  to  the 
catalogue,  "In  general,  students  at  the 
end  of  the  second  year  in  high  school 
are  prepared  for  the  studies  of  the 
Institute."  In  order  to  enter  the  Junior 
Class,  students  had  to  pass  an  en- 
trance examination  that  would  give 
reasonable  promise  of  their  success  in 
studies  at  the  Institute. 

The  plan  of  instruction  was  orga- 
nized on  the  basis  of  lectures,  recita- 
tions, and  examinations.  Practice 
was  a  major  part  of  the  curriculum.  In 
the  middle  of  their  junior  year,  most 
students  were  required  to  choose  de- 
partments and  to  devote  ten  hours  a 
week,  and  the  full  month  of  July,  to 
their  area  of  concentration. 

The  mechanical  engineering 
course  received  considerable  atten- 
tion in  the  catalogue,  because  of  the 
excellent  facilities  provided  in  the 
new  Washburn  Machine  Shop,  "A 
handsome  three-story  brick  building, 
100  feet  long,  by  40  feet  wide,  with  a 
wing  6  5 '  by  40'  for  engine  boilers,  and 
blacksmith  shop.  These  rooms  are  all 
equipped  according  to  the  directions 
of  the  'benevolent  donor.' ' 

It  was  the  decision  of  "Benevolent 
Donor"  Ichabod  Washburn  "to  con- 
struct a  machine  shop  of  sufficient 
capacity  to  employ  twenty  or  more 
apprentices,  with  a  suitable  number 
of  practical  teachers  and  workmen  in 
the  shop  to  instruct  such  appren- 
tices." 

Boynton  Hall,  which  has  just 
undergone  its  first  massive  renova- 
tion since  it  was  originally  built,  was 
glowingly  described  then  as  "a  com- 
modious and  elegant  granite  building 
146  feet  long  by  61  feet  wide. ...  It 
contains  a  chapel  capable  of  seating 
400  persons;  a  lecture  room,  in  the 
rear  of  which  are  a  store  room  and 
private  laboratory,  all  fully  equipped 
for  instruction  in  chemistry;  ...  a 
physical  laboratory  with  power  from 
the  shop;  . . .  two  commodious  draw- 
ing rooms,  one  for  free  hand,  the  other 
for  mechanical  drawing;  ...  an  ar- 
chitect's room;  ...  a  designer's  room; 
. . .  and  a  library  and  reading  room. 


Memorabilia-collector  Enos 
Bigelow  was  a  senior  at  the  Institute 
in  1 875  when  Washburn  Shop  and 
Boynton  Hall  were  considered  the 
newest  and  the  finest,  and  when  the 
campus  rules  and  regulations  were 
considered  up-to-date.  In  those  days, 
students  from  out  of  the  county  had 
no  place  to  room  on  campus.  They 
had  to  room  with  private  families 
nearby.  Their  total  expenses,  includ- 
ing tuition  ($100  payable  semi- 
annually in  advance),  plus  room, 
board,  and  supplies,  rarely  exceeded 
$380  a  year. 

As  for  attendance,  "Students  are 
expected  to  be  present  in  the  chapel  at 
a  quarter  before  nine  o'clock  and  to  be 
punctual  in  all  their  exercises.  A  care- 
ful record  of  absence  and  tardiness  is 
kept." 

The  school  year  began  on  the  sec- 
ond Tuesday  of  September  and  ended 
at  Commencement,  the  last 
Wednesday  in  July.  Students  devoted 
the  balance  of  the  year,  mainly  the 
month  of  July,  "to  practice  under 
direction  of  the  faculty." 

Enos  Bigelow,  despite  the  rules  (or 
perhaps  because  of  them),  finished  up 
his  days  at  the  Institute  with  a  91.3 
average  mark.  On  graduation  day, 
July  7,  1875,  he  gave  the  Class  Tree 
Oration  at  Class  Tree  Exercises.  The 
ode  had  the  following  refrain:  "Man- 
hood waits,  and  beckoning  on,  Stands 
with  lifted  finger.  Seventy-five,  the 
hour  has  come,  And  we  may  not 
linger." 

He  then  attended  a  banquet  at 
which  the  following  was  served: 
"Chicken  soup,  boiled  salmon,  roast 
chicken,  roast  loin  of  mutton,  roast 
spring  lamb,  lettuce  salad,  ham,  lob- 
ster, and  tenderloin  beefsteak.  Also, 
boiled  spring  chicken,  pyramids  of 
rice,  boiled  potatoes,  beets,  cauli- 
flower, green  peas,  summer  squash, 
stewed  tomatoes,  Roman  punch, 
cabinet  pudding,  port  wine  jelly, 
squash  pie,  lemon  cream  pie,  and  jelly 
rolls.  Also,  lady  fingers,  cocoanut 
cakes,  watermelons,  pineapples, 
raspberries,  filberts,  English  walnuts, 
pecan  nuts,  raisins,  almonds,  and  cof- 
fee." 

Oh!  For  the  good  old  days! 

UIPI 


nnimimnnw 


The  WPI  Journal  I  December  1 978  25 


Arthur  Nutt,  'id,  trustee  emeritus 
of  WPI,  was  inducted  into  the  OX 5 
Aviation  Pioneers  Hall  of  Fame  on 
May  20th  in  Hammondsport,  New 
York. 

Members  of  this  Hall  of  Fame  are 
the  pilots,  engineers,  and  mechanics, 
who  were  particularly  concerned 
with  airplanes  powered  by  Curtiss- 
built  Model  OX5  engines.  These  en- 
gines represented  a  period  when  avia- 
tion grew  from  a  sideshow  business 
to  an  air  transportation  industry. 

To  speak  of  Arthur  Nutt  is  to  speak 
of  the  birth  and  growth  of  the  airplane 
industry  in  this  country.  Just  thirteen 
years  after  the  Wright  brothers  took 
off  from  Kitty  Hawk,  he  joined  the 
Curtiss  Aeroplane  Company,  which 
produced  the  OX 5  engine.  This  90- 
rated  horsepower  engine  (actually  76 
hp)  was  the  major  engine  used  for 
training  airplanes  in  World  War  I. 

Dr.  Nutt  became  a  test  engineer  for 
Curtiss  in  1 9 1 6,  at  which  time 
changes  were  made  to  up  the  engine 
from  76  hp  to  real  90  hp.  From  1 9 1 6  to 
1 91 8  over  9,000  OX  5  engines  were 
manufactured.  In  191 7  Dr.  Nutt  be- 
came the  test  engineer  for  the  Curtiss 
K-12  water-cooled  400  hp  engine. 

When  he  was  named  chief  motor 
engineer  in  192 1,  he  eliminated 
weaknesses  in  the  K-12  and  C- 1 2, 
which  could  not  run  at  full  power  for 
over  twenty-five  hours.  He  brought 
out  the  improved  CD-i  2  model, 
which  won  the  Pulitzer  and 
Schneider  Cup  Trophies  in  1 92 1 .  At 
the  time,  he  says,  "I  knew  of  no 
engine  in  this  country  over  350  hp 
capable  of  successfully  passing  a 
fifty-hour  endurance  test  except  the 
CD-12." 

His  major  contribution  in  1 922  was 
the  complete  redesign  of  the  CD-i  2 
engine  into  the  D-12  model,  which 
was  to  power  planes  holding  all  the 
world  speed  records  for  about  ten 
years. 

Later,  many  engines  that  Dr.  Nutt 
helped  develop,  were  used  in  mili- 
tary, civil,  and  transport  planes,  such 
as  the  Condor.  The  Curtiss  Chal- 
lenger 6-cylinder,  air-cooled  engine 
(185  hp)  was  used  in  making  the 
world's  record  endurance  flight  of  420 
hours. 


26  /  December  1 978  I  The  WPI  journal 


In  1 930  he  transferred  to  the 
Wright  Aeronautical  Corporation  as 
vice  president  of  engineering.  At 
Wright,  he  was  concerned  with  the 
Whirlwind  and  Cyclone  9,  1 4,  and  1 8 
engines,  the  latter  being  of  interna- 
tional fame. 

After  twenty-five  years  at  Curtiss 
and  Wright,  Packard  asked  Dr.  Nutt 
to  become  director  of  aircraft  en- 
gineering in  1 944.  He  also  was  named 
general  manager  of  their  Toledo  plant 
where  the  complete  supercharger  and 
accessory  unit  for  the  Rolls-Royce 
Merlin,  and  two  large  jet  engines, 
were  built. 

In  1950,  after  Packard  went  out  of 
the  airplane  engine  business,  he 
joined  the  Lycoming  Division  of 
Avco.  The  firm  built  Wright  Cyclone 
7  and  9  cylinder  engines  under 
license.  As  vice  president  of  engineer- 
ing, Dr.  Nutt  had  charge  of  both  the 
Stratford  (Conn.)  and  Williamsport 
(Pa.)  engineering  departments.  The 
Williamsport  Lycoming  engines 
powered  90  percent  of  the  commer- 
cial civil  airplanes  used  around  the 
world. 

He  retired  in  1959,  and  is  now 
permanently  settled  in  Deerfield 
Beach,  Florida. 

Arthur  Nutt  was  a  WPI  trustee 
from  1 941  to  1954.  He  was  named 
trustee  emeritus  in  1973.  In  194 1  he 
received  an  honorary  doctor's  degree 
from  WPI. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Society  of 
Automotive  Engineers,  the  Institute 
of  Aerospace  Sciences,  the  Masons, 
the  Sons  of  the  American  Revolution, 
Tau  Beta  Pi,  PTS,  and  Sigma  XI.  He  is 
vice  president  and  current  acting 
president  of  the  Class  of  1 91 6. 


Prot.  Ray  Linsley,  chairman  of  Hydro- 
comp,  Inc.,  Palo  Alto,  Calif.,  was  awarded 
the  1978  Julian  Hinds  Award  of  the  Ameri- 
can Society  of  Civil  Engineers  at  their  an- 
nual convention  held  in  Chicago  in  Oc- 
tober. He  was  honored  for  his  "outstand- 
ing leadership  and  service  in  encouraging 
education  and  research  in  comprehensive 
water  resources  planning  and  manage- 
ment, and  in  implementing  programs  in  the 
field  for  civil  engineers  and  planners." 

After  graduating  from  WPI,  he  was  em- 
ployed by  the  TVA  in  the  river  forecasting 
section  of  the  Hydraulic  Data  Division.  In 
1940  he  transferred  to  the  U.S.  Weather 
Bureau  in  Washington,  D.C.,  as  a  hydrol- 
ogist.  Later  he  was  with  the  Weather 
Bureau  Office  in  Sacramento,  Calif.,  where 
he  wrote  a  manual,  River  Forecasting 
Methods.  In  1 945  he  became  chief  of  the 
Procedure  Development  Section  of  the 
Hydrological  Services  Division  in 
Washington,  D.C.  In  1950,  after  serving  as 
chief  hydrologist  for  the  Department  of 
Commerce  Committee  with  the  Federal 
Interagency  River  Basin  Committee,  and 
the  President's  Water  Policy  Committee, 
he  joined  Stanford  University  as  an  as- 
sociate professor  of  civil  engineering.  Later 
he  was  appointed  full  professor  and  ap- 
pointed associate  dean  of  engineering.  In 
1958  he  became  executive  head  of  the 
department  of  civil  engineering,  a  post  he 
held  until  1969.  He  initiated  a  water  re- 
source management  program  which  was 
incorporated  in  the  Stanford  program  in 
engineering  economic  planning  in  1960. 

While  on  sabbatical  leave  from  Stanford 
in  1957-1958,  Prof.  Linsley  was  Fulbright 
Professor  at  the  Imperial  College  of  Science 
and  Technology  in  London.  In  1964-1965 
he  was  staff  assistant  in  the  Office  of 
Science  and  Technology,  Washington, 
D.C,  and  chairman  of  the  Committee  on 
Water  Resources  Research. 

He  isafellowof  the  American  Geophysi- 
cal Union  and  is  a  past  president  of  the 
hydrology  section.  He  belongs  to  the  Amer- 
ican Meteorological  Society  and  the  Soci- 
ety for  the  History  of  Technology  and  the 
National  Academy  of  Engineers.  He  is  an 
honorary  member  of  the  Venezuelan  Soci- 
ety of  Hydraulic  Engineers  and  the 
Japanese  Society  of  Civil  Engineers. 

Formerly  treasurerof  Northeast  Engineer 
Co.,  Carl  S.  Otto  is  now  retired  and  living  in 
Supply,  N.C. 


1 941 


Secretary: 
Russell  W  Parks 


Representative 
Robert  A  Muir 


K.  Blair  Benson  holds  the  post  of  vice 
president  of  engineering  and  technical  op- 
erations at  Video  Corporation  of  America  in 

New  York  City Harvey  Eddy  writes  he  is 

"building  a  retirement  home  in  Volcano, 
California,  at  the  3000-foot  level  in  the 
Sierra  foothills." 


1946 


Secretary 

M  Daniel  Lacedonia 


Representative: 
George  R  Morin,  Jr 


Dean  William  Crogan  gave  an  address 
titled,  "Liberal  and  Career  Education:  Put- 
ting it  All  Together,"  at  the  32nd  Annual 
National  Academic  Deans'  Conference 
held  at  Oklahoma  State  University  in  July. 
Seventy-five  academic  deans  and  vice  pres- 
idents from  eighteen  states  debated  the 
merits  of  liberal  education  versus  career 
education  at  the  conference. 


1949 


Secretary: 
Howard  J  Green 


Representative 
lames  F.  O'Regan 


Donald  Taylor,  vice  president  of  operations 
at  Rexnord  Inc.,  became  president  and 
chief  operating  officer  of  the  company  on 
November  1st.  He  was  also  elected  to  the 
board  of  directors. 

He  was  employed  by  the  Nordberg 
Manufacturing  Company  prior  to  its 
merger  with  Rexnord  in  1 970.  Before  going 


to  Nordberg,  he  had  worked  fifteen  years 
for  the  Ceo.  J.  Meyer  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany. In  1973,  he  became  president  of 
Nordberg  and  a  vice  president  of  opera- 
tions at  Rexnord.  In  1976,  he  received  the 
Goddard  Award  from  the  WPI  Alumni  As- 
sociation. 

Rexnord,  headquartered  in  Milwaukee, 
serves  the  mining,  industrial,  construction, 
pollution  control  and  other  specialized 
markets.  Worldwide,  the  company  em- 
ploys more  than  16,000  people  in  64  man- 
ufacturing operations. 


1948 


Secretary: 
Paul  E.  Evans 


Representative 
John  J  Concordia 


Roger  Cromack  has  been  elected  senior 
vice  president  of  Marsh  &  McLennan,  In- 
corporated, the  nation's  leading  insurance 
broker.  He  has  been  a  senior  account 
executive  in  the  New  York  office,  responsi- 
ble for  major  commercial  accounts  in  the 
telecommunications,  aviation  and  elec- 
tronics industries,  among  others.  He  joined 
the  company  in  Atlanta  in  1960  and  relo- 
cated to  New  York  in  1 966.  He  was  named 
an  assistant  vice  president  in  1967  and 
elected  a  vice  president  in  1969.  Earlier  he 
had  been  with  Factory  Insurance  Associa- 
tion, now  Industrial  Risk  Insurers. 

Ernest  Fernsten  holds  the  post  of  man- 
ager of  airway  facilities  at  the  Federal  Avia- 
tion Administration  in  Roanoke,  Va. 


195O 


Secretary 

Lester  J  Reynolds 


R3presentative: 
Henry  S  Coe,  Jr 


Earle  Hallstrom,  vice  president  of  opera- 
tions at  Spalding  in  Chicopee,  Mass.,  also 
serves  as  a  director  of  Vitramon,  Inc.  in 

Bridgeport,  Conn Richard  Pieper  serves 

as  project  manager  at  Hughes  Aircraft  in 
Los  Angeles. 


1951 

Secretary: 
Stanley  L  Miller 


Representative: 
John  L.  Reid 


Wallace  Preston  has  been  promoted  to  the 
newly-created  position  of  vice  president  of 
engineering  at  Toolkraft  Corp.  in  Chicopee, 
Mass.  He  will  be  responsible  for  all  phases 
of  engineering  and  new  product  design. 
After  joining  the  firm  in  1 972  as  engineer- 
ing manager,  he  was  promoted  in  1974  to 
director  of  engineering.  He  has  his  MSME 
from  RPI  and  is  a  licensed  professional 
engineer.  He  belongs  to  ASME,  the  Society 
of  American  Value  Engineers,  and  the  In- 
ternational Power  Tool  Institute. 


1953 

Secretary: 
David  S.  Jenney 

Edward  Mickevicz  was  recently  named 
general  manager  of  Brand-Rex  Ltd.,  pro- 
ducer of  wire  and  cable  at  Glenrothes,  Fife, 
Scotland.  Formerly,  he  was  manager  of 
marketing  and  production  services  for  Elec- 
tronic and  Industrial  Cable  Division  of 
Brand-Rex  in  Willimantic,  Conn.  With 
Brand-Rex  since  1955,  he  has  held  posts  in 
sales  and  marketing.  He  has  been  manager 
of  marketing  and  production  services  for 
the  E  &  I  division  since  1976.  .  .  .  Seymour 
Vershon  has  been  appointed  director  of 
budgets  for  Tenneco  Chemicals,  Inc.,  Sad- 
dle Brook,  N.J. 


1954 

Secretary: 
Roger  ROsell 


Representative: 
Roger  R  Osell 


Milton  Meckler,  who  heads  the  Meckler 
Energy  Group  in  Encino,  Calif.,  has  been 
selected  by  AIA  Research  Corp.  (AIARC)  to 
assist  in  the  development  of  the  national 
energy  performance  standards  for  new 
buildings.  HUD  and  the  Department  of 
Energy  have  contracted  with  AIARC  to 
compile  energy  standards  that  will  place 
new  building  plans  on  an  "energy  budget." 
This  will  apply  to  commercial  and  business 
structures,  as  well  as  to  residential.  Accord- 
ingto  Meckler,  who  recently  completed  his 
Phase  II  contract  with  AIARC,  the  program 
appears  to  be  on  schedule.  In  addition  to 
his  private  practice  and  AIARC  work,  Meck- 
ler is  consultant  to  the  State  of  California 
Advisory  Committee  on  Energy  Conserva- 
tion and  the  State  Resources  Conservation 
and  Development  Commission.  He  assisted 
with  the  preparation  of  the  Energy  Conser- 
vation Design  Manual  for  non-residential 
buildings. 


1955 


Secretary: 
Kenneth  L.  Wakeen 


Representative: 
Ralph  K  Mongeon,  Jr. 


Francis  Horan,  Jr.  was  recently  appointed 
division  consumer  services  manager  in 
Worcester  for  Massachusetts  Electric  Co. 
He  started  work  at  the  utility  in  1955  and 
had  been  area  coordinator  of  consumer 
services  in  Worcester. 


1956 


Secretary: 

Paul  D  Schoonmaker 


Representative 
JohnH.McHugh 


Ted  Coghlin,  Jr.,  has  been  elected  presi- 
dent of  the  Mohegan  Council  of  the  Boy 
Scouts  of  America.  He  is  president  of 
Coghlin  Electric  Co.,  Worcester.  .  .  .  Henry 
Dumas  holds  the  post  of  marketing  man- 
ager at  General  Scanning,  Inc.,  in  Water- 
town,  Mass.  .  .  .  Currently  Richard  Emery 
serves  as  plant  manager  at  du  Pont  in 
Montague,  Michigan. 


1957 


Secretary 
Robert  A  Yates 


Representative 
Alfred  E  Barry 


Alan  Gustafson  is  now  general  manager 
for  diamond  grinding  wheels  used  in  car- 
bide and  steel  markets  in  Norton  Com- 
pany's Grinding  Wheel  Division,  Worces- 
ter. He  joined  Norton  in  1 957  as  a  man- 
ufacturing engineer,  and  has  held  various 
engineering  and  managerial  posts  both  in 
Norton's  U.S.  operations  and  with  its 
Japanese  subsidiaries.  Most  recently  he 
was  product  manager  for  organic  products. 
In  his  new  post  he  will  oversee  research, 
manufacturing  and  product  management 
for  his  products  and  markets.  . . .  Norman 
Ristaino  is  a  program  analyst  for  the  federal 
government  in  Natick,  Mass. 


The  WPI  Journal  I  December  1978127 


1958 

Secretary: 

Harry  R  Rydstrom 

Richard  Chapman,  vice  president  of  RE. 
Chapman  Co.,  Oakdale,  Mass.,  has  been 
appointed  by  Governor  Dukakis  to  the 
Water  Resources  Commission  as  a  repre- 
sentative of  the  ground  water  industry.  He 
has  been  a  member  of  many  water  well 
associations,  including  the  Massachusetts, 
New  England  and  National  Waterwell  As- 
sociations  James  Johnson  is  currently  in 

charge  of  the  newly  centralized  motor  ve- 
hicle and  building  management  functions 
at  New  Jersey  Bell  Telephone  Co. 


1959 


Secretary: 

Frederick  H   Lutze,  Jr 


Representative: 
Joseph  D  Bronzmo 


Dr.  Joseph  Bronzino,  director  of  the 
biomedical  engineering  program  at  Trinity 
College,  Hartford,  Conn.,  was  invited  to  be 
the  keynote  speaker  at  an  International 
Congress  on  Biomedical  Engineering  held 
in  Naples,  Italy  last  summer.  His  topic  was 
"The  Impact  of  Technology  in  Health  and 
the  Application  of  Biomedical  and  Clinical 
Engineering  in  the  United  States."  He  also 
spoke  on  "Nuclear  Medicine  Axial  Tomog- 
raphy (CAT)  Scanning  and  Computer."  He 
writes:  "It  was  quite  an  experience,  a  truly 
exciting  time."  His  new  book,  Technology 
for  Patient  Care,  is  making  an  impact,  and 
he's  been  invited  to  guest  lecture  at  the 
"First  Iranian  Symposium  on  Biomedical 
Engineering"  slated  for  November. 

Uniloc,  Inc.,  of  Irvine,  Calif,  has  ap- 
pointed Carl  Frova  as  executive  vice  presi- 
dent. He  was  previously  vice  president  of 
sales  and  marketing  and  assistant  vice  pres- 
ident and  general  manager  of  the  eastern 
division.  Earlier,  he  had  been  product  man- 
ager of  instrumentation  and  equipment  at 
Betz,  Inc.  and  sales  engineer  for  Foxboro 
Co.  He  did  postgraduate  work  at  Drexel 
Institute  of  Technology  in  Philadelphia. 

James  Lawson,  SIM  has  been  elected 
president  and  a  director  of  the  OS.  Walker 
Co.,  Inc.  in  Greendale,  Worcester.  He 
joined  the  manufacturer  of  magnetic 
chucks  and  lifting  equipment  as  a  vice 
president  five  years  ago.  Previously  he  had 
been  a  factory  manager  at  Norton  Co. 

Continuing  with  IBM,  Ronald  Perzan  is 
now  a  senior  engineer-manager  for  the 
firm's  l/S  Operations  in  Tucson,  Arizona — 
Robert  Sharkey  is  a  sales  consultant  for 
Corometrics  Med.  Systems  in  Wallingford, 
Conn.  .  .  .  Gordon  Sigman,  Jr.  serves  as 
director  of  tactical  technology  for  the  De- 
fense Advanced  Research  Projects  Agency 
in  Arlington,  Va. 


i960 


Secretary: 
Paul  W  Bayliss 


Representative: 
JohnW  Biddle 


John  Haavisto  received  his  PhD  in  theoreti- 
cal physics  from  Boston  University  in  May. 
He  has  accepted  a  position  as  senior  en- 
gineer with  Northrup  Corp.  in  Norwood, 
Mass. . . .  Peter  Lajoie  holds  the  post  of 
national  sales  manager  at  Disc  Instruments, 
Costa  Mesa,  Calif.  The  firm  manufactures 
rotary  and  linear  photoelectronic  encoders. 


1961 

Secretary 
John  J  Gabarro 

Andrew  Beaudoin  holds  the  position  of 
strategic  pricing  analyst  at  Stromberg- 
Carlson  in  Longwood,  Fla.  He  and  his  wife 
Carol  have  four  children. . . .  Presently, 
Edward  Desplaines  is  with  Combustion 
Engineering  in  Windsor,  Conn.  .  . .  John 
Donnelly  holds  the  post  of  manager  of 
manufacturing  for  GE's  Instrument  Prod- 
ucts Operation  in  Lynn,  Mass.  He  trans- 
ferred to  his  new  job  from  Shreveport,  La. 
in  August. . . .  Malcolm  Low  was  elected 
president  of  the  Hitec  Corporation  of 
Westford,  Mass.  in  July.  He  has  a  strong 
administrative,  financial  and  engineering 
background.  As  one  of  the  founders  of 
Hitec,  he  has  served  the  company  in  many 
capacities,  including  those  of  partner  and 
treasurer. 

Phil  O'Reilly  has  been  named  planning 
and  research  director  for  energy  and  mate- 
rials at  Air  Products  and  Chemicals,  Inc., 
Allentown,  Pa.  He  will  coordinate  planning 
and  research  in  support  of  the  company's 
worldwide  procurement  of  energy  and  ma- 
terials. In  1962  he  joined  the  firm  as  an 
estimating  engineer.  Most  recently  he  was 
corporate  planning  manager  for  the  com- 
pany's European  operations  in  London.  He 
says,  "We  have  enjoyed  our  six  years  living 
in  London,  England,  and  now  it  is  time  to 
return  to  the  homeland." 

Frank  Thomas,  who  is  a  writer,  resides  in 

Worcester Dr.  Charles  Wilkes  has  been 

appointed  director  of  technology  assess- 
ment and  planning  at  the  BFGoodrich  re- 
search and  development  center, 
Brecksville,  Ohio.  In  this  newly  created 
post,  he  will  be  responsible  for  worldwide 
technology  assessment,  technological 
forecasting,  technical  evaluation  of  poten- 
tial acquisitions  and  R&D  program  evalua- 
tion and  planning.  He  started  work  at  BFG 
in  1964  as  a  research  chemist  in  the  R&D 
center,  and  was  subsequently  promoted  to 
senior  research  chemist,  section  leader, 
senior  research  associate,  and  section  man- 
ager. He  received  his  PhD  from  Princeton 
and  belongs  to  ACS,  Sigma  Xi,  Tau  Beta  Xi, 
and  Pi  Delta  Upsilon.  .  .  .  George  Yule,  Jr. 
serves  as  vice  president  at  Crampton, 
Runke,  &  Miller,  Inc.,  in  Palo  Alto,  Calif. 


1962 


Secretary 
Harry  T  Rapelje 


Representative: 
Richard  J  DiBuono 


Bruce  Simmon  works  as  manager  of  strat- 
egy analysis  for  GE  Information  Services  in 
Rockville,  Maryland. 


1963 


Secretary 

Robert  E  Maynard 


Representative 
Joseph  J  Mielinski,  Jr. 


Walter  Arell  currently  serves  as  a  network 
product  planner  for  IBM  in  Kingston,  N.Y. 
.  .  .  Continuing  with  Raytheon,  Joseph 
Beaulac  is  presently  a  group  leader  in  Way- 
land,  Mass.  .  .  .  Previously  a  professor  at 
Texas  A  &  M,  Dr.  Richard  Dominguez  is 
now  a  professor  of  civil  engineering  at  the 
University  of  Maine  in  Orono.  .  .  .  Robert 
Mellor  was  recently  named  manager  of 
transmission  and  distribution  work 
methods  at  New  England  Power.  In  1963 
he  joined  the  firm  in  Providence  as  a  train- 
ing student.  In  1970  he  was  transferred  to 
Massachusetts  Electric  in  Worcester  as  as- 
sistant to  the  division  line  superintendent 
and  in  1972  was  named  assistant  to  the 
district  superintendent  in  Hopedale.  Prior 
to  his  latest  appointment,  he  served  as 
acting  district  superintendent  in  Attleboro. 
He  is  a  registered  professional  engineer  in 
Massachusetts. 


1964 


Secretary: 

David  T  Signori,  Jr 


Representative 
Barry  J  Kadets 


Continuing  with  Sylvania,  Dennis  Balog  is 
now  plant  manager  in  Seymour,  Indiana. 


1965 

Representative 
Patrick  T  Moran 

Peter  Bowes  is  in  sales  at  Maximent  Corp., 
Cincinnati,  Ohio.  .  . .  Still  with  du  Pont, 
John  Lewis  is  presently  assistant  plant 
manager  at  the  Toledo  (Ohio)  works. 

Jay  Hammett  was  recently  appointed 
regional  sales  manager  for  the  southeast- 
ern, central,  and  midwestern  regions  of  the 
United  States  and  eastern  Canada  for  EMC 
Controls,  Inc.  The  firm  manufactures 
microprocessor-based  distributor  control 
systems  for  the  process  industries. 

Jay  is  a  member  of  the  Instrument  Soci- 
ety of  America  and  holds  an  MBA  degree  in 
international  marketing  and  business  from 
Babson  College  and  an  MS  degree  in  me- 
chanical and  control  engineering  from 
Cornell.  He  also  did  graduate  work  at  New 
Jersey  Institute  of  Technology.  Previously 


28 1  December  1978  I  The  WPI  Journal 


"Du  Pont  offered  me 
opportunity  in  terms  of 
career  development'.' 


—  David  A.  Dindinger    BS,  Chemical  Engineering 


"I  interviewed  companies 
on  campus  and  off.  About 
10  big  companies  in  all.  And  I 
felt  Du  Pont  offered  me  the 
most  opportunity  in  terms  of 
career  development,  outstand- 
ing benefits  and,  best  of  all,  the 
chance  to  do  some  traveling. 

"I've  been  getting 
around  a  lot  since  1  joined  the 
Company  in  1973  out  of  the 
University  of  Illinois-Chicago.  As 
a  quality  assurance  engineer  in 


the  Engineering  Department,  I 
inspected  equipment  vendors 
fabricated  for  Du  Pont.  I  worked 
in  10  states  in  the  U.S.  and  four 
states  in  Mexico.  My  job  now  is 
reviewing  equipment  specs  and 
writing  procedures  for  our 
inspectors.  It's  been  a  good  learn- 
ing and  growing  experience." 

Dave's  story  is  typical  of 
many  Chemical,  Mechanical 
and  Electrical  Engineers  who've 
chosen  careers  at  Du  Pont. 


We  place  no  limits  on 
the  progress  our  engineers  can 
make.  And  we  place  no  limits 
on  the  contributions  they  can 
make— to  themselves,  the 
Company  or  to  society. 

If  this  sounds  like  your 
kind  of  company,  talk  to  the 
Du  Pont  representative  who 
visits  your  campus.  Or  write: 
Du  Pont  Company,  Room 
35973,  Wilmington,  DE  19898. 


At  Du  Pont... there's  a  world  of  things  YOG  can  do  something  about. 


BffPOE 


An  Equal  Opportunity  Employer,  M/F 


The  biggest  beach  ball . . . 


The  "Tuned  Sphere"  will  never  win  a 
trans-oceanic  race.  It  is  round,  an  odd 
shape  for  a  sea-going  vessel,  and  be- 
side a  sleek,  powerful,  world-range 
yacht,  would  look  like  a  giant,  float- 
ing beach  ball  with  a  platform  on  top. 

"But  the  tuned  sphere  shows  defi- 
nite promise,"  says  Kenneth  E.  Mayo, 
'51,  president  of  Tuned  Sphere  Inter- 
national, Inc.,  Nashua,  N.H.  Mayo 
should  know.  His  firm  has  been  de- 
veloping the  sphere  for  ten  years,  and 
is  the  licensee  of  worldwide  rights. 
"After  the  expenditure  of  over  $2 
million  of  private  funds,  it  is  clear 
that  the  tuned  sphere  is  an  astonish- 
ingly effective,  often  subtle,  technol- 
ogy," he  says. 

For  example,  the  developers  of  the 
tuned  sphere  envision  a  number  of 
practical  advantages  including:  a  so 
to  80  percent  cost  reduction  in  con- 
struction when  compared  with  con- 
ventional hulls;  storm  sea  motion 
reductions  to  the  stability  of  tall 
buildings;  structural  integrity  that 
exceeds  any  known  floating  vessel; 
reduced  operating  and  maintenance 
costs;  improvements  in  cargo,  per- 
sonnel and  vessel  safety;  and  unparal- 
leled operating  versatility. 

During  the  past  decade,  Tuned 
Sphere  International  has  become  an 
experienced  designer  of  spherical 
vessels.  The  firm's  engineering 
group,  working  with  chairmen  of  in- 


ternational oil  companies  and  re- 
search and  development  staff  mem- 
bers, constructors  and  underwriters, 
has  sought  out  disadvantages  or  pit- 
falls anticipated  in  the  design  of 
tuned  spheres. 

Currently,  formalized  test  data  and 
computer  studies  performed  under 
government  contracts  (The  U.S.  De- 
partment of  Energy  and  the  Ocean 
Thermal  Energy  Conversion  project 
office),  consistently  show  the  tuned 
sphere  superior  to  five  other  hull 
forms  in  a  technical  competitive 
selection.  Seakeeping  characteristics 
in  250,000  ton  tuned  spheres  sur- 
passed vessels  of  similar  displace- 
ment in  the  form  of  a  ship  hull, 
semisubmersible,  slender  cylinder, 
discus  or  squat  cylinder,  and  sub- 
marine. Pitch,  roll,  yaw,  heave,  sway 
and  surge  were  calculated  for  waves 
up  to  eighty  feet  high. 

The  Energy  Research  and  Devel- 
opment Administration  (ERDA), 
now  the  U.S.  Department  of  Energy, 
reports  that  "The  tuned  sphere  ocean 
thermal  energy  conversion  platform 
was  found  to  exhibit  excellent  sea- 
keeping  response,  as  compared  to  the 
other  candidate  hull  forms." 

The  National  Bureau  of  Standards 
(NBS),  upon  completion  of  its  own 
independent  review  by  both  in-house 
and  private  consulting  firms,  has  pro- 
vided grant  funds  to  the  Tuned 
Sphere  Program.  By  recent  count, 


more  than  6,000  inventions  were  re- 
ceived by  the  NBS  for  grant  consid- 
eration. Only  forty-six  were  selected 
as  having  a  likelihood  of  significant 
impact  on  energy  cost  or  energy  sav- 
ings, and  were  recommended  by  NBS 
for  funded  support.  The  Tuned 
Sphere  Program  was  one  of  only  three 
to  receive  a  grant  in  the  first  two  years 
of  that  program. 

Reporting  its  findings,  the  Na- 
tional Bureau  of  Standards  says,  "The 
utilization  of  super  tankers  offloading 
into  large  spherical  offshore  termi- 
nals appears  to  present  the  most  eco- 
nomical solution  to  our  petroleum 
import  problems."  Besides  helping  to 
solve  petroleum  import  and  storage 
problems,  the  platform-topped 
spheres  could  be  utilized  to  capture 
offshore  wind  power  and  to  transmit 
weather  data.  They  could  also  be  used 
as  offshore  power  plants,  and  for 
ocean  thermal  energy  conversion,  the 
NBS  report  concluded. 

Marine  engineers  with  strong  tra- 
ditional ties,  have  tagged  the  tuned 
sphere,  "A  funny  looking  ship."  Ac- 
tually, the  spherical  hull  is  the  only 
hull  shape  wherein  the  skin  is  always 
in  compression  due  to  hydrostatic 
forces.  Hydrostatically-induced  roll, 
a  major  cause  of  vessel  motion,  is 
virtually  eliminated.  These  prop- 
erties would  make  the  tuned  sphere 
an  ideal,  economical,  concrete  vessel. 

Because  the  sphere  is  identical  in 
all  directions,  roll  and  pitch  are  iden- 
tical, and  because  it  has  the  least 
possible  skin  area  of  any  volume, 
frictional  effects  are  minimized. 
Heave  control  is  excellent  and  is 
achieved  by  reducing  the  water  plane 
area  to  the  desired  level.  This  pat- 
ented structure  is  effected  by  pene- 
trating the  hull  vertically  with  an 
open  well  that  allows  the  average 
water  depth  at  the  bottom  of  a  spheri- 
cal vessel  to  be  expressed  as  a  calm, 
flat  surface  within.  The  vessel  cannot 
be  overturned. 

The  tuned  sphere  could  have  a 
variety  of  non-petroleum  applica- 
tions. For  example,  deep  ocean  min- 
ing for  minerals  can  be  conducted 
more  economically  from  a  tuned 
sphere  than  from  any  other  vessel. 


30 1  December  19781  The  WPI  journal 


Use  as  a  pipe-laying  barge  is  promis- 
ing, since  the  sphere  has  a  greater 
payload  per  structure  than  any  other 
vessel,  and  it  can  operate  in  any 
weather  without  interruption. 

U.S. -built  factories  to  be  floated  to 
underdeveloped  nations  is  another 
exciting  possibility.  Offshore  nuclear 
reactors  could  be  designed  on  a  tuned 
sphere  platform  with  great  safety  and 
cost  advantage.  Tuned  spheres  could 
also  be  used  to  recover  lost  sub- 
marines and  other  salvage.  They  can 
be  moored,  towed,  or  self-propelled  in 
any  direction. 

Dr.  Buckminster  Fuller  has  pointed 
out  that  advantages  of  scale  are 
achieved  more  dramatically  in 
spheres  than  in  any  other  structural 
form.  Hence,  floating  cities  on  tuned 
spheres  over  6oo-feet  in  diameter 
have  been  proposed  in  accordance 
with  Fuller's  visions  of  the  future. 

Presently,  a  1 50-foot  diameter  steel 
drill  ball,  outfitted  for  drilling  in  the 
North  Sea,  would  cost  $20  million.  A 
3  80- foot-diameter  concrete  deep  wa- 
ter terminal,  outfitted  and  opera- 
tional with  up  to  twenty  miles  of 
undersea  pipeline,  would  cost  about 
$100  million. 

The  drill  ball  will  cost  $s  million  a 
year  less  to  operate  than  a  large 
semisubmersible  under  comparable 
conditions,  and  the  terminal  with  a 
throughput  of  one  million  barrels  per 
day,  can  pay  out  its  original  invest- 
ment in  less  than  six  months,  accord- 
ing to  Mayo. 

Mayo,  who  is  president  of  Energy 
Systems  Corporation,  as  well  as  being 
president  of  Tuned  Sphere  Interna- 
tional, Inc.,  is  a  registered  profes- 
sional engineer  with  twenty-seven 
years  of  engineering  experience.  He 
spent  five  years  designing  nuclear 
reactor  installations,  hydraulic  sys- 
tems, and  laboratory  facilities,  while 
with  Chas.  T.  Main,  Inc.  of  Boston. 

In  1972,  Mayo  participated  in  the 
founding  of  Energy  Systems  Corpora- 
tion to  which  he  was  appointed  pres- 
ident and  elected  as  chairman.  In  the 
interim  he  assisted  in  the  founding  of 
a  subsidiary  corporation,  Tuned 
Sphere  International,  Inc.,  in  which 
he  serves  in  the  same  capacities. 


he  was  marketing  manager  of  Tesdata's 
Physical  Management  Division,  and  had 
been  with  Foxboro  Company  and  Exxon 
Research  and  Engineering. 

A  co-author  of  "Advanced  Computer 
Control  of  Ethlene  Plants  Pays  Off"  pub- 
lished in  Chemical  Engineering,  he  is  also  a 
registered  professional  engineer  in  New 
Jersey  and  Massachusetts. 

George  Humphrey  is  now  manager  of 
software  design  and  development  for  Sys- 
tems Development  Corp.  in  Lexington, 
Mass.  .  .  .  James  Mills  holds  the  post  of 
production  manager  at  American  Hoechst 
Corp.  in  Manchester,  N.H.  .  .  .  Richard 
Murphy  works  as  a  quantity  engineer  at 
Perini  Power  Constructors  in  Seabrook, 
N.H. 


1967 


Secretary: 
John  L.  Kilguss 


Representative: 
Raymond  C  Rogers 


1966 


Secretary: 
Gary  Dyckman 


Representative: 
Dr  Donald  H  Foley 


^■Married:  David  Jorczak  and  Miss 
Elizabeth  J.  Komorekon  August  12, 1978  in 
Adams,  Massachusetts.  The  bride,  a 
teacher  at  Lanesborough  Elementary 
School,  has  her  bachelor's  and  master's 
degree  in  education  from  North  Adams 
State  College.  The  groom  serves  as  an 
analytical  design  engineer  at  James  Hunter 
Machine  Co.,  North  Adams. 

Robert  Dolan  is  employed  as  district  sale 
engineer  for  GTE  Sylvania  in  Buffalo,  N.Y. 
.  .  .  Dan  Maguire  has  been  promoted  to 
manager  of  special  projects  at  Turner  Con- 
struction in  Chicago.  Earlier,  while  still  in 
the  Worcester  area,  he  had  served  as  a 
Fund  Board  member.  .  . .  Dennis  Murphy 
has  earned  his  doctorate  in  behavioral  sci- 
ence from  Nova  University  in  Fort  Lauder- 
dale, Fla.  Dr.  Murphy,  who  attended  Nova 
on  a  fellowship  grant,  is  presently  involved 
in  a  research  project  at  Florida  International 
University.  He  has  his  MS  in  physics  from 
Northeastern  University.  For  five  years  he 
was  an  instructor  at  Wentworth  Institute  in 
Boston.  Accomplished  in  music,  he  holds 
degrees  from  the  University  of  Miami  and 
Broward  Community  College.  He  has  per- 
formed with  Tamarac  Symphony  Or- 
chestra, which  presented  his  original  pre- 
ludium.  Currently  he  is  writing  an  opera. 

Kyle  Ondricek  of  Springfield,  Mass.  has 
been  appointed  business  development 
manager  for  National  Blank  Book  Co.  He 
will  be  responsible  for  development  of  new 
products  and  markets,  with  heavy  empha- 
sis on  filing  and  related  items.  Formerly  he 
had  been  a  new  products  manager  at  B.F. 
Perkins  Co.  and  held  several  market  plan- 
ning posts  at  Exxon  Corp.  He  has  a  master's 
degree  from  Northwestern  University.  His 
experience  includes  the  areas  of  paper  con- 
version and  printing  equipment.  ...  Dr. 
Charles  Roberts,  Jr.  is  manager  of  thermal 
systems  for  Packer  Engineering  Associates, 
Inc.  in  Naperville,  III.  .  .  .  Laurence  Shea  is 
head  of  the  site  engineering  office  at  Nine 
Mile  Pt.  2  Nuclear  Power  Station  for  Stone 
&  Webster  Engineering,  Lycoming,  N.Y. 


John  Rahaim  was  recently  named  sales 
support  engineer  at  Simplex  Time  Recorder 
Co.  in  Gardner,  Mass.  He  joined  the  com- 
pany after  twelve  years  as  supervisor  of 
customer  service  at  United  Illuminating 
Co.,  New  Haven,  Conn. . . .  Sudhir  Shah  is 
the  newly  elected  vice  president  of  Purcell 
Associates,  an  engineering-architectural- 
planning  firm,  where  he  has  been  em- 
ployed since  1967.  He  is  a  registered  pro- 
fessional engineer,  and  is  located  in  Glas- 
tonbury, Conn.  He  has  a  wife,  Jyotsna,  and 
three  children.  .  .  .  John  Soulliere  is  man- 
ager of  industry  and  application  sales  oper- 
ations at  Foxboro  Co. 


1968 


Secretary: 
Charles  A  Griffin 


Representative: 
William  J  Rasku 


^■Married:  Henry  W.  Honeyman  3rd,  SIM, 
to  Miss  Mary- Frances  White  on  October 
14,  1978  in  Providence,  Rhode  Island.  The 
bride  graduated  from  the  College  of  Our 
Lady  of  the  Elms  and  received  her  master's 
degree  from  Providence  College.  She  is  an 
early  childhood  specialist  for  the  Provi- 
dence School  Department.  The  groom  is 
employed  by  United  Engineers  in 
Springfield,  Mass. 

Peter  Anderson  is  a  member  of  the  tech- 
nical staff  at  Bell  Telephone  Laboratories  in 
Holmdel,  N.J. 

After  four  years  of  work  in  Belgium  and 
France  for  Monsanto  in  a  manufacturing- 
technical  position,  Ken  Battle  has  trans- 
ferred to  the  firm's  international  engineer- 
ing department  located  in  London.  He  is 
now  lead  process  engineer  on  a  major 
projectto  be  built  in  Antwerp,  Belgium.  His 
new  post  is  concerned  with  design,  which 
will  be  a  significant  change  of  viewpoint 
from  his  previous,  plant-based  work.  He 
has  done  some  recruiting  for  WPI.  He  says, 
"An  American  girl  living  in  Antwerp  visited 
me  to  learn  about  WPI  and  Worcester.  She 
now  says  WPI  is  her  first  choice  of  schools. ' ' 
This  year  Ken  won  a  class  championship  in 
the  Belgian  National  Production  Car  Series. 
With  the  same  car,  a  Vauxhall  Firenza,  he 
placed  second  in  class  in  the  European 
Championship.  He  intends  to  continue  rac- 
ing in  England  with  a  new  car. 

Ken  Blaisdell,  Jr.  currently  resides  in 
Thetford,  Vt.  .  .  .  Jeffrey  Decker  is  vice 
president  of  Ackerman  &  Co.  in  Baltimore, 
Md.  .  .  .  Berton  Gunter,  who  received  his 
MS  in  statistics  from  the  University  of  Wis- 
consin this  year,  is  presently  a  statistical 
engineer  at  Corning  Glass  Works,  Corning, 

N.Y Vincent  Kubert,  SIM,  works  as  a 

project  engineer  at  Harris  Corp.  in  Dallas, 
Texas.  .  .  .  Charles  Rinaldi  is  now  specializ- 
ing in  the  construction  of  custom  designed 
homes  in  the  north  central  Connecticut 


finnnnnrmiTT 


area.  He  is  a  civil  engineer  and  a  licensed 
real  estate  broker.  He  has  his  MBA  from 
Western  New  England  College,  and  is  a 
member  of  the  Greater  Enfield  Chamber  of 

Commerce Fred  White  serves  as  a 

development  engineer  at  Ingersoll-Rand  in 
Painted  Post,  N.Y. 


1969 


Secretary: 
James  P  Atkinson 


Representative: 
Michael  W  Noga 


^Married:  Andrew  J.  Heman  and  Fran 
Beaver  of  Tarrytown,  New  York  on  Sep- 
tember 24,  1978.  The  groom  is  currently  a 
staff  engineer  for  Union  Carbide  Corp., 
Agricultural  Products  Division,  in  Jackson- 
ville, Fla. 

William  Chudzik  is  a  mechanical  de- 
signer at  Pratt  &  Whitney  Aircraft  in  East 
Hartford,  Conn.  He  has  his  master's  degree 
in  environmental  engineering  from  UMass. 

Neil  Glickstein  holds  the  position  of 
manager  of  an  aquaculture  project  at 
NUVA,  Inc.  in  Gloucester,  Mass.  He  says, 
"This  is  afederally  funded  vocational  train- 
ing project  in  marine  techniques  and 
aquaculture."  .  .  .  Joel  Greene  is  now 
located  with  the  law  offices  of  Warren  C. 
Lane,  Jr.  at  1 500  Worcester  Plaza,  446 

Main  St.,  in  Worcester David  G. 

Healey,  assistant  chief  engineer  of  Tighe  & 
Bond,  Easthampton,  has  been  appointed  to 
the  Holyoke  (Mass.)  Advisory  Board  of  the 
Third  National  Bank.  A  registered  profes- 
sional engineer  in  Connecticut,  Mas- 
sachusetts, Rhode  Island,  and  New  York, 
he  is  also  a  member  of  the  New  England 
Water  Pollution  Control  Association  and 
American  Waterworks  Association.  He 
belongs  to  ASME's  Solid  Waste  Division. 
Dennis  Murphy,  president  of  Profes- 
sional Support  &  Development  Corp., 
serves  as  aconsultantto  the  U.S.  Air  Force. 

He  is  located  in  Boulder,  Colo John 

Poblocki  has  been  appointed  as  an  indus- 
trial development  specialist  by  the 
Blackstone  Valley  Chamber  of  Commerce, 
Pawtucket,  R.I.,  following  a  year-long 
nationwide  search  conducted  by  the 
Chamber.  Previously,  he  was  director  of 
the  department  of  planning  and  develop- 
ment in  Woonsocket.  In  his  new  post,  he 
will  work  with  the  Second  Pawtucket  Area 
Industrial  Foundation,  which  is  looking  for 
new  industrial  sites  to  develop.  Eventually, 
he  will  assume  the  total  responsibility  for 
industrial  development  activities  in  the 
area.  He  has  a  master's  in  community 
planning  from  URI,  a  certificate  in  site 
planning  from  the  University  of  Wisconsin 
and  has  studied  real  estate  business  law  at 
Bryant  College.  In  Woonsocket  he  had  the 
responsibility  for  the  administration  of  the 
department  of  planning  and  development, 
which  includes  planning,  development, 
minimum  housing  and  code  inspections 
divisions,  which  employ  nineteen  persons. 
He  was  involved  in  the  planning  and  im- 
plementation of  the  city's  economic  devel- 
32 1  December  1 978  /  The  WPI  journal 


opment  programs  and  activities,  including 
the  development  of  a  1 30-acre  industrial 

park. 
Daniel  Pond  is  a  senior  engineer  at 

Martin-Marietta  in  Denver,  Colo Mark 

Simpson  is  a  senior  engineer  at  Air  Products 
&  Chemicals  in  Allentown,  Pa. 


197O 


Secretary: 

F.  David  Ploss,  III 


Representative 
DomenicJ  Forcella,  Jr. 


^Married:  Richard  W.  Jarowski  and  Miss 
Denise  A.  Bellofatto  in  Revere,  Mas- 
sachusetts on  August  12,  1978.  Mrs. 
Jarowski  graduated  from  Revere  High 
School  and  is  a  project  clerk  for  Stone  & 
Webster  Engineering  Corp.  Her  husband  is 
a  mechanical  engineer  at  Stone  &  Webster. 
Gerry  Blodgett  has  rejoined  his  father's 
(Norman  Blodgett,  '44)  law  firm  at  43 
Highland  St.  in  Worcester,  where  he  will 
practice  patent  and  trademark  law.  He  is  a 
former  technical  adviser  to  the  U.S.  Court 
of  Customs  and  Patent  Appeals  in 
Washington,  D.C.  He  received  his  law  de- 
gree from  Suffolk  University,  cum  laude. 
Currently,  he  is  workingtoward  a  degree  of 

master  of  laws  in  patent  law  and  trade 
regulation  from  George  Washington  Uni- 
versity Law  School. 

David  Brown  has  been  appointed  man- 
ager of  Rodney  Hunt  Company's  water 
control  equipment  engineering  division.  He 

had  served  as  chief  product  engineer  at  the 
Orange  (Mass.)  firm  since  April  of  1 977.  He 
will  be  responsible  for  product  application 
engineering  and  product  development  for 
the  company's  sluice  gates  and  related 
products  used  in  wastewater  and  water 
treatment  plants.  He  has  a  graduate  degree 
from  Wentworth  Institute  and  is  also  doing 
graduate  work  at  WPI. 

Garrett  Graham  holds  the  position  of 
manager  of  industrial  product  service  at 
Polaroid  in  Waltham,  Mass.  He  and  his  wife 
Karen  have  two  children,  and  live  in 
Needham. . . .  Formerly  with  the Trane  Co., 
Bill  Hillner  is  now  employed  at  Daystar 
Corp.,  the  solar  energy  division  of  Exxon, 

Inc James  Lockwood  is  marketing 

manager  for  akylamines  at  Air  Products 
and  Chemicals  in  Allentown,  Pa.  He  has  an 
MBA  degree  in  chemical  marketing  from 
Fairleigh  Dickinson  University. 

Under  coxswain  Dave  Ploss,  the  U.S. 
Intercollegiate  National  Championship 
four-man  shell  racing  team  from  WPI  gave 
a  demonstration  at  the  Tri-Community 
Chamber  of  Commerce  clambake  held  in 
August  at  the  Hamilton  Rod  &  Gun  Club  in 
Sturbridge,  Mass.  .  .  .  Steven  Udell  is 
presently  employed  by  Nippon  Interna- 
tional Container  Services  of  Japan  as  re- 
gional manager  of  the  east  coast  of  the 
United  States,  midwest,  and  eastern 
Canada.  He  has  recently  assumed  the  re- 
sponsibility for  establishing  and  developing 
the  leasing  market  for  "intermodal"  con- 
tainers throughout  South  America. 


1971 

Secretary. 
Vincent  T  Pace 

^Married:  Anthony  R.  Weston  and  Miss 
Paula  J.  Taylor  on  September  3,  1978  in 
Providence,  Rhode  Island.  The  bride  is  a 
graduate  of  Our  Lady  of  the  Elms  College, 
and  works  at  Gilmore-Kramer  Co.  The 
groom  is  chief  engineer  at  Miriam  Hospital. 

Philip  Allfrey  III  ia  a  loss  prevention 
consultant  for  Liberty  Mutual  in  Andover, 
Mass  .    .  Cornelius  "Neil"  Collins  has 
received  his  master's  degree  in  manage- 
ment science  and  engineering  from  WPI. 
...  J.  Lee  Cristy  serves  as  a  senior  industrial 
engineer  at  Fairchild  Industries  in  German- 
town,  Md.  ...  Dr.  Paul  Furcinitti  is  a 
research  associate  at  Oak  Ridge  National 
Laboratory  in  the  Health  &  Safety  Research 

Division,  Oak  Ridge,  Tenn Michael 

Grady  works  as  a  software  engineer  at 
Honeywell  Information  Systems  in  Cam- 
bridge, Mass Wayne  Holmes  is  now  a 

fire  protection  specialist  for  Northeast 
Utilities  of  Hartford.  His  section  is  responsi- 
ble for  fire  prevention  programs  for  all 
company  facilities,  including  nuclear  power 
plants. . . .  Gerald  Kersus  is  a  senior  consul- 
tant at  Booz  Allen  &  Hamilton  in  Tinton 
Falls,  N.J. 

John  Pratt  and  his  brother,  Joseph,  75 
are  owners  and  operators  of  an  earthmov- 
ing  firm  in  Plymouth,  Conn.  The  company 
engages  in  site  preparation,  utility  installa- 
tion, and  the  construction  of  rural  roads. 
The  brothers  can  also  repair  engines  and 
transmissions,  weld,  customize  truck 
bodies,  lay  bricks,  build  cabinets,  restore 
antique  furniture,  cut  hair,  fix  computers, 
grow  food  crops,  and  do  chemical  en- 
gineering. They  have  a  $100,000  a  year 
contracting  business.  The  Pratt  Bros,  inven- 
tory includes  two  backhoe-loaders,  two 
bulldozers,  a  wheeled  loader,  three  dump 
trucks,  a  tagalong  trailer,  and  several  utility 
trucks.  They  have  one  permanent,  full-time 
employee,  but  hire  extra  help  as  needed. 

Michael  Winn,  who  joined  the  Old 
Saybrook  (Conn.)  Manufacturing  Division 
of  R.  R.  Donnelley  and  Sons  Company  last 
year,  has  been  promoted  to  manufacturing 
supervisor  in  the  preliminary  department. 
Earlier  he  was  an  industrial  engineer.  He 
has  a  BS  in  management  engineering. 


1972 


Secretary: 

John  A  Woodward 


Representative 

Lesley  E  Small  Zorabedian 


^Married:  James  B.  Anderson  and  Miss 
Carol  P.  Anderson  in  Mystic  Seaport,  Mys- 
tic, Connecticut  on  September  9,  1978. 
The  bride  graduated  from  Concord  College 
and  received  her  doctorate  in  philosophy 
from  the  University  of  Tennessee.  She  is  an 
assistant  professor  of  chemistry  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  Connecticut,  and  is  on  assign- 


Chemical  Engineers  play 
key  role  at  General  Foods' 
Research  &  Development 
Centers. 


Chemical  Engineers  have  a  key  role 
to  play  in  research  at  General 
Foods  Corporation,  the  nation's 
leading  package  grocery  products 
company.  Food  is  no  longer  the 
simple  thing  it  was  to  our  fore- 
fathers. Most  of  us  no  longer  pro- 
duce our  own  food;  but  rely  on 
others  to  process  and  package  it. 


preserve  and  improve  it,  change  its 
form,  and  get  it  to  us  with  all  its 
nutritive  and  taste  values  intact. 

DEMAND  INCREASES 

An  accelerated  worldwide  need  to 
supplement  traditional  agricultural 
food  sources  with  technology- 
based  foods  has  created  an  unprec- 
dented  need  for  chemical  engineer- 
ing skills  of  a  high  order. 


Ch.E.  STUDENTS 

For  students  who  want  to  put  then 
chemical  engineering  training  to 
work.  General  Foods  Corporation 
needs  almost  all  elements  o\  the 
unit  operations  background... 
such  as:  dehydration,  extrusion, 
heat  and  mass  transfer  and  extrac- 
tion and  separation. 

TEAM  CONTRIBUTION 

At  General  Foods,  chemical 
engineers  work  in  small  teams 
where  each  team  member  can  make 
a  large  contribution ..  .and  will 
receive  due  recognition.  The 
atmosphere  is  informal,  yet  profes- 
sional. And  for  the  chemical  engi- 
neer who  wants  to  obtain  an 
advanced  degree  while  pursuing  a 
full-time  career.  General  Foods 
reimburses  employees  close  to  100 
per  cent  of  expenses  for  such  after 
hours  studies. 

CAREER  REFERENCE 

If  you  are  interested  in  a  career  with 
a  leading  processor  of  packaged 
convenience  foods  who  markets 
over  400  familiar  brand  products 
such  as:  MAXWELF  HOUSE, 
JEFF-O,  POST,  GAINES,  BIRDS 
EYE,  KOOF-AID.  SANKA, 
TANG,  SHAKE  'N  BAKE,  COOF 
WHIP  and  many  more.  .  . 

Contact  your  placement  office 
or  write  to: 

Technical  Careers  Dept.  T12-3 


GENERAL  FOODS 
CORPORATION 


250  North  Street 

White  Plains  New  York  10625 

An  Equal  Opportuniiy  Employer,  M/F  He. 


ment  with  the  Coast  Guard  Research  and 
Development  Center  at  Avery  Point.  Her 
husband,  a  research  assistant  in  crystallog- 
raphy at  the  Material  Science  Institute  at 
Storrs,  is  a  PhD  candidate  at  UConn. 

James  Altoonian,  a  member  of  the  trust 
investment  department  staff,  has  been  ele- 
vated to  bank  officer  status  as  an  assistant 
trust  officer  at  Detroit  Bank  &  Trust.  In 
1 974  he  joined  the  bank  as  an  investment 
analyst  in  the  management  science  de- 
partment. Since  then,  he  has  held  increas- 
ingly responsible  posts  in  the  personal  trust, 
trading  and  trust  investment  departments. 
He  has  his  MBA  from  the  Wharton  School 
of  Finance  at  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. 

Frances  Dupont,  MNS,  a  high  school 
mathematics  teacher  and  department 
chairman  in  Millbury,  Mass.,  has  been 
selected  as  the  town's  candidate  for  the 
national  teacher  of  the  year  award.  She 
graduated  from  Worcester  State  College 
and  has  taught  in  Millbury  since  1969.  She 
has  been  active  as  the  adviser  of  the  Honor 
Society.  Married,  she  is  the  mother  of  five 
children. 

Dr.  Terry  Fuller  holds  the  position  of 
biomedical  director  of  laser  surgery  at  Sinai 
Hospital  of  Detroit.  He  is  also  with  Medlase 
as  president  of  Photon  Sources  and  director 
of  the  Medical  Lasers  Division.  .  .  .  Thomas 
Staehr  is  a  piping  engineer  for  Townsend& 
Bottom  in  Ann  Arbor,  Mich. 


1973 


Secretary: 
lay  I.  Schnitzer 


Representative: 
Robert  R  Wood 


^■Married:  Michael  Divis  and  Miss  Mary  B. 
Tolland  on  August  19,  1978  in  Natick, 
Massachusetts.  Mrs.  Divis  attended  UMass 
and  Framingham  State  College.  The  bride- 
groom received  his  master's  degree  from 
the  University  of  Montana.  .  .  .  Alan  S. 
Edwards  and  Jayne  E.  Pendergast  on  Sep- 
tember 16,  1978  in  Leeds,  Massachusetts. 
The  bride,  a  computer  programmer  at 
Monarch  Life  Insurance  Co.,  graduated 
from  North  Adams  State  College.  She  is 
enrolled  in  the  MBA  program  at  Western 
New  England  College.  Her  husband,  who 
graduated  from  AIC,  is  with  Gerber  Scien- 
tific Instruments  in  South  Windsor,  Conn., 
where  he  serves  as  a  writer-photographer. 

P-Married:  Philip  C.  Mazzie  and  Janet 
Kurtyka  in  Indian  Orchard,  Massachusetts 
on  September  9,  1978.  Mrs.  Mazzie 
graduated  from  Springfield  Technical 
Community  College,  and  is  employed  by 
Prudential  Insurance  Co.  Her  husband  is 
employed  by  Atlantic  Tool  and  Machine 
Co. . . .  Richard  C.  Whipple  and  Christine  E. 
Morin  on  August  5, 1978  in  Massapequa, 
New  York.  Mrs.  Whipple  is  an  alumna  of 
the  State  University  at  Cortland,  and  was 
director  of  recreational  therapy  at  the  Con- 


valescent Center  in  Springfield,  Vt.  The 
groom  is  with  Combustion  Engineering  in 
Windsor,  Conn. 

►fiorn:  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Daniel  L.  Eide  a 
daughter,  Carrie  Campbell,  on  October  7, 
1 978.  Dan  is  plant  manager  at  Hammond 
Plastics  Midwest,  Inc.  in  Owensboro,  Ky. 
...  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  P.  Gosselin  a 
second  son,  Kevin  Patrick  on  May  27, 
1978.  Currently,  Gosselin  is  employed  as  a 
performance  analyst  in  software  develop- 
ment at  Digital  Equipment  Corp.  in 
Marlboro,  Mass. ...  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Robert 
Zawada  their  first  child  Kristen  Michelle  on 
October  14,  1978.  Bob  is  an  actuary  at 
William  M.  Mercer,  Inc.  in  Boston.  Pres- 
ently the  Zawadas  are  building  their  first 
house  in  Ashland,  Mass. 

Thomas  Beckman  is  a  scheduling  and 
planning  engineer  at  Gilbert  Associates, 
Inc.  in  Reading,  Pa.  .  .  .  David  Brown 
continues  with  Westinghouse  where  he  is  a 
mechanical  design  advanced  engineer  in 
the  Combustion  Turbine  Division  near 
Philadelphia.  His  present  job  assignments 
include  blade  and  vane  design,  rotor 
dynamics  analysis,  and  bearings.  Recently 
he  received  an  MSME  degree  and  a  profes- 
sional engineer's  license.  He  is  currently 
enrolled  in  an  evening  MBA  program.  The 
Browns  have  a  son,  James,  1 ,  and  live  in  an 
old,  quite  large  house  in  Swarthmore,  Pa. 
. . .  William  Elliott  is  taking  an  educational 
leave  of  absence  from  GE.  He  is  studying 
for  his  MBA  degree  at  Columbia  University 
in  New  York  City.  Formerly,  he  was  a  field 
engineer  for  GE  in  Salem,  Virginia. 

Dr.  Mark  Erasmus  is  serving  at  Public 
Health  Hospital  in  Gallup,  N.M.  He  and  his 
wife  Dianne  have  two  children. . . .  Mervyn 
Hamer  is  head  of  R  &  D  at  Gamma  Diag- 
nostic Labs  in  Attleboro  Falls,  Mass.  .  .  . 
Glen  Johnson  has  completed  requirements 
for  his  PhD  in  mechanical  engineering  at 
Vanderbilt  University.  Currently  he  is  serv- 
ing as  assistant  professor  at  Vanderbilt.  .  . . 
Darwin  Kovacs  works  as  a  computer  sys- 
tems analyst  at  Northeast  Utilities, 
Hartford,  Conn. . . .  Robert  Leach  is  produc- 
tion engineer  at  GE  in  Selkirk,  N.Y.  .  .  .  Phil 
Medeiros  holds  the  post  of  project  man- 
ager at  Riley  Stoker  Corp.  in  Worcester. 

Maryann  Bagdis  Pace  is  employed  as  a 
project  manager  at  National  CSS  in  Wilton, 
Conn.  .  .  .  Gregory  Pederson  of  Wappin- 
gers  Falls,  N.Y.  recently  accepted  a  post  at 
Texaco's  Beacon  Research  Laboratories. 
He  is  associate  mechanical  engineer  in  the 
automotive  lubricants  section. . . .  Michael 
Zack  is  a  consultant  at  Touche  Ross  &  Co.  in 
Chicago. 


1974 


Secretary 
James  F  Rubino 


Representative 
David  G  Lapre 


1975 


Secretary: 

James  D  Aceto,  Jr 


Representative: 
Frederick  J  Cordelia 


^■Married:  Robert  J.  Baccaro  and  Miss 
Lorene  Erb  in  Dalton,  Massachusetts  on 
August  12,  1978.  A  biologist,  the  bride  is 
employed  by  the  City  of  Pittsfield.  She 
graduated  from  the  College  of  Our  Lady  of 
the  Elms.  Her  husband  is  a  project  engineer 
for  Pfizer  Corporation  in  Adams,  Mass. . . . 
Kenneth  M.  Dunn  and  Susan  E.  Place  on 
August  26,  1978  in  Taunton,  Mas- 
sachusetts. The  bride  graduated  from  the 
Fall  River  Diploma  School  of  Nursing  and  is 
a  registered  nurse.  Her  husband  works  for 
Betz  Process  Chemicals  of  the  Woodlands, 

Texas Robert  C.  Lerner  to  Miss  Diane  L. 

Turner  on  September  30,  1 978  in  Roches- 
ter, New  York.  Mrs.  Lerner  attended 
Genesee  Community  College.  Both  the 


^■Married:  Robert  P.  Cikatz  on  October 
21 ,  1978  in  Hartford,  Connecticut.  Mrs. 
Cikatz,  a  research  assistant  at  Charles 
Pfizer,  Inc.  in  Groton,  graduated  from  St. 
Joseph  College,  West  Hartford  with  a  BS  in 
chemistry.  The  bridegroom  is  with  United 
Nuclear  Corp. . . .  Bruce  A.  Webster  to  Miss 
Paula  J.  Schmitterin  Longmeadow,  Mas- 
sachusetts on  August  12,  1978.  The  bride 
graduated  from  Westfield  State  College 
and  is  employed  as  a  teacher-counselor  in 
the  3R  program  with  the  Cooperative  Spe- 
cial Services  Center  in  East  Granby,  Conn. 
Her  husband  is  an  electronics  engineer  for 
ARP  Instruments  of  Lexington,  Mass. 

Steven  Alviti  holds  the  post  of  vice  presi- 
dent of  BelairTool  Co.  in  Warwick,  R.I.  . . . 
Dean  Anderson  works  as  a  construction 
superintendent  for  the  BSP  division  of  En- 
virotech  Corp.,  Belmont,  Calif.  He  resides  in 
Duluth,  Minnesota. . .  .  Robert  Becker  is  a 
staff  programmer  at  Bedford  Computer  in 
Bedford,  Mass.  .  .  .  William  Block  works  as 
a  systems  analyst  at  the  Research  Corpora- 
tion in  Wethersfield,  Conn. . . .  James 
Edwards,  who  has  his  MS  from  UConn,  is 
currently  a  grad  student  at  the  University  of 
Delaware  in  Newark. 

Gary  Gastiger  is  a  construction  engineer 
with  Stone  &  Webster  in  Mineral,  Va. .  . . 
Alan  Judd  has  been  promoted  to  manufac- 
turing engineer  for  GE  in  Hickory,  N.C. . . . 
Jeff  Lindberg  is  a  manufacturing  engineer 
at  Norton  Co.,  Worcester.  .  .  .  Robert 
Lindberg,  Jr.  serves  as  a  research  physicist 
at  the  Naval  Research  Laboratory  in 
Washington,  D.C.  . .  .  Mary  Lynch  (Down- 
ing) Voshell  is  now  a  contract  engineer  at 
Brown  &  Root,  Inc.  in  Houston,  Texas. 


34 1  December  1978  I  The  WP1  Journal 


bride  and  the  groom  are  employed  by 
Xerox  Corp.  The  bridegroom  has  also  at- 
tended the  University  of  Rochester. 

^■Married:  Paul  S.  Loomis  and  Theresa 
E.  Klein  in  Woodbury  Heights,  New  Jersey 
on  September  9,  1978.  Mrs.  Loomis 
graduated  from  Glassboro  State  College 
and  Gloucester  County  (N.J.)  College  with 
a  degree  in  nursing.  She  is  on  the  staff  of 
Memorial  Hospital  in  Carbondale.  Her  hus- 
band is  a  process  engineer  with  Tuck  Indus- 
tries, Carbondale,  III.  .  .  .  Jeffrey  H.  Moody 
and  Miss  Donna  R.  Geyer  on  September 
16,  1978  in  Tariffville,  Connecticut.  Mrs. 
Moody,  who  graduated  from  UConn, 
teaches  at  the  Living  and  Learning  Center 
in  West  Hartford.  The  groom  is  with  the 
Torrington  Company.  .  .  .  Robert  P.  Morin 
and  Deborah  J.  Coates  on  September  23, 
1978  in  Dublin,  New  Hampshire.  The  bride, 
a  physical  therapist,  graduated  from  Quin- 
nipiac  College,  Hamden,  Conn. . . .  Mark  R. 
Swain  to  Diane  J.  Nakashian  on  August  1 9, 
1978  in  Wayland,  Massachusetts.  Mrs. 
Swain,  a  student  at  the  Worcester  Craft 
Center,  attended  the  Worcester  Art 
Museum  School  and  is  employed  by  Sears, 
Roebuck  &  Co.  The  groom  serves  as  a 
senior  systems  programmer  for  the  Boston 
Systems  Office. 

>Born:  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  David  B.  Fowler 
a  daughter  Heather  Lyndsay  on  August  25, 
1978.  ...  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kimberley  R. 
Mains  a  son  Joshua  Kyle  on  August  23, 
1978.  Mains  is  a  software  engineer  at 
Digital  Equipment  Corp.  in  Maynard,  Mass. 
John  Batt  holds  the  post  of  region  tech- 
nical supervisor  of  specialty  gases  at  Union 
Carbide's  Linde  Division  in  South  Plainfield, 
N.J.  . .  .  Martin  Burgwinkle,  Jr.  is  a  cost 
engineer  at  Arthur  G.  McKee  in  Cleveland, 
Ohio.  .  .  .  Denise  Gorski,  former  research 
coordinator  in  the  university  relations  office 
at  WPI,  is  now  an  associate  industrial  en- 
gineer for  IBM  in  Poughkeepsie,  N.Y. . . . 
Stephen  Hernon  works  for  Lambda  Tech, 

Inc.  in  Los  Angeles,  Calif Michael  Irwin 

is  a  product  development  engineer  at  Proc- 
ter &  Gamble  Co.  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

Clifford  Nelson,  SIM,  has  been  named 
plant  superintendent  for  Rathbone  Corpo- 
ration, Palmer,  Mass.  He  will  be  responsible 
for  all  manufacturing  and  tooling  opera- 
tions, including  the  development  of  new 
shapes  and  processes.  Earlier,  he  had  been 
product  and  plant  manager  for  New  En- 
gland High  Carbon  Wire  in  Millbury.  He 
has  had  twenty-five  years  of  experience  in 
the  wire  industry.  Rathbone  Corporation  is 
a  leading  producer  of  special  cold  rolled 
and  drawn  precision  profile  shapes  and 
pinion  rods  in  steels,  stainless  steels,  and 
copper  alloys.  It  is  a  wholly-owned  sub- 
sidiary of  Handy  &  Harman.  .  .  .  Paul 
O'Brien  works  as  assistant  manager  at 

Anchor  Wire  Rope  in  Boston 1/Lt. 

Barrett  Pett,  U.S.  Army,  has  been  assigned 
to  the  3rd  Air  Defense  Artillery  at  Fort 
Campbell,  Ky. 


MORGAN 

CONSTRUCTION  COMPANY 


15   Belmont  Street.   Worcester,   Mass.   01605 

Serving  the  Ferrous  and  Non- Ferrous  World  Markets  since  1888  as 
Engineers  and  Manufacturers  of  Rolling  Mills,  Morgoil  Bearings, 
Wire  Drawing  Machinery  and  Furnace  Equipment 


iamesbury 


manufacturers  of 

Double-Seal  ©Ball  Valves 

Wafer-Sphere®  Butterfly  Valves 

Actuators 

Control  Devices 

Jamesbury  Corp  •  640  Lincoln  Street  •  Worcester.  Mass  01605 


Penn  Pixley  is  a  project  engineer  at  the 
Celotex  Corp.  in  Quincy,  III.  .  .  .  Claudio 
Polselli  is  with  the  Army  Corps  of  Engineers 
in  Waltham,  Mass. . . .  Paul  Rojko  serves  as 
a  mechanical  engineer  with  the  U.S.  Air 
Force. .  .  .  Robert  Simon  has  taken  a  new 
position  as  supervisor  of  the  pitch  forming 
department  at  Allied  Chemical  Corp., 
Semet-Solvay  Division,  in  Detroit,  Michi- 
gan. 


1976 


Secretary 

Paula  E  Stratouly 


Representative 
Lynne  M  Buckley 


^■Married:  Fred  S.  Baker  III  and  Miss  Carol 
A.  Niquette  on  September  16,  1978  in 
South  Hadley,  Massachusetts.  Mrs.  Baker 
attended  Westfield  State  College.  Her  hus- 
band serves  as  a  product  development 
engineer  for  Ludlow  Papers  and  Packaging 
in  Holyoke,  Mass.  . .  .  Daniel  A.  Carfi  and 
Suzanne  McGalliard  on  October  21,  1978 
in  Morristown,  New  Jersey.  Mrs.  Garfi 
graduated  from  Montclair  State  College 
and  is  presently  employed  as  a  systems 


analyst  at  INSCO  Systems  Corp.  in  Nep- 
tune, N.J.  Recently  the  groom  accepted  a 
position  as  a  technical  representative  for 
Spiridellis  &  Associates,  a  New  York  City- 
based  data  processing  consulting  firm. 

^■Married:  Paul  J.  Grogan  and  Miss 
Donna  M.  Roy  in  Worcester  on  June  2, 
1978.  Mrs.  Grogan  graduated  from  Holy 
Cross.  Her  husband,  who  has  a  master's 
degree  from  Carnegie-Mellon  University,  is 
with  the  Argonne  (III.)  National  Laboratory. 
. . .  Roger  L.  Rowe  to  Catherine  Grondin  in 
Orange,  Massachusetts  on  August  1 2 , 
1978.  The  bride  received  as  associate's 
degree  in  graphic  design  from  Greenfield 
Community  College.  The  bridegroom  is  an 
applications  engineer  for  S.P.S. 
Technologies  in  Houston,  Texas. 

Douglas  Adams  was  recently  named  an 
associate  of  the  Society  of  Actuaries.  To 
qualify,  he  successfully  completed  five 
examinations,  administered  by  the  Society, 
on  mathematics,  probability  and  statistics, 
risk  theory,  compound  interest,  numerical 
analysis,  and  life  contingencies.  Actuaries 
are  mathematicians  who  study  and  evalu- 
ate the  insurance-related  risks  posed  by 
uncertain  future  events  and  the  financial 
impact  these  events  involve.  Adams  is  an 


fStfl 


■mtiiiiMifiimwt 


The  WPI  Journal  I  December  1 978  35 


actuarial  assistant  with  the  Massachusetts 
Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company  in 
Springfield. 

Gary  Anderson  holds  the  post  of  vice 
president  of  Anderson  Artesian  Well  Co.  in 
Worcester. .  .  .  Mark  Antonio,  who  re- 
ceived his  MS  in  chemistry  from  Fairleigh 
Dickinson  University  in  June,  is  currently  a 
graduate  teaching  assistant  pursuing  his 
PhD  in  chemistry  at  Michigan  State  Univer- 
sity in  East  Lansing.  Formerly,  he  was  with 

Warner-Lambert  Co Al  Briggs,  still 

working  as  a  maintenance  engineer  for  du 
Pont  in  LaPlace,  Louisiana,  has  begun 
working  toward  his  MBA  degree  part  time 
at  the  University  of  New  Orleans.  He 
writes:  "After  two  years  of  retirement  and 
four  months  of  training,  I  entered  and 
completed  my  first  marathon  run  in 
3:11:12.  I  had  a  2:55  pace  going  for  22 
miles,  but  the  85  degree  heat  took  its  toll.  I 
still  hope  to  qualify  for  Boston  in  1979." 

Jeremy  Brown  and  James  Buss,  mem- 
bers of  the  actuarial  department  at  State 
Mutual  Life  Assurance  Company,  Worces- 
ter, were  recently  designated  as  associates 
of  the  Society  of  Actuaries. . . .  William 
Casey,  Jr.,  is  a  systems  management  pro- 
grammer at  Coghlin  Electric  Co.,  Worces- 
ter. .  .  .  Mark  Deutsch  is  currently  studying 
for  his  MBA  at  Wharton.  ...  In  July,  Ed 
Griffin  joined  Spectral  Dynamics  Corp., 
DYMAC,  in  San  Diego  as  a  field  engineer. 
He  monitors  and  analyzes  vibration  and 
noise  in  rotating  machines. . . .  John  Grif- 
fiths is  a  transit  project  planner  for  the 
Capitol  Region  Council  of  Governments, 
Hartford,  Conn. 

Jim  Hall  is  now  a  staff  engineer  in  the 
synthetics  department  at  Procter  &  Gamble 
in  Quincy,  Mass.  He  is  in  charge  of  all  new 
formulations'  changes  and  construction. 
. . .  John  Kowalchuck,  who  has  his  MSEE  in 
communications  from  WPI,  is  a  member  of 
the  technical  staff  at  Mitre  Corp.  in  Bed- 
ford, Mass. . . .  Joseph  Lucchesi  took  his 
first  vows  in  the  Passionist  Community  of 
the  Province  of  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross  in  West 
Hartford,  Conn,  on  August  13th.  He  at- 
tended LaSalle  University.  .  .  .  Currently 
John  Mangiagli  is  a  grad  student  in  the 
ME  department  at  WPI. . . .  Joseph  Mar- 
towski  works  as  a  sales  engineer  at  GE  in 
Pittsfield,  Mass.  . . .  Tom  McAloon  is  a 
design  review  engineer  for  the  New  Hamp- 
shire Water  Supply  and  pollution  control 
commission  in  Concord,  N.H. 

Robert  Milk,  Jr.  is  a  system  engineer  at 
Electronic  Data  System,  Dallas,  Texas.  . . . 
William  Mullen  is  a  hydraulic  engineer 
with  the  Army  Corps  of  Engineers  in 
Waltham,  Mass.  .  . .  Continuing  with  Ex- 
xon, Paula  Stratouly  is  presently  an  indus- 
trial sales  representative  for  the  company  in 
Pittsburgh.  . . .  Joseph  Winston  serves  as 
systems  engineerat  IBM  in  Providence,  R.I. 


1977 


Secretary: 

Judith  E  Scherben 


Representative: 
Christopher  D  Baker 


36 1  December  1 978  I  The  WPI  Journal 


^-Married:  Paul  D.  Cadorette  and  Joanne 
C.  Racine  in  Manville,  Rhode  Island  on 
October  14,  1978.  Mrs.  Cadorette 
graduated  from  Lincoln  High  School.  . . . 
Stephen  J.  LeBlanc  and  Lillian  M.  Prucnal 
on  August  26,  1978  in  Hatfield,  Mas- 
sachusetts. The  bride  graduated  from  Regis 
College.  She  is  church  organist  and  choir 
director  at  St.  Mathias  Church  in  Marlboro. 
Her  husband  serves  as  an  electronics  design 
engineer  at  Analogic  in  Wakefield,  Mass. 
. . .  Edward  J.  Smith  and  Marie  C.  Reymore 
of  Swedesboro,  New  Jersey  on  August  19, 
1978.  Mrs.  Smith  graduated  from 
LeMoyne  College  in  Syracuse,  N.Y.  The 
groom  is  a  corporate  engineer  with 
Beecham  Products  of  Pittsburgh,  Pa.  For- 
merly, he  was  a  manufacturing  mainte- 
nance supervisor  at  Bristol  Labs  in  Syracuse. 

Allan  Clarke  is  an  R  &  D  engineer  at 
American  Can  Corp.,  Neenah,  Wisconsin. 
. . .  Stephen  Coleman  has  been  named  as 
an  associate  of  the  Society  of  Actuaries.  He 
is  with  State  Mutual  Life  Assurance  Com- 
pany in  Worcester,  where  he  started  work- 
ing a  year  ago  in  the  pension  actuarial 
department  as  an  actuarial  assistant. . . . 
Jeffrey  Firestone  serves  as  a  senior  man- 
ufacturing engineer  at  Rocketdyne 
(Rockwell,  International),  Canoga  Park, 
Calif      .  John  Foley,  Jr.  works  as  a 
mechanical  design  engineer  at  Pratt  & 
Whitney  Aircraft  in  East  Hartford,  Conn. 
He  and  his  wife  Deborah  reside  in  Glaston- 
bury, Conn. 

Jim  Gado  has  taken  a  position  with  W.R. 
Grace  Company  in  Lexington,  Mass.  as  a 
process  chemist.  He  resides  in  Somerville, 
Mass. . . .  Linda  Weiss  Kleiman  is  a  civil 
engineer  I  in  the  Public  Works  Department, 
engineering  division,  in  the  City  of  Char- 
lotte, N.C. . . .  Jim  Lunney  has  been 
transferred  to  the  Portsmouth  location  of 
General  Electric  Company.  He  has  taken  up 
jogging  as  a  daily  activity. . . .  Richard 
Mazmanian  serves  as  a  highway  engineer  II 
for  the  Maryland  State  Highway  Adminis- 
tration in  Baltimore. 

John  Nowosacki  is  a  communications 
system  design  engineer  at  GTE  Sylvania  in 
Needham  Heights,  Mass.  He  also  is  a  cus- 
tom loudspeaker  designer  for  Lebiced  Sys- 
tems in  Dedham.  Currently,  he  is  in  the 
master's  program  in  computer  science  at 
BU. .  .  .  Andrew  Sayles  is  site  engineer  at 
Walsh  Construction  Company  in  Lycom- 
ing, N.Y. .  .  .  Herbert  Schiller  works  as  a 
quality  control  engineer  at  Foremost  Mfg. 

Co.,  Union,  N.J William  Shoop  is  now  a 

manufacturing  management  trainee  at  GE 
in  Burlington,  Vt.  .  . .  IgorShulyak  is 
employed  by  Chrysler  Corp.  in  Detroit. .  . . 
Lance  Sunderlin  now  works  for  Anaconda 
Company  in  Sycamore,  III.  .  .  .  Gordon 
Walton  is  a  design  engineer  at  Texas  In- 
struments in  Houston.  He  received  his 
MSEE  from  Northwestern  University  in 
September. 


1978 

Secretary 
Cindy  Grynick 

^Married:  Mark  S.  Belmonte  and  Linda  J. 

Courville  on  June  10, 1978  in  Worcester. 
Mrs.  Belmonte  is  with  Westinghouse  in 
Monroeville,  Pa.  Her  husband  is  employed 
at  Bettis  Atomic  Laboratories,  West  Mifflin, 
Pa.  . . .  Mark  S.  Etre  to  Miss  Ann  L. 
Masiunas  in  Warehouse  Point,  Connecti- 
cut, on  June  17,1 978.  The  bride  attends 
the  University  of  Connecticut.  The  bride- 
groom is  with  Pratt  &  Whitney  Division  of 
United  Technologies,  in  East  Hartford, 
Conn. 

^■Married:  Pierre  A.  Fleurantand 
Catherine  A.  Kerley  in  New  Haven,  Con- 
necticut on  September  23,  1978.  Mrs. 
Fleurant  also  attended  Norwalk  State 
Technical  College.  She  is  employed  at  the 
Dandelion  Green  Restaurant  in  Burlington, 
Mass.  The  groom  is  an  assistant  electrical 
engineer  in  the  missile  systems  division  of 
the  Raytheon  Co.  in  Bedford. . . .  John  H. 
Moulton  to  Miss  Robin  Smith  in  Elmira, 
New  York,  on  August  12,  1978.  The  bride 
graduated  from  Garland  Junior  College  and 
attended  Boston  University.  Her  husband 
works  for  Robert  Bosch  Corp.  in  Stuttgart, 
West  Germany. 

Bernice  Albetski  is  a  programmer  for 
American  Can  in  Greenwich,  Conn.  .  . . 
Nels  Anderson  recently  joined  Honeywell's 
Minicomputer  Systems  and  Terminals  Op- 
eration in  Billerica,  Mass.  He  is  an  associate 
engineer  in  the  terminal  engineering  de- 
partment. He  belongs  to  Eta  Kappa  Nu  and 
the  Wellesley  Amateur  Radio  Society.  . . . 
James  Burgarella  is  an  associate  engineer 
in  digital  electronics  at  Raytheon  in  Way- 
land,  Mass Michael  Castonguay  works 

as  a  nuclear  engineer  at  Yankee  Atomic 
Electric  Co.,  Westboro,  Mass. .  .  .  Brian 
Clang  and  Lawrence  Hindle  jointly  won  a 
$250  fourth  prize  in  the  1978  student 
engineering  design  comptetition  of  the 
James  F.  Lincoln  Arc  Welding  Foundation, 
Cleveland.  Their  project  was  the  design  of  a 
cable-stayed  H-frame  structure,  while  they 
were  undergraduates.  WPI  students  won 
four  out  of  thirteen  national  awards  in  the 
structural  division  of  the  competition. 

Andrew  Corman  has  joined  Turner  Con- 
struction Co.,  Boston,  as  a  field  engineer. 
. . .  Gerard  DelPriore  is  employed  as  a 
custom  products  engineer  for  the  GenRad 
Company  in  Concord,  Mass. . . .  Raymond 
Dunn  has  been  accepted  for  graduate  work 
in  medicine  at  Albany  Medical  College.  . . . 
Paul  Fearnside  has  joined  VOP  Corp.,  Des 
Plaines,  III.,  as  a  process  engineer —  David 
Fisher  is  in  the  sales  and  commercial  air 
conditioning  division  at  Trane  Co.  in  La- 
crosse, Wis. . . .  Robert  Fritsch  is  studying 
for  his  MS  in  electrical  engineering  at  WPI. . 
. .  Carl  Gerstle  designs  new  computer 
products  at  Digital  Equipment  Corp.  in 
Maynard,  Mass. 


Karen  Hayes  is  a  data  processing  en- 
gineer at  J.E.  Sirrine  Co.  in  Greenville,  S.C. 
. .  .  David  Jacqmin  is  a  teaching  fellow  at 
Harvard  University.  .  .  .  Kenneth  Kummins 
has  accepted  a  post  as  nuclear  plant  en- 
gineer trainee  at  Westinghouse's  Bettis 
Atomic  Power  Lab.,  Naval  Reactors  Facility 
in  Idaho  Falls,  Idaho.  .  . .  Scott  Lentz  is  a 
field  engineer  with  control  systems  at  Fox- 
boro  Co.  in  Wrentham,  Mass.  .  .  .  Francis 
Luttazi  has  been  employed  by  Camp 
Dresser  &  McKee,  Boston,  as  a  structural 
engineer.  .  .  .  Michael  Neece  recently 
joined  Honeywell's  minicomputer  systems 
and  terminals  operation  in  Brighton,  Mass. 
He  is  a  participant  in  the  company's  man- 
ufacturing management  program,  a 
three-year  program.  He  will  also  attend 
in-house  technical  training  courses  and  will 
pursue  two  master's  degrees  in  manufac- 
turing engineering  and  in  business  adminis- 
tration from  BU.  .  .  .  Kevin  O'Donnell  has 
been  accepted  for  graduate  study  in  optics 
at  the  University  of  Rochester. 

Bruce  Olsen  is  a  graduate  student  in 
mechanical  engineering  at  MIT. . . . 
Thomas  Roberts  works  as  a  field  service 
engineerfor  Babcock  &  Wilcox  in  the  Fossil 
Power  Division,  Barberton,  Ohio.  .  .  .  Barry 
Rogers  is  with  Austin  Co.,  mining  and 
metals  division,  in  Cleveland,  Ohio.  He  is 
concerned  with  structural  design  of  heavy 
industrial  buildings.  .  .  .  Andrew  Tannen- 
baum  has  taken  employment  with  Western 
Electric  Co.,  Whippany,  N.J.,  where  he  is  an 
information  systems  designer  and  com- 
puter scientist.  .  .  .  Patty  Tracy  has  joined 
Kemper  Insurance  Co.,  North  Quincy, 
Mass.,  where  she  is  working  as  a  fire  safety 
engineer.  She  does  inspection  and  failure 
analysis.  .  . .  Eduardo  Valcarce  serves  as  a 
development  engineer  at  Monsanto  in 
Springfield,  Mass. 

Edward  Viner  works  as  a  product  design 
engineer  at  Farrel  in  Ansonia,  Conn. . . . 
Michael  Walker  is  with  Turner  Construc- 
tion in  Boston.  He  is  involved  with  con- 
struction management. . . .  John  Zimmeris 
a  mechanical  design  engineer  at  Bettis 
Atomic  Power  Laboratory.  He  is  concerned 
with  the  designing  and  manufacturing  of 
fueling  equipment  for  nuclear-powered 
ships.  He  resides  in  Monroeville,  Pa. 


U.S     POSTAL  SERVICE 


STATEMENT  OF  OWNERSHIP,  MANAGEMENT  AND  CIRCULATION 

(Required  by  39  U.S. C  3685) 


I.  TITLE  OF  PUBLICATION 

Ti    P    I    jo; 


3.  FREQUENCY   OF  ISSUE 

August,  September,  October,  Dec,  Feb,  April 


A.   PUBLICATION   NO 


A      NO.   OF  ISSUES  PUBLISHED 
ANNUALLY 

6 


2.  DATE   OF  FILING 

31  August  1978 


B.     ANNUAL  SUBSCRIPTION 
PRICE 

$5.00 


4.  location  OF  known  OFFICE  OF  PUBLICATION  (Street,  City,  County.  State  and  ZIP  Code)  (Not  printer*) 

Boynton  Hall,  Worcester  Polytechnic  Institute,  Worcester,  MA  01609  ^  ofisJ£$-r£&    CcO/z-f-^' 


5.  LOCATION   OF  THE   HEADQUARTERS  OR  GENERAL  BUSINESS  OFFICES  OF  THE  PUBLISHERS  (Not  printer*) 


same  j>£      // q     y 


NAMES  AND  COMPLETE  AODRESSES  OF  PUBLISHER,  EDITOR.  ANO  MANAGING  EDITOR 


publisher  (Name  and  Address) 

Worcester  Polytechnic  Institute,  Worcester,  MA  01609 


EDITOR  (Name  and  Address) 

H.  Russell  Kay,  Worcester  Polytechnic  Institute,  Worcester,  MA  01609 


managing  EDITOR  (Name  and  Address) 

none 


7.  OWNE  R  (If  owned  by  a  corporation,  its  name  and  address  must  be  stated  and  also  immediately  thereunder  the  names  and  addresses  of  stock- 
holders owning  or  holding  I  percent  or  more  of  total  amount  of  stock.  If  not  owned  by  a  corporation,  the  names  and  addresses  of  the  individual 
owners  must  be  given.  If  owned  by  a  partnership  or  other  unincorporated  firm,  its  name  and  address,  as  well  as  that  of  each  individual  must 
be  given.) 


Worcester  Polytechnic  Institute 


ADDRESS 


Worcester,  MA  01609 


,4/s+s+cj-f~£    AjD 


KNOWN  BONDHOLDERS,  MORTGAGEES,  AND  OTHER  SECURITY  HOLDERS  OWNING  OR  HOLDING  1  PERCENT  OR  MORE  OF 
TOTAL  AMOUNT  OF  BONDS,  MORTGAGES  OR  OTHER  SECURITIES  (If  there  are  none,  so  state) 


ADDRESS 


iiLJllf 


9.  FOR  COMPLETION  BY  NONPROFIT  ORGANIZATIONS  AUTHORIZED  TO  MAIL  AT  SPECIAL  RATES  (Section  132.122.  PSM) 
The  purpose,  function,  and  nonprofit  status  of  this  organization  and  the  exempt  status  for  Federal  income  tax  purposes  (Chech  one) 

Hhave  NOT  changed  during            ~~ ]  have  changed  during  /        (If  changed,  publishefmust  submit  explanation  of  change 

PRECEDING    12  MONTHS  | |  PRECEDING    12  MONTHS  With  this  Statement.)/ 


EXTENT  AND  NATURE  OF  CIRCULATION 


A.    TOTAL  NO.  COPIES  PRINTED  (Net  Press  Run) 


B.     PAID  CIRCULATION 

1.    SALES  THROUGH    DEALERS  AND  CARRIERS,  STREET 
VENDORS  AND  COUNTER  SALES 


2.    MAIL  SUBSCRIPTIONS 


C.     TOTAL  PAID  CIRCULATION  (Sum  of  I0B1  and  10B2) 


D.     FREE   DISTRIBUTION   BY    MAIL,  CARRIER  OR   OTHER   MEANS 
SAMPLES,  COMPLIMENTARY,   ANO  OTHER   FREE  COPIES 


E.    total  DISTRIBUTION  (Sum  of  C  and  D) 


F.     COPIES  NOT   DISTRIBUTED 

1.    OFFICE  USE,  LEFT  OVER,   UNACCOUNTED.  SPOILED 
AFTER   PRINTING 


2.     RETURNS   FROM   NEWS   AGENTS 


G.    TOTAL  (Sum  of  E,  Fl  and  2— should  equal  net  press  run  shown 
in  A) 


ii.    I  certify  that  the  statements  made  by  me 
above  are  correct  and  complete. 


k 


AVERAGE  NO.  COPIES  EACH 
ISSUE  DURING  PRECEDING 
12  MONTHS 


18,917 


16,311 


16,311 


1,135 


17,446 


1,471 


18,917 


ACTUAL  NO.  COPIES  OF  SINGLE 

ISSUE  PUBLISHED  NEAREST  TO 

FILING  DATE 


18,015 


16,499 


16,499 


1,131 


17,630 


385 


18,015 


SIGNATURE   AND  TITLE  OF  EDITOR,  PUBLISHER,  BUSINESS 
MANAGER.  CM?  OWNER 


12.  FOR  COMPLETION  BY  PUBLISHERS  MAILING  AT  THE   REGULAR  RATES  (Section  132.121.  Post&Service  Manual) 


39  U.  S.  C.  3626  provides  in  pertinent  part:  "No  person  who  would  have  been  entitled  to  mall  matter  under  former  section  4359  of  this  title 
shall  mail  such  matter  at  the  rates  provided  under  this  subsection  unless  he  files  annually  with  the  Postal  Service  a  written  request  for  permission 
to  mail  matter  at  such  rates." 

In  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  this  statute,  I  herebv  request  permission  to  mail  the  publication  named  in  Item  1  at  the  phased  postage 
rates  presently  authorized  by  39  U.  S.  C.  3626. 


SIGNATURE   AND  TITLE  OF   EDITOR.  PUBLISHER.   BUSINESS  MANAGER,  OR   OWNER 


3rd 

Annual 

Alumni 

Basketball 

Night 


February  3,  1978 
WPI  vs.  Suffolk 

Varsity  8:00  p.m. 

JV  6:00  p.m. 

Game,  Reception,  Raffle,  Door  prizes  for 

the  kids! 

Bring  the  whole  family  and  cheer  on  the 
"New  Look"  Engineers. 

The  WPI  Journal  I  December  1978137 


IHMIMMM 


Victor  Siegfried,  a  former  assistant  profes- 
sor of  electrical  engineering  at  WPI,  died  on 
June  8,  1978  in  Stanford  University  Hospi- 
tal in  California,  following  a  short  illness. 

He  received  his  BA  from  Stanford  in  1930 
and  his  electrical  engineering  degree  in 
1 932  after  two  years  as  a  fellow  at  the  Ryan 
High  Voltage  Laboratory  at  Stanford.  He 
also  attended  Harvard  University. 

Prof.  Siegfried  was  an  instructor  of  elec- 
trical engineering  at  WPI  from  1933  to 
1937,  and  was  named  an  assistant  profes- 
sor in  1937.  He  remained  at  WPI  until 
1944. 

Later,  he  did  research  for  several  firms 
before  joining  Lockheed  Missiles  and  Space 
Co.  in  1963.  A  specialist  in  high  voltage 
cables,  he  was  an  electrical  researcher  and 
safety  engineer  before  his  retirement  in 
1975. 

Mr.  Siegfried,  a  native  of  Seattle,  was  a 
past  president  and  fellow  of  the  Institute  of 
Electrical  and  Electronics  Engineers,  and 
also  belonged  to  Theta  Chi,  Eta  Kappa  Nu, 
and  the  First  Church  of  Christ,  Scientist. 

He  had  received  the  IEEE  Fellow  Award 
for  his  contributions  to  the  field  of  dielec- 
trics and  cable  insulation  and  had  chaired 
the  1974  IEEE  Symposium  on  Elec- 
tromagnetic Compatibility. 

James  J.  Herrion,  former  head  basketball 
coach  at  WPI,  died  in  Worcester  on  August 
9,  1978.  He  was  51. 

Born  in  Yonkers,  N.Y.  on  Sept.  21 ,  1926, 
he  lived  most  of  his  life  there.  He  received 
his  BA  from  lona  College  in  1950,  and 
subsequently  did  graduate  work  at  New 
York  University,  Fordham  University,  and 
Worcester  State  College. 

He  coached  varsity  basketball  from  1 952 
to  1964  at  Sacred  Heart  High  School  in 
Yonkers,  where  his  teams  notched  1 57 
wins  against  67  losses.  He  taught  at  Sacred 
Heart  for  fourteen  years,  and  at  Pearl  River 
(N.Y.)  High  School  for  one  year.  As  assist- 
ant varsity  coach  and  freshman  coach  at 
Holy  Cross  between  1965  and  1968,  he 
had  overwhelmingly  winningseasons,  with 
one  freshman  team  holding  a  19-1  record. 
In  1968,  he  became  a  guidance  counselor 
atTantasqua  Regional  High  School  in  Stur- 
bridge. 

38 1  December  1 978 1  The  WPI  Journal 


He  was  named  interim  coach  of  WPI 
basketball  in  1969,  and  gave  the  Engineers 
a  winning  record  (1 1  - 1 0)  for  the  first  time 
in  several  years.  He  was  appointed  to  the 
WPI  faculty  in  the  spring  of  1970.  While  at 
WPI,  he  also  served  as  assistant  track 
coach,  and  helped  Coach  Merl  Norcross 
put  together  WPI's  first  undefeated,  untied 
track  season. 

In  1975  he  resigned  from  WPI  to  become 
a  guidance  counselor  at  Shepherd  Hill  High 
School  in  Dudley,  Mass. 

He  was  a  former  basketball  official,  a 
past  president  of  the  Westchester  County 
Board  No.  52,  and  a  member  of  the  Inter- 
national Association  of  Approved  Basket- 
ball Officials.  He  was  a  World  War  II  Navy 
veteran. 

Dr.  Maurice  E.  Smith,  a  professor  emeritus 
in  chemistry  at  WPI,  died  on  June  5, 1 978  in 
Worcester  City  Hospital. 

Affiliated  with  WPI  for  over  fifty  years, 
he  was  considered  an  expert  in  the  field  of 
sanitary  chemistry. 

Dr.  Smith  was  born  in  Fredericton,  N.B., 
Canada  on  July  20,  1891 ,  and  came  to 
Worcester  in  1920.  He  received  his  BA  in 
chemistry  and  natural  science  from  the 
University  of  New  Brunswick  in  Frederic- 
ton,  and  his  master's  degree  and  a  docto- 
rate in  chemistry  from  the  University  of 
Toronto. 

For  a  year  he  was  a  lecturer  at  Queens 
University  in  Kingston,  Ontario.  For  two 
years,  before  joining  the  staff  at  WPI,  he 
was  an  analyst  for  the  Canadian  Food  and 
Drug  Administration  in  Halifax,  N.S., 
Canada. 

He  was  an  instructor  in  the  WPI  chemis- 
try department  for  over  forty  years  and 
became  professor  emeritus  upon  his  re- 
tirement in  1962.  He  continued  directing  a 
private  laboratory  in  analytic  chemistry  in 
affiliation  with  WPI  until  his  retirement 
from  that  post  in  1974. 

Dr.  Smith  belonged  to  ACS  and  SigmaXi. 
He  was  listed  in  Who's  Who  in  the  United 
States,  Who's  Who  in  Canada,  Who's  Who 
in  the  World,  and  the  American  Men  of 
Science.  He  was  a  past  president  of  the 
Worcester  Medical  Milk  Commission. 

Benjamin  D.  Foot,  '03,  died  in  Saratoga, 
New  York  on  June  6,  1978.  He  was  98 
years  old. 

Born  on  March  13,  1880  in  Pittsfield, 
Mass.,  he  later  graduated  from  WPI  with  a 
BS  in  electrical  engineering.  From  1903  to 
1946  he  worked  for  General  Electric  Co., 
Schenectady,  N.Y.  in  the  design  of  induc- 
tion gear  motors.  He  was  a  registered 
professional  engineer  in  the  state  of  New 
York. 

For  over  seventy  years  he  remained  ac- 
tive in  singing,  having  been  a  member  of 
the  Shubert  Club  singing  group  in  Schenec- 
tady and  of  several  church  choirs.  He  was 
the  author  of  two  WPI  songs  published  in 
"The  Tech  Songbook"  of  1914:  "Polly 
Wolly"  and  "Thermodynamics."  He  was  a 
former  president  of  the  Schenectady  chap- 
ter of  the  Alumni  Association. 


W.  Bartlett  Jones,  '16,  of  Chicago,  Illinois, 
a  retired  patent  lawyer,  died  on  February  6, 
1978. 

He  was  born  on  March  14,  1895  in 
Quincy,  Mass.  In  1916  he  earned  his  BS  in 
chemistry  at  WPI.  In  1925,  he  received  his 
LLB  from  Chicago  Kent  College  of  Law. 
From  1 91 7  to  1 92 1  he  was  a  chemist  at 
National  Aniline  &  Chemical  Co.  in  Buffalo, 
N.Y.  Later  he  was  a  self-employed  patent 
lawyer. 

Mr.  Jones  belonged  to  Sigma  Xi,  ACS, 
Chicago  Chemists  Club,  Illinois  Bar  Associa- 
tion, Chicago  Patent  Law  Association,  and 
American  Patent  Law  Association.  He  had 
served  at  one  time  as  a  secretary-treasurer 
of  the  Western  New  York  Chapter  of  the 
WPI  Alumni  Association. 

William  F.  Leland,  '16,  chairman  of  the 
board  of  directors  of  the  former  Leland- 
Gifford  Co.,  died  at  the  Memorial  Hospital 
in  WorcesteronJune22, 1978.  He  was  84. 

He  was  connected  with  the  company  for 
fifty  years.  In  1965  he  retired. 

A  native  of  Worcester,  he  was  born  on 
September  2,  1893.  During  World  War  II, 
he  served  as  a  methods  and  procedures 
consultant  to  the  U.S.  government. 

Donald  B.  Maynard,  '16,  of  Yarmouth 
Port,  Massachusetts  died  on  August  1 1 , 
1978attheageof85. 

During  his  career,  he  was  with  Maynard 
Corset  Co.,  Menarde  Coffee  Mills, 
Leland-Gifford  Co.,  and  S.H.  Reynolds  & 
Sons. 

He  was  born  in  Northboro  on  Dec.  21 , 
1892.  He  studied  mechanical  engineering 
at  WPI.  A  member  of  the  Congregational 
Church,  he  also  belonged  to  the  American 
Legion,  the  Retired  Men's  Club  of  Hyannis, 
and  the  Friends  of  the  Yarmouth  Port  Pub- 
lic Library.  He  was  a  member  of  Theta  Chi, 
and  a  World  War  I  Army  veteran. 

Roger  C.  Lawrence,  '17,  died  in  Old  Say- 
brook,  Connecticut  on  January  15,1 978. 

A  native  of  Ayer,  Mass.,  he  was  born  on 
Feb.  28, 1 896.  He  received  his  BSEE  in  1 91 7 
from  WPI. 

In  World  War  I  he  was  employed  in  the 
GovemmentTurbine  Shop,  and  worked  on 
Curtis  turbines  for  torpedo  boat  destroyers. 
He  also  was  in  the  Signal  Corps,  Science 
and  Research  Division,  Meteorological  Sec- 
tion. Later  he  was  with  the  Worcester 
District  of  A.S.  &  W.G.  Co.,  Electrical  Re- 
search Products,  Inc.,  and  Western  Electric 
Co.,  New  York  City,  where  he  was  em- 
ployed for  many  years. 

Mr.  Lawrence  belonged  to  AIEE,  the 
Masons,  Sigma  Xi,  Tau  Beta  Pi,  and  Phi 
Sigma  Kappa. 


Dr.  Alfred  W.  Francis,  '17,  of  Metuchen, 
New  Jersey,  a  former  member  of  the  Presi- 
dent's Advisory  Council  at  WPI,  died  on 
October  15,  1978. 

He  was  born  on  March  11,1 896  in 
Brookfield,  Conn.  For  many  years  he  was  a 
chemist  with  the  Mobil  Chemical  Co.,  a 
division  of  Mobil  Oil  Corp.,  where  he  was 
with  the  R&D  Edison  Township  Lab.  He 
retired  as  a  consultant  several  years  ago. 

Dr.  Francis  belonged  to  PSK,  Tau  Beta  Pi, 
ACS.andSigmaXi.  In  1966  he  received  the 
Goddard  Award  from  the  WPI  Alumni  As- 
sociation. He  served  on  the  President's 
Advisory  Council  in  1973  and  1974.  A 
classroom  in  Salisbury  Labs  was  recently 
named  in  his  honor. 

In  1917  Dr.  Francis  graduated  as  a 
chemist  from  WPI.  He  received  his  PhD 
from  Yale  in  1924. 

Philip  W.  Lundgren,  '23,  died  on  Sep- 
tember 23,1 978  at  his  home  in  Worcester. 

A  Worcester  native,  he  was  born  on 
March  17,  1900.  In  1923,  he  received  his 
BSME  from  WPI.  In  1962  he  retired  from 
Riley  Stoker,  following  twenty  years  of 
service.  Earlier  he  had  been  with  Heald 
Machine,  Harrington-Richardson  Arms 
Co.,  Nichols  Products  Co.,  Packard  Motor 
Car  Co.,  and  New  York  Edison. 

Mr.  Lundgren  was  a  member  of  Lambda 
Chi  Alpha  and  St.  John's  Episcopal  Church. 

John  H.  Tsui,  '23,  retired  Westinghouse 
Electric  Corporation  engineer,  died  of  heart 
failure  on  May  17,  1978  in  Pittsburgh, 
Pennsylvania.  He  was  78. 

He  was  born  in  Canton,  China  on  May  1 , 
1900.  He  entered  WPI  on  a  scholarship 
awarded  by  the  Chinese  government.  (The 
scholarship  was  one  of  several  awarded  to 
promising  Chinese  students  paid  for  by 
funds  recovered  when  the  U.S.  forgave 
China  financially  for  damages  suffered  dur- 
ing the  Boxer  Rebellion. 

In  1922  Mr.  Tsui  joined  Westinghouse, 
and  was  graduated  as  an  engineerfrom  the 
University  of  Pittsburgh  in  1927.  He  also 
held  an  MSEE  from  the  University. 

In  1941  he  started  work  as  a  design 
engineer  at  Westinghouse's  Sharon  (Pa.) 
transformer  division.  He  retired  in  1969. 

Mr.  Tsui  had  served  as  a  member  of  the 
Local  China  Relief  Committee  in  1942.  He 
was  a  naturalized  U.S.  citizen.  He  had  been 
a  deacon  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church, 
and  a  member  of  the  Mariners  Sunday 
School  class.  He  belonged  to  several 
Masonic  orders,  including  the  Scottish  Rite. 
He  was  a  past  president  of  Hickory  Kiwanis 
Club. 

David  C.  Bailey,  '25,  retired  president  of 
the  Bailey  Co.,  died  on  June  19,  1978  in 
Newburyport,  Massachusetts  following  a 
short  illness.  He  was  75  years  old. 

A  native  of  Amesbury,  Mass.,  he  was 
born  on  May  24,  1903.  Following  his 
graduation  as  a  mechanical  engineer  from 


WPI,  he  joined  his  family  firm,  the  Bailey 
Co.,  which  had  manufactured  auto  parts 
since  the  early  days  of  the  automobile.  He 
retired  as  president  of  the  company  in 
1970. 

Mr.  Bailey,  a  member  of  Tau  Beta  Pi  and 
Sigma  Xi,  also  belonged  to  the  Society  of 
Automotive  Engineers.  Active  in  Masonic 
circles,  he  was  a  past  master  of  the  Warren 
Lodge  in  Amesbury,  and  he  belonged  to 
the  Shrine.  He  served  as  a  major  in  the 
Army  in  World  War  II. 

Jackson  K.  Sterrett,  '25,  of  Erie,  Pennsyl- 
vania passed  away  on  April  28, 1 978  after  a 
brief  illness. 

He  was  born  in  Erie  on  Jan.  13,  1904. 
From  1925  to  1 934  he  was  with  Erie  Malle- 
able Iron  Co.  He  was  a  co-owner  of  Dedon 
Laboratories  from  1935  to  1941.  Later  he 
joined  Bliley  Electric  Co.,  Erie,  from  which 
he  was  retired.  He  belonged  to  Phi  Gamma 
Delta. 

Thomas  E.  Ryan,  '26,  of  Seaford,  New  York 
passed  away  on  May  30,  1978. 

He  was  born  on  Jan.  4,  1906  in  Fitch- 
burg,  Mass.  In  1926  he  graduated  as  an 
electrical  engineer  from  WPI. 

He  was  the  retired  manager  of  the  prop- 
erty record  department  of  the  Consoli- 
dated Edison  Co.,  New  York  City. 

Nelson  E.  Parmelee,  '27,  of  Windsor  Locks, 
Connecticut  died  of  a  heart  attack  on  June 
24,  1978. 

He  was  born  in  Windsor  Locks  on  Sept. 
7,  1904.  In  1927  he  received  his  BS  in 
chemistry  from  WPI.  In  1930  he  earned  his 
MS  from  Tufts.  For  a  while  he  was  with 
Simplex  Wire  &  Cable  Co.  A  25-year  em- 
ployee of  Pratt  &  Whitney  Aircraft,  East 
Hartford,  Conn.,  he  had  served  there  as  a 
chemist,  lead  engineer,  as  supervisor  in  the 
materials  control  laboratory,  and  as  a  phys- 
ical test  engineer.  For  thirty  years  he  was 
also  associated  with  Stanley  Home  Prod- 
ucts. 

Mr.  Parmelee  was  a  member  of  the 
American  Society  for  Metals,  the  American 
Electroplaters  Society,  Tau  Beta  Pi,  and 
Sigma  Xi.  He  was  the  father  of  Nelson  E. 
Parmelee,  Jr.,  '61. 

Albert  C.  Holt,  '29,  died  unexpectedly  on 
July  13, 1978  in  Lexington,  Kentucky  at  the 
age  of  71. 

After  graduating  from  WPI  as  an  electri- 
cal engineer,  he  entered  the  engineering 
cadet  corps  at  Westinghouse  in  Pittsburgh, 
where  he  stayed  until  1931.  After  teaching 
at  Princeton  for  five  years,  he  went  with 
IBM.  During  his  career,  he  worked  with 
Codatype  and  Radiotype,  and  he  was  con- 
cerned with  the  development  and  man- 
agement of  the  simultaneous  interpreta- 
tion systems  used  at  the  UN  and  at  various 
international  conferences. 

In  World  War  II  he  was  on  loan  to  the 
Signal  Corps.  He  left  IBM  World  Headquar- 
ters in  New  York  City  in  1968  to  continue 
his  work  in  Lexington,  Ky.,  where  he  retired 
in  1972  after  thirty-seven  years. 


Mr.  Holt  belonged  to  ATO,  Tau  Beta  Pi, 
Skull,  Sigma  Xi,  and  IRE.  He  was  born  on 
February  20,  1907  in  Buffalo,  N.Y. 


Wendell  H.  Simpson,  '30,  died  of  a  heart 
attack  on  August  30,  1978  in  Watertown, 
New  York.  He  was  71  years  old. 

"Del,"  as  he  was  known  to  his  class- 
mates, was  born  on  July  20,  1907  in  Shef- 
field, Vt.  In  1930  he  graduated  as  an 
electrical  engineer  from  WPI.  He  received 
his  master's  degree  in  educational  adminis- 
tration from  the  New  York  State  College  for 
Teachers  in  Albany. 

During  his  career,  he  was  with  General 
Electric,  the  Catskill  (N.Y.)  Public  Schools, 
Richmondville  (N.Y.)  Central  School,  and 
Hampton  Bays  (N.Y.)  Union  Free  School, 
where  he  served  as  principal.  From  1 942  to 
1962  he  was  employed  by  the  New  York 
State  Education  Department  in  Albany. 
While  there,  he  held  the  posts  of  supervisor 
of  business  management,  and  chief  of  the 
Bureau  of  School  Financial  Aid  Planning. 
He  went  to  Pulaski  in  1962  where  he  was 
district  superintendent  of  the  supervisory 
district  of  Oswego  County,  before  retire- 
ment. He  was  instrumental  in  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  occupational  and  special 
education  facilities  for  Oswego  County. 

Mr.  Simpson  belonged  to  Sigma  Alpha 
Epsilon,  the  New  York  State  Teachers'  As- 
sociation, the  Congregational  Church,  and 
the  Northern  Oswego  County  Ambulance 
Service. 

Frank  H.  Madigan,  '35,  who  retired  from 
Warner  &  Swazey  Grinding  Machine  Divi- 
sion three  years  ago,  died  at  Worcester  City 
Hospital  on  September  25,  1978. 

For  thirty-three  years  he  was  a  field  sales 
engineer  for  Norton  Company's  Machine 
Tool  Division.  For  three  years,  he  was  with 
Warner  &  Swasey. 

He  was  born  in  Worcester  on  March  16, 
1913,  and  later  was  a  student  at  WPI.  He 
belonged  to  Hillcrest  Country  Club  and 
Worcester  Lodge  of  Elks. 

William  C.  Potter,  '35,  assistant  manager 
at  Industrial  Risk  Insurers,  Chicago,  Illinois, 
passed  away  last  February. 

He  was  born  on  August  19,  1913  in 
Springfield,  Mass.  In  1935  he  was 
graduated  as  an  electrical  engineer  from 
WPI.  He  joined  the  Factory  Insurance  As- 
sociation as  an  inspector  following  gradua- 
tion. While  with  the  firm,  he  also  served  as 
a  special  agent,  and  field  manager  in  the 
New  York  office.  Later  he  became  an 
executive  assistant  in  the  Chicago  office. 

Mr.  Potter  belonged  to  Phi  Gamma  Del- 
ta, Sigma  Xi,  and  AIEE.  He  was  a  former 
secretary-treasurer  of  the  Western  New 
York  Chapter  of  the  Alumni  Association, 
and  the  brother  of  StannardM.  Potter,  '41. 


ma 


The  WPI  journal  I  December  1 978  1 39 


James  W.  Phelps,  '36,  of  Pleasant  Hill, 
California,  passed  away  in  December. 

He  was  born  on  January  11,  1915  in 
Barnet,  Vt.  In  1936  he  graduated  as  a 
mechanical  engineer  at  WPI. 

During  his  career,  he  was  with  Keith 
Paper  Co.;  Great  Northern  Paper  Co.; 
Flintkote  Co.;  and  at  Fibreboard  Paper 
Products  Corporation,  Antioch,  Calif., 
where  he  was  project  manager. 

Mr.  Phelps  was  a  member  of  Phi  Gamma 
Delta,  the  Papermakers  Association  of 
Southern  California,  Tau  Beta  Pi,  and  Skull. 
In  World  War  II  he  was  an  ordnance  en- 
gineer in  the  U.S.  Navy. 

Arthur  J.  Leary,  '37,  a  former  teacher  at 
Greenfield  (Mass.)  Vocational  School,  died 
on  June  30, 1978  in  Colrain,  Massachusetts 
at  the  age  of  68. 

A  Worcester  native,  he  was  born  on  Jan. 
15, 1910.  He  studied  at  WPI,  Northeastern, 
and  the  University  of  Massachusetts.  From 
1941  to  1950  he  was  a  machine  instructor 
at  Greenfield  Vocational  School.  Also,  he 
was  with  Millers  Falls  Co.,  from  which  he 
retired  in  1971. 

He  had  been  a  Greenfield  call  firefighter, 
a  town  meeting  member,  and  also  be- 
longed to  the  Masons,  the  American  Soci- 
ety of  Tool  and  Manufacturing  Engineers, 
American  Society  of  Metals,  the  Franklin 
County  Industrial  Management  Club,  Old 
Timers  Club  of  Millers  Falls  Co.,  and  the 
Congregational  Church.  He  was  a  regis- 
tered professional  engineer  in  Mas- 
sachusetts. 

William  W.  Worthley,  '37,  retired  from 
John  P.  Slade&Son  Insurance  Agency  since 
1975,  died  on  August  9,  1978  in  Bar- 
rington,  Rhode  Island.  He  was  63  years  old. 

Following  his  graduation  from  WPI  as  an 
electrical  engineer,  he  worked  for  the  Fac- 
tory Insurance  Association.  During  World 
War  II,  he  served  as  an  aviation  electronics 
officer  in  the  U.S.  Navy.  He  was  a  special 
agent  for  the  Aetna  Insurance  Co.  from 
1945  to  1960.  In  1960  he  joined  the  Slade 
Agency  in  Fall  River,  Mass.  He  owned  and 
operated  the  agency  from  1970  to  1975, 
when  he  retired. 

Mr.  Worthley,  who  was  born  on  Oct.  14, 
1914  in  Concord,  Mass.,  was  a  member  of 
Phi  Sigma  Kappa,  the  Congregational 
Church,  the  Masons,  and  many  profes- 
sional insurance  organizations.  He  was  the 
father  of  Jonathan  Worthley,  '67  and  Dana 
Worthley,  71. 


Albert  E.  Rockwood,  Jr.,  '46,  of  North 
Andover,  Massachusetts,  died  of  a  heart 
attack  on  September  30,  1978.  He  was  52. 

He  was  born  in  Gardner,  Mass.  on  Dec. 
4,  1925.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was 
department  chief  of  computer  sytems  at 
Western  Electric  Co.  in  North  Andover.  He 
was  active  in  the  Trinitarian  Congrega- 
tional Church,  where  he  served  as  church 
treasurer  and  past  chairman  of  the  board  of 
trustees  and  the  diaconate. 

He  was  a  lieutenant  in  the  U.S.  Navy,  and 
served  during  the  Korean  conflict.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Telephone  Pioneers  of 
America  and  the  Professional  Engineers 
Association. 

Mr.  Rockwood,  who  had  an  MS  from  the 
University  of  Michigan,  graduated  as  a 
mechanical  engineer  from  WPI  in  1946.  He 
belonged  to  SAE,  Tau  Beta  Pi,  and  Sigma  Xi. 
His  son,  Thomas  D.  Rockwood,  is  a  senior 
at  WPI. 

Raymond  A.  Peabody,  '48,  of  Waterford, 
Connecticut,  a  co-founder  of  Hydrospace 
Systems,  Inc.,  died  of  a  heart  attack  on  April 
18,  1978  at  the  age  of  55. 

He  was  a  former  design  engineer  super- 
visor at  General  Dynamics-Electric  Boat.  A 
systems  scientist  and  development  en- 
gineer, he  joined  Electric  Boat  in  1 948  after 
his  graduation  from  WPI  as  a  mechanical 
engineer.  While  with  the  firm,  he  was 
supervisor  on  all  aspects  of  submarine  sys- 
tems design  and  operation. 

In  1966  he  co-founded  Underseas  En- 
gineering, Inc.  The  company  provided 
engineering  and  design  services  for  the 
development  of  submersibles  for  oceano- 
graphic  research.  In  1977  he  co-founded 
Hydrospace  Systems,  Inc.,  which  promoted 
and  developed  the  Hydrospace  systems 
concepts. 

Mr.  Peabody  was  born  on  February  19, 
1923  in  New  London,  Conn.  He  received 
his  BSME  from  WPI.  During  World  War  II, 
he  was  a  forward  observer  with  the  7th 
Artillery  Battalion,  participated  in  the  Battle 
of  the  Bulge,  and  was  a  prisoner  of  war. 

He  belonged  to  Lambda  Chi  Alpha,  and 
was  a  former  Congregational  Church  dea- 
con, trustee,  and  a  member  of  the  religious 
education  committee  and  music  committee 
and  the  New  Parish  House  Fund  drive.  He 
had  served  on  the  advisory  board  of 
Thames  Valley  Technical  College. 


Stanley  E.  Sherman,  '49,  of  Farmington, 
Connecticut  passed  away  on  September 
14,  1978. 

He  was  born  on  Nov.  28,  1921  in  Plain- 
ville,  Conn.  In  1949  he  received  his  BSEE 
from  WPI.  Since  1949,  he  was  employed 
successively  by  the  Plainville  Electrical 
Products  Co.  as  an  electrical  engineer,  vice 
president,  and  president. 

He  belonged  to  SAE,  AIEE,  and  IAEI. 
Civic-minded,  he  served  in  Plainville  as  a 
director  of  the  Community  Chest  and  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  as  a  past 
president  of  the  Lions  Club. 

Dr.  Paul  A.  Lilienthal,  '64,  president-owner 
of  Aqua  Wells,  Inc.,  Thetford  Center,  Ver- 
mont, was  accidentally  electrocuted  on  July 
18,  1978  in  an  accident  involving  his  well 
drilling  equipment. 

He  was  born  on  May  30,  1942  in 
Montclair,  N.J.  In  1964  he  received  his 
BSME  from  WPI.  He  received  his  PhD  from 
the  University  of  Illinois.  While  at  the  Uni- 
versity, he  received  recognition  from  NASA 
for  his  technical  innovation,  a  torsion  sys- 
tem for  creep  testing  with  multiple  stress 
reversals.  He  perfected  it  while  working  on 
a  NASA  contract. 

Dr.  Lilienthal  was  a  member  of  the  Thet- 
ford Volunteer  Fire  Dept. ,  a  veteran  of  the 
Vietnam  conflict  (captain,  Army  Signal 
Corps),  and  had  worked  at  the  Army  Cold 
Regions  Research  and  Engineering  Labora- 
tory in  Hanover,  N.H.  for  two  years.  He 
belonged  to  SPE,  PTS,  and  had  served  as 
head  agent.  He  was  the  brother  of  Dr.  Peter 
Lilienthal, '63. 

Navy  Lt.  Thomas  R.  Masker,  '73,  died  on 
September  25,  1978  in  the  tragic  mid-air 
collision  over  San  Diego,  California.  He  was 
on  his  way  from  Monterey,  where  he  was 
temporarily  stationed,  to  San  Diego. 

Lt.  Masker,  a  native  of  Somerville,  N.J., 
was  born  on  December  29,  1951 .  He  was 
commissioned  in  the  Navy  in  1974,  and 
assigned  to  submarine  duty.  He  belonged 
to  PTS. 


40 1  December  1978  I  The  WPI  journal 


Photographic 
Development 
Engineer 


Production  Engineer 


Research 
Scientist 


Can  you  identify  the  chemical 
engineer  in  this  group? 


You're  right  if  you  said  all  of  them. 

And  you're  right  again  if  you  conclude 
that  Kodak  offers  a  wide  choice  of  ca- 
reer paths  for  individuals  with  strong 
technical  skills.  So  it  shouldn't  be  a 
surprise  that  ourtop  management  team 
is  predominantly  individuals  with  en- 
gineering backgrounds.  At  Kodak 
plants  in  Windsor,  Colo.;  Rochester, 
N.Y.;  Kingsport,  Tenn.;  and  Longview, 
Tex.,  you'll  find  chemical  engineers  in 
hard  hats  performing  vital  production 
staff  functions  and  others  deeply  in- 
volved in  design  and  development. 
Other  chemical  engineers  are  more  of- 
ten in  business  suits,  calling  on  cus- 
tomers all  over  the  country  as  Techni- 
cal Sales  Representatives.  And  some 
don't  stray  too  far  away  from  the  satis- 
factions they  find  in  the  research  labs. 
Incidentally,  it  would  be  very  easy  to 
find  this  kind  of  occupational  variety 
among  mechanical,  industrial,  or  elec- 
trical engineers  at  Kodak. 

Some  of  the  members  of  this  group 
found  a  bachelor's  degree  was  all  that 
was  needed  to  prepare  them  for  a  chal- 


lenging job.  Other  positions  are  better 
suited  for  someone  who  has  completed 
a  master's  degree.  If  you  prefer  to  work 
now  and  study  later,  the  Kodak  Educa- 
tional Aid  Program  offers  opportuni- 
ties for  full-  or  part-time  learning.  Those 
bent  on  a  career  in  research  usually 
apply  to  us  with  Ph.D  in  hand. 

At  Kodak,  the  emphasis  is  on  tech- 
nical innovation  as  a  blueprint  for 
keeping  pace  with  our  changing  world. 
It's  taken  us — and  it  can  take  you — far 
from  our  photographic  origins.  For  ex- 
ample, our  basic  expertise  in  photo- 
graphic emulsion  coating  was  the 
springboard  to  the  development  of  a 
new  clinical  blood  analysis  system  for 
health  care.  Our  need  for  chemicals  in 
photographic  manufacturing  led  to 
the  development  of  a  multiplicity  of 
products  including  fibers,  textiles,  and 
dyes  for  apparel  and  home  furnish- 
ings. And  our  imaging  abilities  gave 
us  an  opportunity  to  make  and  market 
quality  business  equipment  like  micro- 
nlmers  and  copier<luplicators. 

When  a  company  is  open  to  new 


directions,  the  people  who  work  for  it 
should  expect  changing  horizons  in 
their  individual  roles  as  well.  Where 
the  future  can  take  you  at  Kodak  de- 
pends on  a  lot  of  things — like  personal 
preferences,  performance  on  the  job, 
and  available  openings.  What  we  can 
promise  is  the  opportunity  to  explore 
many  conventional  engineering  choices 
plus  a  lot  of  other  vital  professional 
options. 

Begin  by  contacting  Business  and 
Technical  Personnel,  Eastman  Kodak 
Company,  Rochester,  N.Y.  14650. 


Kodak 


An  equal-opportunity  employer  (f/m)  manufac- 
turing photographic  products,  fibers,  plastics,  and 
chemicals  with  plants  in  Rochester,  N.  Y.;  Kings- 
port,  Tenn  ■  Windsor,  Colo.;  Longview,  Tex.;  Co- 
lumbia, S.C.;  Batesville,  Ark.;  and  sales  offices 
throughout  the  U.S.A. 

©  Eastman  Kodak  Company,  1978 


Go  with  the  Norton  pros 
who  now  bring  you  the 
most  complete  line  of  fast- 
cutting  finishing  papers. 

No  other  lineup  of  zinc- 
stearated  finishing  papers  beats 
this  high-performance  Norton 
trio  for  producing  quality  finishes. 
No-Fil  Garnet,  the  economical, 
proven  favorite  for  sanding  sealer, 
primer  and  bleach  coats.  No-Fil 
Durite®  with  its  extremely  hard, 
needle-sharp,  silicon  carbide 
grain  for  dry  sanding  wash  coats, 
final  clear-lacquer  coats,  and 
particleboard  sealer  coats.  And 
No-Fil  Adalox®,  the  aggressive 
aluminum  oxide  finishing  paper 
for  fast,  efficient  sanding  of  heavy 
primer  coats. 

Duilt-in  quality  for  all-out 
performance:  From  their  soft, 
conformable  "feel"  to  their  tough, 
tear-resistant  A-weight  backing, 
professional-quality  No-Fil  sheets, 
cut  sheets  and  discs  are  designed 
to  make  sanding  operations  in 
the  finishing  room  faster  and  more 
efficient.  Their  Openkote®  con- 
struction permits  residue  to  fall 
free,  reducing  drag  and  loading. 
And  their  consistently  superior 
sanding  action  makes  it  easier  to 
produce  uniformly  fine  finishes. 
All  are  available  in  a  wide  range 
of  grits  and  sizes. 

New  quick-change  discs. 
No-Fil  Adalox®  PSA  discs  fea- 
ture a  protective  crepe  liner  that 
is  easily  "scratched"  off  for  quick 
application  of  the  disc  to  the 
back-up  pad.  Easy  removal  of  the 
crepe  liner  eliminates  the  possi- 
bility of  costly  disc  tearing. 

Find  out  now  how  much 
more  productive  and  economical 
it  is  to  work  with  No-Fil  finishing 
papers.  Call  your  Norton  Distrib- 
utor or  write  for  details.  Norton 
Company,  Abrasives  Marketing 
Group,  Worcester,  MA  01606. 

Nobody  hos  o  better  track  record. 


NORTON 


HBBi 


■  February  1979 

■PpSDM 


POLYTECI^.  ■  i;:i»iTjnr 

API;    ' 

GOROGfl  Lii8ARY 


Vol  8?    No.  5       I—--'  February  19' 


Vol.82,  No.  5 


February  1979 


1  BobPritchard 

2  WPI's  Bob  Pritchard  —  A  big  man  in  many  ways 

4  Boynton  Hall  —  WPI's  enduring  symbol 

The  history  of  WPI's  first  building,  from  its  1868  construction  to 
its  1978  reconstruction. 

14  Who's  Who 

Hank  Wagner,  WPI's  man-about-grounds 

16  Your  class  and  others 

18  The  "biggest"  little  computer 

22  Public  workers 

24  Entrepreneur 

31  Completed  Careers 

32  Feedback 


The  Cover:  This  woodcut  was  created  in  1 929  by  New  York  artist  C. 
F.  Grant.  It  was  used  on  a  cover  of  The  Journal  of  the  Worcester 
Polytechnic  Institute.  With  this  issue's  focus  on  Boynton  Hall's 
history,  it  seemed  appropriate  to  resurrect  this  piece  of  artwork  for 
your  enjoyment. 


Editor:  H.  Russell  Kay 

Alumni  Information  Editor:  Ruth  S.  Trask 

Publications  Committee:  J.  Michael  Anderson, 
'64,  chairman 

Design:.  H.  Russell  Kay 

Typesetting:  Davis  Press,  Worcester,  Mass. 

Printing:  The  House  of  Offset,  Somerville,  Mass. 


Address  all  correspondence  regarding  editorial 
content  or  advertising  to  the  Editor,  WPI  Jour- 
nal, Worcester  Polytechnic  Institute,  Worcester, 
MA  01609.  Telephone  (617)  753-141 1 . 

The  WPI  Journal  (ISSN  01 48-61 28)  is  published 
for  the  Alumni  Association  by  Worcester 
Polytechnic  Institute.  Copyright  ©  1979  by 
Worcester  Polytechnic  Institute.  All  rights 
reserved. 

The  WPI  Journal  is  published  six  times  a  year,  in 
August,  September  (catalog  issue),  October, 
December,  February,  and  April.  Second  class 
postage  paid  at  Worcester,  MA. 
Postmaster:  Please  send  for  3579  to:  Alumni 
Association,  Worcester  Polytechnic  Institute, 
Worcester,  MA  01 609. 


WPI  ALUMNI  ASSOCIATION 

President:  William  A.  Julian,  '49 

Senior  vice  president:  Ralph  D.  Gelling,  '63 

Vice  president:  Walter  B.  Dennen,  Jr.,  '51 

Secretary-treasurer:  Stephen  J.  Hebert,  '66 

Past  president:  Francis  S.  Harvey,  '37 

Executive  Committee  members-at-large: 
Richard  A.  Davis,  '53;  Anson  C.  Fyler,  45;  John 
H.  McCabe,  '68;  Julius  A.  Palley,  '46 

Faculty  representative:  Kenneth  E.  Scott,  '48 

Fund  Board:  G.  Albert  Anderson,  '51,  chairman; 
Richard  B.  Kennedy,  '65;  Gerald  Finkle,  '57; 
Philip  H.  Puddington,  '59;  Leonard  H.  White, 
'41;  Henry  Styskal,  Jr.,  '50;  C.  John  Lindegren, 
'39 


Bob  Pritchard 


Robert  W.  Pritchard,  former  head  of 
the  Department  of  Physical 
Education,  athletic  director,  and 
former  head  football  coach  at  WPI, 
died  on  February  8,  1979,  in 
Worcester.  He  was  66  years  of  age. 

Bob,  as  he  was  known  by  his 
many  friends  and  colleagues,  served 
as  athletic  director  at  WPI  from  1952 
until  his  retirement  last  June.  He  was 
only  the  second  athletic  director  in 
WPI's  history.  From  1947  to  1966,  he 
had  been  football  coach.  He  had  also 
held  the  posts  of  assistant  coach  of 
baseball  and  basketball.  At  the  time 
of  his  retirement,  he  was  a  full 
professor. 

Active  in  professional  societies, 
Professor  Pritchard  was  a  former 
president  of  the  New  England  College 
Athletic  Conference,  a  former 
chairman  of  the  drug  education 
committee  of  the  National  Collegiate 
Athletic  Association,  a  former  vice 
president  of  the  NCAA,  and  a  past 
secretary  of  that  organization's 
college  committee. 


In  1954,  Bob  coached  the  WPI 
Engineers  to  their  second  perfect 
football  season,  finishing  by  defeating 
Norwich  33  to  0  at  Alumni  Field. 
During  the  years  1950  to  1959,  his 
teams  posted  a  record  of  42  wins,  23 
losses,  and  one  tie.  Overall,  Bob 
Pritchard  was  WPI's  most  winning 
coach.  Not  only  did  he  notch  the 
highest  percentage  of  wins,  he 
achieved  the  greatest  number  of  wins, 
too. 

The  year  before  he  retired, 
Professor  Pritchard  recalled  many 
fond  memories  of  WPI  in  a  Worcester 
Telegram  interview.  He  said,  "the  one 
thing  that  stands  out  in  my  mind  was 
our  three  straight  football  victories 
over  the  University  of  Massachusetts 
in'49/50,  and'51. 

"Oh,  there  are  many  memories. 
My  associates  through  the  years  at 
WPI,  the  boys  I  came  in  contact  with, 
and,  of  course,  that  unbeaten  season." 


The  victory  over  Norwich  that 
wrapped  up  the  1954  season  stood 
out  vividly  in  his  mind.  "I  remember 
that  one  for  many  reasons,  he  said. 
"First,  it  gave  us  a  perfect  6-0-0  record, 
and,  second,  it  came  over  a  team  that 
Bob  Priestly  (then  the  Norwich 
coach)  called  one  of  his  best  teams. 
And  finally,  because  it  was  over  the 
same  team  that  had  beaten  us  the 
year  before,  40  to  6. 

"Another  thrill  was  the  play  of 
little  Paul  Kerrigan/57,  of  Clinton.  He 
was  so  small,  yet  so  exciting  when  he 
carried  the  ball.  He'd  bring  the  crowd 
to  its  feet  time  and  again  in  every 
game.  It  was  funny.  He  was  too  small 
to  be  a  defensive  back,  so  we  made 
him  a  defensive  end.  And  believe  it 
or  not,  he  was  one  of  the  best  we've 
ever  had." 

Last  May,  the  Poly  Club 
sponsored  a  Pritchard  testimonial 
dinner  at  the  Sheraton-Lincoln.  Over 
150  guests  attended,  many  of  them 
former  players  on  teams  that  he  had 
coached.  Peter  Horstmann,'55,  a 
member  of  the  1954  undefeated 
football  squad,  served  as  master  of 
ceremonies.  Bob  Pritchard  had  a  lot  of 
friends. 

Professor  Pritchard  was  born  in 
Wilkes-Barre,  Pennsylvania,  and 
graduated  from  Kingston  (Pa.)  High 
School  in  1931.  He  attended 
Wyoming  Seminary  and 
Pennsylvania  State  University,  each 
for  a  year.  Then  he  entered 
Susquehanna  University,  from  which 
he  graduated  in  1936.  In  1940,  he 
received  his  master's  degree  in 
education  from  Penn  State.  While  at 
Kingston  High  and  Susquehanna,  he 
was  a  star  tackle.  In  1934  and  1935  at 
Susquehanna  he  played  on  teams 
coached  by  Amos  Alonzo  Stagg,  Jr., 
under  whom  he  was  later  to  serve  as 
assistant  coach. 

After  a  stint  as  football  coach  at 
Berwick  (Pa.)  High  School,  Pritchard 
returned  to  Susquehanna  in  1937  to 
serve  as  football  line  coach,  freshman 
basketball  coach,  and  varsity  baseball 
coach.  While  studying  for  his 
master's  degree  he  published  the 
Pritchard  Football  Scouting  Form.  In 
1941  he  left  Susquehanna  to  become 
assistant  to  the  new  WPI  grid  coach, 
Paul  Stagg,  brother  of  his  former  boss. 


The  WPI  Journal  /  February  1979/  I 


He  left  in  1942  to  join  the  Air 
Force  as  a  lieutenant.  A  physical 
education  instructor,  he  worked  with 
aviation  cadets  in  Texas,  Alabama, 
and  Mississippi.  At  the  time  of  his 
discharge  in  1945,  he  was  slated  to 
help  coach  and  scout  for  the  Maxwell 
Field  (Ala.)  football  team.  He  returned 
to  WPI  and  became  head  football 
coach  in  1952  when  Paul  Stagg  left  to 
go  to  Pacific  University  in  Oregon. 

Pntchard  was  active  in  many 
organizations,  always  promoting 
athletics  and  his  own  view  of 
sportsmanship.  He  received  many 
awards,  including  one  in  1954  from 
the  Jewish  War  Veterans  for  his 
outstanding  achievements  in 
athletics,  and  another  in  1967  from 
Worcester  B'nai  B'nth,  which  honored 
him  with  a  special  sportsmanship 
award.  In  that  golden  year  of  1 954, 
Pntchard  was  one  of  43  college 
coaches  considered  for  Coach  of  the 
Year  in  a  poll  of  over  700  coaches. 


He  was  elected  to  serve  on  the 
three-member  executive  committee 
of  the  New  England  Intercollegiate 
Football  Association  for  1966.  In 
1972  he  was  inducted  into  the  Sports 
Hall  of  Fame  at  his  alma  mater, 
Susquehanna. 

In  the  early  1970s,  Pritchard 
founded  and  served  as  chairman  of 
the  NCAA's  drug  education 
committee.  He  raised  $3,000  from 
Don  Meyers,  chairman  of  the  1971 
Fiesta  Bowl  in  Phoenix,  for  a  study  of 
the  country's  drug  problem,  focusing 
on  athletics.  "The  approach  our 
committee  recently  has  taken  is  to 
try  to  educate  the  coaches  right  down 
to  the  elementary  school  level,  so 
that  they  can  better  handle  situations 
involving  drugs,"  Professor  Pritchard 
said. 

In  the  local  community, 
Pritchard  was  a  steward  at  Wesley 
United  Methodist  Church,  a  member 
of  the  American  Red  Cross,  and  a 


Mason.  He  had  been  chairman  of  the 
water  safety  committee  of  the  YMCA 
and  was  a  former  president  of  the 
Quinsigamond  Regatta  Association, 
cosponsor  of  the  annual  Eastern 
Association  of  Rowing  Colleges 
Regatta  --  better  known  as  the 
Eastern  Sprints.  He  belonged  to  the 
American  Football  Coaches 
Association,  served  on  the  executive 
committee  of  the  New  England 
College  Conference  on  Athletics,  and 
was  a  founder  of  WPI's  Poly  Club. 

Professor  Pritchard  is  survived  by 
his  wife,  Jean  E.  Pritchard  of 
Worcester,  a  fourth-grade  teacher  at 
Tatnuck  Elementary  School;  a 
daughter  Diane/73,  a  professor  of 
computer  science  at  Providence 
College  and  part-time  computer 
science  instructor  at  WPI;  a  brother, 
Roland,  of  Dallas,  Pa.;  a  sister,  Natalie, 
wife  of  Dr.  Richard  Bailey  of 
Annapolis,  Md.;  and  several  nieces 
and  nephews. 


WPTs  Bob  Pntchard  —  a  big  man  in  many  ways 


by  Brian  Carter 

Sports  Editor,  Worcester  Telegram 


HE  STOOD  SIX-SIX,  a  big  man  for 

his  generation.  The  stern 
countenance  coupled  with  his  height 
made  him  look  tough  and 
unapproachable. 

And  66-year-old  Bob  Pritchard, 
the  retired  Worcester  Polytechnic 
Institute  athletics  director  and 
football  coach  who  died  yesterday, 
was  tough.  He  possessed  the  mental 
and  physical  toughness  needed  to 
accomplish  things  and  overcome 
things  in  32  years  with  the  WPI 
athletics  department. 

But  his  friends  and  colleagues 
say  Pritchard's  frowning  exterior 
belied  the  real  man.  It  didn't  show 
what  was  going  on  inside  the  man. 


"He  was  very  businesslike  ...  he 
was  dedicated  to  doing  as  good  a  job 
as  possible  as  a  football  coach  or 
athletics  director.  But  really  Bob  was 
a  very  gentle  man.  He  was  very  soft 
on  the  inside,"  said  assistant  football 
coach  and  track  coach  Merl  Norcross, 
a  friend  since  Pritchard  hired  him  in 
1953. 

"He  was  a  deep  thinker  ...  he 
didn't  just  want  to  give  flip  answers 
to  questions.  He  puzzled  them  out. 
He  thought  about  them  from  all  sides 
before  he  gave  an  answer.  That  was 
his  way.  You  might  say  he  was  old 
school.  He  could  be  tough,  but  in 
dealing  with  people  he  was  a  very 
fair,  kind  man,"  said  Charlie  McNulty, 
who  served  side  by  side  with 
Pritchard  since  1946. 


It  was  the  tough  Bob  Pritchard 
who  beat  cancer  of  the  throat  in  the 
middle  sixties.  It  was  the  tough  Bob 
Pritchard  who  bounced  back  after  a 
freak  football  accident  cost  him  sight 
in  an  eye.  It  was  the  tough  Bob 
Pritchard  who  never  complained 
about  a  problem  that  made  it  difficult 
sometimes  to  digest  his  food.  It  was 
the  tough  Bob  Pritchard  who  tackled 
one  of  the  NCAA's  toughest  and 
touchiest  problems  —  drugs  in  the 
locker  room.  It  was  the  tough  Bob 
Pritchard  who,  when  faced  with  the 
possibility  —  indeed  likelihood  —  of 
WPI  dropping  intercollegiate  football, 
set  the  gears  in  motion  for  it  to  be 
retained. 


2 /February  1 979/ The  WPI  Journal 


That  was  the  kind  of  tough  he 
was.  And  when  he  had  to  go  into  the 
hospital  last  week,  Pritchard  didn't 
want  anyone  to  know.  He  told  only  a 
few  people.  He  didn't  think  anyone 
had  to  know.  "He  had  conquered  so 
many  tough  things  in  his  life," 
McNulty  said,  "that  this  seemed  kind 
of  routine  to  him.  He'd  be  in  and  out 
before  anyone  knew  it.  He  was  taking 
it  in  stride  and  we  took  it  in  stride 
when  we  found  out  that  he  was  in 
the  hospital." 

In  friendships  and  relationships 
developed  over  years  of  working 
across  the  desk  and  across  the  field, 
many  memories  are  built  up.  "He 
really  loved  football,"  said  Norcross.  "I 
don't  know  whether  anyone  really 
knows  how  much  he  had  to  do  with 
football  being  kept  here.  He  more  or 
less  organized  things  ...  he  set  things 
up  so  that  the  problem  could  be 
studied."  Pritchard  coached  the 
Engineers  in  football  from  1947  to 
1966. 

Norcross  also  remembers  his 
first  meeting  with  Pritchard.  Td  come 
up  from  Kingston  (Pa.)  for  an 


interview  for  a  job  . . .  assistant 
football,  basketball,  and  track  coach.  I 
knew  Bob  was  also  from  Kingston, 
but  we'd  never  met."  And  Pritchard 
didn't  show  any  favoritism  for  a 
fellow  from  his  own  hometown.  "He 
just  told  me  there  were  a  lot  of 
applicants  for  the  job."  Two  weeks 
later  Norcross  got  the  job  offer.  He 
came  and  worked  for  more  than  25 
years  "for  a  very  good  and  fair  athletic 
director." 

Pritchard,  Norcross,  and  Morgan 
Reese,  who  was  a  New  England 
wrestling  champ  at  WPI  and  also  a 
Kingston,  Pa.,  native,  were  referred  to 
as  the  Kingston  Trio.  "We  got  a  kick 
out  of  that.  Once,  when  the  Kingston 
Trio,  the  singers,  were  going  good,  the 
three  of  us  . . .  another  Kingston  Trio 
. . .  had  our  pictures  in  the  paper  as 
sort  of  a  gag,"  said  Norcross. 

McNulty  remembers  Pritchard's 
pride  in  football.  "He  really  loved 
football,  especially  defense.  I 
remember  how  hard  he'd  work  with 
the  defense  day  after  day.  He  took 
great  pride  in  it.  He  could  really 
demonstrate  things  well  for  the 


defensive  players,  too.  Especially  how 
to  use  the  hands.  He  had  great  hands 
and  great  upper  body  control." 
Pritchard,  of  course,  was  an 
outstanding  two-way  tackle  at 
Susquehanna  University  and  is  a 
member  of  the  school's  hall  of  fame. 

And  McNulty  remembers  the 
thoroughness  of  the  man.  "Nothing 
was  passed  over  lightly.  He  wasn't 
one  of  these  nine  to  five  guys.  He 
stayed  and  he  worked  hard  to  do 
everything  right.  He  was  great  at 
really  tough  problems." 

One  of  the  tough  problems 
Pritchard  himself  was  glad  he  tackled 
was  the  issue  of  drugs  in  sports.  He 
was  founder  and  chairman  of  the 
NCAA  drug  education  committee. 
Pritchard  authored  pamphlets  on  the 
subject.  "We  may  have  done  more  for 
educating  young  people  about  drugs 
than  any  other  organization  in  the 
world,"  Pritchard  once  said. 

Joe  McDonough,  the  Holy  Cross 
athletics  business  manager  and  a 
longtime  friend  and  associate  of 
Pritchard,  remembers  the  lighter  side 
of  the  man.  "We  used  to  go  out  to  the 
NCAA  conventions  together.  We'd  fly 
together.  He  was  such  a  big  guy  that 
he'd  always  have  to  have  the  aisle.  He 
stuck  me  inside,  and  I'm  6-3!" 

"He  was  really  well  respected 
throughout  the  country.  At  the 
NCAA  meetings,  people  were  always 
coming  up  and  talking  to  him  . . . 
asking  him  about  things.  He  was 
interested  in  all  things  about  college 
athletics.  Not  just  what  came  under 
him  as  an  AD  but  everything  about 
college  athletics.  He  was  always 
swapping  ideas  with  people,"  said 
McDonough. 

McDonough  will  remember 
Pritchard  for  his  friendship.  "I  just  got 
a  letter  from  him  the  other  day 
(congratulating  McDonough  for  being 
named  NCAA  business  manager  of 
the  year).  That  was  the  kind  of  guv 
he  was.  A  good  friend.  Once  you  had 
his  friendship,  you  had  it  for  life." 

Bob  Pritchard  was  a  big  man. 


Reprinted  with  permission  from  the 
Worcester  Telegram.  ©  1979  by  the 
Worcester  Telegram  and  Gazette. 


The  WPI  Journal  /  February  1979/3 


'X. 


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V    I 


X  •• 


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■ 


BOYNTON  HALL 
WPI's  enduring  symbol 


"We  surrender  to  you  a  tasteful 
and  substantial  edifice,  alike 
creditable  to  him  who  has 
designed  and  to  those  who 
have  executed  it. . . .  For  its 
commanding  and  admirable 
location,  for  the  beauty  of  its 
architectural  design,  for  the 
general  excellence  of  its 
workmanship  and  finish,  for 
its  adaptation  to  the  uses  for 
which  it  is  designed,  and  for 
the  economy  of  its 
construction,  we  believe  it  will 
rank  among  the  model  public 
buildings  of  the 
Commonwealth." 


WITH  THESE  WORDS,  a  bargain  was  consummated,  a 
promise  fulfilled,  and  a  bold  dream  became  reality.  They 
were  spoken  by  D.  Waldo  Lincoln  of  Worcester,  chairman 
of  the  building  committee,  as  he  formally  delivered  the 
building  called  Boynton  Hall  to  President  Stephen 
Salisbury  and  the  trustees  of  the  newly  established 
Worcester  County  Free  Institute  of  Industrial  Science.  The 
date  was  November  1 1,  1868;  the  occasion  was  the 
dedication  of  the  fledgling  school's  first  structure.  Named 
in  honor  of  its  founder  and  first  benefactor,  John  Boynton 
(who  did  not  live  to  see  the  building  rise),  Boynton  Hall 
soon  became  a  prominent  Worcester  landmark  and  the 
distinctive  symbol  of  a  dramatic  new  adventure  in 
American  education.  It  remains  so  today. 

Visitors  who  climbed  the  Hill  that  rainy  day 
inspected  the  chemical  laboratory  at  the  west  end  of  the 
first  floor,  the  large  lecture  room  (which  later  became  the 
alumni  office),  and  the  president's  room  at  the  east  end  of 
the  building.  The  north  side  of  this  floor  contained  a  large 
physical  laboratory,  an  instrument  room  (later  to  become 
the  faculty  room),  a  coat  room,  and  rooms  for  chemical 
reagents  and  balances.  On  the  second  floor  was  a 
chemical  lecture  room,  a  small  lecture  room,  several 
classrooms,  and  a  drawing  room.  The  third  floor  included 
the  chapel,  a  large  mechanical  drawing  room,  lecture 
room,  model  room,  and  office.  A  reporter  found  the  guests 
to  be  "hearty  in  commendation  of  the  beauty  of  the  site, 
and  of  the  appropriateness  of  the  building." 

Although  that  "appropriateness"  was  a  sometimes 
doubtful  attribute  in  later  years,  Boynton  at  one  time  or 
another  housed  nearly  every  office  and  function  of  the 
college.  Boynton  was  built  in  1868  to  serve  a  school 
which  then  consisted  of  a  principal,  four  teachers,  and  32 
students.  In  1955  it  became  the  administrative 
headquarters  for  all  the  major  officers  and  supporting 
personnel  required  to  manage  a  dynamic,  contemporary 
university  of  increasing  size  and  rapidly  growing  stature. 
During  Boynton's  first  century-plus  of  service,  the 
college's  student  body  has  grown  from  32  to  2,400 
undergraduate  men  and  women,  plus  another  500 
graduate  and  special  students.  The  number  of  full-time 
faculty  has  grown  to  1 80,  and  WPI's  total  annual 
expenditures  are  nearly  $20  million. 


IN  THE  FALL  OF  1864,  John  Boynton  had  come  down 
from  the  hills  of  northern  Worcester  County  in  a  horse 
and  buggy  with  $100,000  and  a  dream  in  his  pocket.  With 
the  advice  and  concurrence  of  his  younger  cousin  and 
erstwhile  partner,  David  Whitcomb,  he  struck  a  bargain 
with  the  people  of  Worcester.  His  proposal  was  duly 
reported  in  the  Worcester  Palladium  of  March  29,  1865: 

"A  gentleman,  who  for  the  present 
withholds  his  name  from  the  public, 
offers  a  fund  of  $100,000  for  the 
establishment  of  a  scientific  school  m 
Worcester,  upon  condition  that  the 
necessary  land  and  buildings  shall  be 
furnished  by  our  citizens." 

So  began  the  first  public  campaign  for  voluntary  gifts  in 
Worcester,  then  a  community  of  nearly  30,000  persons 
and  rapidly  becoming  a  major  center  of  manufacturing. 
Seven  railroads  already  served  the  city;  machinery  used  in 
textile  manufacturing  was  being  built  in  several  factories, 
and  a  new  turbine  wheel  was  producing  25  percent  more 
power  than  the  old  water  wheels  it  had  replaced.  The 
country  stood  on  the  threshold  of  the  Industrial 
Revolution,  but  there  were  too  few  people  capable  of 
running  and  managing  these  new  mechanical  marvels. 
Clearly,  John  Boynton's  desire  to  establish  a  "scientific 
school"  had  found  the  right  place  and  a  most  propitious 
time.  A  new  and  entirely  different  kind  of  educational 
institution  was  about  to  join  Worcester's  76  public 
schools,  3  private  schools,  and  college  of  arts.  The  need  for 
such  a  school  was  evident,  and  the  people  of  Worcester 
responded  enthusiastically. 

As  the  August  deadline  for  the  drive  approached, 
more  than  500  individuals  and  several  industries  had 
made  gifts  ranging  in  size  from  $10  to  $1,700.  Workmen  in 
20  area  factories  contributed  nearly  $1,500,  but  the  total 
in  hand  was  still  more  than  $10,000  short  of  the  $60,000 
goal.  Initiating  a  custom  which  was  to  be  repeated  often 
in  future  years,  Stephen  Salisbury  agreed  to  make  up  the 
deficit  with  his  personal  funds,  and  the  campaign  was 
declared  a  success.  On  September  1 1,  1865,  John  Boynton 
fulfilled  his  promise  to  give  $100,000,  and  early  the 
following  year  Mr.  Salisbury  donated  five  acres  of  his  land 
on  a  hilltop  above  the  city  as  a  site  for  the  new  school.  It 
was  agreed  by  all  concerned  —  architect  Stephen  Earle, 
the  trustees,  and  the  builders  —  that  the  building  should 
be  completed  by  July  of  1868. 

No  part  of  the  building  had  been  started  when,  on 
March  25,  1867,  John  Boynton  died.  Only  the  trustees  had 
known  his  identity  as  the  donor  of  the  funds  with  which 
the  school  began,  and  he  had  received  no  kind  of  public 
recognition.  The  trustees  promptly  announced  that  their 
unfinished  building  would  henceforth  be  known  as 
Boynton  Hall.  Construction  began  shortly  thereafter,  and 
on  Tuesday,  November  10,  1868,  the  new  school  opened. 
Boynton  Hall  was  dedicated  at  ceremonies  the  next  day 
when  Mr.  Lincoln  turned  over  the  keys  and  custody  of  the 
building  to  President  Salisbury.  The  cost  of  the  building, 
to  the  penny,  was  $73,343.68. 


6 /February  1979 /The  WP1  journal 


-U 


iiiir 


At  left,  the  old  and  the  new  in  stair- 
cases. The  lovely  (if  rickety)  oval 
wooden  staircase  in  the  east  tower 
has  given  way  to  the  stronger,  if  less 
interesting,  angles  of  steel. 
At  the  immediate  left  is  a  view  of  the 
new  rear  entranceway  to  Boynton, 
showing  the  upper  and  lower  first 
floors,  and  the  elevator. 


FROM  THE  BEGINNING,  Boynton  Hall  has  been  an 
important  part  of  the  institution;  small  wonder,  then,  that 
a  chronicle  of  the  Institute's  early  history  frequently 
mentions  the  building. 

►  In  1871,  James  White,  Boynton's  construction 
superintendent,  contributed  the  distinguished  granite 
tablet,  in  the  shape  of  a  gothic  arch,  which  stands  today 
above  the  building's  west  entrance. 

►Five  years  later,  the  students  themselves  gave  the 
school  one  of  its  first  gifts  —  a  clock  which  was  placed  in 
the  tower  of  Boynton,  where  it  struck  each  hour  of  the 
day  with  a  curious  metallic  clang.  It  was  reported  to  be 
accurate  to  within  30  seconds  a  week. 

►One  of  Boynton's  major  embarrassments  occurred 
during  the  graduation  exercises  of  1882.  An  elevator, 
located  just  inside  the  tower  entrance,  was  used  to  carry 
distinguished  guests  to  the  commencement  exercises  held 
in  the  third  floor  chapel.  On  this  occasion,  it  became 
stuck  midway  between  floors,  and  all  the  mechanical 
genius  on  the  Hill  was  of  no  avail  in  getting  it  started 
again.  Finally,  with  the  ceremonies  nearly  over,  the 
recalcitrant  contraption  was  coaxed  to  the  nearest  floor 
and  unloaded,  never  again  to  be  used  for  passenger  service. 

►Shortly  thereafter,  Boynton  was  the  scene  of  an 
episode  which  has  become  legend  in  the  Institute's  annals. 
Mr.  Milton  P.  Higgins,  first  superintendent  of  the 
Washburn  Shops  (and  grandfather  of  the  past  chairman  of 
the  board  of  trustees),  had  a  horse  named  Buckskin,  which 


he  stabled  in  the  barn  adjacent  to  his  West  Street  home. 
One  night,  some  enterprising  students  from  the  classes  of 
1885  and  1886  stole  the  horse  away  and  managed  to  haul 
the  animal  up  the  two-flight  spiral  staircase  to  the  chapel, 
where  he  was  discovered  shortly  before  the  next 
morning's  chapel  service.  It  is,  of  course,  much  easier  to 
get  a  horse  to  go  up  stairs  than  it  is  to  make  him  come 
back  down,  and  Buckskin's  presence  on  the  third  floor 
presented  a  real  problem.  After  much  logistical 
cerebration,  the  animal  was  lowered  to  the  ground,  upside 
down,  with  the  aid  of  a  block  and  tackle. 

This  escapade  brought  every  function  of  the  Institute 
to  a  full  stop.  Every  student  was  suspended  but,  thanks  to 
the  intercession  of  Professor  John  Sinclair,  no  one  was 
punished.  Afterwards,  history  tells  us,  "the  faculty 
discouraged  for  some  time  all  forms  of  student  activity 
not  connected  with  the  regular  work  of  the  Institute." 

Unlike  most  student  pranks,  the  Buckskin  incident 
had  a  happy,  if  somewhat  belated,  ending.  Forty  years  later, 
WPI  president  Ralph  Earle  (son  of  Boynton's  architect) 
convinced  the  culprits,  then  alumni,  that  the  damage 
done  by  Buckskin  during  his  brief  and  unauthorized 
residence  in  the  chapel  could  be  repaid  only  by  complete 
renovation  of  the  room.  The  necessary  funds,  totalling 
more  than  $5,000,  were  cheerfully  contributed  by 
members  of  the  two  classes,  and  in  1926  the  remodeled 
and  refurbished  room  was  formally  dedicated  in  memory 
of  John  Sinclair.  The  bronze  tablet  naming  Sinclair  Hall 
testifies  to  the  universally  high  esteem  in  which  he  was 
held  by  students  and  alumni. 


The  WPI  Journal  /  February  1979/7 


INEVITABLY,  AS  THE  INSTITUTE  GREW  and 

other  buildings  rose  on  the  developing  campus,  changes 
took  place  in  Boynton  Hall.  When  Salisbury  Laboratories 
opened  in  June  of  1889,  much  equipment  and  apparatus 
was  transferred  from  Boynton  to  the  new  facility.  For  the 
first  time,  Boynton  was  free  to  clean  out  its  corners  and 
take  a  deep  breath.  Interior  renovations  (at  a  total  cost  of 
$12,840)  included  a  new  heating  plant,  toilet  facilities  and 
locker  rooms,  a  drafting  room  for  civil  engineering, 
hardwood  floors  throughout  the  building,  and  full  interior 
painting. 

Thirteen  years  later,  in  1902,  Boynton  was  connected 
to  the  Institute's  main  heating  plant,  and  the  boilers  were 
removed  from  the  basement.  In  the  spring  of  1914,  the 
library  was  moved  from  its  cramped  first-floor  quarters  to 
the  old  chapel  on  the  third  floor,  and  the  vacated  space 
was  converted  to  administrative  offices  and  a  large  faculty 
meeting  room.  By  1924,  increased  student  enrollment  and 
the  growing  number  of  courses  being  offered  demanded 
major  remodeling  of  the  third  floor  to  provide  badly 
needed  space  for  additional  classrooms.  Construction  of 
Alumni  Gymnasium  provided  the  Institute  with  a  long- 
overdue  athletic  facility  and  allowed  students  to  clean  out 
the  lockers  which  had  formerly  occupied  a  large  area  in 
Boynton's  basement.  Off  and  on  during  these  same  years, 
Boynton's  basement  also  contained  a  lunchroom  known 
as  the'Rathole.'  With  understatement,  its  fare  was  said  to 
be  "generally  unsatisfactory." 

With  the  opening  of  Raven  Hall  in  1955,  the  Civil 
Engineering  Department  at  long  last  had  a  home  of  its 
own,  and  the  first  two  floors  of  Boynton  were  extensively 
remodeled  in  a  project  which  occupied  most  of  the  spring 
and  summer.  When  completed,  these  renovations 
provided  space  for  the  offices  of  the  president,  the 
registrar,  the  business  manager,  the  Alumni  Association, 
and  the  director  of  admissions.  Classrooms  still  occupied 
the  third  floor,  but  by  1964  —  96  years  after  it  opened  - 
the  last  classes  had  been  held  in  Boynton  Hall.  The  sturdy 
granite  exterior  had  withstood  decades  of  weathering 
without  noticeable  change,  but  Boynton's  interior  was 
clearly  beginning  to  show  its  age. 

A  structural  engineering  firm  studied  Boynton's 
interior  from  top  to  bottom  and  found  "serious  interior 
structural  weaknesses"  which  required  corrective  action 
to  ensure  the  safety  of  the  building  and  its  inhabitants. 
Jacks  were  brought  into  the  basement  to  help  shore  up 
sagging  beams  and  girders  while  files,  bookcases,  and 
other  pieces  of  heavy  furniture  were  moved  from  upstairs 
rooms  to  help  ease  the  strain  on  the  overburdened  floors. 
As  the  Institute  completed  its  first  century  of  service,  it 
could  point  with  pride  to  a  campus  and  physical  plant 
comparable  to  that  of  other  colleges  many  times  its  size. 
At  the  same  time,  the  need  for  major  restoration  of  its 
original  building  could  no  longer  be  ignored.  The  question 
became  not  whether,  but  when. 


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At  left,  top,  the  central  hallway  in 
Boynton's  first  floor,  perhaps  the 
least  changed  part  of  the  building's 
interior.  Middle,  the  Admissions  Of- 
fice doing  a  rousing  business.  Bot- 
tom, Prof.  Robert  Hall  in  his  new 
Continuing  Education  office  on  the 
first  floor. 

At  right,  Helen  Bugdenovitch,  Presi- 
dent Cranch's  secretary,  in  her  new 
office. 


IN  1970,  THE  DIRECTORS  of  the  George  I.  Alden 
Trust  of  Worcester  approved  a  grant  of  $750,000  to  WTI, 
to  be  used  for  whatever  purpose  deemed  most  urgent  by 
the  trustees.  Recognizing  the  far-reaching  implications  of 
the  then-new  WPI  Plan  and  its  stringent  demands  upon 
the  faculty,  the  trustees  elected  to  endow  a  faculty  chair 
with  the  Alden  grant,  thereby  providing  valuable 
momentum  and  timely  impetus  for  the  emerging  program. 
While  a  persuasive  case  could  have  been  made  for 
allocating  the  Alden  funds  for  permanent  renovation  of 
Boynton  Hall,  the  trustees  reluctantly  opted  to  'make  do'  a 
while  longer  with  the  temporary  measures  taken  six  years 
earlier. 

When  the  WPI  Plan  to  Restore  the  Balance  capital 
campaign  was  formally  announced  in  the  summer  of 
1972,  one  of  its  objectives  was  to  raise  some  $900,000  for 
the  renovation  and  restoration  of  Boynton  Hall.  Clearly, 
the  imperatives  of  the  situation  called  for  action.  The 
time  for  temporary  measures  had  passed. 

Still,  Boynton  was  near  the  bottom  of  the  list  of 
priorities  in  the  campaign,  as  attention  was  focused  on 
increasing  endowment  and  improving  academic,  not 
administrative,  facilities.  But  concern  continued  to  grow 
over  the  sagging  floors,  which  showed  a  4  percent  or 
worse  grade  in  places!  A  study  by  civil  engineering 
professor  Robert  Fitzgerald  revealed  a  serious  fire  hazard 
in  the  amount  of  paper  stored  in  the  basement,  blocking 
the  sprinklers  in  some  cases. 

At  the  request  of  the  trustees,  a  special  task  force 
under  the  direction  of  civil  engineering  professor  Carl 
Koontz  conducted  a  follow-up  study  in  the  spring  of  1976 
to  determine  whether  the  condition  of  Boynton  had 
deteriorated  significantly  since  the  1964  report  and  the 
temporary  measures  that  had  been  taken  then. 

The  group  concluded  that,  due  to  far  heavier  floor 
loads  than  the  building  was  ever  designed  to  support, 
Boynton's  interior  structure  had  deteriorated  to  the  point 
where  renovation  could  no  longer  be  safely  postponed. 
The  Koontz  report  said,  in  essence,  that  it  was  not  a 
question  of  whether  the  overburdened  floors  would 
collapse,  but  merely  when.  It  urged  that  the  building  be 


evacuated  immediately  and  that  major  interior 
renovations  begin  as  soon  as  possible.  The  group's 
recommendations  were  carried  out  swiftly,  and  by  mid- 
summer Boynton  had  been  vacated  and  some  1 5 
administrative  offices  were  temporarily  relocated  in  nooks 
and  crannies  of  other  campus  buildings.  It  was  said  that, 
when  the  filing  cabinets  were  taken  out,  some  points  on 
the  third  floor  rose  six  inches' 

At  this  point,  no  money  at  all  had  been  raised  for  the 
Boynton  renovation,  and  there  was  considerable 
discussion  about  the  degree  of  work  that  should  be  done 
and  the  amount  of  money  to  be  spent.  The  engineering 
andarchitectural  firm  of  Harvey  and  Tracy  was  authorized 
to  draw  up  preliminary  estimates  for  three  different  levels 
of  restoration.  They  presented  the  Trustees  physical 
facilities  committee  with  their  determination  that  the 
least  that  could  be  done  --  putting  in  steel  beams, 
patching  the  walls  up,  and  complying  with  code 
requirements  —  would  cost  over  half  a  million  dollars.  A 
relatively  complete  job  would  carry  a  pricetag  of  nearly 
$1.3  million,  and  there  was  an  intermediate  option  priced 
at  slightly  over  $900,000. 

Initially,  there  was  some  feeling  that  the'band-aid'  job 
for  the  least  expenditure  was  the  proper  course  of  action. 
Others  thought  that  it  was  silly  to  sink  half  a  million 
dollars  into  the  project  and  end  up  with  a  building  whose 
plumbing,  heating,  and  wiring  were  over  half  a  century 
old.  It  was  also  pointed  out  that  it  would  be  terribly  hard 
to  raise  money  for  the  restoration  when,  in  the  end,  there 
would  be  no  visible  differences  between  the  before  and 
after  except  leveler  floors.  In  a  preliminary  decision, 
Harvey  and  Tracy  were  authorized  to  proceed  at  a  level 
midway  between  the  lowest  and  the  middle  levels.  This 
included  no  change  to  the  heating  system,  which  was 
known  to  be  troublesome  and  likely  to  need  changing  in 
the  future.  By  the  end  of  1978,  however,  the  trustees,  after 
much  debate,  decided  that  half  measures  would  prove  a 
false  economy  in  the  long  run,  and  the  project  was 
budgeted  at  just  under  $1  million.  Boynton's  interior 
would  be  converted  into  a  modern,  functional  office 
building. 


The  WPI  Journal /February  1979/9 


BIDS  WERE  LET  IN  EARLY  1977,  and  the  contract 
was  awarded  to  Granger  Contracting  Company  for 
$1,073,360.  Among  the  jobs  that  had  to  be  done  were  the 
installation  of  steel  beams,  an  elevator,  complete  access 
for  the  handicapped,  and  a  new  heating  and  air-cooling 
system.  The  basement  was  to  be  dug  out  to  a  usable 
height,  and  the  second  and  third  floors  were  to  be 
extensively  redesigned. 

As  work  began,  some  interesting  facts  came  to  light. 
Measurement  from  the  top  of  the  tower  to  the  basement 
revealed  that  the  century  old  granite  structure  was  only 
one-quarter  inch  away  from  plumb  vertical!  Drilling  the 
shaft  for  the  new  elevator  was  expected  to  be  a  three-day 
job  or  thereabouts.  Unfortunately,  they  ran  into  two 
enormous  boulders  underground  —  rocks  that  couldn't  be 
dug  out  or  pushed  aside.  They  had  to  be  drilled  through. 
The  three-day  job  took  a  month  to  complete.  Slanting 
beams  on  the  third  floor  had  been  completely  boxed  in 
before.  Opening  these  up  around  the  bottom  added  some 
200  square  feet  of  usable  space. 

Along  with  the  new  heating  system,  Boynton  was 
insulated  and  all  new  double-glazed  windows  were 
installed  —  even  in  the  pointed  arch  windows  on  the 
third  floor.  The  building  is  now  air-cooled  in  the  summer, 
a  move  which  saved  nearly  $75,000  over  the  cost  of  air- 
conditioning.  The  old  second  and  third  floors  were  not 
completely  replaced,  and  this  alone  saved  nearly  $200,000. 

In  any  sizeable  building  renovation,  current  laws 
require  that  access  for  the  handicapped  be  made  available. 
Since  Boynton's  three  entrances  were  all  raised  well  above 
ground  level,  it  was  thought  that  a  long  ramp  would  have 
to  be  built  to  one  of  them.  Relocating  the  elevator  near 
the  main  entrance,  however,  also  brought  it  near  the  back 
door,  and  a  second  "first-floor"  stop  was  added  at  ground 
level,  and  the  outside  door  lowered  to  match.  On  the 
second  floor,  where  the  Alumni  Office  used  to  be,  the 
sunken  floor  was  raised.  In  Sinclair  Hall,  home  of  the 
office  of  graduate  and  career  plans  (placement),  a  small 
three-foot  lift  was  installed. 


BOYNTON     HALL 

DEDICATED    IN    1868 

NAMED  IN  HONOR.  OF 

THE  FOUNDER  OF  THIS  INSTITUTE 

EXTENSIVE     RENOVATIONS 

WERE  MADE   POSSIBLE   BY 

THE  GENEROUS  GIFTS  OF 

COUNTLESS  ALUMNI  AND  FRIENDS 

REDEDICATED    1078     . 


Above,  Dean  of  Faculty  Ray  Bolz's 
outer  office  on  the  second  floor. 
At  right,  the  Business  Affairs  office. 


10 /February  1979 /The  WPl  Journal 


AS  YOU  WALK  THROUGH  the  new  Boynton  Hall,  it 
changes  character  subtly  from  floor  to  floor.  The  first  floor 
is  most  like  it  used  to  be,  with  a  long  central  corridor  and 
many  offices  opening  onto  it.  The  second  floor  is  divided 
into  two  major  office  areas  --  business  affairs  and 
academic  affairs,  each  consisting  of  a  suite  of  offices.  The 
third  floor  likewise  houses  two  departments  —  graduate 
and  career  plans,  and  university  relations,  but  each  is 
essentially  contained  in  a  single  large  room,  with  medium- 
height  partitions  dividing  individual  areas. 

The  basement  of  Boynton  has  been  drastically 
changed.  If  you  visited  it  in  the  late  60s  or  early  70s,  you 
will  remember  the  poorly  lit  cellar  whose  ceiling  was  so 
low  even  short  people  had  to  stoop  to  get  under  the  pipes 
and  beams.  You  will  certainly  remember  the  many  floor 
jacks,  raised  up  on  piles  of  timbers.  You  might  have 
known  that  they  had  to  give  several  more  turns  on  those 
jacks  every  year.  But  no  more.  The  basement  was  dug  out 
to  allow  a  full-height  floor,  housing  the  mailing  and 
duplicating  department  and  extensive  storage  space. 
(More  and  safer  storage  than  there  was  —  but  still  not 
enough!) 

Early  on  in  the  planning,  it  was  decided  that  the 
traditional  feeling  of  Boynton  Hall  should  be  maintained 
in  all  public  areas  of  the  new  interior,  and  in  a  unified 
manner  from  floor  to  floor  with  exposed  woodwork  and 


imitation  wainscoting  in  the  hallway  areas.  The  layout  of 
each  office  area,  though,  was  designed  by  the  department 
which  was  to  inhabit  it. 

(Gardner  Pierce,  director  of  physical  planning  and 
plant  services,  says  that  one  of  his  most  trying  jobs  was 
trying  to  reach  some  kind  of  consensus  on  colors!  Finally, 
the  public  hallways  (but  not  the  stairwells)  were  done  in 
two  shades  of  blue,  while  each  office  area  has  its  own 
color  scheme.) 

The  president's  office,  which  has  always  been  in  the 
southeast  corner  of  Boynton  it  still  occupies,  was 
carefully  preserved.  The  gumwood  panelling,  installed  in 
an  earlier  renovation,  was  refinished  and  given  new  luster. 
The  outer  offices  were  remodeled,  and  the  whole  renamed 
the  Fletcher  Suite,  in  honor  of  Trustee  Emeritus  Paris 
Fletcher,  who  has  been  an  advisor  to  six  WPI  presidents. 


IT  IS  REALLY  IMPOSSIBLE  to  list  here  the  numerous 
donors  who  made  the  Boynton  Hall  renovation  possible. 
But  certainly  we  should  mention  the  Fuller  Foundation 
gift  of  $250,000,  the  generous  gifts  of  alumni  trustees 
Raymond  Perrault/38,  and  Arthur  Smith/33,  and  the 
reunion  gifts  of  the  classes  of  1927,  1928,  1934,  1937, 
1938,  1952,  and  1953. 


The  WPI  Journal  /February  1979/  U 


Above,  Sinclair  Hall,  a.k.a.  the 
chapel,  a.k.a.  OGCP,  a.k.a.  Place- 
ment. 

At  left,  a  view  of  the  University 
Relations  Office. 


12/ February  1919 /  The  Wl'l  Journal 


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Hank 


If  you  think  that  the  grounds  at  WPI 
have  been  looking  super  lately,  you 
are  not  alone.  The  Professional 
Grounds  Management  Society,  a  na- 
tional association,  has  given  WPI  the 
second  highest  award  in  its  category 
in  the  1978  Grounds  Maintenance 
Awards  Program,  following  an  entry 
submitted  by  Gardner  T.  Pierce,  di- 
rector of  physical  planning  and  plant 
services.  And  the  man  responsible  for 
keeping  WPI  "Loooking  Goood"  is 
Henry  F.  Wagner,  manager  of  grounds 
services  and  plant  services. 

Wagner,  who  answers  to  the  name 
of  "Hank,"  gives  the  lion's  share  of 
the  credit  to  his  crew.  In  fact,  he  sent 
one  of  his  men,  Frank  Pajka,  head 
groundskeeper,  to  Indianapolis  on 
October  1  ith  to  pick  up  the  award  at 
the  Society's  banquet,  instead  of 
going  himself. 

"I  was  too  busy  to  make  the  trip," 
he  says. 

Keeping  WPI  up  to  snuff,  is  pretty 
nearly  a  24-hour-a-day  job.  And  then 
there  was  that  horrendous  February 
snowstorm.  "Some  of  us  hardly  slept 
for  three  days  during  that  mess,"  he 
reports.  "It  was  the  worst  storm  we- 
were  ever  up  against." 

But  if  awards  had  been  given  out  for 
snow  removal  efficiency  in  the  city  of 
Worcester  in  February,  certainly 
Hank  Wagner  would  have  snared 
another  prize. 


Hank  Wagner  and  Frank  Pajka 


He  learned  about  the  severity  of  the 
storm  at  his  3  a.m.  breakfast  (That's 
right,  folks  —  3  a.m.!),  when  his 
wife  Hannolette  was  serving  his  cof- 
fee. 

"You  aren't  going  anywhere  today 
(Feb.  7th),"  she  told  him.  "All  of  the 
roads  are  closed." 

In  spite  of  his  wife's  warning,  and 
in  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  snow  was 
practically  up  to  the  window  sills, 
Hank  took  a  chance.  He  called  one  of 
his  men  on  campus,  and  asked  him  to 
come  across  town  to  get  him  on  a 
sidewalk  snowplow. 

The  round  trip  took  over  two 
hours.  Once  at  the  WPI  garage  on 
Prescott  Street,  it  took  another  two 
hours  of  plowing  to  free  the  snow- 
bound vehicles.  "Then  we  had  to 
drive  around  town  to  pick  up  the  rest 
of  the  crew.  By  a  quarter  of  ten  Tues- 
day morning,  we  had  begun  plowing 
the  campus.  By  2  a.m.  Thursday 
morning,  we  had  the  campus  wide 
open,"  Hank  recalls. 

WPI  was  practically  the  only 
school  in  the  city  that  could  function 
so  soon  after  the  storm.  Some  public 
schools  were  closed  for  the  rest  of  the 
month. 

Hank  and  his  eight-man  crew  are 
adept  at  handling  equipment  other 
than  snowplows.  There  is  hardly  a 
day  that  goes  by  that  they  aren't 
utilizing  lawn  mowers,  hedge  clip- 
pers, shovels,  or  trimmers.  "We  are 
responsible  for  maintaining  the  ath- 
letic fields,  putting  in  sod,  and  reseed- 
ing  after  the  football  season,"  he  says. 


In  October,  prior  to  the  Boynton 
Hall  open  house,  he  and  his  men  were 
setting  out  plants  and  clipping 
around  the  newly  renovated  building. 
They  also  raked  leaves,  and  picked  up 
stray  patches  of  litter. 

Year-round,  Hank's  department  is 
responsible  for  the  grounds  at  the 
president's  house,  the  vice  presi- 
dent's house,  and  the  dean's  house. 
"This  includes  everything  from  gar- 
dening to  snow  removal,"  he  reports. 

When  Salisbury  was  renovated,  it 
was  Hank  who  directed  the  furniture 
removal  prior  to  the  beginning  of  the 
project.  He  also  saw  that  everything 
was  returned  safely  after  renovation. 

"If  you  ever  need  anything  moved, 
just  call  on  Hank,"  he  says  with  a 
grin.  "Moving  is  one  of  our  spe- 
cialities." 

But  it  is  for  the  beautification  of  the 
campus  that  Hank  is  best  known. 
Freeman  Plaza,  with  its  shrubs,  flow- 
ers, benches,  and  mall-like  walk- 
ways, is  a  testimonial  to  his  creativ- 
ity and  hard  work. 

"Don't  forget  my  crew,"  he  adds. 
"Without  them,  we  couldn't  get  any- 
thing done  around  here." 

He  is  openly  fond  of  WPI  students 
in  general,  and  in  particular  those  he 
works  with  the  year  around.  "Great 
kids,"  he  enthuses.  "Wonderful  to 
work  with." 

His  admiration  of  them  is  returned 
in  kind.  Last  spring,  he  was  initiated 
into  Skull,  an  occasion  he  considered 
a  singular  honor. 


14 /February  1919 /The  WPI  Journal 


Hank  Wagner  has  been  at  WPI 
since  1 962,  when  he  started  out  as  a 
custodian  at  Stratton.  Later  Tony 
Ruksnaitis,  '53,  now  WPI  campus 
engineer,  made  him  foreman  of  the 
ground  crew,  a  job  he  held  for  four- 
teen years. 

Prior  to  coming  to  WPI,  Hank  was 
in  the  service  for  25  years.  "I  was  a 
paratrooper  in  the  Airborne  in  World 
War  II,"  he  reveals.  "I  also  served  in 
Korea." 

He  attended  army  technical 
schools,  and  graduated  from  the 
Noncommissioned  Officers' 
Academy.  A  member  of  the  Seventh 
Field  Artillery  Association,  First  In- 
fantry Division,  he  served  as  the  sec- 
ond president  of  the  association.  For 
four  years,  he  instructed  rotc  at  Bos- 
ton College.  He  retired  as  a  sergeant 
major  in  the  U.S.  Army. 

Hank  and  his  German-born  wife, 
Hannolette,  whom  he  married  in 
1949,  have  spent  their  past  five  vaca- 
tions with  her  relatives  in  Germany. 
"We  really  enjoy  ourselves  over 
there,"  he  says.  "Almost  like  a  sec- 
ond home." 

The  Wagners  have  three  children:  a 
daughter  Charlotte,  a  graduate  of 
Worcester  State  College,  who  is  mar- 
ried to  a  serviceman,  and  who  is  the 
mother  of  their  grandson;  and  two 
sons,  who  graduated  from  Quin- 
sigamond  Community  College. 

"Henry,  Jr.  is  a  counsel  computer 
officer  at  Thorn  McAn  in  Worcester, 
and  William,  following  in  dad's 
footsteps,  is  an  Army  corporal  in 
Korea,"  Hank  says  proudly. 

"Mustn't  forget  our  German  police 
dogs,"  he  goes  on.  "They're  from 
Texas.  We  keep  them  inside  a  six-foot 
high  cyclone  fence.  One  is  a  softy  and 
the  other  is  a  meany.  They  both  love 
to  ride  in  the  car,  and  one  always  hogs 
the  front  seat." 

Best  not  to  tamper  with  Hank, 
should  he  be  seen  riding  with  a 
canine  friend.  He  didn't  say  whether 
it  was  the  softy  or  the  meany  who 
prefers  the  front  seat! 


hock 


nock 


nock 


Is  that  opportunity  knocking — 
opportunity  for  professional 
advancement — opportunity  for 
change  in  your  career  or 
employment? 

Then  take  advantage  of  the  special 
career  package  put  together  by  the 
Alumni  Association.  For  just  $8.95, 
you  get  a  series  of  articles, 
references,  and  a  copy  of  Richard 
Bolles  What  color  is  your 
parachute?,  all  of  which  will  prove 
extremely  helpful  whenever  you  are 
thinking  about  the  possibility  of 
changing  jobs,  careers,  or  finding  a 
job  if  you  should  be  unemployed. 
Scores  of  alumni  have  been  helped 
by  this  valuable  career  planning 
package.  Shouldn't  you  be  one  of 
them? 

Send  your  request  to: 

William  F.  Trask 

Director  of  Graduate  and  Career  Plans 

Worcester  Polytechnic  Institute 

Worcester,  MA  01609 


The  WPI  Journal  /  February  1979/  15 


1909 


Charles  Coldthwait  was  the  author  of  "Al- 
coholic Dyeing:  A  Test  for  Variations  in  the 
Fine  Structure  of  Cotton  Fibers"  in  the 
November  issue  of  Textile  Chemist  and 
Colorist.  He  is  a  charter  member  of 
AATCC,  the  recipient  of  the  association's 
Olney  Medal  for  Outstanding  Achieve- 
ment in  textile  chemistry,  and  is  one  of  the 
world's  foremost  authorities  on  merceriza- 
tion  of  cotton.  Now  92,  Dr.  Goldthwait  is 
still  actively  researching  the  structure  of 
cotton  and  continues  studying  the  theory 
and  mechanisms  of  cotton  finishing  and 
dyeing.  He  resides  in  Raleigh,  N.C. 


1915 


Arthur  Miller  continues  as  an  agent  for  the 
Chicago  office  of  New  England  Life  Insur- 
ance Co. 


1916 

Secretary: 

C  Leroy  Storms 

135  West  6th  Ave 

Roselle.  NJ 

07203 

Wellen  Colburn  and  his  wife  Margaret 
(Goodspeed)  Colburn  celebrated  their  six- 
tieth wedding  anniversary  on  September 
14th  at  a  dinner  party  arranged  by  their 
son,  Dr.  Charles  Colburn,  chief  of  staff  at 
Bedford  Veterans  Hospital,  and  their 
daughter-in-law.  Present  at  the  party  were 
Mr.  Colburn's  brother-in-law,  George, 
president  of  Goodspeed's  Bookshop  in  Bos- 
ton, and  his  wife;  Margaret's  sister, 
Miriam,  Mrs.  Gordon  Banks,  and  her  hus- 
band, vice  president  of  the  bookshop;  the 
Colburns'  daughter,  Nancy  Tigner,  whose 
husband  is  the  Cornell  professor  responsi- 
ble forthe  university's  30  gev.  synchrotron; 
and  their  granddaughter,  Mrs.  Janet  Bush, 


whose  husband  is  interning  at  Yale  Univer- 
sity Hospital  in  New  Haven.  Writes  Mr. 
Colburn:  "The  dinner  and  party  were  en- 
joyed by  all.  Now  we  are  prepared  for 
whatever  the  next  sixty  years  bring  forth ! ' 


1920 

Secretary: 

Dr  Frederic  R  Butler 

228BurncoatSt 

Worcester,  MA 

01606 

Gilbert  Perry  recently  retired  as  city  en- 
gineer of  Putnam,  Conn.,  the  post  he  had 
held  since  1942.  (His  father,  George  Perry, 
'90,  preceded  him  in  that  capacity  for  over 
thirty  years.)  Mr.  Perry  continues  in  his 
practice  of  private  engineering,  which  he 
began  37  years  ago. 


1 921 

Secretary 
Carleton  F  Bolles 
Green  Pastures,  RFD 
Walpole,  NH 
03608 

Joseph  Kushner  still  works  as  a  consultant 
to  Arnold's  Meats  in  West  Springfield, 
Mass. 


1922 

Secretary: 

Philip  H  White 

164  Meadowbrook  Rd 

Needham,  MA 

02192 

Clarence  Barrington  may  be  informally  re- 
tired from  bassoon  mending,  but  it  still  is 
not  uncommon  for  a  well-known  bas- 
soonist from  a  major  symphony  orchestra 
to  stop  in  Worcester  to  consult  with  him 
about  adjustment  or  repair.  Although  he 
spent  3 1  years  as  an  electrical  engineer  for 
Riley  Stoker  Corp.,  Barrington  also  has 
become  one  of  only  a  handful  of  artisans  in 
the  country  who  can  deal  with  the  precision 
of  double  reeds,  valve  pads,  and  involved 
mechanisms  that  insure  good  tone  in  valu- 
able bassoons  that  often  carry  a  $6,500 
price  tag. 

"I  picked  up  the  bassoon  rather  late  in 
life,"  he  says.  At  first  he  taught  himself  to 
play  the  difficult  instrument,  then  took 
lessons  in  Rochester,  N.Y.,  and  practiced  in 
the  boiler  room  during  the  week.  Both  as  a 
musician  and  an  engineer,  the  bassoon 
intrigued  him.  Critical  judgments  and  me- 
chanical linkage  challenged  him.  He  re- 
paired his  own  instrument  as  well  as  those 
of  other  players  while  located  profession- 
ally in  Schenectady  and  Detroit.  His  reputa- 
tion as  an  expert  reed  instrument  techni- 
cian grew. 


He  invented  machinery  on  which  he 
could  turn  out  hundreds  of  reeds  with 
precise  dimensions  of  thickness  and  width. 
Among  professionals,  the  Barrington  reed 
made  a  name  for  itself. 

For  many  years,  Barrington  and  his  late 
wife  Elizabeth  performed  with  several  or- 
chestras, including  the  Worcester  Philhar- 
monic. Earlier,  in  1921 ,  as  a  cornet  and 
saxophone  player,  he  helped  to  form  the 
WPI  band.  He  also  assisted  in  the  forming 
of  the  Springfield  Symphony. 

A  long-time  sincere  observer  of  the 
Worcester  music  scene,  he  has  been  recog- 
nized by  the  Worcester  Musicians'  Associa- 
tion for  his  more  than  50  years  of  member- 
ship. The  University  of  Lowell's  Double 
Reed  Society  honored  Barrington  last  May 
with  its  first  award  for  distinguished  ser- 
vice. 

Stanley  Townsend,  who  retired  from 
Jensen-Townsend  Printing  Co.  of  Port  Hu- 
ron, Michigan  in  1977,  has  sold  his  prop- 
erty there.  He  writes:  "Currently  we  are 
building  a  house  at  Uplands  Retirement 
Center  in  Pleasant  Hill,  Tenn.,  which  we 
hope  to  occupy  in  May."  The  Townsends 
are  wintering  in  Fort  Myers,  Florida. 


1926 

Secretary: 
Arthur  C  Parsons 
51  AndoverSt 
Worcester,  MA 
01606 

Stanley  Johnson,  a  self-employed  fire  pro- 
tection engineer-consultant,  has  recently 
been  involved  with  fire  hazard  analysis 
surveys  of  nuclear  electric  plants  and  the 
design  of  fire  protection  improvements  for 
them.  He  has  been  to  nuclear  electric  plants 
in  New  England,  Minnesota,  and  Michigan. 
Also,  he  spent  a  month  in  Japan  where  he 
and  a  colleague  made  a  fire  hazard  analysis 
survey  of  a  cargo  vessel,  the  nuclear  ship 
Mutsu,  which  appeared  in  U.S.  newspapers 
and  TV  news  in  October.  He  retired  eleven 
years  ago  from  the  FIA,  now  Industrial  Risk 
Insurers. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mabbott  Steele  celebrated 
theirgolden  wedding  anniversary  last  June. 
Mr.  Steele  says,  "We  didn't  have  a  big 
bash,  just  a  quiet  dinner  together  with  our 
daughters  and  their  families  at  a  very  fine 
restaurant.  We  enjoyed  about  three  hours 
of  reminiscing  and  snapshot  taking,  then 
returned  to  our  temporary  quarters  in 
Lexington,  Mass."  (The  Steeles  reside  in 
Leesburg,  Fla.)  In  August  he  visited  George 
W.  Smith,  Jr.,  "15,  in  South  Carolina  and 
"had  a  delightful  luncheon  renewing  our 
old  friendship." 

Robert  Wright  of  Knoxville,  Tenn.  con- 
tinues as  treasurer  of  the  Indoor  Gardener 
Publishing  Co. 


16 /February  1919 /The  WPI  Journal 


1927 

Secretary: 
William  M  Rauha 
4  Whiffletree  Rd 
West  Yarmouth,  MA 
02673 

Charles  MacLennan's  holiday  letter  this 
year  was  written  in  London,  England,  in  the 
red  cedar  paneled  British  Columbia  room  of 
the  Royal  Commonwealth  Society,  just  off 
Trafalgar  Square.  "Not  far  away,"  he 
writes,  "is  Piccadily  Circus,  the  hub  of 
London,  which  is  filled  with  thousands  of 
European  Christmas  shoppers  taking  ad- 
vantage of  favorable  foreign  exchange 
rates."  He  continues,  "It  was  with  mixed 
feelings  that  I  just  returned  from  a  visit  to 
St.  Luke's  Church  in  London  where  we 
were  married  forty  years  ago.  It  is  the 
church  where  Charles  Dickens  and 
thousands  of  others  were  married." 

He  has  been  continuing  his  part-time 
work  in  energy  development.  He  also  plans 
to  continue  with  spade  work  aimed  toward 
the  establishment  of  Cheshire  Homes  for 
the  physically  handicapped  in  his  province 
of  Nova  Scotia. 


1929 

Secretary  Representative: 

Holbrook  L  Horton  Holbrook  L  Horton 

120W  Saddle  River  Rd. 
Saddle  River,  NJ 
07458 

Fred  McCowan,  now  retired,  resides  with 
his  wife  Dorothy  in  St.  Augustine  Shores, 
Florida. 


1930 

Secretary  Representative: 

CarlW  Backstrom  Carl  W  Backstrom 

113  Wmitred  Ave 
Worcester,  MA 
01602 

Last  May  Bill  Doyle  was  made  a  fellow  of 
the  Society  of  Fire  Protection  Engineers.  In 
October  he  gave  a  slide  presentation  on 
explosions  to  the  WPI  student  chapter  of 
SFPE.  He  says  of  his  trip  to  his  Alma  Mater, 
"After  many  years,  I  had  trouble  finding  my 
way  around  Worcester." 


1931 


Secretary: 
Edward  J  Bayon 
45  Pleasant  St 
Holyoke,  MA 
01040 


Representative 
A  Francis  Townsend 
PO  Box  267 
150  Shell  Lane 
Cotuit,  MA 
02635 


Ed  Amsden,  who  has  already  had  several 
careers,  is  now  neck  deep  in  another  proj- 
ect. He  is  making  a  tax  map  for  the  town  of 


Hill,  N.H.  Since  the  Franklin  Falls  dam  was 
constructed  in  1939  and  the  old  part  of 
town  was  flooded,  making  the  map  is  not 
all  that  easy.  Luckily,  Ed  was  a  selectman 
back  in  '39  and  took  movies  as  the  town  of 
Hill  was  moved  to  higher  ground.  The 
movies  are  helping  him  to  lay  out  the  map 
as  accurately  as  possible. 

Civic-minded,  Ed  served  as  selectman 
from  1936  to  1941  and  again  during  the 
1 950's.  He  has  also  acted  as  moderator  and 
now  is  the  chairman  of  the  Board  of  Ad- 
justment. 

For  over  forty  years  he  has  been  active  in 
the  Hill  Volunteer  Fire  Department  and  in 
the  1950s  served  as  chief.  This  association 
has  permitted  him  to  use  his  home  com- 
munication center  to  fullest  advantage.  His 
base  radio  station  for  the  fire  department  is 
on  the  forestry  frequency,  and  he  also  has  a 
radio  on  the  mutual  aid  frequency,  both  of 
which  keep  him  in  constant  touch  with 
emergencies. 

After  graduating  from  WPI  in  1 93 1 ,  he 
bought  a  crutch  factory  which  he  operated 
until  1 966.  He  employed  up  to  eight  work- 
ers who  produced  about  60  thousand  pairs 
annually.  From  1 966  to  1 976  he  worked  at 
International  Packings  Corporation  in  Bris- 
tol in  the  sample  department. 

An  amateur  musician,  he  has  played  the 
organ  in  the  Hill  church  for  20  years.  He 
also  plays  the  clarinet. 

But  for  now,  the  town  tax  map  is  his 
"labor  of  love." 


1933 


Secretary 

Sumner  B  Sweetser 
100  Pine  Grove  Ave 
Summit,  NJ 
07901 


Representative: 
Robert  E  Ferguson 
36  Lake  Ave 
Leicester,  MA 
01524 


Ed  Perkins  and  his  wife  Mildred  went  on  a 
45-day  around-the-world  AARP  tour  last 
fall.  They  visited  fourteen  countries  in  the 
northern  hemisphere.  Ed  comments,  "It 
was  a  super  experience,  a  culmination  of  a 
longstanding  promise  to  my  wife."  The 
travelers  are  now  at  home  for  the  winter  in 
Tavares,  Florida. 


1935 


Secretary. 

Raymond  F  Starrett 

Continental  Country  Club 

Box  104 

Wildwood,  FL 

32785 


Representative: 
Plummer  Wiley 
2906  Silver  Hill  Ave 
Baltimore.  MD 
21207 


Herbert  Hoffman  retired  in  September 
after  nearly  42  years  with  General  Electric. 
His  final  post  was  that  of  senior  engineer  in 
industrial  products  engineering.  Herb 
started  his  GE  career  in  Lynn,  Mass.  in  the 
test  program.  Before  going  to  Fitchburg 
permanently  in  1950,  he  also  held  several 
assignments  in  Fitchburg  and  Schenectady. 


He  received  22  patent  awards  and  is  the 
recipient  of  the  CE  Gold  Medallion  Inven- 
tors Award. 

In  1973  Herb  received  the  Gerald  L. 
Phillippe  Nominee  Award  in  recognition  of 
his  distinguished  public  service  and  also  the 
Elfun  Society  Territorial  Award  for  out- 
standing individual  performance  in  the 
fields  of  community  service.  His  civic  ac- 
tivities ranged  from  his  being  chairman  of 
the  Planning  Board  and  School  Housing 
Committee  in  his  home  town  of  Lunenburg 
to  his  representing  Lunenburg  in  the  Mon- 
tachusett  Regional  Vocational  Technical 
School. 

Herb  plans  to  spend  his  "leisure"  time 
restoring  old  and  antique  cars,  doing 
household  projects,  and  perhaps  traveling 
through  the  southwest.  He  is  doing  some 
consulting  work. 


1937 


Secretary: 

Richard  J.  Lyman 
10HillcrestRd 
Medfield,  MA 
02052 


Representative 
Richard  J  Lyman 


Morton  S.  Fine,  executive  director  of  the 
National  Council  of  Engineering  Examiners, 
has  been  elected  to  "eminent  engineer" 
membership  in  Tau  Beta  Pi  by  the  New 
York  Theta  chapter  of  Clarkson  College  of 
Potsdam,  N.Y.  Initiation  ceremonies  were 
held  in  conjunction  with  the  association's 
annual  convention  hosted  by  the  New  York 
Beta  Chapter  of  Syracuse  University  in 
Syracuse,  N.Y.  on  October  21st. 

Collegiate  chapters  elect  persons  to  Tau 
Beta  Pi's  "eminent  engineer"  category  of 
membership  in  recognition  of  exceptional 
achievements  and  outstanding  contribu- 
tions to  the  engineering  profession. 


1938 


Secretary: 

Representative: 

Emory  K  Rogers 

Albert  L  Delude,  Jr 

141  Lanyon  Dr 

261  Garden  City  Dr 

Cheshire,  CT 

Cranston,  Rl 

06410 

02910 

Robert  Evans  is  now  on  loan  from  North- 
east Utilities  Service  Co.  in  Connecticut  to 
Helium  Breeder  Associates  in  San  Diego, 
Calif.,  where  he  is  working  as  a  project 
manager  on  the  gas-cooled  fast  reactor 
program  for  a  year. 


1939 

Secretary 

Charles  H  Amidon,  Jr 

636  Salisbury  St 

Holden,  MA 

01520 


Representative 
C  John  Lindegren,  Jr 
21  Prospect,  St 
Shrewsbury.  MA 
01545 


Gleason  Jewett  currently  serves  as  a  tech- 
nical representative  for  Standard  Manufac- 
turing Co.,  Inc.  in  Dallas,  Texas. 


194-0 


1943 


Robert  E  Dunklee,  Jr. 
Rocky  Hilt  Rd 
North  Scituate.  Rl 
02857 


Representative: 

Kenneth  R  Blaisdell 

17  Savoy  Ave 

East  Longmeadow,  MA 

01028 


Howard  Freeman  was  recently  elected  a 
new  member  of  the  board  of  trustees  for  a 
three-year  term  at  the  Worcester  Art 
Museum.  He  is  president  and  chairman  of 
the  board  of  Jamesbury  Corp.,  and  has 
been  a  museum  corporator  since  1970. 
Currently,  he  is  secretary  to  the  board  of 
trustees  at  WPI. 

The  Nashua  Valley  Council,  Inc.,  BSA, 
has  presented  its  annual  Good  Turn  Award 
to  P.  Warren  Keating  for  his  outstanding 
service  to  the  community,  state,  and  na- 
tion. The  presentation  was  made  at  the 
fourth  annual  Distinguished  Citizen  Award 
dinner  held  in  November  in  Leominster. 
The  award  exemplified  the  Good  Turn 
principle  of  the  Boy  Scouts  for  the  better- 
ment of  their  community  within  the  juris- 
diction of  the  Council.  The  recipient  may  be 
male  or  female  and  may  not  have  any 
affiliation  with  the  Boy  Scouts. 

Keating,  who  has  been  with  P.J.  Keating 
Company  since  1940,  has  served  the  firm 
as  president  and  is  presently  chairman  and 
treasurer.  He  is  president  of  the  Fitchburg 
Art  Museum,  a  director  of  First  Safety  Fund 
National  Bank  and  Fitchburg  Mutual  Fire 
Insurance  Company,  and  a  trustee  of  the 
Fitchburg  Public  Library.  Previously,  he  was 
chairman  of  the  Bishop's  Fund,  Worcester 
Diocese,  and  president  of  the  Mas- 
sachusetts Asphalt  Pavement  Association 
Catholic  Social  Service  of  Worcester,  Na- 
tional Asphalt  Pavement  Association,  Mas- 
sachusetts Ready-Mixed  Concrete  Associa- 
tion, Massachusetts  Catholic  Conference, 
and  the  Greater  Fitchburg  Chamber  of 
Commerce. 


1 941 


Secretary: 
Russell  W  Parks 
7250  Brill  Rd 
Cincinnati,  OH 
45243 


Representative 
Robert  A  Muir 
529  Pearl  St 
Reading,  MA 
01867 


Frederick  Benn,  retired  from  Norton  Com- 
pany as  a  sales  representative  in  Ohio,  is 
now  located  in  Carmel,  Calif. 


Representative: 
Behrends  Messer,  Jr 
Mobil  Research  & 
Development 
P  O  Box  1026 
Princeton,  NJ 
08540 

Jackson  Durkee  writes  that  he  has  taken 
friendly  leave  of  the  partnership  of  Mod- 
jeski  and  Masters,  consulting  engineers, 
Harrisburg,  Pa.,  in  favor  of  reopening  his 
own  structural  engineering  consultancy 
with  an  office  in  Bethlehem,  Pa.  He  will  be 
specializing  in  bridge  construction  en- 
gineering problems,  and  is  prepared  to 
travel  anywhere  in  the  world.  At  the  pre- 
sent time,  one  of  his  clients  is  a  contractor 
on  the  Second  Hooghly  Bridge  in  Calcutta, 
the  world's  longest-span  (1 500  ft.)  cable- 
stayed  girder  bridge. 

Jack  is  a  fellow  of  the  American  Society 
of  Civil  Engineers  and  a  member  of  the 
International  Association  for  Bridge  and 
Structural  Engineering.  A  fellow  of  the  In- 
stitution of  Civil  Engineers  (U.K.),  he  is  also 
a  registered  professional  engineer  in 
Pennsylvania,  California,  and  New  York. 
Formerly  he  was  chief  bridge  engineer  in 
Fabricated  Steel  Construction  at  Bethlehem 
Steel  Corporation. 


1944 


Secretary 

Representative: 

JohnC  Underhill 

John  A  Bjork 

6706  Barkworth  Dr. 

1 1  Tylee  Ave 

Dallas,  TX 

Worcester,  MA 

75248 

01605 

William  Hermonat  continues  as  owner- 
operator  of  the  Dairy  Queen  Brazier  in 
Rochester,  New  Hampshire. 


1946 


Secretaries: 

Representative: 

M  Daniel  Lacedonia 

George  R  Morin,  Jr 

106  Ridge  Rd 

81  Park  Ave 

East  Longmeadow,  MA 

Keene,  NH 

01028 

03431 

George  H  Conley,  Jr 

213  Stevens  Dr 

Pittsburgh,  PA 

15236 

Dr.  John  Lott  Brown,  president  of  the 
University  of  South  Florida  in  Tampa,  was 
named  president  of  the  Association  for 
Research  in  Vision  and  Opthalmology  last 
year. 

WPI  Dean  William  Grogan  was  the 
keynote  speaker  at  the  Science  and  En- 
gineering Day  program  held  at  the  Mas- 
sachusetts Electric  Company  Corporate 
headquarters  in  Westboro  last  December. 
High  school  science  teachers  and  students 
attended  the  program  and  participated  in 


The  "biggest" 
little  computer 


Who  is  the  father  of  the  world's 
smallest  "big"  computer?  He  was  a 
recent  senior  executive  at  Xerox,  who 
broke  out  of  the  company  mold  a  year 
ago  September  to  help  form  a  new 
company,  Durango  Systems,  Inc.,  in 
Cupertino,  California.  Last  Sept.  26th 
his  fledgling  firm  unveiled  an  impres- 
sive first  product,  the  Durango  F-85,  a 
typewriter-sized  unit  packing  the 
power  of  a  minicomputer. 

Enough  clues  for  an  educated 
guess?  If  you  guessed  that  the  revolu- 
tionary computer  was  the  brain-child 
of  George  E.  Comstock,  '46,  you'd 
be  absolutely  right. 

George  Comstock  enjoys  coming 
up  with  hot,  new  products.  It's  in  his 
life's  blood.  Developing  a  desk-top 
computer  was  right  up  his  alley.  And 
what's  more,  he  likes  the  indepen- 
dence of  running  his  own  firm. 

He  was  the  founder  and  former 
president  of  Diablo  Systems,  Inc., 
Xerox's  subsidiary  which  makes 
printers  for  computer  and  word- 
processing  systems.  He  had  been 
with  Xerox  since  1 972,  the  year  that 
he  and  a  small  group  sold  Diablo  to 
the  copier  company.  Under  his  lead- 
ership the  printer  maker  grew  from 
around  $5  million  to  over  $100  mil- 
lion in  annual  sales.  Despite  his 
savvy  shepherding,  though,  Com- 
stock felt  miscast  at  Xerox.  He  de- 
cided to  leave  a  year  and  a  half  ago. 

"I'm  definitely  uncomfortable  in  a 
large  company  environment,"  he 
says. 

He  is  much  more  at  home  with 
Durango  and  his  own  design  team. 
Together  they  managed  to  combine  a 
keyboard,  matrix  printer,  central  pro- 
cessor, display  screen,  and  a  pair  of 
mini-diskette  storage  modules  into  a 
$1 3,500,  6 5 -pound  desktop  com- 
puter. 


18 /February  1979 /The  WPI  journal 


f  ) 


Hailed  as  the  ultimate  in  design 
integration  by  early  observers,  the 
Durango  F-85  stands  head  and  shoul- 
ders above  its  competitors.  Com- 
puters with  equivalent  power  from 
major  manufacturers  require  three 
separate  units:  a  desk  for  the 
keyboard,  central  processor,  and  dis- 
play screen;  a  printer,  and  a  disk 
memory.  One  competitor  com- 
mented outright,  "Any  business  sys- 
tem that  can  be  integrated  into  a 
desk-top  version  makes  a  lot  of 
sense." 

In  order  to  accomplish  his  packag- 
ing breakthrough,  the  Comstock 
team  designed  the  computer  around  a 
1 65-character-per-second  matrix 
printer.  The  Durango  group,  which 
includes  ten  engineers  and  marketers 
from  Diablo,  then  reduced  the 
number  of  printed  circuit  boards  from 
fifteen  down  to  four.  They  slashed  the 


number  of  moving  parts  by  one- third, 
and  cut  power  requirements  in  half. 
Competitive  computers  with  similar 
capabilities  weigh  four  times  as 
much  and  cost  up  to  $7,000  more, 
Comstock  says. 

Industry  experts  believe  that  the 
only  weakness  of  the  Durango  F-85  is 
in  the  matter  of  recognition.  (It 
doesn't  say  IBM  on  it.)  But  this  isn't 
stopping  Data  Dimensions,  Inc.  of 
Greenwich,  Conn.,  from  distributing 
it.  According  to  Lester  M.  Gottlieb, 
president  of  the  firm,  which  also  dis- 
tributes equipment  from  Texas  In- 
struments, Digital  Equipment,  and 
Diablo,  the  F-85  is  the  best  product 
he's  seen  in  twenty-two  years.  "The 
first  truly  integrated  desk-top  com- 
puter that  is  portable  in  the  office 
environment." 

Gottlieb,  who  usually  does  not  do 
business  with  start-up  companies,  is 


impressed  with  Comstock's  track 
record.  He's  developed  new  products 
before  and  knows  how  to  get  a  prod- 
uct into  production. 

Equally  confident  are  Durango's 
prime  backers,  which  include 
Citicorp  Venture  Capital  Ltd.  and 
Sutter  Hill  Ventures.  They  expect  a 
generous  return  on  the  several  mil- 
lion they've  invested  in  the  company 
during  the  past  year. 

Such  confidence  is  not  misplaced. 
Comstock  introduced  the  highly 
successful  daisy-wheel  printer  while 
with  Diablo,  and  everyone  now  con- 
cerned with  Durango  feels  he  can  pull 
off  a  repeat  performance.  Comstock, 
himself,  figures  that  the  F-85  should 
cost  40  percent  less  to  make  than 
competing  products,  allowing  him  to 
charge  20  percent  less  and  still  main- 
tain a  healthy  profit  margin. 

His  strategy  is  to  hit  the  market 
across  a  broad  front.  He  hopes  to  be 
able  to  meet  the  distributed- 
processing  needs  of  large  companies 
and  the  general  business  and  account- 
ing needs  of  small  business. 

hi  the  beginning,  Durango  will  not 
make  much  of  an  impact  at  the 
market-place,  Comstock  concedes.  It 
takes  time  to  build  up  production. 
The  company  plans  to  produce  a 
thousand  units  its  first  year. 

However,  Comstock  projects  that 
by  1983  Durango  sales  should  hit 
$100  million  annually.  Comstock  is 
two  years  ahead  of  other  computer 
makers  with  his  desktop  model.  He 
intends  to  use  that  two-year  window 
to  build  volume. 

Customer  reaction  to  the  F-85  has 
been  both  enthusiastic  and  positive. 
One  company  president,  who  had 
already  placed  an  order  for  a  compet- 
ing machine,  changed  his  mind  once 
he  got  a  good  look  at  Comstock's 
brain-child.  He  cancelled  his  order  so 
that  he  could  go  with  Durango.  "The 
F-85  cost  $7,000  less  and  could  do 
more,"  he  explains. 

Such  heartening  initial  response 
has  prompted  Comstock  to  predict 
that  Durango  will  enjoy  the  same 
kind  of  growth  as  that  of  Diablo.  This 
time  around,  however,  he  intends  to 
hold  the  corporate  reins  a  little 
longer. 


alternative  energy  programs  and  in  an 
awards  ceremony.  Two  teachers  and  two 
students  were  selected  from  the  group  to 
represent  the  Massachusetts  Electric  Com- 
pany at  the  23rd  International  Edison 
Birthday  Celebration  in  February  in  Or- 
lando, Florida. . . .  Frank  Gross,  Jr.,  was 
recently  named  vice  president  of  manufac- 
turing for  E.A.  Adams  and  Son,  Inc.,  a 
Pawtucket  (R.I.)  manufacturer  of  jewelry 
and  jewelry  specialties.  He  is  responsible 
for  all  manufacturing  facilities  located  in 
Pawtucket,  Wareham,  Mass.,  and  Bar- 
bados in  the  Caribbean.  He  has  been  with 
the  company  since  1965  and  developed 
the  Barbados  operation  in  1 966.  He  has  his 
MBA  from  New  York  University,  and  has 
been  active  in  scouting,  Little  League,  St. 
Luke's  Episcopal  Church,  East  Greenwich 
Recreation  Commission,  and  the  East 
Greenwich  Development  Commission  of 
which  he  was  chairman. . . .  August  Kel- 
lermann  has  been  appointed  to  the  posi- 
tion of  vice  president  of  International  Op- 
erations of  Conoco  Chemicals  Company,  a 
division  of  Continental  Oil  Co.  In  this  capac- 
ity, he  is  responsible  for  Conoco's  chemical 
activities  outside  of  the  U.S.,  which  are 
primarily  concentrated  in  Europe,  South 
America,  and  the  Far  East.  The  Kellermanns 
reside  in  New  Canaan,  Conn.,  and  in  be- 
tween numerous  trips  abroad,  find  some 
time  for  tennis,  golf,  and  sailing.  Their 
children,  Bartt,  Krista,  and  Rodger,  are 
away  at  school. 


1947 


Secretary: 
Alfred  F.  Larkin,  Jr 
1440  E.  Standish  PI 
Milwaukee,  Wl 
53217 


Representative: 
Allan  Glazer 
20  Monadnock  Dr 
Shrewsbury,  MA 
01545 


Robert  Yereance,  president  of  Ydeas,  is 
now  located  in  Phoenix,  Arizona. 


1949 


Secretary: 

Representative: 

Howard  J.  Green 

lames  F.  O'Regan 

1  Kenilworth  Rd. 

17  Hundreds  Rd 

Worcester,  MA 

Westboro,  MA 

01602 

01581 

Currently,  Charles  Allen  is  technical  staff 
engineer  for  Antenna  Systems  Engineering 
at  GE's  Valley  Forge  Space  Center  in 
Pennsylvania.  He  writes,  "The  work  is  very 
interesting  and  involves  advanced  antenna 
systems  for  communications  satellites, 
space  shuttle,  and  earth  sensors." 

Matthew  Babinski,  formerly  an  interna- 
tional patent  attorney  with  Eastman  Kodak 
in  Rochester,  NY.,  is  now  the  author  of  a 
novel,  By  Raz  1937,  which  he  has  had 
published  in  paperback  through  W.F.  Hall 
Printing  Co.,  a  Chicago  subsidy  publisher. 
The  Worcester  native  has  sold,  largely 
through  his  own  efforts,  over  3,500  copies 


Chicago  alone.  His  story  focuses  on  a 
Polish-American  family  living  in  Worcester 
in  1937,  his  premise  being,  "what  is  a 
genius  like  at  twelve  years  old?"  Chicago 
has  a  massive  Polish-American  population, 
and  his  book  is  selling  well  at  Marshall  Field 
&  Co.  and  Krochs  Brentano's.  But  one  of  his 
best  outlets  is  a  Polish-run  restaurant, 
Przybylo's  House  of  the  White  Eagle,  on 
the  city's  northwest  side.  Babinski  plans  to 
market  the  book  in  Worcester. 

Arthur  Dinsmoor,  district  manager  of 
Marshall  R.  Young  Oil  Co.,  Midland,  Texas, 
spoke  on  the  topic,  "An  Independent  Pro- 
ducer Looks  at  Future  Domestic  Supplies  of 
Oil  and  Gas"  at  the  Carl  Gunnard  Johnson 
Memorial  Colloquium  Series  sponsored  by 
the  ME  department  at  WPI  in  October.  . . . 
Bill  Julian,  president  of  the  WPI  Alumni 
Association,  spent  the  Christmas  holidays 
at  his  new  summer  home  at  Willoughby 
Lake  in  Westmore,  Vermont.  Bill  is  a  self- 
employed  land  developer  in  McLean,  Vir- 
ginia. 


1952 


Secretary.' 
Edward  G  Samolis 
580  Roberts  Ave 
Syracuse,  NY 
13207 


Representative 
Philip  B  Crommelin,  Jr 
P  O  Box  38 
Stanton,  NJ 
08885 


Presently,  Harold  Althen  holds  the  position 
of  vice  president  of  fabric  filters-scrubbers 
at  Peabody  Process  Systems  in  Stamford, 
Conn. 


1955 


Secretary: 
Kenneth  L  Wakeen 
344  Watervllle  Rd 
Avon,  Ct 
06001 


Representative: 
Ralph  K  Mongeon,  Jr 
Riley  Stoker  Corp 
PO  Box  547 
Worcester,  MA 
01613 


Robert  Stempel  has  been  promoted  to  vice 
president  and  general  manager  of  the  Pon- 
tiac  Division  at  General  Motors  in  Detroit. 
He  joined  GM  in  1958  and  had  served  as 
director  of  engineering  for  Chevrolet  since 
1975.  In  June  of  1977  he  received  an 
honorary  doctor  of  engineering  degree 
from  WPI. 


1956 


Secretary: 

Rev  Paul  D  Schoonmaker 

325  North  Lewis  Rd 

Royersford,  PA 

19468 


Representative 
John  M  McHugh 
431  Beacon  Hill  Dr 
Cheshire,  CT 
06410 


Bernard  Danti  is  president  of  Bernard  R. 
Danti,  Inc.,  Bedford,  Mass.  .  .  .  Robert 
Farrar  recently  became  president  of  Fre- 
derick A.  Farrar,  Inc.,  in  Keene  N.H.  He  is 
the  son  of  Frederick  Farrar,  '31. 


William  Jordan,  Jr.,  has  been  named  vice 
president  of  engineering  at  Boschert  Inc. 
Previously,  he  was  head  of  the  Honeywell 
team  that  helped  engineer  the  first  practical 
dynamic  random-access  memory  for 
memory  systems,  and  then  founding  man- 
ager of  Intel  Corporation's  Memory  Sys- 
tems Division,  in  the  latter  post,  he  pro- 
duced a  mass  market  for  the  product.  "I  like 
the  idea  of  a  new  venture,"  he  declares. 

In  his  new  post,  he  will  direct  Boschert's 
technological  attack  on  the  entrenched 
linear  power  supplies  by  trying  to  beat 
them  on  cost,  efficiency,  and  size.  He  ac- 
knowledges that  power  supplies  are  not  a 
glamorous  part  of  the  industry,  saying, 
"that's  one  of  the  things  that  make  it  a  neat 
business." 

After  graduating  from  WPI,  Jordan 
worked  for  CBS  Electronics  and  Avco's 
R&D  Division  before  joining  Honeywell's 
Computer  Control  Division,  where  he 
spearheaded  development  of  the  1 1 03 
RAM.  In  1971  he  became  founding  man- 
ager of  Intel's  Memory  Systems  division 
and  corporate  vice  president. 

John  McHugh  is  the  new  general  chair- 
man of  the  Mattatuck  District  Sustaining 
Membership  Enrollmentforthe  Boy  Scouts 
of  America  in  Connecticut.  McHugh,  who 
is  president  of  the  Royal  Screw  Machine 
Products  in  Waterbury,  will  give  leadership 
to  the  annual  enrollment  of  parents  and 
friends  of  scouting.  He  has  a  master's  de- 
gree from  RPI ,  and  is  a  past  president  of  the 
Small  Manufacturers  Association  of 
Waterbury  and  the  Waterbury  Exchange 
Club.  The  Mattatuck  District  serves  2,800 
Cubs,  Scouts,  and  Explorers  in  85  packs, 
troops,  and  posts  . . .  Gerald  Wootton  was 
ordained  a  permanent  deacon  at  St. 
Joseph's  Cathedral  in  Hartford,  Conn,  on 
December  1  st.  He  has  completed  a  three- 
year  program  of  study  at  St.  Thomas  Semi- 
nary in  Bloomfield,  and  has  been  assigned 
to  his  home  parish,  St.  Thomas  Church  in 
Thomaston.  He  is  a  chief  engineer  at  Bicron 
Electronics  Co.  in  Canaan. 


1957 


Secretary 

Dr  Robert  A  Yates 

11  Oak  Ridge  Dr 

Bethany,  CT 

06525 


Representative 
Alfred  E  Barry 
1  Algonquin  Rd 
Worcester,  MA 
01609 


►fiorn:  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Robert  A.  Propper 
their  first  child,  Octavia,  on  July  1 7,  1 978. 
Propper  was  recently  appointed  to  the  U.S. 
Department  of  Transportation  as  a  visual 
information  officer.  Previously,  he  was  a 
partner  in  a  design-planning  firm  in  New 
York  City.  His  book,  High  Diddle  Diddle, 
was  the  first  children's  book  to  be  pub- 
lished by  the  Museum  of  Modern  Art  in 
New  York.  In  addition,  he  has  written 
numerous  articles  on  visual  communica- 
tions. He  has  a  BFA  and  MFA  from  Yale 
University. 


20 /February  1979 /The  WPI  journal 


Robert  Beckett  now  holds  the  post  of 
president  of  ROBEC,  Inc.  in 
Montgomeryville,  Pa.  .  .  .  Allan  Devault 
serves  as  manager  of  product  marketing  at 
Rolm  Corp.,  Santa  Clara,  Calif.  The  De- 
vaults  have  one  child  and  live  in  Foster  City. 

Edward  Foley  has  been  named  assistant 
treasurer  at  Norton  Co.,  Worcester.  With 
the  company  since  1960,  he  has  held  vari- 
ous manufacturing,  engineering,  and  fi- 
nance posts.  Prior  to  his  promotion,  he  was 
cash  administrator.  He  has  an  MBA  from 
Clark  University. 


1958 

Secretary: 
Harry  R  Rydstrom 
132  Sugartown  Rd 
Devon,  PA 
19333 

Michael  Mullo  of  Pocasset,  Mass.  is  now 
director  of  plans  and  management  at 
Codex  Corp.  in  Mansfield. 


i960 


1959 


Secretary: 

Dr  Frederick  H  Lutze,  Jr 

1 10  Camelot  Court  NW 

Blacksburg,  VA 

24060 


Representative: 

Dr  Joseph  D  Bronzino 

Trinity  College 

Summit  St 

Hartford.  CT 

06106 


Roger  Pekrul  was  recently  named  vice  pres- 
ident of  manufacturing  for  the  Dunlop 
Sports  Co.,  a  division  of  Dunlop  Tire  & 
Rubber  Corp.  He  is  located  at  the  com- 
pany's plant  in  Westminster,  S.C.,  where 
he  is  responsible  for  the  manufacturing  and 
technical  areas  of  the  Dunlop  line  of  golf 
and  racquet  sports  products.  Formerly,  he 
was  divisional  manager  of  manufacturing 
for  the  Acushnet  Co. 

Continuing  with  Hamilton  Standard, 
Windsor  Locks,  Conn.,  Joseph  Swider,  Jr., 
now  serves  as  program  manager  for  the 
space  shuttle  orbiter.  The  Swiders  have 

moved  from  Suffield,  Conn,  to  Windsor 

Edward  Wysocki  and  his  family  of  El- 
lington, Connecticut  visited  WPI's  ME  de- 
partment in  October.  Wysocki,  who  is  with 
United  Technologies  at  Pratt  &  Whitney, 
also  operates  Airfoto  Service,  specializing  in 
color  and  infra-red  aerial  photos.  Edward 
Wysocki,  Jr.,  '81,  following  in  his  father's 
footsteps,  is  enrolled  in  the  field  of  mechan- 
ical engineering  at  WPI. 


Secretary: 

Representative 

PaulW  Bayliss 

JohnW  Biddle 

170WyngateDr 

78  Highland  St 

Barrington,  IL 

Holden,  MA 

60010 

01520 

After  thirteen  "comfortable"  years  in  Con- 
necticut with  United  Technologies,  the 
Robert  Chechiles  and  their  four  children 
have  relocated  in  Thousand  Oaks,  Calif. 
Robert  is  a  senior  member  of  the  technical 
staff  for  Litton  Guidance  &  Control  Sys- 
tems, Woodland  Hills.  .  .  .  Edward 
Donoghue  of  Westboro,  Mass.  holds  the 
post  of  branch  manager  in  Boston  for  Four 
Phase  Systems,  Waltham.  The  Donoghues 
have  four  children. 


1961 

Secretary 
John  J  Gabarro 
8  Monadnock  Rd 
Arlington,  MA 
02174 

Dr.  John  Quagliaroli  serves  as  president  of 
Fowler,  Anthony  &  Co.  in  Wellesley,  Mass. 
The  firm  arranges  mergers  and  is  con- 
cerned with  financing,  private  placements, 
and  venture  capital.  .  .  .  Merrill  Rutman  is 
an  electronics  engineer  for  U.S.  Army 
Communications  &  Electronics  Materiel 
Readiness  Command  at  Fort  Monmouth, 
N.J.  He  expects  to  be  relocated  in  June. 


1963 


Secretary 

Robert  E  Maynard,  Jr 

8  Institute  Rd 

North  Grafton,  MA 

01536 


Representative: 
Joseph  J  Mielinski,  Jr. 
34  Pioneer  Rd. 
Holden,  MA 
01520 


►fiorn:  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edward  J. 
Kalinowski  a  son  Steven  on  September  1 6, 
1978.  The  Kalinowskis  also  have  two  other 
children,  Tony,  8,  and  Nicole,  17  months. 
Eli  Lilly  and  Company  has  transferred  Ed  to 
their  Roanoke,  Va.  plant  as  director  of 
industrial  relations.  Prior  to  the  transfer,  Ed 
and  his  family  spent  five  years  in  London, 
England.  Three  of  those  years,  he  was 
manager  of  European  Requirements  Plan- 
ning for  Elizabeth  Arden,  Ltd.,  a  division  of 
Lilly.  For  the  past  two  years,  he  was  director 
of  personnel  services  for  the  United  King- 
dom and  Scandinavia  for  Eli  Lilly. 

Joseph  Bucciaglia  was  recently  ap- 
pointed operations  manager  of  chemicals 
for  Uniroyal  Chemical  Company.  In  his  new 
post,  he  will  be  supporting  operations  and 
near-term  implementation  of  sales  plans 
and  strategies.  Bucciaglia,  who  will  be 
headquartered  in  Naugatuck,  Conn., 
joined  the  firm  in  1963  as  a  chemist. 


Among  his  posts  were  research  and  devel- 
opment senior  group  leader,  pilot  plants, 
and  production  superintendent  in  chemi- 
cals. Priorto  his  promotion,  he  was  manag- 
ing director  of  Uniroyal  Chimica  S.P.A.,  the 
company's  Italian  subsidiary. 

Now  at  home  in  Ballston  Lake,  NY. 
following  a  three-year  stint  as  a  consultant 
in  Iran,  James  Daily  has  been  appointed  as 
division  engineer-outside  plant  for  New 
York  Telephone  Company's  northeast 
area.  He  writes:  "It's  fun  to  be  back  and 
experience  reverse  culture  shock."  The 
Dailys  have  two  children,  Jamie,  13,  and 
Janet,  10. 

Dr.  Stephen  Nagy  is  presently  located  at 
Hackensack  (N.J.)  Hospital,  where  he  is 
with  the  Department  of  Radiation  Therapy. 
. . .  Still  with  Merrill  Lynch,  A.  Stephen  Otis 
is  now  a  vice  president  for  the  firm  in  Los 
Angeles.  .  .  .  Harold  Wright  holds  the 
position  of  regional  manager  at  WER  In- 
dustrial in  North  Andover,  Mass. 


1964 


Secretary: 

Dr  David  T.  Signori,  Jr 

6613  Denny  PI 

McLean,  VA 

22101 


Representative: 
Barry  J.  Kadets 
7  Bellwood  St 
Framingham,  MA 
10701 


^■Married:  Peter  R.  Fennerto  Suzan  E. 
Riddle  on  November  24,  1978  in  Dallas, 
Texas.  The  bride  graduated  from  Texas 
Tech  University  and  the  university's  law 
school.  She  is  a  partner  in  the  law  firm  of 
Gardere,  Porter,  and  DeHay  in  Dallas.  Her 
husband,  who  has  a  master's  degree  from 
Northwestern  University,  is  a  regional 
analyst  manager  with  Systems  Engineering 
Laboratories,  Inc. 

Dr.  Bill  Ferguson  began  working  as  a 
research  investigator  for  the  Squibb  Insti- 
tute for  Medical  Research  in  New 
Brunswick,  N.J.  last  September.  He  says, 
"For  some  time  I  had  been  seeking  a 
change  from  teaching  chemistry  at  Rhode 
Island  Jr.  College  and  assisting  in  the  admin- 
istration of  the  Gordon  Research  Confer- 
ences during  the  summer.  I  am  back  at  my 
old  discipline,  process  R&D,  and  enjoy  it 
very  much.  The  family  has  taken  well  to 
New  Jersey  and  we  are  happy  living  in  the 
town  of  Lawrenceville  near  Princeton." 

Bradley  Gale  now  serves  as  director  of 
research  for  the  Strategic  Planning  Institute 
(PIMS  Program)  in  Cambridge,  Mass.  .  . . 
Donald  Ghiz  is  director  of  steel  purchases 
for  Continental  Oil  Co.  in  Houston,  Texas. 
. . .  Alfred  Hemingway,  Jr.,  continues  as  a 
lawyer  with  Bryan  &  Bollo  in  Stamford, 
Conn.  He,  his  wife  Julie,  and  two  children 
reside  in  Wilton. 


The  WPI  Journal  /February  1979/21 


i 


At  left,  Governor  King  swearing  in  Dean  Amidon. 

Public  Workers 


Above,  Ellsworth  Sammet 


Dean  P.  Amidon,  '49  of  Monterey, 
Massachusetts,  was  sworn  in  as 
Commissioner  of  the  Massachusetts 
Department  of  Public  Works  by  Gov- 
ernor Edward  J.  King  on  January  5, 
1979. 

Commissioner  Amidon  has  been 
serving  as  district  highway  engineer 
since  1 969  for  the  Massachusetts  De- 
partment of  Public  Works'  District 
One  Office,  which  consists  of  Berk- 
shire County  and  eight  towns  in 
Hampden  and  Hampshire  Counties. 
Amidon  is  a  career  employee  with 
29  years  of  service  with  the  depart- 
ment. He  previously  held  positions  in 
District  One  as  district  maintenance 
engineer,  district  construction  en- 
gineer and  as  location  and  survey 
engineer  at  the  dpw  headquarters  in 
Boston. 

Married  with  four  sons,  Amidon 
spent  four  wartime  years  in  the  U.S. 
Navy  before  enrolling  at  WPI,  where 
he  received  his  civil  engineering  de- 
gree in  1949. 

The  new  commissioner  is  a  regis- 
tered professional  engineer,  a  regis- 
tered land  surveyor,  and  a  member  of 
both  the  American  Society  of  Civil 
Engineers  and  the  American  Public 
Works  Association.  In  1975  he  was 
honored  with  the  "Outstanding  En- 
gineer of  the  Year"  award  by  the 
Berkshire  Chapter  of  the  Mas- 
sachusetts Society  of  Professional 
Engineers. 

The  new  dpw  head  has  been  quite 
active  in  local  affairs  having  served  as 
President  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of 


Fairview  Hospital  in  Great  Bar- 
rington,  member  of  the  Monterey 
Regional  School  Committee,  Plan- 
ning Board  and  Board  of  Appeals.  He 
also  served  as  a  Monterey  Boy  Scout 
leader  and  Little  League  coach. 

In  assuming  his  new  duties,  Com- 
missioner Amidon  will  direct  the  ac- 
tivities of  about  4 1 00  employees  with 
an  operating  budget  of  $80  million 
and  with  $300  million  in  statewide 
construction  projects  underway. 

Taking  over  Amidon's  previous 
post  as  district  highway  engineer  for 
the  dpw's  District  One  office  is  his 
WPI  classmate,  Ellsworth  Sammet, 
'49,  former  District  One  construction 
engineer.  He  began  his  career  29  years 
ago  in  the  District  Three  Worcester 
office  as  an  assistant  resident  con- 
struction engineer.  Within  two  years 
he  was  promoted  to  resident  en- 
gineer. He  also  worked  in  the  District 
Two  Northampton  office  as  assistant 
construction  engineer  and  mainte- 
nance engineer.  For  the  past  eight 
years  he  has  served  as  District  One 
construction  engineer.  He  is  a  resi- 
dent of  Pittsfield. 

Mr.  Sammet  has  been  involved  in 
both  civic  and  charitable  organiza- 
tions, serving  on  the  board  of  direc- 
tors of  Mt.  Watatic  Ski  Area  in 
Ashby,  and  as  a  member  of  the 
Ashburnham  board  of  the  Water 
Commission,  the  Gardner  Rotary 
Club,  and  Ashburnham  Alternate 
Montachusett  Regional  Planning 
Commission.  For  the  past  four  years, 
he  has  been  active  in  the  Pittsfield 


Rotary  Club  as  secretary,  vice  presi- 
dent, president,  and  aide  to  the  gov- 
ernor for  Rotary  District  #789.  In 
1 978  he  was  appointed  to  the 
Pittsfield  Beautification  Commis- 
sion and  was  solicitor  for  the  United 
Way  of  Central  Berkshire. 

A  World  War  II  Navy  veteran, 
Sammet  earned  his  gold  wings  as  a 
naval  aviator  in  1 945 .  After  his  re- 
lease from  active  duty,  he  joined  the 
Naval  Air  Reserve  and  served  as  a  jet 
fighter  pilot,  anti-submarine  patrol 
pilot  and  executive  officer  of  vp  914 
located  at  Naval  Air  Station,  South 
Weymouth.  He  retired  from  the 
Naval  Reserve  with  the  rank  of  Lt. 
Commander. 

Sammet  is  a  registered  professional 
engineer  and  land  surveyor  and  a 
member  of  the  American  Society  of 
Civil  Engineers.  He  and  his  wife, 
Jeannine,  have  four  children. 


22 /February  1979 /The  WPI  Journal 


J.  James  Tasillo,  Jr.,  was  recently  ap- 
pointed vice  president  of  rates  at  NEGEA 
Service  Corporation.  NEGEA  provides  gas 
and  electric  public  utility  services  to  com- 
munities in  central  and  southeastern  Mas- 
sachusetts. Tasillo  has  a  master's  degree  in 
engineering  management  from  Northeast- 
ern. He  began  at  Public  Service  Company 
of  New  Hampshire  in  1964  with  marketing 
responsibilities.  Later,  he  became  research 
engineer  in  the  rate  department.  He  joined 
NEGEA  in  1972  as  assistant  rate  manager 
and  the  next  year  was  named  rate  man- 
ager. He  belongs  to  the  Rate  Research 
Committee  of  the  Edison  Electric  Institute 
and  the  American  Gas  Association  Rate 
Committee.  The  Tasillos  have  four  children 
and  live  in  Auburn. 


1965 

Representative: 
Patrick  T  Moran 
100  Chester  Rd. 
Boxboro,  MA 
01719 

Robert  Johnson  is  a  senior  computer  en- 
gineer for  Technicon  Inst.  Corp.  in  Tar- 
rytown,  N.Y.  He  and  his  wife  Nancy  have 
three  children. 


1966 


Secretary: 

Representative: 

Gary  Dyckman 

Dr.  Donald  H  Foley 

29  Skilton  Lane 

Indianfield  Rd 

Burlington,  MA 

Clinton,  NY 

01803 

13323 

Larry  Penoncello  continues  as  plant  man- 
ager at  Torrington  (Conn.)  Co.  He  has  an 
MBA  from  the  University  of  Hartford. .  . . 
Presently,  Paul  Peterson  serves  as  director 
of  the  technical  services  staff  for  the  central 
region  of  Software  AG  of  North  America, 
Inc.  He  is  located  in  Evergreen,  Colorado. 


1967 


Secretary: 

John  L  Kilguss 

5  Summershade  Circle 

Piscataway,  NJ 

08854 


Representative 
Raymond  C  Rogers 
92  North  Common  Rd 
Westminster,  MA 
01473 


Lt.  Commander  Wallace  Fini  has  reported 
for  duty  as  a  member  of  the  staff  of  Com- 
mander, U.S.  Naval  Forces,  Guam, 
Marianas  Islands.  He  joined  the  Navy  in 
1967. . . .  William  Goudie,  who  has  his  MS 
in  chemical  engineering  from  Stevens  Insti- 
tute of  Technology,  is  now  a  senior  en- 
gineer with  du  Pont  in  Wilmington,  Dela- 
ware. 

Major  David  Heebner  is  presently 
stationed  at  the  U.S.  Army  Command  & 
General  Staff  College  in  Ft.  Leavenworth, 
Kansas.  He  has  an  MS  in  operations  re- 
search from  Naval  Postgraduate  School  in 


Monterey  Calif.  The  Heebners  have  two 
children.  .  .  .  Anil  Kadakia  continues  as  a 
project  engineer  at  Urban  Engineering  Inc. 
in  Philadelphia. 

Edward  Lally,  Jr.,  holds  the  post  of  presi- 
dent of  Ed  Lally  &  Associates  in  Windsor, 
Conn.  ...  Dr.  Stephen  Luber  is  a  pediatri- 
cian at  a  clinic  in  Sun  Valley,  Idaho.  He 
holds  an  MD  degree  from  the  University  of 
California  and  an  MBA  from  Harvard.  .  . . 
Edward  Semple  serves  as  a  product  planner 
at  Digital  Equipment  Corp.,  Marlboro, 
Mass.  .  .  .  Currently,  Richard  Symonds  is 
with  GE  in  Schenectady,  N.Y.  He  and  his 
wife,  Charlotte,  have  five  children  and  live 

in  Clifton  Park,  N.Y Charles  Wojewoda 

is  employed  as  a  senior  process  engineer  at 
Monsanto  Co.  in  Springfield,  Mass. 


1968 


Secretary 
Charles  A  Griffin 
2901  Municipal  Pier  Rd 
Shreveport,  LA 
71119 


Representative: 
William  J.  Rasku 
33  Mark  Bradford  Dr 
Holden,  MA 
01520 


^■Married:  Leif  M.  Erickson  and  Carol  A. 
Mielke  in  Florence,  Massachusetts  on  Sep- 
tember 30,  1978.  Mrs.  Erickson,  who 
graduated  from  Westfield  State  College,  is 
a  substitute  teacher  at  Hampshire  Educa- 
tion Collaborative.  Her  husband  has  a  PhD 
in  chemistry  from  UMass,  and  is  a  captain 
in  the  Army  reserves  at  Westover  AFB. 

►fiorn:  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stephen  W. 
Petroff  a  daughter,  Sasha.  Steve  owns  the 
Shellback  Tavern  in  Manhattan  Beach, 
Calif.  ...  to  Dr.  and  Mrs.  E.  Wayne 
Turnblom  their  first  child,  a  daughter, 
Laura  Kirsten,  on  December  11,1 978. 
Wayne  is  head  of  the  research  laboratory  at 
Eastman  Kodak  Co.  in  Rochester,  N.Y. 

Francis  Addessio  is  a  member  of  the  staff 
of  the  Los  Alamos  Scientific  Lab.,  University 
of  California.  He  has  his  MS  from  Stanford 
and  a  PhD  from  Purdue. . . .  Robert  Balmat 
III  presently  holds  the  position  of  controller 
at  Rockwell  International  in  Downey,  Calif. 
The  Balmats  have  two  children  and  live  in 
Fountain  Valley  ....  Jeff  Shaw  is  now 
manager  of  manufacturing  engineering  for 
Digital  Equipment  of  Salem,  N.H.  He  and 
his  wife  Carole  have  two  children. 


1969 


Secretary: 

Representative: 

lames  P.  Atkinson 

Michael  W  Noga 

41  Naples  Rd 

West  Bare  Hill  Rd 

Brookline,  MA 

Harvard,  MA 

02146 

01451 

^Married:  Richard  Furman  and  Miss  Diana 
Bachus  in  Wichita,  Kansas  on  September 
1 7,  1 978.  The  bride  graduated  from  the 
University  of  Texas  with  a  BS  in  nutrition. 
She  served  her  dietitian  internship  at  Peter 
Bent  Brigham  Hospital  in  Boston.  A  regis- 
tered dietitian,  she  also  has  an  MBA  from 


the  University  of  Miami  in  Florida.  The 
groom,  a  research  coordinator  at  Florida 
Power  &  Light  Co.,  Miami,  has  a  master's 
degree  in  chemical  engineering  from  MIT. 

>Born:  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Warren  F.  Fol- 
lett,  a  son,  Patrick  Christian,  on  November 
18,  1978.  Rick  is  a  senior  engineer  at 
Raytheon  in  Bedford,  Mass.  and  resides  in 
Westford  with  his  wife,  Cheryl,  new  son, 

and  daughter,  Heidi  Lynn,  8 to  Mr.  and 

Mrs.  Douglas  Morash  their  first  child,  a 
daughter,  Kristin,  on  June  26,  1978.  Doug 
is  a  project  engineer  at  Moog,  Inc.  in  East 
Aurora,  N.Y. 

Capt.  Warren  Anderson,  who  has  an 
MBA  from  the  University  of  North  Dakota, 
serves  as  a  pilot  on  a  C-5  Galaxy  for  the 
U.S.  Air  Force.  Presently,  he  is  located  at 
Dover  AFB  in  Delaware.  .  .  .  Joel  Cehn  is  a 
health  physicist  at  Teknekron,  Inc.  in 
Washington,  DC.  Recently  he  was  cer- 
tified by  the  American  Board  of  Health 
Physics. .  .  .  Arthur  Evans  has  been  ap- 
pointed utility  market  manager  for  the 
corporate  marketing  group  at  Goulds 
Pumps,  Inc.,  Seneca  Falls,  N.Y.  With  the 
firm  since  1971 ,  he  has  held  several  sales 
positions  including  that  of  branch  manager 
at  the  company's  Kansas  City  office.  He  is  a 
graduate  of  the  U.S.  Army  Engineering 
School.  .  .  .  Arthur  Katsaros  was  recently 
promoted  to  marketing  manager  for  nitra- 
tion products  at  Air  Products  and  Chemi- 
cals, Inc.  in  Allentown,  Pa.  He  will  be 
responsible  for  marketing  dinitrotoluene 
and  toluenediamine  to  the  urethane  indus- 
try. He  started  out  in  1973  as  a  senior 
process  engineer  at  the  company  and  has 
an  MBA  from  Lehigh  University.  .  .  . 
Michael  Punchekunnel  is  a  senior  man- 
ufacturing engineer  for  Martin  Marietta 
Corp.  in  Orlando,  Fla. 


I970 


Secretary: 

F  David  Ploss,  III 

208  St  Nicholas  Ave 

Worcester,  MA 

01606 


Representative: 
Domenic  J  Forcella,  Jr. 
25  Hough  St 
Plainville.  CT 
06062 


Capt.  Kenneth  Bassmann,  who  previously 
held  a  reserve  commission  as  an  Officer 
Training  School  graduate,  has  been  named 
for  regular  status  on  the  basis  of  his  educa- 
tional background  and  outstanding  duty  as 
an  Air  Force  officer.  He  is  assigned  as  a 
communications  systems  officer  with  a  unit 
of  the  Air  Force  Communications  Service  at 
Kapaun  Air  Station  in  Germany. 

Gary  Fritz  currently  manages  Air  New 
England's  new  operation  at  Bradley  Inter- 
national Airport  in  Hartford.  Formerly,  he 
was  manager  for  the  firm  at  Martha's 
Vineyard  Airport.  The  Fritzes  and  daughter 
Lori  are  now  living  in  Broad  Brook,  Conn. 


The  WP1  journal/ February  1979/23 


Dr.  Joseph  R.  Mancuso,  '63,  has 
come  up  with  a  new  and  different 
idea  —  a  survival  training  school  for 
entrepreneurs.  The  author  of  a 
number  of  books  dealing  with  entre- 
preneurship,  and  an  experienced  pro 
in  the  field,  Mancuso  founded  a 
unique,  non-profit  organization  last 
year — the  Center  for  Entrepreneurial 
Management.  While  there  are  man- 
agement associations  for  corporate 
executives,  labor  unions  for  nearly 
every  job  classification,  and  national 
lobbying  interests  for  various  groups 
with  special  concerns,  until  now 
there  has  not  been  an  overall  source 
of  information  and  educational  and 
moral  support  designed  specifically 
for  entrepreneurs  and  the  people  who 
advise  them. 

Entrepreneurs  are  different  from 
other  businesspeople.  While  the  pro- 
fessional manager  seeks  to  protect 
resources,  the  entrepreneur  creates 
them.  One  result  of  this  is  that  it  can 
be  hard  for  the  entrepreneur  to  find 
answers. 

According  to  Mancuso,  the  gov- 
ernment and  several  private  organi- 
zations have  produced  a  mountain  of 
generalized  business  information  so 
immense  that  merely  finding  an  ap- 
propriate answer  for  any  specific 
question  presents  a  new  and  impos- 
ing problem.  "At  the  Center  we  begin 
with  the  assumption  that  time  is 


en*tre*pre*neur  (dn'tre-pre-nuf)  n.  A  person  who  orga- 
nizes, operates,  and  assumes  the  risk  for  business 
ventures,  [from  Old  French  entreprendre,  to  under- 
take.] 


With  the  second  of  its  three  dimen- 
sions of  service,  the  Center  keeps  its 
members  abreast  of  business  and 
news  items  that  affect  them  person- 
ally, by  publishing  a  newsletter  and 
special  reports.  "Every  day  the  world 
generates  a  tidal  wave  of  information 
about  business  and  government 
changes,"  says  Mancuso.  "We  wade 
through  the  information  for  pertinent 
items  and  act  as  a  personal  worldwide 
news  service." 

For  example,  the  monthly  "Entre- 
preneurial Manager's  Newsletter" 
weeds  out  the  unnecessary  and  gets 
down  to  basics:  new  sources  of  in- 
formation, case  histories  of  business 
success,  clarification  of  new  laws  and 
regulations.  Other  topics  include 
how  to  raise  venture  capital,  special 
marketing  information,  sources  of 
help  (such  as  where  to  get  patents, 
how  to  handle  inventions),  and  em- 
ployee relations  —  all  from  the  entre- 
preneur's point  of  view.  New  legisla- 
tion affecting  entrepreneurs  is 
another  important  topic.  "Today  you 
can't  be  in  business  without  knowing 
the  government's  official  attitude 
about  ventures  like  your  own,"  Man- 
cuso reports. 

Newsletter  subscribers  also  receive 
special  reports  as  needed.  These  cover 
in  depth  such  issues  as  pension  policy 
or  cash  flow  management  in  a  per- 
sonal business.  The  reports  are  pre- 
pared by  the  Center  for  an  individual 
member's  personal  file. 

Beginning  this  spring,  the  CEM  is 
holding  one-day  seminars  cospon- 
sored  by  the  Small  Business  Admin- 
istration, and  is  also  joining  the  SBA 
and  the  Tarrytown  Conference  Cen- 
ter in  sponsoring  an  intensive  two- 
weekend  course. 

"Lifecycle,"  the  third  phase  of  the 
Center's  activities,  denotes  the  re- 
search wing  of  CEM  which  studies 
the  evolution  of  businesses.  All  busi- 
nesses generally  pass  through  a  pre- 
dictable set  of  stages  in  their  devel- 
opment. Problems  often  arise  when  a 


valuable,"  continues  Mancuso. 
"Through  a  special  three- 
dimensional  approach  to  entrepre- 
neurial guidance,  we  are  able  to  help 
an  individual  quickly  isolate  what 
information  is  needed.  Using  combi- 
nations of  what  we  call  our  Over- 
view, Update,  and  Lifecycle  modules, 
a  management  program  can  be  dis- 
tinctively tailored  to  specific  busi- 
ness goals." 

In  the  first  phase,  CEM  members 
may  obtain  direct  and  practical  books 
dealing  with  all  aspects  of  entrepre- 
neurial management,  reaching  all  the 
way  from  the  basic  philosophy  under- 
lying it  to  ways  of  seeking  venture 
capital  and  how  to  survive  bank- 
ruptcy. High  on  the  Center's  reading 
list  are  Dr.  Mancuso's  own  books: 
How  to  Start,  Finance,  and  Manage 
Your  Own  Small  Business;  No  Guts, 
No  Glory  (or,  How  to  Fight  Dirty 
Against  Management);  and  Fun  and 
Guts  -  The  Entrepreneur's  Philoso- 
phy. The  first  of  these  books  is  well 
into  its  fourth  printing  now,  and  has 
been  featured  as  an  Executive  Pro- 
gram Book  Club  selection.  Others  of 
Mancuso's  works  include  Entrepre- 
neurship  and  Venture  Management 
(co-authored),  and  two  books  he 
edited,  The  Entrepreneur's  Hand- 
book, and  Managing  and  Marketing 
Technology  Products. 


24 /February  1979 /The  W VI  Journal 


business  is  making  the  transition 
from  one  phase  to  another.  The  Cen- 
ter's Lifecycle  business  essays,  semi- 
nars, audiotapes,  classes,  and  confer- 
ences, are  designed  to  help  the  busi- 
nessman or  businesswoman  antici- 
pate and  manage  those  pivotal  phases 
successfully. 

"All  successful  small  businesses 
start  with  an  idea  and  proceed 
through  a  given  lifecycle,"  says  Man- 
cuso.  "From  the  original  idea,  the 
business  then  goes  from  start-up  and 
financing  through  growth  and  matur- 
ity. At  every  stage  of  development, 
the  business  requires  special  courses 
of  action.  To  help  an  entrepreneur 
recognize  his  current  position  and 
show  him  what  to  do  about  it  — 
that's  the  purpose  of  the  Lifecycle 
program,"  Mancuso  explains. 

For  more  information  about  its  ac- 
tivities, write  the  Center  for  Entre- 
preneurial Management,  Room  402, 
3 1 1  Main  Street,  Worcester,  Mass. 
01608. 

Joe  Mancuso,  founder  of  the  Center 
and  until  recently  an  associate  pro- 
fessor of  management  at  WPI,  is  not 
only  a  respected  educator  and  author 
but  is,  himself,  a  compulsive  entre- 
preneur. He  launched  his  first  busi- 
ness at  age  1 9,  while  still  a  WPI 
undergraduate.  In  all,  he  has  started 
seven  businesses  and  currently  serves 
as  a  board  member  and  advisor  for  a 
score  of  entrepreneurial  ventures. 

He  holds  an  MBA  from  Harvard 
Business  School  and  an  EdD  from 
Boston  University.  Besides  the  books 
mentioned  earlier,  he  has  published 
many  articles  in  The  Harvard  Busi- 
ness Review,  The  Journal  of  Market- 
ing, The  fournal  of  Small  Business, 
Business  Horizons,  and  many  other 
national  magazines. 

Mancuso  has  years  of  solid  entre- 
preneurial experience  in  back  of  him 
as  he  launches  the  Center  for  Entre- 
preneurial Management.  His  goal  is 
to  help  others  following  a  similar 
independent  route  to  overcome  the 
pitfalls.  "After  all,"  he  says,  "it's  one 
thing  to  be  independent,  but  there's 
no  real  reason  why  one  should  have 
to  go  it  alone." 


John  Calvin  has  been  promoted  to  sys- 
tems consultant  within  the  systems  devel- 
opment organization  at  State  Mutual  Life 
Assurance  Company  of  America  in  Worces- 
ter. He  has  his  MBA  from  Clark  University. 
In  1970  he  joined  State  Mutual  as  an 
actuarial  assistant  in  the  company's  actua- 
rial organization.  In  1972  he  transferred  to 
the  systems  development  organization  as  a 
systems  analyst.  He  was  named  senior  sys- 
tems analyst  in  1976. 

The  J.  Ceils  Band  played  in  the  Provi- 
dence (R.I.)  Civic  Center  in  December.  .  . . 
Presently,  Raymond  Hudson,  Jr.,  serves  as 
a  system  architect  at  NCR  Corp.  in 
Millsboro,  Del.  He  and  his  wife  Ann  live  in 
Delmar,  Md.  They  have  one  child. .  .  . 
Stephen  Joyce  is  employed  as  an  applica- 
tion engineer  at  Allis-Chalmers  in  Cincin- 
nati. . . .  Peter  Lalor  is  a  senior  development 
engineer  for  Combustion  Engineering  in 
Windsor,  Conn.  The  Lalors,  who  have  three 
children,  reside  in  Enfield.  .  .  .  Alan  Miller, 
still  with  IBM  in  Waltham,  Mass.,  has 
moved  to  Bedford,  N.H. 

Robert  Soffel  was  recently  transferred 
from  the  Carbon  Products  Division  of 
Union  Carbide,  Parma,  Ohio  to  the  Linde 
Division,  Tarrytown  (NY.)  Technical  Cen- 
ter. He  is  now  staff  engineer  in  the  adsorp- 
tion technology  group  of  the  Molecular 
Sieve  Department.  His  article  on  activated 
carbon  for  J.  Wiley's  Kirk  Othmer  Encyclo- 
pedia of  Chemical  Technology,  3rd  edi- 
tion, was  published  in  December.  Bob  and 
his  wife  Janet  live  in  Brookfield,  Conn. 


1971 

Secretary: 
Vincent  T  Pace 
4707  Apple  Lane 
West  Deptford,  NJ 
08066 

^■Married:  Stephen  J.  Barlow  to  Miss 
Cynthia  J.  Colella  on  August  26,  1978,  in 
Worcester.  Mrs.  Barlow  graduated  from 
Worcester  State  College  and  is  a  first  grade 
teacher  at  Nelson  Place  School.  Her  hus- 
band is  vice  president  of  Northeastern  Con- 
struction Co.  in  Framingham,  Mass.  . .  . 
Anthony  E.  Yankauskas  and  Miss  Toby 
Sachs  in  West  Long  Branch,  New  Jersey  on 
July  16,1 978.  Formerly  a  financial  analyst 
forthe  Continental  Group  in  New  York,  the 
bride  is  a  graduate  of  Northeastern  Univer- 
sity. Her  husband  is  a  director  of  finance  at 
Continental  Can  in  London,  England.  He 
holds  an  MBA  degree  from  Northeastern. 
Bob  Allard  of  Croman/Allard  Develop- 
ment Co.,  East  Orange,  N.J.  writes  that  his 
company  owns  and  operates  a  half  a  mil- 
lion square  feet  of  shopping  center  space  in 
the  state  of  New  Jersey.  Expansion  plans 
include  two  new  centers  which  are  pro- 
jected to  open  in  1980.  Bob  and  his  wife, 
Roberta,  who  recently  moved  to  West 


Orange,  are  renovating  a  50-year-old  En- 
glish Tudor. . . .  David  Bailey  is  studying  for 
his  master's  in  computer  science  at  the 
University  of  California,  Santa  Barbara.  He 
is  with  Raytheon  in  Coleta,  Calif. 

Allen  Downs  is  still  maintaining  his  inter- 
est in  "alternative  power"  vehicles  that  was 
formerly  highlighted  by  his  work  on  the 
WPI  Steam  Car  prepared  for  the  1970 
Clean  Air  Car  Race.  (The  Steamer,  you  may 
recall,  was  never  quite  finished  in  time,  and 
made  only  a  token  appearance  at  the  race's 
start.)  Anyway,  Allen  writes  that  when  their 
VW  bug  started  showing  signs  of  impend- 
ing senility,  he  and  his  wife,  Sauce,  bought 
a  diesel  Rabbit.  His  latest  acquisition,  in 
November,  is  an  electric  car,  a  "Charles 
Townabout"  built  about  1958.  The  vehicle 
has  a  fiberglass  body,  two  motors,  and  18 
batteries.  Allen  reports  that  what  was  sup- 
posed to  be  a  woodworking  shop  has  now 
been  transformed  into  an  electric  car  shop 
as  repairs  are  underway.  He  hopes  to  begin 
commuting  in  the  car  this  spring. 

Sauce  has  returned  to  monoprinting  in 
her  new  studio  in  their  Scotia,  NY.  home, 
and  she  was  accepted  this  year  into  the 
Mohawk  Regional  Art  Show,  the 
Cooperstown  Art  Show,  and  the  Schenec- 
tady Stockade  Art  Show. 

The  Downses  served  as  chairpersons  of 
the  "Super  Scare"  section  of  the  Schenec- 
tady Museum's  Haunted  House  recently. 
"For  1 1  days  we  almost  lived  at  the 
Haunted  House,  training  characters,  mak- 
ing repairs,  and  patrolling  Super  Scare's  10 
rooms." 

Along  with  other  activities  of  the  year, 
the  Downses  are  outfitting  a  log  cabin. 
Among  their  accomplishments,  Allen  re- 
ports, "We  finally  got  an  outhouse  built!" 

Michael  Citlen  is  currently  with  the  firm 
of  Blum,  Gavens  &  Kaplan,  P.C.  in  West 
Hartford,  Conn.  He  has  an  MBA  from 
UConn  and  an  MS  in  professional  account- 
ing from  the  University  of  Hartford.  .  .  . 
Andrew  Griffin  works  as  a  project  engineer 
at  American  Optical,  Bedford,  Mass.  He  is 
studying  for  his  MSEE  at  Northeastern.  . . . 
Ben  and  Nancy  Katcoff  have  adopted  a 
son,  Gregory  Louis,  born  on  June  4, 1 978. . 
. .  George  Simmons  is  a  sales  representative 
at  Corbin-Gentry  in  Somerville,  Conn. 


The  WPI  journal  /  February  1979/25 


1972 


Secretary: 

Representative 

John  A.  Woodward 

Lesley  E.  Small  Zorabedian 

101  Putnam  St. 

16  Parkview  Rd 

Orange,  MA 

Reading,  MA 

01364 

01867 

^■Married:  Robert  I.  Parry  and  Donna 
Colby  in  Gloucester,  Massachusetts  on  July 
29, 1978.  Mrs.  Parry  attended  Salem  State 
College  and  is  a  computer  programmer  at 
Blue  Cross,  Blue  Shield  in  Boston.  The 
couple  lives  in  Rockport. . . .  John  T.  Poreda 
and  Miss  Barbara  B.  Anderman  on  October 
22,  1 978  in  Rosalyn,  New  York.  The  bride, 
who  has  a  master's  degree  from  the  Uni- 
versity of  Colorado  at  Boulder,  is  a  speech 
pathologist  in  Sunnyvale,  Calif.  Her  hus- 
band serves  as  a  systems  analyst  in  Hay- 
ward,  Calif. 

Capt.  Scott  Graham  is  the  officer  in 
charge  of  training  management  for  the 
U.S.A.F.  at  Myrtle  Beach  AFB,  S.C.  ...  Dr. 
Daniel  Lusardi  writes  that  he  is  employed 
as  a  research  associate  with  Betz  Labs,  Inc. , 
Trevose,  Pa.  He  is  in  the  analytical  testing 
and  development  group.  Recently  he  re- 
ceived his  PhD  degree  in  analytical  chemis- 
try from  Notre  Dame.  Currently,  he  resides 
in  Warminster,  "located  in  beautiful  Bucks 
County,  Pa."  . . .  Kenneth  Wadland  has 
completed  requirements  for  the  degree  of 
doctor  of  philosophy  in  mathematics  at  the 
University  of  New  Hampshire.  His  disserta- 
tion, entitled  "Contractions  With  Infinite 
Defect  Index,"  is  a  study  of  bounded  linear 
transformations  on  complex,  separable 
Hilbert  spaces.  He  and  his  wife  Vera  live  in 
Fitchburg,  where  he  is  an  assistant  profes- 
sor of  computer  science  at  Fitchburg  State 
College. 


1973 


Secretary: 
lay  J  Schnitzer 
322  St.  Paul  St. 
Apt  #3 
Brookline,  MA 

Representative: 
Robert  R  Wood 
14  Stone  Brook  Rd 
Sudbury,  MA 
01776 

02146 

^Married:  Stephen  R.  Slavick  to  Miss  Pat- 
ricia J.  Maresca  recently  in  Schenectady, 
New  York.  Mrs.  Slavick  graduated  from 
Schenectady  County  Community  College 
and  is  a  current  business  administration 
student  at  the  College  of  St.  Rose  in  Al- 
bany. She  is  employed  by  GE  Corporate 
Research  and  Development.  The  groom  is  a 
senior  rail  transportation  specialist  for  the 
New  York  State  Department  of  Transporta- 
tion in  Albany. 

>Born:  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lawrence  Fran- 
ciscus  (Dorothy  O'Keefe)  a  son  Michael  on 
August  1 1 ,  1978.  Dorothy  is  an  industrial 
engineer  at  Norton  Co.,  Worcester. 

Robert  Evans  holds  the  post  of  produc- 
tion managerat  Kaiser  Aluminum  &  Chem- 
ical's Trentwood  Works  in  Spokane, 


Washington.  Bob  was  formerly  an  assistant 
professor  of  military  science  at  WPI. . . . 
Continuing  with  General  Electric,  James 
Foster  presently  serves  as  a  project  en- 
gineer in  the  Gas  Turbine  Division, 
Schenectady,  N.Y.  He  and  his  wife  Faith 
reside  in  Delmar.  . .  .  Joseph  Luszcz,  a 
development  engineer  for  Hewlett- 
Packard  Co.,  Andover,  Mass.,  is  working 
on  his  MSEE  in  the  evening  program  at 
Northeastern.  ,  .  .  Currently,  Richard  Page 
is  chief  planning  engineer  for  Schneider, 
Inc.,  Pittsburgh,  Pa.  The  Pages  and  their 
two  children  live  in  Monaca.  .  .  .  Joe  Pault 
has  just  relocated  with  Occidental  Oil  and 
is  working  in  oil  shale  research  in  the  moun- 
tains around  Grand  Junction,  Colorado.  He 
had  been  with  du  Pont  in  Delaware.  He  has 
a  master's  degree  from  the  University  of 
Kentucky.  .  .  .  Stuart  Roth  of  Sherman, 
Texas  is  a  reliability  engineer  at  Texas  In- 
struments. 


1974 


Secretary 
James  F.  Rubino 
18  Landings  Way 
Avon  Lake,  OH 
44012 


Representative: 
David  G  Lapre 
PO  Box  384 
Tunkhannock,  PA 
18657 


^■Married:  James  M.  Briggs  and  Miss 
Diana  M.  Louis  in  Westville,  New  Jersey  on 
July  29,  1 978.  Mrs.  Briggs  graduated  from 
Glassboro  State  College  and  is  presently 
teaching  in  the  Catholic  school  system  in 
Arlington,  Va.  Her  husband  is  a  project 
design  engineer  for  the  Department  of  the 
Navy  in  Washington,  D.C.  .  .  .  James  T. 
O'Bray  to  Miss  Pauline  D.  Zielinski  in 
Worcester  on  October  28, 1978.  The  bride 
attended  Assumption  College,  graduated 
from  Bentley  College,  and  is  employed  as  a 
senior  cost  analyst  at  Gillette  Co. ,  Andover, 
Mass.  The  bridegroom  works  as  a  purchas- 
ing coordinator  for  Gillette  in  Boston. . . . 
Ronald  Sarverand  Miss  Rhoda  I.  Kaplan  on 
October  29,  1978  in  Brookline,  Mas- 
sachusetts. Mrs.  Sarver  graduated  from 
UMass-Amherst  and  is  a  vice  president  of 
Metropolitan  Furniture  Co.  in  Jamaica 
Plain.  The  groom  is  president  of  Ronnie's 
Catering,  Inc.,  and  Ronnie's  Kosher  Restau- 
rant in  Randolph.  .  .  .  Robert  L.  Smith  and 
Paula  A.  Sabaj  in  Webster,  Massachusetts 
on  October  21,1 978.  The  bride  is  a 
programmer-analyst  for  the  American  Op- 
tical Co.,  Southbridge,  Mass.  Her  husband 
is  with  Yankee  Atomic  Electric  Co., 
Westboro. 

►fiorn.  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  James  W. 
Bowen  a  daughter,  Andrea  Page,  on 
November  12,  1978.  Jim  is  with  the  Tor- 
rington  (Conn.)  Company. 

Steve  Dacri  is  presently  a  magician- 
actor-comedian  with  the  Mary  Grady 
Agency  in  North  Hollywood,  Calif.  .  .  .  Still 
with  IBM,  Francis  Dempsey,  Jr.,  is  now  a 


senior  associate  programmer  for  the  com- 
pany in  Kingston,  N.Y.  .  .  .  David  Korzec  is 
employed  as  a  resident  mechanical  en- 
gineer by  Northeast  Utilities  Service  Com- 
pany, Waterford,  Conn.  .  .  .  Timothy  Mur- 
ray is  a  member  of  the  research  staff  of  du 
Pont.  He  is  located  in  Wilmington,  Del.  . .  . 
Janice  Painter  holds  the  position  of  product 
marketing  manager  at  Grason-Stadler, 
Inc.,  Littleton,  Mass.  .  .  .  Jonathan  Wood, 
who  is  working  on  an  MS  in  environmental 
engineering  at  Northeastern  University,  is  a 
technical  service  engineer  at  Barnstead 
Company  in  Boston. 


1975 


Secretary: 
James  D  Aceto,  Jr 
70  Sunnyview  Dr 
Vernon,  CT 
06066 


Representative: 
Frederick  J  Cordelia 
24  Imperial  Rd 
Worcester,  MA 
01604 


^■Married:  David  Cyganski  and  Miss  Janet 
M.  Waiteon  November  4, 1978  in  Worces- 
ter. The  bride,  a  graduate  of  Hahnemann 
Hospital  School  of  Nursing,  Worcester,  is  a 
registered  nurse  at  the  hospital.  She  is 
studying  for  her  BS  in  nursing  at  Worcester 
State  College.  The  bridegroom  is  adjunct 
professor  in  the  graduate  program  of  elec- 
trical engineering  at  WPI,  .  .  .  William 
DiBenedetto  to  Christine  Latham  on  June 
3,  1978  in  Worcester.  The  bride  is  a 
graduate  of  Assumption  College  and  serves 
as  a  production  supervisor  at  Digital 
Equipment  Corp.,  Salem,  N.H.  Her  hus- 
band is  a  production  manager  at  Data 
General  Corp.,  Southboro,  Mass. . . . 
Donald  R.  Drew  and  Miss  Diane  C. 
Gramer,  73  recently  in  Canton,  Mas- 
sachusetts. Mrs.  Drew  is  a  thermo-analyst 
with  Hamilton  Standard  in  Connecticut. 
The  groom,  who  has  an  MBA  from  Cornell, 
is  a  consultant  at  Arthur  Young  Company 
in  Hartford,  Conn. 

^■Married:  Peter  J.  Hatgelakas  and  Anne 
M.  Connaughton  recently  in  Weston,  Mas- 
sachusetts. The  bride  graduated  from  Regis 
College.  Her  husband  is  a  geologist  at  the 
Seismograph  Service  Corporation  in  Hous- 
ton. He  has  a  master's  degree  in  geology 
from  Boston  College.  .  .  .  Robert  D. 
Jamieson,  Jr.,  and  Miss  Mary  E.  Ventre  in 
Paxton,  Massachusetts  on  August  26, 
1 978.  Mrs.  Jamieson  graduated  from  Anna 
Maria  and  is  employed  in  the  special  needs 
department  of  the  Millbury  public  school 
system.  The  groom  is  a  chemist  at  New 
England  Nuclear  Corp.  in  Boston.  .  .  .  Craig 
C.  Smith  to  Miss  Cynthia  L.  Dickman  in 
Jefferson,  Massachusetts  on  October  7, 
1978.  The  bride  attended  Quinsigamond 
Community  College  in  Worcester.  She  is  an 
accounting  clerk  for  H.C.  Cook  Co.,  An- 
sonia.  The  bridegroom  serves  as  a  super- 
visory engineer  at  Bic  Pen  in  Milford,  Conn. 

Michael  Amaral,  an  electronics  engineer 
at  Naval  Underwater  Systems  Center  in 
New  London,  Conn.,  is  presently  working 


26 /February  1979 /The  WPI  journal 


on  active  sonar  systems  for  attack  class 
submarines.  . .  .  Peter  Arcoma  holds  the 
post  of  project  manager  at  H.  Wales  Lines 
in  Meriden,  Conn.  .  .  .  Still  with  Sikorsky 
Aircraft,  Stratford,  Conn,  Allen  Carnicke  is 
now  an  instrumentation  engineer. 

Rick  Caruso,  with  BASF  Wyandotte 
Corp.,  is  presently  assistant  to  the  plant 
manager  in  Geismar,  La.  He  and  Lorri  Lind 
Caruso,  '73,  have  two  children.  They  live  in 

Baton  Rouge Alan  Destribats  holds  the 

post  of  manager  of  strategy  development 
at  GE  in  Lynn,  Mass.  ...  In  addition  to  his 
usual  duties  as  a  process  engineer  for  Mon- 
santo, Mario  DiGiovanni  is  supervising  the 
quality  control  laboratory  at  the  Avon  plant 
in  Martinez,  Calif.  He  writes,  "I  have 
bought  a  house  in  Antioch." 

Paul  Feltri  was  a  recent  winner  of  the 
GTE  Leslie  H.  Warner  Technical  Achieve- 
ment Award  for  excellence  in  research  and 
development.  He  was  one  of  six  employees 
at  the  GTE  Sylvania  Lighting  Center,  Dan- 
vers,  Mass.,  to  share  $10,000  for  work 
done  in  developing  a  new  water-base 
phosphor  coating  system.  The  pollution- 
free  coating  is  for  the  inside  surface  of 
fluorescent  lamps.  Feltri,  a  project  chemical 
engineer,  has  worked  at  Sylvania  for  three 
years.  He  and  his  wife  Sharon  reside  in 
Salisbury,  Mass. 

Mark  Ketchum,  who  has  his  MS  from  the 
University  of  California  at  Berkeley,  serves 
as  a  structural  engineer  at  T.Y.  Lin  Interna- 
tional in  San  Francisco.  .  .  .  Philip  Ledoux  is 
employed  as  a  biochemist  at  Abbott 
Laboratories  in  North  Chicago,  III.  .  . . 
Richard  Newhouse  has  accepted  a  post  as 
structural  engineer  with  Petro-Marine  En- 
gineering, Inc.,  of  Gretna,  Louisiana.  He 
and  his  wife  Barbara  are  living  in  River 
Ridge,  just  outside  of  New  Orleans.  .  .  . 
Jean  Reny,  still  with  the  Upjohn  Co.,  is 
currently  a  chemistry  assistant  II  for  the  firm 
in  Kalamazoo,  Michigan.  .  .  .  Michael 
Rocheleau  is  with  Travenol  Labs,  Inc.  in 
Round  Lake,  III.  He  has  a  master's  degree 
from  Northwestern  University. 

Lt.  Douglas  Sargent  serves  as  processing 

officerforthe  U.S.  Army  in  Portland,  ME 

Victor  Sawicki  is  a  graduate  student  and 

research  assistant  at  UMass  in  Amherst 

Still  with  Westinghouse,  John  Taylor  now  is 
a  maintenance  engineer  for  Westinghouse 
Aerospace  in  Lima,  Ohio.  .  .  .  Mark 
Youngstrom  works  as  a  project  engineer  at 
Wright  Engineering  in  Rutland,  Vt. 


1976 


Secretary 

Paula  E  Stratouly 

318  Thornberry  Court 

Pittsburgh,  PA 

15237 


Representative: 
Lynne  M  Buckley 
648  Commercial  St 
Braintree,  MA 
02184 


^■Married:  Gregory  J.  Bowles  to  Miss 
Dorothea  L.  Coakley  in  Sudbury,  Mas- 
sachusetts on  October  8,  1 978.  The  bride 
graduated  from  Fitchburg  State  College 
and  is  studying  for  her  master's  degree  at 
Boston  College.  The  bridegroom  is  with 
Warren  Brothers  of  Brockton.  .  .  .  John  C. 
Forsterand  Catherine  L.  Daily  on  October 
7,  1978  in  Easthamptom,  Massachusetts. 
Mrs.  Forster  is  a  graduate  of  Mount 
Holyoke  College.  She  has  received  certifi- 
cation as  a  paralegal  assistant  in  corporate 
law  from  the  Institute  for  Paralegal  Training 
in  Philadelphia.  She  is  a  corporate  paralegal 
at  the  law  firm  of  Sherburne,  Powers  and 
Needham  in  Boston.  Her  husband,  an  en- 
vironmental engineer  with  Camp  Dresser 
and  McKee,  Boston,  is  also  a  graduate 
student  at  Northeastern  University.  . .  . 
John  A.  Kowalonek  and  Miss  Ann  M  San- 
cus  on  June  3 ,  1 978  in  Worcester.  The 
bride,  a  graduate  of  Quinsigamond  Com- 
munity College,  is  a  secretary  for  Dr.  Theo- 
dore Lambert.  The  groom  is  a  publications 
engineer  at  Data  General  Corporation  in 
Westboro,  Mass.      .  William  C.  Moodie 
and  Barbara  A.  Sullivan  recently  in 
Weymouth,  Massachusetts.  Mrs.  Moodie 
attended  UMass  in  Boston.  After  leaving 
WPI,  her  husband  attended  the  University 
of  New  Hampshire. 

>Born:  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jeremy  J.  Brown 
a  daughter  Emily  recently.  Brown  is  an 
actuarial  assistant  at  State  Mutual  in 
Worcester.  ...  to  Lt.  and  Mrs.  Edward  J. 
Perry  II,  their  first  child,  a  daughter  Marcy, 
on  July  23,  1978.  Perry  was  transferred  to 
Wright- Patterson  AFB,  Ohio  from  Robins 
AFB,  Georgia  last  fall.  He  was  promoted  to 
first  lieutenant  in  October. 

Keith  Bennett  works  for  DEC  in 
Maynard,  Mass.  .  .  .  Robert  D'Orazio  has 
accepted  a  post  at  New  England  Nuclear. 
He  resides  in  Arlington,  Mass.  .  .  .  Mark 
Ducharme  serves  as  a  software  consultant 
at  Interactive  Systems,  Inc.,  in  Boston. 

Paul  Kalenian,  ownerof  theG  and  S  Mill 
on  Otis  Street  in  Northboro,  Mass. ,  has  just 
put  out  a  "Waste  Wood  Directory,"  which 
lists  109  sources  of  waste  wood.  His  com- 
pany designs  and  manufactures  industrial 
woodburning  furnaces  and  domestic 
woodburning  stoves.  "Many  manufactur- 
ers in  the  New  England  region  create  wood 
waste  byproducts  and  dispose  of  them  with 
little  regard  for  their  fuel  value,"  he  says. 
He  urges  wood  consumers  to  seek  out 
wood  product  manufacturers  to  obtain  in- 
expensive fuel.  His  directory  is  available  at 
wood  stove  shops,  local  libraries,  and  at  his 
Northboro  mill. 


Elizabeth  Papandrea  Lariviere  is  now  a 

market  analyst  at  Westinghouse  Electric 
Corp.  in  Lester,  Pa.  She  is  the  wife  of 
Leonard  Lariviere,  '78.  The  couple  is  living 
in  West  Chester,  Pa.  . .  .  Vernon  LeBlanc  is 
with  Universal  Engineering  Corp.  in  Bos- 
ton, Mass.  .  .  .  Paul  Prouix  is  employed  in 
the  advanced  development  department  of 
Milton  Bradley  Co.  .  .  .  Jonathan  Rourke, 
who  receives  his  MSME  from  MIT  in  Feb- 
ruary, will  start  his  PhD  work  in  the  spring. 
He  is  a  research  associate  at  MIT.  .  .  . 
Rosemary  Ruksnaitis  was  recently  pro- 
moted to  administration  analyst  forthe  vice 
presidents  of  finance  and  administration 
and  development  at  Wright  Line,  Inc., 
Worcester.  She  has  an  associate's  degree  in 
business  administration  from  Quin- 
sigamond Community  College  and  attends 
Clark  University. . . .  Steven  Silva  serves  as  a 
sales  engineer  at  Tektronix,  Inc.  in 
Rockville,  Md'        Ivo  Slezak  works  as  a 
service  engineer  at  Riley  Stoker  Corp.  in 
Worcester. 


1977 


Secretary: 

Representative 

Kathleen  Molony 

Christopher  D  Baker 

Apt.  #1 

P  O  Box35 

29  Seaview  Ave 

Page,  AZ 

Norwalk,  CT 

86040 

06855 

^■Married:  Paul  B.  Deschamps  and  Patricia 
K.  Quinn  in  Stuart,  Florida  on  September 
12, 1978.  Mrs.  Deschamps  is  a  graduate  of 
the  University  of  New  Hampshire  with  a  BS 
in  civil  engineering.  Her  husband  is  with 
Digital  Equipment  Corporation,  Phoenix, 

Arizona Marc  P.  DeVoe  and  Catherine 

C.  Leetherin  Farmington,  Connecticut  on 
October  7,  1978.  The  bride  attended  East- 
ern Connecticut  State  College  and  was  a 
teller  at  the  Meriden  Trust  &  Safe  Deposit 
Company.  Her  husband  is  a  systems  devel- 
opment engineerat  IBM  in  Boca  Raton,  Fla. 
. . .  Charles  C.  Nixon  and  Miss  Kerry  L. 
Corbishley  on  December  9,  1978  in  Cum- 
berland, Rhode  Island.  Mrs.  Nixon  at- 
tended the  University  of  Rhode  Island.  The 
groom  works  for  Electric  Boat  in  Groton, 
Conn.  .  .  .  Richard  H.  Wheeler  and  Miss 
Linda  J.  Carroll  on  November  25, 1 978  in 
North  Brookfield,  Massachusetts.  The  bride 
graduated  from  Bridgewater  State  College. 
She  is  a  rehabilitation  counselor  in  the 
mental  health  division  of  Hedwig  House  in 
Pottstown.  The  bridegroom  is  employed  in 
the  Plastics  Division  of  Firestone  Tire  & 
Rubber  Co.,  Pottstown,  Pa. 

Paul  Avakian  is  a  sales  application  en- 
gineeratZilog,  Inc.  in  North  Billerica,  Mass. 


The  WPI  journal  /  February  1979/27 


. . .  Thomas  Buccino,  Jr.,  works  as  a  process 
control  engineer  at  CE  in  St.  Petersburg, 
Fla. . . .  Joseph  Hillery  is  employed  as  an 
administrative  officer  with  the  U.S.  Army  at 
the  Armed  Forces  Institute  of  Pathology  in 
Washington,  DC. .  .  .  Robert  Hunter,  Jr., 
recently  completed  the  U.S.  Army  non- 
commissioned officer  professionalism 
course  at  Camp  Darby  in  Italy.  The  course 
covers  over  20  subjects  including  leader- 
ship methods,  communication,  and  coun- 
seling. Hunter  is  a  pharmacy  technician 
with  the  45th  Field  Hospital. .  .  .  Thomas 
Murtha  is  a  manufacturing  management 
trainee  at  GE  in  Louisville,  Ky. 

John  Osowski  and  George  Harding, 
both  civil  engineers,  ran  in  the  Rochester 
(N.Y.)  Marathon  on  Labor  Day.  John  took 
1 2th  place  in  a  time  of  two  hours  and  45 
minutes  in  the  26-mile  run.  It  was  his  eighth 
marathon.  It  was  George's  first  marathon, 
which  he  ran  in  four  hours  and  fourteen 
minutes.  He  placed  259th.  Three  hundred 
and  sixty  people  entered  the  marathon  and 
310  finished. . . .  Clifford  Parizo  works  as  a 
ground  test  engineer  at  Sikorsky  Aircraft  in 

Stratford,  Conn Lt.  David  White,  Jr. 

serves  as  commanding  officer  for  the  U.S. 
Army  88th  Ordnance  Detachment  in  New 
Brighton,  Minnesota. 


1978 

Secretary 
Cynthia  Crynick 
303  Wolcott  St 
Waterbury,  CT 
06705 

^Married:  Neil  A.  Bagdis  to  Miss  Janice  E. 
Benson  in  Paxton,  Massachusetts  on  Oc- 
tober 28,  1978.  Mrs.  Bagdis  graduated 
from  Bridgewater  State  College.  The 
groom  is  a  sales  supervisor  for  Norton  Co., 
Worcester.  .  .  .  Daniel  A.  Boudreau  and 
Donna  M.  Kelleher  in  Springfield,  Mas- 
sachusetts on  October  21,1 978.  A  regis- 
tered nurse  at  Providence  Hospital,  the 
bride  graduated  from  St.  Vincent  Hospital 
School  of  Nursing.  Her  husband  works  for 

Honeywell  Computers  in  Billerica,  Mass 

Robert  C.  Chapell  and  Miss  Robin  L. 
Paisner  in  Tuckahoe,  New  York  on  June  12, 
1 978.  Mrs.  Chapell  has  a  BS  in  environmen- 
tal health  studies.  The  groom  is  a  sanitary 
engineer  at  Consoer  Townsend  &  As- 
sociates. The  couple  resides  in  Chicago. 

^Married:  Patrick  J.  Donahue  and 
Elizabeth  L.  McCauley  on  November  25, 
1978  in  Hull,  Massachusetts.  Mrs. 
Donahue  has  a  BS  in  public  administration. 

The  groom  is  with  du  Pont  in  Aiken,  S.C 

Stephen  M.  Kuczarski  to  Miss  Carole  M. 
Lafayette  on  October  14,  1978  in 
Rochdale,  Massachusetts.  The  bride 
graduated  from  St.  Vincent  Hospital  School 
of  Nursing,  Worcester,  where  she  is  a  regis- 
tered nurse.  The  bridegroom  is  an  aero- 
space engineer  at  Goddard  Space  Center  in 
Greenbelt,  Md. . . .  John  MacWilliams  and 
Katherine  Phillips  on  October  7,  1 978  in 

28  / February  1919  /The  Wl'l  Journal 


Newburgh,  New  York.  Mrs.  MacWilliams 
graduated  from  SUNY  at  Delhi  and  is  a 
dental  assistant  in  Stamford,  Conn.  Her 
husband  is  with  the  marketing  division  of 
H.H.  Robertson  Co. 

Michael  Ahern  is  an  assistant  analytic 
engineer  at  Pratt  &  Whitney  Aircraft  in  East 
Hartford,  Conn.  .  .  .  John  Anderson  is  with 
Bailey  Controls  Co.,  Wickliffe,  Ohio.  . . . 
Paul  Angelico  holds  the  post  of  mechanical 
manager  at  Procter  &  Gamble  Mfg.  Co.  in 
Quincy,  Mass.  .  .  .  Navy  Ensign  Bramwell 
Arnold,  Jr.,  was  recently  commissioned  to 
his  present  rank  upon  completion  of  Avia- 
tion Officer  Candidate  School  at  the  Naval 
Air  Station  in  Pensacola,  Fla.  The  course 
included  military,  academic,  and  leadership 
training  and  aerodynamics,  sea  and  land 
survival,  aviation  physiology  and  basic  air- 
craft engineering. 

Theodore  Balcezak,  Jr.  serves  as  a  pro- 
cess engineer  at  Fafnir  Bearing  in  New 
Britain,  Conn. .  .  .  Diane  Ballou  is  a  process 
engineer  at  Monsanto  Co.  in  Trenton, 
Michigan.  . . .  Mike  Beaudoir  has  joined 
Golden  Associates  Inc.,  a  consulting 
geotechnical  (civil)  engineering  firm  in  At- 
lanta, Ga.  He  is  a  junior  engineer  doing 
engineering  analyses,  laboratory  testing, 
report  writing,  and  field  inspections.  About 
20%  of  his  time  is  spent  traveling  nation- 
wide and  worldwide  for  the  company. 

Bruce  Bertrand  is  a  research  technician  at 
St.  Vincent  Hospital  in  Worcester.  .  . . 
Theodore  Biadasz,  Jr.,  holds  the  post  of 
marketing  specialist  for  GE  in  Ft.  Wayne, 
Indiana.  .  .  .  Howard  Bleakie  has  joined 
Mobil  Oil  Corporation,  Inwood,  N.Y.  . . . 
Alex  Boutsioulis  serves  as  assistant  electri- 
cal engineer  at  the  United  Illuminating  Co. 
in  New  Haven,  Conn.  He  works  as  a  distri- 
bution project  engineer  for  the  electric 
utility,  which  covers  southern  Connecticut. 
. . .  Cynthia  Bouvier  is  a  highway- 
engineer-in-trainingforthe  North  Carolina 
Dept.  of  Transportation  in  Raleigh.  . . . 
Gerald  Bujaucius  is  employed  as  a  pro- 
grammer for  Multi  Circuits,  Inc.  in  Man- 
chester, Conn. . . .  Robert  Caless,  a  metal- 
lurgist at  Pratt  &  Whitney,  East  Hartford, 
Conn.,  is  working  for  his  master's  in  metal- 
lurgy at  RPI-Hartford  Graduate  Center. . . . 
Jean  Lucrezia  Cariglia  is  a  component  en- 
gineer at  Honeywell  Information  Systems, 

Billerica,  Mass John  Contestabile  holds 

the  post  of  highway  engineer  I  with  the 
Maryland  State  Highway  Administration  in 
Baltimore.  .  .  .  Andrew  Corman  is  now  a 
field  engineer  for  Turner  Construction  Co. 
in  Cleveland,  Ohio.  .  .  .  Navy  Ensign 
Richard  Cote  has  been  commissioned  in  his 
present  rank  upon  graduation  from  Officer 
Candidate  School  at  the  Naval  Education 
and  Training  Center  in  Newport,  R.I. 


Steven  Diaz  serves  as  a  teaching  assist- 
ant at  Brown  University,  Providence,  R.I., 
where  he  is  a  grad  student. . . .  Rodney  Dill 
works  as  a  product  service  representative 
for  GE  Ordnance  Systems  at  Portsmouth 
(N.H.)  Naval  Shipyard.  His  job  entails 
troubleshooting  and  testing  of  fire  control 
computers  on  board  the  Navy's  Poseidon 
class  submarines.  .  .  .  Mary  Donovan  has 
joined  the  David  Taylor  Naval  Ship  R&D 
Center  in  Bethesda,  Md.,  where  she  is  a 
structural  engineer. 

Gregory  Dunnells  is  a  process  engineer  I 
for  Cities  Service  Company  in  Lake  Charles, 
La.  .  .  .  Daniel  Durbak  is  in  the  corporate 
engineering  training  program  at  GE  in 
Schenectady,  N.Y. . . .  Douglas  Edwards 
has  accepted  a  field  engineering  post  with 
GE's  Installation  &  Service  Engineering  Di- 
vision in  Schenectady. . . .  Francis  Elliott, 
Jr.,  holds  the  position  of  manufacturing 
manager  at  Decitek,  a  division  of  James- 
bury  in  Westboro,  Mass. 

Richard  Fair,  who  is  working  for  his 
master's  degree  at  Hartford  Graduate  Cen- 
ter, is  also  a  test  engineer  at  Pratt  &  Whit- 
ney Aircraft  in  East  Hartford,  Conn.  . . . 
Robert  Flynn  is  with  ACCO  —  Wilson 
Instrument  Division  in  Bridgeport,  Conn. . . 
Jayne  Franciose  has  joined  Estee  Lauder  in 
Melville,  N.Y.,  where  she  is  a  management 
engineer.  .  .  .  Jeffrey  Fraulino  is  employed 
as  a  junior  engineer  at  Seelye,  Stevenson, 
Valve  &  Knecht  in  Stratford,  Conn.  . . . 
Mark  Freitas  is  a  graduate  assistant  in 
computer  science  at  WPI.  .  .  .  Edward 
Freniere,  who  has  his  MS  from  WPI,  is  an 
associate  development  engineer  at  the 
Electro-Optics  Center  of  Honeywell,  Inc.  in 

Lexington,  Mass Hamilton  Standard  of 

Windsor  Locks,  Conn,  has  employed  John 
Furman  as  an  electrical  design  engineer. . . . 
William  Gagne  works  as  a  design  engineer 
at  O'Brien  &  Gere  Engineers  in  Syracuse, 
NY...  Michael  Gantick  is  a  sanitary- 
environmental  engineer  at  Keyes  As- 
sociates in  Wethersfield,  Conn.  .  .  .  2/Lt. 
Alan  Geishecker  recently  completed  a  field 
artillery  officer  basic  course  at  the  Army 
Field  Artillery  School  at  Fort  Sill,  Okla.  The 
course  emphasized  artillery  techniques  and 
new  weapons  and  doctrine. 

John  Giordano,  who  is  located  in  West 
Palm  Beach,  Fla.,  is  a  mechanical  design 
engineer  with  Pratt  &  Whitney. . . .  Thomas 
Gudewicz,  a  research  technician  at  Baylor 
College  of  Medicine  in  Houston,  is  doing 
research  in  viral  oncology. .  .  .  Michael 
Guile  has  joined  Babcock  &  Wilcox  in 
Lynchburg,  Va.  as  a  manufacturing  en- 
gineer. .  .  .  Herbert  Holmes  serves  as  a 
federal  highway  engineer  with  the  Federal 
Highway  Administration.  He  notes  that 
he'll  be  "temporarily  mobile  for  the  next 
two  years." 


Lt.  Peter  Hunt  continues  as  a  Titan  III 
systems  engineer  for  the  U.S.A.F  Space 
Test  Group  at  Vandenberg  AFB,  Calif.  His 
wife  Barbara,  also  a  lieutenant  in  the  Air 
Force,  is  stationed  at  Vandenberg. . .  . 
Kevin  Ingle  works  as  a  financial  analyst  at 
Jamesbury  in  Worcester.  .  .  .  Christopher 
James  holds  the  post  of  staff  engineer  at 
Dynatech  R/D  Company  in  Cambridge, 
Mass.  .  .  .  Peter  Johnson  is  a  first  year 
medical  student  at  the  University  of  Mas- 
sachusetts Medical  School  in  Worcester 

David  Jones  is  a  materials  consultant  for  du 
Pont  in  South  Carolina. 

William  Kelm  has  joined  the  structural 
division  of  LAN  in  Houston.  .  .  .  Michael 
Kenniston  is  a  grad  student  and  research 

assistant  at  Stanford  (Calif.)  University 

Kevin  Keough  has  accepted  a  position  with 
Polaroid  Corporation  in  Waltham,  Mass. 
. . .  Stephen  Koch  is  a  senior  programmer  at 
Computer,  Inc.  in  Burlington,  Mass.  . . . 
Robert  Lavieri  II  serves  as  a  mechanical 
supervisor  for  Procter  &  Gamble  in  Quincy, 
Mass.  .  .  .  Paul  Lefebvre  is  a  development 
engineer  at  the  Foxboro  (Mass.)  Company. 
He  has  an  MS  in  mechanical  engineering 

from  WPI Brian  Lynch  is  a  design 

engineerat  Intronics,  Inc.  in  Newton,  Mass. 

Fafnir  Bearing-Textron  in  New  Britain, 
Conn,  has  employed  Francis  Warchand,  Jr. 
as  an  applications  engineer.  .  .  .  Jerome 
Marcotte  is  presently  an  environmental 
engineer  for  the  U.S.  EPA.  in  San  Fran- 
cisco. . .  .  Wayne  Martin  has  joined  GE's 
Knolls  Atomic  Power  Lab.,  Schenectady, 
N.Y.,  where  he  is  a  nuclear  engineer  in 
operations.  .  .  .  Laura  Mattick  serves  as  a 
team  manager  at  Procter  &  Gamble  in 

Mehoopany,  Pa Brian  McLane  works 

as  a  project  engineer  at  CBS  Technology 
Center  in  Stamford,  Conn.  .  .  .  David 
Mendrek  holds  the  post  of  development 
engineerat  UOP  Process  Division  in  River- 
side, III.  .  .  .  Steven  Mickool  is  a  project 
engineer  at  Pratt  &  Whitney  Aircraft  in  East 
Hartford,  Conn. .  . .  James  Monroe  is 
employed  as  a  hematology  research  tech- 
nician at  St.  Elizabeth's  Hospital  in 
Brighton,  Mass.  .  .  .  Kevin  Northridge  has 
joined  Storch  Engineers  in  Florham  Park, 
N.J.    .    Sergej  Ochrimenko  is  with 
Raymond  International  Builders,  Inc., 
Houston,  where  he  is  a  civil  engineer. 

Lucian  Ograbisz  works  for  Sanders  As- 
sociates in  Nashua,  N.H.  .  .  .  Paul  Peterson 
is  a  process  engineer  at  Valtec  Corp.  in 
West  Boylston,  Mass.  .  .  .  Robert  Pierce,  Jr. 
is  employed  as  a  service  engineer  at  Bab- 
cock  &  Wilcox  in  San  Francisco.  .  .  .  Ernest 
Poulias  serves  as  a  manufacturing  engineer 
at  Boston  Digital  Corp.  in  Hopkinton,  Mass. 
.  .  .  The  Foxboro  Company  has  employed 
James  Pownell  as  a  research  engineer.  . . . 
Angelo  Privetera  is  an  area  commander  for 
the  U.S.  Army  in  Denver.  .  .  .  Anthony 
Raymond  has  joined  Electronics  for 
Medicine  in  Sudbury,  Mass.,  where  he  is  a 
systems  engineer. . . .  Stephen  Robichaud  is 
with  the  manufacturing  management  pro- 
gram at  GE  in  Shelbyville,  Indiana. 


Peter  Rowden  holds  the  post  of  produc- 
tion control  planner  at  Data  General, 
Southboro,  Mass.        Bruce  Rutsch  works 
as  a  CPU  engineer  at  Prime  Computer  in 
Newton  Lower  Falls,  Mass.  He  is  studying 

part  time  for  his  master's  degree  at  WPI 

Joseph  Sage  is  a  teaching  assistant  in  the 
School  of  Architecture  at  the  University  of 
Wisconsin  in  Milwaukee.  .  .  .  John  Salva- 
tore  serves  as  vice  president  of  Lupachino  & 
Salvatore,  Inc.,  Bloomfield,  Conn. 

Richard  Schonning  is  a  field  engineer  at 
Perini  Corp.  in  Framingham,  Mass.  . .  . 
Thomas  Skinner,  who  has  his  MSEE  from 
WPI,  is  the  president  and  owner  of  Mi- 
crocom  Associates,  Framingham.  ...  Ed- 
mund Sprogis  is  with  IBM  in  Essex  Junction, 
Vt Edgar  Stanley  has  his  MS  in  man- 
agement science  and  engineering  from 
WPI  and  is  a  senior  industrial  engineer  at 
ITT  Surprenant  in  Clinton,  Mass.  .  .  .  Ken- 
neth Steinhardt  holds  the  position  of  sales 
associate  at  Digital  in  Waltham,  Mass.  He  is 
also  a  multi-keyboardist  with  the  rock 
band,  Jove.  .  .  .  Lalit  Sudan  is  product 
manager  at  Codex  Corp.  in  Mansfield, 
Mass.  He  has  an  MS  in  management  sci- 
ence and  engineering  from  WPI.  .  .  .  Gary 
Sylvestre  works  as  a  programmer  for 
Travelers  Insurance  in  Hartford,  Conn. 

Bradford  Tannebring  is  a  program  en- 
gineer for  the  GE  Aircraft  Engine  Group  in 
Lynn,  Mass.  . . .  Daniell  Tarpley  has  ac- 
cepted a  field  engineering  position  with 
GE's  l&SE  Engineering  Division  in  Schenec- 
tady, N.Y.  He  will  receive  technical  training 
at  l&SE's  Field  Engineering  Development 
Center  and  on-the-job  assignments  with 
l&SE  and  GE  product  departments  as  a 
member  of  the  company's  field  engineer- 
ing program.  Tarpley  belongs  to  ASME 


Douglas  Thompson  is  involved  with 
microwave  radio  systems  at  Western  Elec- 
tric Co.  in  North  Andover,  Mass. 

Eric  Thompson  has  been  named  an  en- 
vironmental engineer  for  the  U.S.  E.P.A. 
Currently,  he  is  a  state  assignee  to  the  state 
of  Connecticut  in  Hartford.  .  .  .  Alan  Tur- 
niansky  serves  as  a  programmer-analyst  at 
TMI  Systems,  Inc.  in  New  York  City.  .  .  . 
Andreas  von  Huene  is  a  field  service  en- 
gineer for  General  Electric  Technical  Service 
Co.  in  Schenectady  . .  .  Jonathan  Waldo 
has  joined  Russell  Waldo  &  Associates  in 
Guilford,  Conn.  .  .  .  John  Wallace,  a 
member  of  the  technical  staff  at  Bell  Labs  in 
Naperville,  III.,  is  currently  pursuing  a 
graduate  degree  in  electrical  engineering  at 
Carnegie-Mellon  University  in  Pittsburgh. 

Wesley  Wheeler  holds  the  position  of 
cost  engineer  at  Exxon  Research  &  En- 
gineering Co.  in  Florham  Park,  N.J.  .  .  . 
Charles  Winters  has  joined  Brown  & 
Sharpe  Mfg.  as  an  electronics  service  en- 
gineer. The  firm  is  located  in  North  Kings- 
town, R.I Wayne  Wnuk  is  with  the 

United  Technologies  Power  Systems  Divi- 
sion as  a  test  engineer.  He  is  located  in 
South  Windsor,  Conn.  .  .  .  Roger  Yelle  is  a 
graduate  student  at  the  University  of  Wis- 
consin in  Madison.  .  .  .  Francis  Zarette  has 
been  certified  as  a  registered  professional 
engineer  by  the  Massachusetts  Board  of 
Registration  of  Professional  Engineers  and 
Land  Surveyors.  Also  a  professional  en- 
gineer in  New  Hampshire,  he  is  a  project 
engineer  at  Bay  State  Abrasives  in 
Westboro,  where  he  is  involved  with  pollu- 
tion control.  He  is  a  registered  grade  5 
wastewater  facilities  operator.  .  .  .  Robert 
Zawistowski  is  a  field  engineer  in  the  ser- 
vice department  at  Babcock  &  Wilcox  in 
New  York  City. 


Natural  Science 
Program 


Gordon  Eaton,  '66,  teaches  at  Goddard 
High  School  in  Roswell,  N.M. 

James  DeVries,  72,  associate  professor  of 
mathematics  and  physical  science  at  Bar- 
rington  (R.I.)  College,  recently  participated 
in  a  short  course  for  college  educators  at 
Hampshire  College  in  Amherst,  Mass.  The 
course,  which  was  offered  by  the  National 
Science  Foundation,  concerned  the  study 
and  applications  of  lasers.  In  March  he  will 
attend  a  second  two-day  study  program. 
He  is  a  graduate  of  Barrington  College  and 
earned  an  associate  degree  in  electronic 
engineering  from  Worcester  Junior  College 
and  a  master's  in  secondary  education  from 
Worcester  State  College. 


K.  Scott  Blake,  78,  is  a  biology  teacher  in 
Woburn,  Mass.  .  .  .  Larry  George,  78,  is 
with  the  town  of  Amesbury  (Mass.)  Middle 
School. . . .  James  Kalloch,  78,  teaches  at 
Swampscott  (Mass.)  High  School.  He  and 
his  wife  Sue  live  in  South  Hamilton,  Me. . . . 
Louis  Lowell,  78,  teaches  in  Georgetown, 

Mass Philip  Wilson,  78,  is  employed 

as  a  teacher  at  Lynnfield  (Mass.)  High 
School. 


The  WPI  Journal / February  1979/29 


School  of  Industrial 
Management 


Earl  W.  Shaw,  Jr.,  '53,  has  been  appointed 
as  senior  vice  president  of  Bird  Machine 
Company,  Walpole,  Mass.  Previously,  he 
was  vice  president  of  operations  and  assist- 
ant to  the  president.  Bird  Machine,  estab- 
lished in  1909,  manufactures  pulp  and 
paper-making  equipment,  and  solids- 
liquids  separating  equipment  used  in  min- 
ing, chemical,  and  process  industries.  It  also 
produces  waste  treatment  equipment  in- 
cluding waste  sludge  dewatering  cen- 
trifuges. 

Everett  Sinclair,  '65,  technical  director  for 
the  grinding  wheel  division  at  Norton  Co.  in 
Worcester,  has  been  elected  1979  chair- 
man of  the  board  of  the  Grinding  Wheel 
Institute,  a  national  association  for  the 
grinding  wheel  industry.  He  held  the  post 
previously  in  1975.  Since  joining  Norton  in 
1939,  Sinclair  has  held  various  product 
engineering  and  managerial  positions  for 
both  coated  and  bonded  abrasives.  He  is  a 
professional  engineer  in  Massachusetts. 
Norton,  the  world's  leading  producer  of 
abrasives,  had  sales  of  $848  million  in 
1977.  It  is  272nd  on  the  Fortune  500  list. 

Richard  Alliegro,  '67,  was  recently  named 
director  of  marketing  and  sales  for  Norton 
Company's  Industrial  Ceramics  Division  in 
Worcester.  His  most  recent  Norton  post 
was  that  of  director  of  research  and  new 
business  development.  He  holds  a  BS  and 
MS  in  ceramic  engineering  from  Alfred 
University,  and  has  also  studied  at  North- 
eastern. He  started  with  Norton  in  1957. 
He  is  a  fellow  of  the  American  Ceramic 
Society,  a  member  of  the  Refractories  Divi- 
sion, a  past  president  of  NICE,  and  a  newly 
installed  trustee  of  Alfred  University  in  New 
York. 

Thomas  Bentley,  '75,  is  with  Digital 
Equipment  Corp.  in  Salem,  N.H. 

David  Starrett,  '77,  holds  the  post  of  field 
service  branch  manager  at  Digital  Equip- 
ment Corp.,  Maynard,  Mass. 

Roger  Towne,  '78,  is  a  regional  manager 
for  Digital  in  Bedford,  Mass. 


SIM's  Schwieger  Award 
to  Jack  Shields 


The  Albert  J.  Schwieger  Award  of 
WPI's  School  of  Industrial 
Management  for  1979  has  been 
presented  to  John  J.  Shields.  The 
citation  reads,  in  part: 

"In  an  age  when  a  sophisticated 
educational  background  is  a 
prerequisite  for  success  and  upward 
mobility,  you  vividly  represent  the 
exception.  You  have  demonstrated 
outstanding  technical  and 
management  skills  which  have 
served  you  and  your  employer  well, 
without  the  benefit  of  an 
undergraduate  college  degree. 

"Your  exceptional  organizational 
instinct  has  catapulted  you  through  a 
challenging  career  at  Digital 
Equipment  Corporation.  Qualities 
such  as  fairness  and  impartiality 
have  played  a  key  role  in  your 


outstanding  success,  and  your  unique 
leadership  capabilities  are  known  and 
recognized  throughout  New  England 
as  you  represent  one  of  the  fastest- 
growing  corporations  in  the  world. 

"You  have  distinguished  yourself 
in  both  WPI's  School  of  Industrial 
Management  and  the  management 
development  program  at  the  Harvard 
Business  School.  Today,  your 
dynamism  and  drive  serve  you  well 
in  your  position  as  Vice  President  - 
Customer  Services  for  Digital 
Equipment  Corporation. . . 

"Superb  manager  and  unique 
individualist,  it  is  with  a  great  sense 
of  pride  that  WPI  presnets  you  the 
1979  Albert  Schwieger  Award  for 
outstanding  professional 
achievement." 


30/ February  1979 /The  WPlJournal 


Hyman  J.  Friedman,  '25,  a  retired  electri- 
cian from  Morgan  Construction  Co., 
passed  away  on  December  7, 1978  in 
Worcester. 

He  was  born  in  Russia  on  Jan.  3 1 ,  1 899. 
In  1925  he  received  his  BSEE  from  WPI.  He 
retired  in  1963  after  many  years  with  Mor- 
gan Construction. 

Mr.  Friedman  belonged  to  Alpha  Epsilon 
Pi,  Shaarai  Torah  Synagogue  West, 
Brotherhood  of  Beth  Israel  Synagogue, 
Jewish  Home  for  Aged,  Worcester  Lodge 
of  B'nai  B'rith  and  the  Jewish  War  Veter- 
ans. He  was  an  Army  veteran  of  World  War 
I.  He  was  the  father  of  Stanley  Friedman, 
'50. 

William  H.  Welch,  '25,  former  president  of 
Sleeper  and  Hartley,  Inc.,  Worcester,  died 
in  Worcester  on  October  28,  1 978. 

A  Worcester  native,  he  was  born  on  June 
13, 1902  and  later  studied  mechanical  en- 
gineering at  WPI.  For  sixteen  years  he 
served  as  president  of  the  Sleeper  firm, 
retiring  in  1973.  He  was  also  a  heating 
engineer  and  manager  of  the  home  build- 
ing department  of  Sawyer's  LumberCo.  for 
twenty-five  years.  Earlier  he  had  been  with 
Baker  LumberCo. 

Mr.  Welch  belonged  to  Phi  Gamma 
Delta  and  Tatnuck  Country  Club. 

Gordon  S.  Bird,  '26,  passed  away  suddenly 
at  his  home  in  Warner,  New  Hampshire  on 
October  22,  1978.  He  was  74. 

Prior  to  his  retirement  in  1 964,  he  was  a 
regional  sales  manager  for  Mobil  Oil  Co. 
for  38  years.  A  deacon  of  the  Congrega- 
tional Church,  he  was  also  active  with  the 
Boy  Scouts,  the  Masons,  and  the  Eastern 
Star. 

Mr.  Bird  belonged  to  Sigma  Phi  Epsilon 
and  the  class  of  1 926  at  WPI.  During  World 
War  II  he  served  as  a  member  of  the  U.S. 
Coast  Guard  Reserve.  He  was  a  former 
member  of  the  Winchester  Board  of  Health 
and  an  auxiliary  member  of  the  Winchester 
Police  Department.  He  was  born  on  August 
23,  1904  in  Brockton,  Mass. 


Stuart  D.  Pike,  '31,  died  on  December  2, 
1978  in  East  Greenwich,  Rhode  Island 
following  a  two- week  illness. 

Until  his  retirement  in  1967,  Mr.  Pike 
was  the  purchasing  agent  for  the  former 
Edmunds  Company  of  Cranston,  R.I.  for 
eighteen  years. 

Born  in  Everett,  Mass.  on  July  31,  1910, 
he  later  became  a  student  at  WPI.  He  was  a 
Navy  veteran  of  World  War  II  and  a 
member  of  the  East  Greenwich  Methodist 
Men's  Club. 

Irving  S.  White,  '31,  died  in  Westwood, 
New  Jersey  on  October  9,  1 978. 

A  native  of  Great  Barrington,  Mass.,  he 
was  born  on  August  9,  1909.  In  1931  he 
received  his  BSEE  from  WPI  and  in  1932,  his 
MSEE.  He  had  been  associated  with  S.S. 
Kresge,  Joseph  Bancroft  &  Co.,  and  Robert 
Gair  Co.,  where  he  served  as  manager  of 
industrial  engineering  before  it  merged 
with  Continental  Can.  Other  firms  where 
he  had  been  employed  were  Kraft  Paper 
and  Board  Division  of  Continental  Can  Co., 
Q-Tips,  Inc.,  and  Standard  Packaging 
Corp.  of  Holyoke,  Mass. 

Mr.  White  had  served  as  a  lieutenant  in 
the  Navy  in  World  War  II,  and  had  worked 
on  the  Atomic  Bomb  Project  at  Oak  Ridge, 
Tenn.  in  the  mid-1 940's.  He  belonged  to 
Phi  Sigma  Kappa,  the  American  Legion, 
and  the  Masons. 

Edwin  S.  Brown,  Sr.,  '32,  died  unexpect- 
edly on  November  22,  1978  while  visiting 
relatives  in  Portland,  Maine. 

He  was  born  on  August  29,  1 908  in 
Worcester,  and  later  enrolled  at  WPI.  Dur- 
ing his  career  he  was  with  Electric  Boat  Co. , 
Bostitch  Co.,  and  Davis  Standard  Division 
in  Pawcatuck,  R.I.  He  retired  several  years 
ago  from  Davis. 

In  1956  Mr.  Brown  was  commodore  of 
the  Westerly  Yacht  Club.  He  was  a  life 
member  of  the  U.S.  Power  Squadron  and 
of  the  U.S.  Coast  Guard  Auxiliary.  He  be- 
longed to  the  Congregational  Church  and 
the  Masons. 

Milton  M.  Schultz,  '33,  died  in  Worcester 
on  November  1 ,  1 978.  He  was  67  years 
old. 

The  chairman  of  the  board  of  Schultz 
Lubricants,  Inc.,  West  Boylston,  Mass.,  he 
had  worked  for  the  family  company  for  45 
years. 

Mr.  Schultz  was  a  member  of  the  class  of 
1933  at  WPI,  and  also  belonged  to  Temple 
Emanuel  and  its  Brotherhood,  the  Masons 
(32nd  degree),  and  was  a  past  master  of 
the  Level  Lodge  of  Masons.  He  was  a  past 
district  deputy  grand  master  for  the 
Worcester  22nd  Masonic  District,  a 
memberof  Aletheia  Grotto,  Massachusetts 
Consistory,  Mount  Pleasant  Country  Club, 
and  a  contributing  member  of  the  Jewish 
Home  for  Aged. 


Loring  Coes,  Jr.,  '36,  a  research  and  devel- 
opment consultant  in  the  grinding  wheel 
division  of  Norton  Co.,  Worcester,  died  in 
Worcester  on  December  3 ,  1 978  after  a 
long  illness.  He  was  63. 

In  1953  he  produced  a  new  form  of  silica 
not  found  in  nature,  which  was  named 
coesite  after  its  discoverer.  His  continued 
research  in  high  pressure  synthesis  later 
resulted  in  his  successful  development  of 
several  other  man-made  materials,  includ- 
ing man-made  diamonds. 

He  was  active  in  the  field  of  grind  theory 
and  his  work  has  been  described  in  techni- 
cal journals.  Since  joining  Norton  in  1938, 
his  research  had  resulted  in  many  patents. 
In  1967  he  received  the  Scientific  Achieve- 
ment Award  from  the  Worcester  Engineer- 
ing Society. 

A  life-long  interest  in  horses  led  to  his 
sponsoring  of  an  annual  horse  show  at  his 
home,  Boylston  Manor.  A  Worcester  na- 
tive, he  had  both  a  bachelor's  and  a  mas- 
ter's degree  in  chemistry  from  WPI.  He  was 
a  member  of  Sigma  Xi. 

Winthrop  E.  Wilson,  '43,  died  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  Massachusetts  Medical  Center  in 
Worcester  on  October  9, 1978. 

He  was  the  owner  and  operator  of  Na- 
tional Alarm  and  Security  Systems  in 
Oakham,  Mass. ,  and  an  owner  of  Warren 
Leather  Goods  Co.,  Worcester.  He  served 
in  the  Army  Air  Corps,  from  1942  to  1945, 
seeing  duty  as  a  first  lieutenant  in  Africa 
and  Italy. 

Mr.  Wilson  was  born  in  Worcester  on 
July  20,  1919.  He  was  a  member  of  Phi 
Sigma  Kappa. 

Karl  R.  Berggren,  Jr.,  '49,  was  found 
stabbed  to  death  beside  a  New  Jersey 
Turnpike  overpass  in  Burlington,  New  Jer- 
sey on  October  22,  1978.  He  was  53. 

Mr.  Berggren,  a  native  of  Oxford,  Mass. 
and  a  project  engineerforGold  Bond  Prod- 
ucts, had  been  assigned  to  work  on  the 
dust  compression  system  of  a  ship  docked 
at  the  National  Gypsum  Co.  plant  in  Bur- 
lington Township.  Last  year  he  and  his 
family  had  moved  from  East  Aurora,  NY. 
to  Charlotte,  N.C. 

A  mechanical  engineering  graduate,  Mr. 
Berggren  joined  Buffalo  (N.Y.)  Forge  in 
1949.  Later  he  went  with  the  Buffalo 
Pumps  Division,  where  he  subsequently 
served  as  assistant  chief  engineer  and  man- 
ager of  engineering  services.  At  one  time 
he  held  the  post  of  quality  control  manager 
for  Buffalo  Forge. 

Mr.  Berggren  belonged  to  Sigma  Phi 
Epsilon  and  had  an  MBA  from  the  State 
University  of  New  York.  He  was  a  profes- 
sional engineer  in  New  York,  and  had 
served  as  a  past  chairman  of  the  Niagara 
Frontier  section  of  the  National  Association 
of  Corrosion  Engineers.  For  many  years  he 
was  active  in  scouting.  He  had  held  district 
posts  with  the  BSA.  He  was  a  past  president 
of  the  Western  New  York  chapter  of  the 
WPI  Alumni  Association. 


The  WPI  Journal  /  February  1979/31 


To  the  Editor:  Just  a  line  to  tell 
you  that  I  found  the  October  issue  of 
the  Journal  one  of  the  best  yet  in 
editing  and  subject  matter.  What  I 
particularly  appreciated  was  the 
inclusion  of  differing,  even 
conflicting  viewpoints  on  this  timely 
subject  of  "Computers  and  Society." 
Since  I  graduated  in  1927,  you 
can  guess  how  many  issues  of  the 
Journal  I  have  read,  and  I  believe  the 
publication  is  continuing  to  improve. 
Both  my  sons  graduated  from 
Princeton  (one  in  engineering),  and  I 
read  Princeton's  University  regularly. 
I  state  this  fact  simply  so  you  will  see 
how  I  can  make  some  comparisons. 
Arthur  C.  Manning,'27 
Upper  Montchir,  N.J. 


To  the  Editor:  We  think  that  your 
obituary  column  entitled  "Completed 
Careers"  is  the  most  tacky,  misused 
label  that  we  have  seen  during  our 
careers  in  publications.  We  suggest 
you  consider  a  new  heading. 

Two  Anonymous  Readers 

Washington,  B.C. 


Editor's  Note:  The  article,  "What 
is  smaller  than ..."  by  Jack  O'Reilly 
which  appeared  in  the  August  1978 
Journal  has  been  reprinted  in  the 
January  1979  issue  of  Chemistry, 
published  by  the  American  Chemical 
Society 


2  alumni  create 
WPI  unitrusts 


Through  the  enlightened  generosity 
of  two  WPI  graduates  who  live  at 
opposite  ends  of  the  country,  WPI's 
future  endowment  resources  will  be 
significantly  strengthened. 

Each  of  the  two  men  (who  have 
asked  to  remain  anonymous)  recently 
established  a  charitable  remainder 
unitrust  naming  WPI  as  the  ultimate 
beneficiary.  These  two  trusts  have  a 
combined  value  of  over  $350,000,  and 
they  bring  the  aggregate  value  of 
existing  unitrusts  written  to  benefit 
WPI  to  nearly  $1,000,000. 

In  addition  to  making  a  major 
contribution  to  WPI's  future  well- 
being,  these  donors  have  also 
enhanced  their  personal  future 
security  and  that  of  their  families. 
Each  unitrust  agreement  guarantees  a 
regular  annual  income  to  the  donors 
(and  their  spouses),  and  also  provides 
significant  federal  income  tax  and 
estate  tax  savings.  When  the  trusts 


terminate,  their  assets  will  revert  to 
WPI  to  be  used  for  general 
educational  purposes. 

The  first  donor  transferred  a 
parcel  of  West  Coast  real  estate  to 
WPI.  We  subsequently  sold  the 
property  and  used  the  proceeds  of  the 
sale  to  fund  the  unitrust  contract.  In 
the  second  instance,  the  donor  gave 
WPI  a  block  of  securities  which  had 
appreciated  considerably  from  their 
original  cost.  Under  IRS  regulations, 
he  realized  substantial  tax  advantages 
and  avoided  completely  any  capital 
gains  tax  liability. 

A  creation  of  the  1969  Tax 
Reform  Law,  the  unitrust  is  becoming 
an  increasingly  popular  vehicle  for 
alumni  and  friends  who  are 
considering  gifts  of  substantial  size  to 
WPI  (the  minimum  amount  is 
$50,000),  and  who  wish  to  continue 
to  receive  an  annual  income  from 
their  assets.  Because  the  amount  of 
annual  income  to  each  donor  reflects 
the  value  of  the  trust  assets,  as 
computed  annually,  the  unitrust  also 
provides  an  excellent  hedge  against 
inflation. 


Dan  Harrington,  '5  o,  hands  over  the  keys  to  a  brand  new  1979  Ford  Fairmont  to 
WPI  Basketball  Coach  Ken  Kaufman  (center)  and  Football  Coach  Bob  Weiss 
(right).  Dan,  who  owns  and  operates  Sunny  side  Motors  in  Holden,  Mass., 
offered  the  use  of  the  courtesy  car  to  the  WPI  Athletic  Department  so  that  the 
coaches  could  make  efficient  recruiting  trips,  attend  clinics,  and  scout  oppo- 
nents. The  use  of  the  car  will  reduce  the  Athletic  Department's  cost  of  these 
programs  by  a  substantial  amount.  The  athletic  staff  is  most  grateful  that  Dan 
Harrington  is  adding  wheels  to  help  his  alma  mater  move  faster  down  the  road 
of  success.  According  to  George  Flood,  WPI  Director  of  Athletics  and  Physical 
Education,  the  alumni  comment  to  date  has  been,  "What  a  really  great  idea!" 


32  /  February  1 919  /  The  WPI  journal 


What's  happening? 


*  =  home  games 


BASEBALL 

•April  7 

Northeastern 

April  10 

Lowell 

April  12 

Clark 

April  14 

Hartford 

April  16 

AIC 

April  18 

Amherst 

•April  21 

Bates 

•April  24 

Trinity 

•April  26 

Assumption 

•April  28 

Coast  Guard  (2) 

•April  30 

Tufts 

•May  3 

Suffolk 

•May  5 

MIT  (2) 

May  7 

Brandeis 

•May  10 

Wesleyan 

•May  12 

Baruch  (2) 

•May  16 

Bentley 

TRACK 


LACROSSE 


TENNIS 


April  7 

Boston  University  Invitational 

•April  4 

Assumption 

•April  14 

Wesleyan  with  Colby 

•April  7 

Castleton  State 

•April  17 

Assumption  with  Clark 

•April  11 

Lyndon  State 

with  Worcester  State 

•April  14 

Colby 

April  21 

MIT 

April  16 

Lowell 

•April  25 

Coast  Guard 

•April  21 

Holy  Cross 

•April  27 

Bentley 

April  23 

Merrimack 

•May  2 

Trinity 

•April  26 

New  Hampshire  College 

May  5 

Easterns 

April  27 

Boston  University 

May  12-13 

New  Englands,  at  UMass 

May  2 

Nichols 

May  24-26 

NCAA  Division  III  Nationals 

May  5-6 

NECCL  tournament  at  URI 

May  10 

Brandeis 

WOMEN'S  SOFTBALL 


CREW 


•April  10 

Clark 

•April  7 

Amherst 

•April  12 

Assumption 

•April  14 

University  of  New  Hampshire 

fzr\i  C 

April  17 

Stonehill 

•April  21 

Davenport  Cup  (Harvard, 

jvJLr 

•April  19 

AIC 

Manhattan,  Assumption) 

April  27-28 

MA1AW  tournament  at  MIT 

•April  28 

Worcester  City  Championships 

April  7 

Coast  Guard 

•April  30 

Brandeis 

April  28 

at  Williams  College  with 

April  10 

at  Providence  with  Bentley 

May  1 

Bryant 

Columbia  University 

April  12 

at  Babson  with  MIT 

May  3 

Regis 

•May  5 

New  England  Open 

April  17 

at  Holy  Cross  with  Assumption 

•May  8 

Rhode  Island  College 

May  11-12 

Dad  Vail  Regatta,  Philadelphia 

•April  20 

Tufts  with  Clark 

•May  19 

Cambridge  Boat  Club 

April  23 

Lowell 

May  31 -June  2 

Intercollegiate  Rowing 

May  3 

at  Amherst  with  Springfield 

Association  Championships, 

•May  7 

AIC  with  Nichols 

Syracuse 

•May  10 

Trinity 

June  4-5 
•July  12-15 

Pan  American  Games  Trials 
U.S.  National  Championships 

April  7 

Bentley 

•April  11 

Holy  Cross 

•April  14 

Babson 

•April  17 

Clark 

•April  19 

Bates 

April  21 

RPI 

April  26 

Nichols 

April  29 

Assumption 

•May  2 

Lowell 

•May  5 

Brandeis 

May  10 

AIC 

FILMS  ON  CAMPUS 


*  =  admission  ch< 

irge) 

March  6 

The  Best  Way 

Kinnicutt,  7:30 

•March  10 

Blazing  Saddles  and  Young  Frankenstein 

Alden,7:30 

•March  11 

High  Anxiety 

Alden,  8:00 

March  13 

EffieBriest 

Kinnicutt,  7:30 

April  10 

Three  Women 

Kinnicutt,  7:30 

April  17 

lhat  obscure  object  of  desire 

Kinnicutt,  7:30 

•April  22 

Saturday  Night  Fever 

Alden,  8:00 

April  24 

The  wonderful  crook 

Kinnicutt,  7:30 

•May  6 

The  Gauntlet 

Alden,  8:00 

WOflCESfg 

i  mm 


April  1979 


HLYTEHWC 


APR  26    1979 

CORDON  LIBRARY 


UIPp 


UIPp 


q 

Vol.  83,  No.  6 


2        The  Regulations  Rat  Race 

A  brief  glimpse  at  the  effects  of  some  existing  governmental  reg- 
ulations on  WPI. 

5         The  Entangled  Web 

A  special  report  exploring  in  depth  the  impact  of  federal  regula- 
tions on  colleges  and  universities  across  the  country.  You  want 
to  hear  about  problems-  Read  this. 

18        Who's  Who 

Charlie  Keislmg,  beloved  stalwart  of  the  chemistry  and  chemical 
engineering  departments,  who's  been  at  WPI  longer  than  anyone 
else  —  except  Nils  Hagberg! 


20 


Your  Class  and  Others 


24         The  Red  Baron  Strikes  Again! 

31  School  of  Industrial  Management  and  the 
Natural  Science  Program 

32  Completed  Careers 


Cover:  The  tower  of  Alden  Memorial  Auditorium  as  spring- 
time buds  reappear  on  the  trees  on  Boynton  Hill. 


Editor:  H.  Russell  Kay 

Alumni  Information  Editor:  Ruth  S.  Trask 

Publications  Committee:  J   Michael  Anderson, 
'64,  chairman 

Design:.  H.  Russell  Kay 

Typesetting:  Davis  Press,  Worcester,  Mass. 

Printing:  The  House  of  Offset,  Somerville,  Mass. 


Address  all  correspondence  regarding  editorial 
content  or  advertising  to  the  Editor,  WPI  Jour- 
nal, Worcester  Polytechnic  Institute,  Worcester, 
MA01609  Telephone  (617)  753-141 1 . 

The  WPI  Journal  (ISSN  01 48-61 28)  is  published 
for  the  Alumni  Association  by  Worcester 
Polytechnic  Institute.  Copyright  ©  1979  by 
Worcester  Polytechnic  Institute.  All  rights 
reserved. 

The  WPI  Journal  is  published  six  times  a  year,  in 
August,  September  (catalog  issue),  October, 
December,  February,  and  April  Second  class 
postage  paid  at  Worcester,  MA 
Postmaster:  Please  send  for  3579  to:  Alumni 
Association,  Worcester  Polytechnic  Institute, 
Worcester,  MA  01 609 


WPI  ALUMNI  ASSOCIATION 

President:  William  A.  Julian,  '49 

Senior  vice  president:  Ralph  D  Gelling,  '63 

Vice  president:  Walter  B.  Dennen,  Jr.,  '51 

Secretary -treasurer:  Stephen  J.  Hebert,  '66 

Past  president:  Francis  S.  Harvey,  '37 

Executive  Committee  members-at-large: 
Richard  A.  Davis,  '53;  Anson  C.  Fyler,  45;  John 
H.  McCabe,  '68;  Julius  A.  Palley,  '46 

Faculty  representative:  Kenneth  E.  Scott,  '48 

Fund  Board:  G.  Albert  Anderson,  '51,  chairman; 
Richard  B.  Kennedy,  '65;  Gerald  Finkle,  '57; 
Philip  H.  Puddington,  '59;  Leonard  H.  White, 
'41;  Henry  Styskal,  Jr.,  '50;  C.  John  Lindegren, 
'39 


The  WPI  Journal  /  April  1979/1 


The 

Regulations 
Rat  Race 


by  Russell  Kay 


"The  entangling  web,"  the  article  which  follows  this, 
paints  a  rather  sad  and  depressing  picture  of  the  effects  of 
massive  government  regulation  on  colleges  and  universi- 
ties across  the  country.  It  talks  about  problems  that  affect 
the  major  research  universities,  the  small  liberal  arts  col- 
leges, the  professional  schools.  There  remains  the  ques- 
tion, how  has  WTI  been  affected  by  the  onslaught  of  regu- 
lation and  social  legislation? 

To  summarize  briefly,  David  E.  Lloyd,  vice  president 
for  business  affairs  and  college  treasurer,  puts  it  this  way: 
"We're  in  a  mess!  The  law  as  developed  and 
pushed  by  special  interest  groups  and  techniques,  al- 
though intended  to  correct  some  abuses  of  human  rights, 
has  almost  completely  disrupted  whole  areas  of  our  opera- 
tions." 


Take  the  matter  of  employment  (As  Henny 
Youngman  would  say,  "Please!")  In  1976,  WPI  received  its 
first  federal  research  contract  (as  distinguished  from  a 
grant,  mind  you]  of  over  $50,000.  Within  120  days,  WPI 
had  to  establish  policies  and  procedures  clearly  showing 
that  WPI  does  not  discriminate  with  regard  to  race,  color, 
sex,  national  or  ethnic  origin,  veteran  status,  or  physical 
handicap.  This  last  provision,  by  law,  today  also  includes 
rehabilitated  alcoholics  and  drug  addicts. 

In  four  months,  all  these  policies,  goals,  timetables, 
grievance  procedures,  evaluative  mechanisms,  etc.,  had  to 
be  in  place.  A.  Frank  Tamasy,  director  of  personnel  ser- 
vices, estimates  it  took  over  half  his  time  during  the  en- 
tire period  to  comply.  He  only  had  the  "nonexempt" 
(hourly  paid)  employees  to  deal  with.  Gardner  Pierce, 
director  of  physical  planning  and  plant  services,  had  to 
draw  up  similar  policies  and  procedures  for  WPI's  faculty 
and  professional  staff.  That  took  between  30  and  40  per- 
cent of  his  time. 

But  now  that's  all  done,  that's  it,  right?  Wrong.  There 
is  the  reporting  and  record-keeping.  Tamasy  estimates 
that  it  takes  about  one  hour  per  employee  per  year  just  to 
fill  out  the  various  forms  that  have  to  be  submitted  to  the 
various  state  and  federal  agencies.  Consider  the  EEO-6 
form,  to  be  filed  biennially  with  the  Equal  Employment 


2  /  April  1979  /  The  WTI  Journal 


Opportunity  Commission.  This  requires  a  breakdown  of 
all  WPI  staff  by  length  of  employment  contract  (9-10 
month  or  11-12  month),  tenured,  non-tenured,  temporary, 
part-time,  paid  from  "hard"  money  or  "soft"  money,  up  to 
eight  different  salary  groupings,  and  the  following  racial 
groups:  White,  Black,  Hispanic,  Asian  or  Pacific,  and 
American  Indian  or  Eskimo  (no  room  for  "other").  At  WPI 
this  data  has  to  be  compiled  manually. 

In  addition  to  the  annual  OSHA  report  showing  on- 
the-job  occupational  injuries  and  illnesses  broken  down 
into  15  categories,  Tamasy  has  to  file  a  quarterly  report 
with  the  Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts  on  all  new 
hires.  On  this  form  he  must  indicate  whether  the  person 
falls  into  one  of  the  categories  being  watched  --  whether 
he  or  she  is  a  veteran,  a  Viet  Nam  veteran,  or  a  disabled 
veteran.  He  noted  that  the  state  is  currently  urging  WPI 
(and  others)  to  hire  rehabilitated  ex-offenders  and  ex-drug 
users. 

Commenting  on  a  recent  complaint  of  racial  discrimi- 
nation filed  against  WPI  with  the  Massachusetts  Commis- 
sion Against  Discrimination,  the  EEOC,  and  HEWs  Office 
of  Civil  Rights,  he  observes  that  WPI  policy  regarding  the 
traditional  minimum  qualifications  requirement  for  fac- 
ulty is  a  potential  source  of  problems.  "For  example,  we 
can  no  longer  arbitrarily  stipulate  a  PhD  for  tenure  track 
positions  as  in  the  past,  because  available  candidates  have 
been  primarily  white  males.  Coupled  with  the  fact  that 
there  are  very  few  minorities  and  women  with  PhDs  to 
meet  the  educational  needs  of  WPI,  the  PhD  requirement 
serves  to  exclude  those  women  and  minorities  with  less 
than  a  PhD,  and  who  would  be  otherwise  qualified.  The 
solution?  A  detailed  analysis  of  all  tasks  to  ensure  that  the 
minimum  qualification  requirements  are  not  inflated. 
Time-consuming?  You  bet!  However,  it  is  one  way  we  can 
meet  our  affirmative  action  commitments.  Consequently, 
we  are  forced  to  be  much  more  objective  than  ever  before, 
knowing  that  all  our  personnel  actions  are  subject  to  a 
grievance  and  review  by  the  EEOC. 

In  addition  to  our  faculty  and  staff  statistical  profile, 
EEOC  is  also  interested  in  our  "good-faith"  efforts.  And 
since  the  burden  of  proof  rests  with  the  employer,  it  be- 
hooves us  to  keep  accurate  and  detailed  documentation 
on  hand  in  case  of  inspection  or  in  potential  charges  of 
discrimination. 

The  laws,  rules,  and  regulations  that  govern  person- 
nel administration  today  are,  of  course,  subject  to  interpre- 
tation. Unfortunately,  there  are  so  many,  and  some  are  so 
ambiguous  and  in  conflict  with  others,  that  they  defy 
timely  or  effective  implementation.  The  resultant  cost  of 
legal  advice  is  a  significant  but  unavoidable  expense 
which  WPI  must  bear.  In  frustration,  Tamasy  states:  "Al- 
though I'm  not  an  attorney,  I  often  feel  like  one  by  having 
to  keep  on  top  of  all  the  officialese,  governmentese,  and 
gobbledygook  coming  from  Washington,  Boston,  and  the 
courts.  To  be  sure,  much  of  it  is  well-intentioned,  though 
very  costly  in  time  and  money.  Worst  of  all,  you  can  never 
keep  up.  Someone  once  said  that  'democracy,  if  it  knows 
its  business,  has  no  reason  to  fear  bureaucracy.'  It  seems  to 
me,  however,  that  bureaucracy  has  lost  sight  of  its  role  as 
the  agent  of  public  purpose." 


Dave  Lloyd  doesn't  worry  so  much  about 
EEOC.  He  has  to  take  on  the  Internal  Revenue  Service 
IRS  is  looking  for  more  money  for  Uncle  these  days,  and 
looking  to  non-profit  organizations  for  some  of  it.  WPI's 
tax-exempt  status  has  been  under  fire  in  recent  years  be- 
cause of  "unrelated  business  income"  generated  by  WPI's 
computer  center. 

Each  time  the  IRS  auditors  come  around,  they  find 
something  new  to  tax.  One  shall-be-nameless  IRS  auditor 
once  told  Lloyd:  "Face  it.  Before  we  get  through , 
colleges  will  be  paying  income  taxes  on  dormitories." 
IRS  comes  through  about  every  two  years.  And  when 
they  do,  we  have  to  justify  our  academic  program  to  them 
-  does  it  meet  their  criteria  for  being  educational. 

For  Lloyd,  though,  the  law  of  the  moment  is  ERISA, 
the  Employment  Retirement  Income  and  Security  Act,  de- 
signed to  regulate  pension  plans.  Lloyd  and  Bill  Barrett, 
WPI  controller,  currently  spend  about  200  hours  per  year 
in  reporting  to  ERISA.  "I  want  to  try  and 
upgrade  the  general  retirement  plans  and  benefits  we 
have,  to  take  account  of  the  vastly  changed  economic  cli- 
mate. But  I  don't  have  the  time  to  do  this,  which  would 
help  our  people.  Instead  I  have  to  fill  out  reports." 

Another  issue  is  HEWs  Title  IX,  regarding  sex  dis- 
crimination. Dave  figures  that  has  taken  50  percent  of  his 
time  for  the  last  three  months.  Allen  Harper,  manager  of 
technical  and  administrative  services,  is  spending  nearly 
all  his  time  on  evaluation  and  compliance  work  for  Title 
IX  and  for  Sections  503  and  504,  dealing  with  the  handi- 
capped. 

Looking  at  the  overall  situation,  Lloyd  estimates 
that  WPI  ought  to  have  a  full-time  person 
with  a  staff  of  two  or  three,  just  to  supervise 
and  coordinate  the  compliance  with  and  reporting 
on  the  various  regulations.  We  currently  have  no  one  - 
the  duties  are  tacked  onto  the  existing  staff,  with  some 
help  in  the  paperwork  from  our  public  accountants. 

Because  of  this,  Lloyd  and  his  business  affairs  staff 
have  to  keep  tending  to  one  crisis  after  another. 
"Because  of  the  increased  workload  and  the  extra  time 
needed,  our  operational  managers  simply  can't  meet  their 
day-to-day  requirements  and  responsibilities  the  way  they 
should.  They're  too  tired,  and  there  isn't  enough  time  left 
to  do  the  job  right.  I'm  having  to  defer  the  basic  financial 
planning  for  WPI,  for  example,  to  take  care  of  all  these 
other  things.  I  can't  even  make  financial  plans  to  deal 
with  these  new  laws  themselves,  much  less  the  normal 
planning  for  WPI's  future." 


"Consistency,"  Justice  Holmes  once  said,  "is  the 
hobgoblin  of  little  minds."  Using  that  criterion,  one  cer- 
tainly can't  accuse  the  federal  government  of  having  little 
minds.  Contradictory  rulings  by  different  agencies  are  one 
of  the  major  headaches  in  trying  to  comply  with  the  law. 

A  few  years  ago,  WPI  under  some  grants  from  the  gov- 
ernment was  paying  graduate  research  assistants  a  larger 
than  normal  stipend.  Larger  than  normal  because  HEW  re- 
fused to  allow  its  money  to  be  used  for  tuition  remission. 


The  WPI  Journal  /  April  1979/3 


But  paying  it  to  the  students  as  stipend,  and  having  them 
pay  tuition  from  it,  was  apparently  OK.  Enter  the  IRS.  The 
students  didn't  want  to  have  to  pay  taxes  on  the  tuition 
part  of  their  pay,  so  they  filed  a  special  form  with  IRS  that 
made  everything  OK.  Now  HEW  hears  about  this  and 
says,  "You  mean  that  you're  paying  these  students  tuition 
money?!  For  shame."  And  WPI  shortly  thereafter  receives  a 
bill  from  HEW  for  $55,000,  to  refund  the  'misapplied'  mon- 
ies. Since  this  is  a  problem  all  across  the  country,  there  is 
a  big  confab  in  Washington  between  IRS  and  HEW  and 
college  representatives.  Afterwards,  HEW  phones  WPI  and 
says  everything's  fine  now.  But  they  won't  put  it  in  writ- 
ing. And  another  $55,000  bill  soon  lands  in  Worcester. 

Lloyd,  who  has  been  at  WPI  since  1954,  sounds  dis- 
couraged when  he  ponders  the  morass  of  regulation,  re- 
porting, and  paperwork.  "I  don't  know.  I  spend  all  my  time 
reporting  to  the  government.  We  used  to  get  along 
by  following  the  spirit  of  the 

law.  Now  every  last  little  bit  of  paperwork  is  mandated  by 
law,  and  damn  the  spirit!" 


Gardner  Pierce  is  in  charge  of  the  campus  physical 
plant,  among  other  things.  He  runs  into  government  regu- 
lation every  day,  in  one  form  or  another.  One  prime  con- 
cern has  been  meeting  regulations  concerning  access  to 
campus  facilities  for  the  handicapped  —  which,  in  prac- 
tice, seems  to  mean  access  for  those  in  wheelchairs.  No 
building  can  be  built  anymore,  nor  any  major  renovation 
undertaken,  without  approval  from  Massachusetts'  Archi- 
tectural Barriers  Board. 

When  Sanford  Riley  Hall  was  renovated  two  years 
ago,  access  for  the  handicapped  might  have  meant  the  in- 
stallation of  an  elevator  —  and  because  of  the  design  of 
the  building  and  the  pressing  need  for  dormitory  rooms 
on  campus,  it  would  have  had  to  be  an  outside  elevator,  at 
a  cost  estimated  at  close  to  $500,000.  WPI  was  lucky  in 
this  instance.  The  Board  was  convinced  that  students 
didn't  need  this  kind  of  access  to  every  single  dormitory 
building,  that  instead  provision  could  be  made  for  ramp 
access  to  Daniels  Hall,  which  already  had  an  elevator  in- 
side, as  well  as  conforming  washrooms,  and  it  also  pro- 
vided single  level  access  to  the  Bookstore,  Morgan  Hall, 
the  snack  bar,  the  dining  halls,  and  computer  terminals. 

But  in  general  it's  no  picnic  trying  to  conform  to  the 
regulations.  According  to  Pierce,  "the  things  we  did  in  Sa- 
lisbury, just  a  couple  of  years  ago,  are  already  outdated.  In 
some  areas  we  did  too  much,  in  others  too  little.  We  com- 
plied with  the  standards  in  effect  at  the  time."  Pierce  men- 
tions in  passing  that  we  build  washrooms  these  days  to 
meet  federal  standards  --  but  they  don't  necessarily  meet 
state  requirements.  "Our  policy  nowadays  is  very  straight- 
forward: We  will  build  to  the  regulations  of  the  day,  know- 
ing full  well  that  they  are  temporary." 


Since  making  these  efforts  to  bring  the  campus  into 
compliance  with  these  access  rules,  WPI  has  had  one  stu- 
dent in  a  wheelchair.  He  got  along  fine  during  A  and  B 
terms  in  the  fall.  In  some  cases,  classes  had  to  be  sched- 
uled in  first-floor  rooms  that  might  not  otherwise  have 
been  used  for  that  purpose,  but  the  student  did  indeed 
have  access  to  WPI  and  our  programs.  Then  winter  came. 
Wheelchairs  simply  don't  cope  very  well  with  snow  drifts. 
The  student  was  forced  to  drop  out,  after  making  extreme 
efforts  to  continue.  It  would  appear  that,  in  this  part  of 
the  country  at  least,  complete  access  requires  a  dome  over 
the  campus  —  or  perhaps  a  leveling  of  the  hill  and  a  mon- 
strous and  continuous  snow-removal  effort  during  the 
winter  months. . . . 

A  study  was  recently  conducted  by  the  Higher  Educa- 
tion General  Information  Service  (a  part  of  HEW).  Seven 
colleges,  including  WPI,  were  looked  at  to  determine  the 
costs  of  complying  with  federal  regulations  on  the  books. 
(WPI  was  apparently  picked  because  we  have  made  special 
efforts  to  meet  the  regulations.)  The  study  found  that  it 
would  cost  WPI  well  in  excess  of  $500,000  to  overcome 
the  basic  restrictions. 

Given  that  example,  is  it  possible  to  say  whether  the 
regulations,  well-intentioned  or  not,  have  any  real,  practi- 
cal value?  "It's  hard  to  be  sure,"  notes  Pierce,  "but  it  seems 
as  if  we  see  more  people  in  wheelchairs  in  general  these 
days  —  downtown,  for  instance.  We  don't  hide  the  handi- 
capped away,  as  we  used  to.  I  think  in  general  we're  more 
open  to  people  who  are  different  from  ourselves  for  what- 
ever reason  —  and  that's  a  result  of  Dr.  King's  refusal  to  sit 
in  the  back  of  the  bus." 


These  are  only  a  few  examples  of  WPI's  involve- 
ment with  the  red-tape-ridden  rat  race  of  bureaucratic  reg- 
ulation. Many  more  could  be  adduced  and  described  —  in 
fact,  this  entire  issue  of  the  Journal  could  be  filled  with 
stories  of  compliance  and  record-keeping  and  regulation 
and  reporting  requirements  and  litigation  and  time  and 
money  spent. 

All  of  this,  of  course,  detracts  from  the  basic  business 
of  WPI,  education.  I  once  heard  the  concept  of  a  school 
described  in  metaphor  as  a  log  with  a  student  at  one  end 
and  a  teacher  at  the  other.  If  that  definition,  that  concept, 
still  holds  true,  I  bet  we  can  now  find  a  government 
agency,  somewhere,  concerned  with  drawing  up  detailed 
specifications  for  the  log,  another  requiring  a  report  on 
the  nationality  of  the  logger,  and  a  third  conducting  a 
safety  study  on  the  model  of  saw  used  to  cut  down  the 
tree.  What,  one  wonders,  does  all  this  have  to  do  with  the 
process  of  education? 

What  indeed? 


4/ April  1979 /The  WPI  Journal 


The 
Entangling 

Web 


Federal  Regulation 

of  Colleges 

and  Universities 


A  Special  Report 
for  Alumni 


DESCRIBING  THE  KIND  of  despotism  that  demo- 
cratic societies  like  ours  could  be  most  vulnerable  to, 
Alexis  de  Tocqueville  foresaw  a  government  that  "covers 
the  whole  of  social  life  with  a  network  of  petty,  compli- 
cated rules  that  are  both  minute  and  uniform"  —  a  situa- 
tion, he  warned,  that  does  not  break  the  human  will  so 
much  as  it  "softens,  bends,  and  guides  it." 

There  are  those  in  this  nation  —  and  their  number 
appears  to  be  growing  —  who  fear  that  Tocqueville's  vi- 
sion is  rapidly  becoming  our  reality  They  point  to  the 
enormous  and  proliferating  body  of  laws  and  government 
regulations  now  controlling  virtually  every  aspect  of  hu- 
man life  and  behavior.  They  protest  the  dollar  cost  of 
"over-regulation"  (estimated  at  more  than  $100  billion  an- 
nually), the  stifling  impact  it  has  on  the  economy,  the  bu- 
reaucracy and  waste  which  it  spawns,  and  its  "basic  in- 
compatibility with  the  democratic  processes." 

Once,  such  complaints  came  almost  exclusively  from 
the  business  community  —  the  first  and  most  heavily  re- 
gulated segment  of  society.  No  longer.  Excessive  govern- 
ment regulation  is  an  issue  for  everyone.  And  it  is  by  no 
means  a  simple  issue.  Most  regulations  seek  to  accom- 
plish worthy  objectives  —  objectives  that  society  has 
largely  agreed  upon  and  expects  government  to  attain. 
The  rub  is  that  as  our  society  has  become  larger  and  more 
complex,  so  have  its  aspirations  and  its  problems.  Rights 
come  into  conflict.  Interests  clash.  Choices  must  be  made, 
not  just  between  'good'  and  'bad'  but  between  'good'  and 
'good.'  It  is  through  law  and  regulation  that  government 
attempts  to  solve  these  problems  and  reconcile  these  con- 
flicts. 

Following  is  a  special  report  on  federal  regulation  of 
American  higher  education  and  the  impact  it  has  on  col- 
leges and  universities  which  now  find  that  they,  too,  are 
caught  in  the  entangling  web. 


The  WPI  fournal  /  Apnl  1979/5 


IN  THE  SUMMER  of  1977,  Nelda  Barnes,  a  53-year-old 
school  teacher,  enrolled  in  two  courses  at  Converse  Col- 
lege in  Spartansburg,  S.C.  She  needed  the  courses  to  meet 
state  requirements  and  keep  her  teaching  job. 

Mrs.  Barnes  is  deaf.  When  she  had  difficulty  follow- 
ing the  lectures,  she  asked  the  college  to  provide  her  with 
a  sign-language  interpreter.  Converse  declined,  pointing 
out  that  the  cost  of  doing  so  would  far  exceed  the  $210 
that  Mrs.  Barnes  paid  in  tuition. 

So  Mrs.  Barnes  sued  in  federal  court  under  new 
H.E.W.  regulations  implementing  Section  504  of  the  Reha- 
bilitation Act  of  1973  as  amended.  The  regulations  ban 
discrimination  against  handicapped  persons  and  stipulate 
that  students  shall  not  be  denied  the  benefits  of  education 
"because  of  the  absence  of  educational  auxiliary  aids." 

Federal  district  court  judge  Robert  W.  Hemphill  ruled 
in  favor  of  Mrs.  Barnes  and  ordered  Converse  to  provide 
her  with  an  interpreter.  He  also  expressed  considerable 
sympathy  for  the  college  and  said:  "No  educational  ad- 
ministrator needs  to  be  reminded  of  the  sad  fact  that  fed- 
eral money  means  pervasive  bureaucratic  control." 

Judge  Hemphill  was  right.  No  such  reminder  is  neces- 
sary these  days.  The  threat  of  federal  control  is  very  real 
on  the  nation's  campuses.  Indeed,  it  may  not  be  much  of 
an  exaggeration  to  suggest  that  increasing  government 
regulation,  with  all  of  its  complicating  side-effects,  is  the 
most  serious  problem  facing  American  higher  education. 

Harold  Enarson,  president  of  Ohio  State  University, 
obviously  a  man  accustomed  to  dealing  with  government, 
claims  "the  federal  presence  is  felt  everywhere  in  higher 
education,  and  federal  laws  and  regulations  are  changing 
the  academic  world  in  ways  that  justify  our  alarm." 

Stanford  vice  president  Robert  Rosenzweig  feels  that 
higher  education  has  lost  its  "immunity  to  the  burdens"  of 
an  increasingly  regulated  society  and  says:  "Virtually  the 
whole  range  of  public  regulatory  activity  now  bears  on  the 
university." 

The  problem  is  not  limited  to  large  universities 
which  receive  the  lion's  share  of  federal  dollars.  Every  in- 
stitution of  higher  learning  is  affected  —  large  and  small, 
private  and  public,  liberal  arts  and  technical,  community 
colleges  and  professional  schools. 

Until  1975,  colleges  and  universities  which  did  not 
receive  direct  federal  grants  were  exempt  from  much  of 
the  regulation.  Then  H.E.W.  adopted  regulations  to  en- 
force Title  IX  against  sex  discrimination  and  declared  that 
a  recipient  institution  was  an  institution  that  received 
federal  funds  indirectly  as  well  as  directly.  In  other  words, 
if  one  student  received  one  dollar  in  federal  student  aid, 
the  entire  institution  and  all  of  its  activities  would  be  sub- 
ject to  regulation.  This  prompted  Nobel  prize-winning 
economist  Milton  Friedman  to  observe  that  the  "corner 
grocer  and  the  A&P  are  recipient  institutions  because 
some  of  their  customers  receive  social  security  checks." 
He  added,  "no  argument  is  too  silly  to  serve  as  a  pretext 
for  extending  still  further  the  widening  control  over  all  of 
our  lives  that  is  being  exercised  by  government.  Several 
institutions  have  now  challenged  H.E.Ws  all-inclusive 
definition  of  'recipient.' 


"No  educational  administrator 
needs  to  be  reminded  of  the 
sad  fact  that  federal  money 
means  pervasive  bureaucratic 
control" 


The  more  than  800  church-related  colleges  in  the 
United  States  —  many  of  which  have  not  sought  or  ac- 
cepted federal  aid  —  are  especially  concerned.  They  fear 
that  "as  the  State  moves  in,  the  church  must  move  out." 
And  recent  federal  regulations  dealing  with  such  sensitive 
issues  as  abortion,  marital  status,  integration  of  the  sexes, 
and  religious  preference,  clash  directly  with  the  religious 
beliefs  and  practices  of  many  of  these  schools. 

Father  Ernie  Bartell,  head  of  the  Fund  for  the  Improve- 
ment of  Postsecondary  Education,  notes  that  "some  of  the 
nation's  oldest  and  most  fiercely  independent  colleges  and 
universities  were  founded  as  diverse  religious  institu- 
tions." And  he  worries  that  "the  further  erosion  of  such 
diversity  under  additional  pressures  of  governmental  regu- 
lation might  thus  be  most  symbolically  disturbing  among 
already  beleaguered  smaller  institutions,  many  of  them 
church-related  and  lacking  the  expensive  and  specialized 
expertise  to  respond  and  to  adapt  creatively  to  the 
changes  implied  in  federally  mandated  programs." 

The  president  of  Asbury  College  in  Wilmore,  Ky,  has 
been  outspoken  in  his  criticism  of  government  interfer- 
ence. He  says:  "The  careful  respect  by  government  for  the 
independence  of  the  educational  world  is  long  gone.  Non- 
involvement  has  changed  to  intrusion,  respect  to  financial 
and  regulatory  control.  The  extent  is  frightening." 


THE  EXTENT  is  indeed  frightening.  Today  there  are  34 
Congressional  committees  and  at  least  70  subcommittees 
with  jurisdiction  over  439  separate  laws  affecting  postse- 
condary education.  The  number  of  pages  of  federal  laws 
concerning  higher  education  rose  from  90  in  1964  to  360 
in  1976. 

And  those  laws  have  generated  millions  of  words  of 
regulations.  The  number  of  pages  in  the  Federal  Register 
devoted  to  regulations  affecting  higher  education  grew 
from  92  in  1965  to  nearly  1,000  in  1977  —  a  1,000  percent 
increase  in  the  quantity  of  federal  regulations  with  which 
colleges  and  universities  must  comply.  Duke  University 
president  Terry  Sanford  understandably  refers  to  "the  ava- 
lanche of  recent  government  regulations  that  threatens  to 
dominate  campus  management." 

It  was  not  long  ago  that  colleges  and  universities 
were  exempt  from  almost  all  federally  mandated  social 
programs,  even  including  social  security  and  workmen's 
unemployment  insurance. 


6  /  April  1979  /  The  WPI  Journal 


Things  began  to  change  in  the  mid-1960s  with  the 
adoption  of  civil  rights  legislation  and  regulations,  which 
at  first  banned  discrimination  on  the  basis  of  race,  color, 
religion,  and  national  origin.  Then  they  went  further:  non- 
discrimination alone  was  not  enough  —  an  organization 
was  required  to  take  affirmative  action  to  develop  hiring 
goals  for  minorities  and  plans  to  achieve  those  goals.  Sex 
was  subsequently  added  to  the  list,  followed  by  age,  and, 
more  recently,  by  physical  and  mental  handicaps. 

In  1969,  the  National  Labor  Relations  Board  rather 
impulsively  extended  coverage  of  federal  collective  bar- 
gaining laws  to  college  and  university  faculties,  thus  clear- 
ing the  way  for  the  faculty  unionization  movement.  (A  re- 
cent lower  court  ruling  that  the  faculty  at  Yeshiva  Univer- 
sity are  supervisors  and  thus  not  entitled  to  collective  bar- 
gaining rights  is  now  on  its  way  to  the  Supreme  Court.) 

Most  of  these  laws  and  regulations  affecting  higher 
education  were  not  aimed  specifically  at  campuses  but 
rather  at  broad  social  problems;  colleges  and  universities 
were  either  caught  in  the  backwash  or  subsequently  in- 
cluded by  specific  Congressional  or  regulatory  action. 

In  1974,  with  the  passage  of  the  Buckley  Amendment 
to  the  Family  Rights  and  Privacy  Act,  a  new  stage  of  regu- 
lation began  which  was  aimed  directly  at  postsecondary 
education.  The  Buckley  Amendment  granted  students  ac- 
cess to  their  educational  records,  limited  access  by  others 
(including  parents),  and  required  institutions  to  inform  all 
members  of  the  campus  community  of  their  rights  and  ob- 
ligations under  the  act. 

After  Buckley  came  a  new  version  of  the  Health  Pro- 
fessions Educational  Assistance  Amendments,  which  at- 
tempted to  coerce  U.S.  medical  schools  into  admitting  stu- 
dents from  a  register  established  by  the  Secretary  of 
Health,  Education,  and  Welfare.  Then  came  regulations 
implementing  Section  504  of  the  Rehabilitation  Act  of 
1973,  requiring  institutions  to  make  changes  in  their 
physical  facilities  in  order  to  accommodate  the  handi- 
capped. 

The  Education  Amendment  Act  of  1976  struck  a 
blow  for  consumer  protection  in  education.  It  requires  col- 
leges and  universities  to  make  known  their  policies  and 
practices  in  numerous  areas  such  as  financial  aid,  refunds, 
and  descriptions  of  facilities,  faculties,  and  educational 
programs.  Institutions  may  have  their  various  written  and 
spoken  statements  assessed  by  the  government  according 
to  "truth  in  advertising"  standards.  In  other  words,  if  the 
old  college  catalog  still  promises  to  "educate  the  whole 
person,"  the  institution  had  better  be  prepared  to  prove  it 
—  to  a  federal  agency,  or  maybe  in  court. 

In  short,  there  is  virtually  no  aspect  of  academic  life 
that  is  not  covered  in  some  way  by  federal  regulations. 
They  cover  hiring 

romotion/firing  of  personnel  (including  professors), 
wage  and  salary  administration,  pensions  and  personnel 
benefits,  physical  plant  construction  and  management, 
record-keeping,  admission,  financial  aid,  athletics,  fund- 
raising,  research,  and  even  curriculum  and  educational 
programs  to  some  degree. 


THE  ISSUE  OF  GOVERNMENT  REGULATION 

poses  a  painful  dilemma  for  much  of  higher  education.  On 
the  one  hand,  educators  recognize  the  need  for  regula- 
tions; on  the  other,  they  are  appalled  and  alarmed  by  their 
growth  and  impact  on  the  campuses. 

The  academic  community,  traditionally  liberal,  has  fa- 
vored laws  extending  rights  and  benefits  and  has  sup- 
ported regulations  to  protect  consumers,  assure  equal  op- 
portumtv  and  treatment,  and  safeguard  the  environment. 
As  William  McGill,  president  of  Columbia  University,  put 
it:  "No  experienced  president  would  think  of  criticizing  a 
process  that  has  liberated  America's  minonties,  protected 
our  consumers,  and  provided  a  standard  of  living  for 
American  workers  unequaled  elsewhere  in  the  world." 

It  has  also  been  pointed  out  by  some  observers  that 
colleges  and  universities  were  not  as  assertive  as  they 
might  have  been  in  providing  access  to  disadvantaged  stu- 
dents and  assuring  equal  rights  to  minorities  and  women. 
Most  of  the  progress  made  in  these  areas  was  the  result  of 
federal  funding  and  federal  regulation.  Says  one  govern- 
ment official,  formerly  a  college  president:  "Unjustified 
discrimination  in  hiring  and  admission,  exaggeration  of 
performance  claims  for  the  sake  of  institutional  develop- 
ment, defensive  failure  of  accountability  in  return  for  so- 
cial privilege,  and  other  social  sins  mark  and  mar  the  his- 
tory of  American  higher  education.  Nor  has  the  record  of 
voluntary  self-regulation  been  much  more  distinguished 
in  higher  education  than  elsewhere." 

Could  higher  education  have  avoided  government 
regulation  if  it  had  been  more  vigorous  in  regulating  itself? 
Perhaps  in  some  limited  area,  replies  one  college  official. 
But,  he  adds,  "I  don't  think  we  would  have  taken  major 
steps  at  our  institution,  for  example,  to  accommodate  the 
handicapped.  The  cost  would  have  been  too  high,  the 
available  dollars  too  few,  and  the  number  who  would 
benefit  too  minimal." 

G.  William  Miller,  chairman  of  the  Federal  Reserve 
Board,  says:  "Generational  regulation  is  fundamental  to 
any  system.  It  is  designed  to  regulate  human  behavior  and 
to  set  certain  necessary  standards.  Without  regulations, 
the  free  enterprise  system  would  not  move  on  its  own  to 
correct  social  inequalities.  Self-regulation  is  our  greatest 
desire,  but  can  it  be  done?  It  is  almost  impossible  because 
of  human  behavior  and  human  nature.  The  need  is  for 
good  regulations,  and  we  must  work  to  make  necessary 
regulations  as  sensible  and  workable  as  possible." 


"//  the  old  catalog  still  promises 
to  'educate  the  whole  person,' 
the  institution  had  better  be 
prepared  to  prove  it." 


The  WPI  Journal  /  Apnl  1979/7 


DETERMINING  WHICH  REGULATIONS  are  "ab- 
solutely  necessary"  and  making  them  "sensible  and  worka- 
ble" are  extremely  difficult  tasks.  There  is  no  evidence  at 
present  that  they  can  or  will  be  accomplished.  Joseph  A. 
Califano,  Jr.,  Secretary  of  H.E.W.,  recently  issued  a  warning 
"against  the  domination  of  education  by  the  federal  gov- 
ernment." And,  he  said,  "if  I  have  seen  anything  made 
plain  in  the  last  year  and  a  half,  it  is  that  when  programs 
and  dollars  multiply,  bureaucracies  and  regulations  multi- 
ply also;  paperwork  and  reporting  requirements  multiply; 
the  temptation  to  interfere,  however  well-meaning,  grows. 
And  thus  the  danger  grows  that  the  job  we  are  trying  to 
do  with  our  programs  will,  ironically,  be  made  even  more 
difficult  by  the  unwieldy  requirements  and  burdensome 
procedures  that  these  programs  bring." 

It  would  be  hard  to  find  anyone  in  higher  education 
today  who  would  disagree  with  the  Secretary. 

The  president  of  Harvard  certainly  wouldn't.  A  study 
there  revealed  that  in  1974-75  the  faculty  spent  more  than 
60,000  hours  complying  with  five  federal  regulations  at  a 
cost  of  $8.3  million.  This  surely  had  something  to  do  with 
President  Bok's  statement  to  his  alumni  that  "the  critical 
issue  for  the  next  generation  is  not  Harvard's  survival,  but 
its  independence  and  freedom  from  ill-advised  govern- 
ment restraint." 

The  president  of  Berea  College  would  not  take  issue 
with  Mr.  Califano  either.  Although  his  entire  budget  is 
probably  less  than  a  single  major  federal  grant  to  Harvard, 
president  Willis  D.  Weatherford  figures  he  spends  about 
one-quarter  of  his  time  coping  with  government  regula- 
tions and  the  problems  they  create.  The  civil  rights  legis- 
lation, as  H.E.W.  interprets  it,  doesn't  permit  Berea  to  se- 
lect its  staff  and  faculty  for  qualities  of  "Christian  charac- 
ter." Dr.  Weatherford  laments  this  and  sees  "a  deadening 
monotony  creeping  across  colleges  and  universities  in 
America  —  a  uniformity  induced  by  excess  government 
regulation." 


8  /  April  1979  /  The  WPI  Journal 


A  predecessor  of  Mr.  Califano's  also  agrees  with  him. 
David  Mathews,  before  becoming  Secretary  of  H.E.W.  in 
1975,  said:  "The  body  of  higher  education  is  bound  in  a  lil- 
liputian  nightmare  of  forms  and  formulas."  The  results,  he 
said,  are  "a  diminishing  of  able  leadership  on  the  cam- 
puses, a  loss  of  institutional  autonomy,  and  a  serious 
threat  to  diversity,  creativity,  and  reform." 

Had  his  tour  of  duty  at  H.E.W.  altered  his  perspective 
and  changed  his  mind  about  federal  regulation?  The  edi- 
tors of  this  report  put  that  question  to  President  Mathews 
at  the  University  of  Alabama.  "Not  in  any  way,"  he  replied 
quickly,  "the  problem  has  not  diminished  at  all." 

The  problem,  of  course,  has  many  dimensions  and 
many  aspects,  and  nearly  all  of  them,  as  educators  see  it, 
are  negative.  Excessive  government  regulation: 

►  is  produced  by  bureaucracy,  and  it  gives  rise  to  more 
bureaucracy  —  not  only  in  Washington,  but  on  the  cam- 
puses as  well; 

►  diverts  scarce  dollars  and  valuable  time  of  administra- 
tors and  faculty  from  important  institutional  missions  to 
non-productive  activity; 

►  intrudes  upon  internal  decision-making,  erodes  insti- 
tutional autonomy,  and  leads  to  complicating  and  costly 
side  effects  (such  as  increased  litigation); 

►  contributes  significantly  to  the  deterioration  of  a  long 
and  mutually  productive  partnership  between  the  federal 
government  and  higher  education. 


BUREAUCRACY  IS  "the  mechanism  of  control,"  says 
economist  Earl  Cheit,  "and  its  intrusion  into  college  and 
university  life  has  been  disruptive  and  expensive." 

The  government  bureaucrats  are  the  target  of  much 
of  the  anger  and  frustration  felt  by  college  and  university 
officials.  And  that  is  at  least  partly  understandable,  since 
bureaucrats,  in  a  very  real  sense,  make  more  laws  than 
Congress  does.  "It  is  government  by  the  non-elected,"  com- 
plains one  college  professor. 

Economist  Cheit  points  out  that,  typical  of  bureau- 
crats, "they  require  the  gathering  of  useless  data;  they 
cause  long,  inexplicable  delays;  they  play  'cat  and  mouse' 
games  over  enforcement;  they  conduct  endless  reviews. 
Sometimes,  after  periods  of  indecision,  the  decisions  they 
do  make  are  uninformed  about  the  educational  process.  It 
has  apparently  come  as  news  to  some  GS-12's  that  a  li- 
brary is  needed  for  research." 

Examples  of  the  bureaucracy  at  its  business  are  many, 
and  they  range  from  the  trivial  and  ridiculous  to  the 
alarming: 

H.E.W's  battle  against  sexual  discrimination  has  pro- 
duced what  must  now  be  'classics':  the  prohibition  of 
father-son  banquets  and  boys'  choirs. 

Dallin  Oaks,  president  of  Brigham  Young  University 
finds  himself  fighting  a  sexual  discrimination  charge 
which  he  feels  is  equally  absurd.  The  Justice  Department 
has  threatened  suit  against  the  university  because  it  re- 
fused to  rent  a  room  in  an  all-male  wing  of  an  off-campus 


"Bureaucracies  thrust  past  the 
balance  point  to  produce 
results  that  are  disastrous  to 
institutions  and  processes  that 
depend  on  a  balance  of 
principles." 


building  to  a  female  who  is  not  a  student.  "We  cannot  be- 
lieve," Oaks  says,  "that  our  proscription  against  students 
living  with  or  next  to  persons  of  the  opposite  sex  is  a  suf- 
ficient injury  to  justify  interference  with  the  fundamental 
nghts  of  religious  freedom  at  this  church-sponsored  uni- 
versity." 

One  university's  very  moderate  report  of  a  self-study 
of  the  impacts  of  federal  regulation  contains  this  state- 
ment: 

"Demands  by  government  agencies  for  excessive,  ir- 
relevant, and  duplicative  data  are  objectionable. . .  .  Our 
disquiet  stems  from  investigative  offices  that  make  de- 
mands for  mountains  of  data  without  considering  the  bur- 
dens imposed  on  the  institution.  And  sometimes  those 
data  are  not  even  used  by  the  investigators."  The  report 
goes  on  to  describe  an  investigation  in  which  the  records 
of  all  students  over  the  past  six  years  were  demanded.  Ne- 
gotiation reduced  the  number  demanded  from  3,000  to 
1,400,  and  the  school  went  to  great  lengths  to  make  the 
individual  records  anonymous.  The  investigating  team  did 
not  even  take  the  stack  of  records  with  them  after  their 
visit.  Another  agency  asked  for  the  same  data  at  least  four 
times  for  four  different  investigators. 

Last  year,  the  I.R.S.  audited  the  Johns  Hopkins  Uni- 
versity President  Steven  Muller  says:  "We  spent  literally 
thousands  of  hours  of  staff  time  answering  the  same  ques- 
tions for  them  that  we  had  answered  for  the  General  Ac- 
counting Office;  then  they  wanted  to  look  at  our  affirma- 
tive action  program  —  information  we  had  already  given 
to  the  Office  of  Civil  Rights." 

Roger  Freeman,  former  White  House  aide,  conducted 
a  random  sample  of  colleges  and  universities  in  1978  and 
found  that  more  than  half  had  been  contacted  by  a  federal 
agency  within  the  past  three  years  "with  a  demand  to 
adopt,  change,  or  abolish  an  operating  policy  or  practice." 
About  three-fourths  of  all  contacts  concerned  affirmative 
action. 

One  costly  result  of  increasing  government  regula- 
tion of  colleges  and  universities  is  the  growth  of  bureau- 
cracy on  the  campuses.  "Internal  bureaucracy,"  one  univer- 
sity official  points  out,  "has  grown  in  order  to  confront 
and  be  complicit  with  other  bureaucracies;  procedures 
have  been  elaborated;  grievances  have  grown  to  glut  the 
procedural  mechanisms  designed  to  deal  with  them;  and 


The  WPI  Journal  /  Apnl  1979/9 


in  various  ways  the  management  of  conflict  has  become 
as  important  inside  the  univesity  as  it  has  long  been  else- 
where." 

It  is  this  kind  of  situation  which  figured  largely  in  the 
decision  of  an  Ivy  League  vice  president  to  leave  the  uni- 
versity. He  explained  that  "being  on  a  campus  isn't  much 
fun  anymore;  it  seemed  like  we  were  spending  most  of  our 
time  on  affirmative  action  plans,  personnel  classification 
systems,  grievance  procedures,  contract  negotiations,  legal 
matters,  and  mountains  of  forms  and  reports  from 
Washington's  bureaucracy  and,  worse,  our  own." 

The  University  of  Georgia  recently  hired  a  librarian 
and,  in  the  process,  discovered  that  affirmative  action  re- 
quired 60  separate  steps. 

Because  government  agencies  do  not  understand  the 
universities  or  how  they  work,  Robert  H.  Bork,  former  So- 
licitor General  of  the  U.S.,  suggests  universities  had  better 
try  to  understand  the  nature  of  bureaucratic  government. 
He  offers  this  insight: 

"Bureaucrats  are  as  well-intentioned  a  group  as  I  have 
ever  seen,  but  they  move  according  to  bureaucratic  im- 
peratives of  which  they  are  not  even  aware.  We  tend  to 
create  a  new  bureaucracy  for  every  principle  we  wish  to 
enforce.  That  means  every  such  organization  has  one  prin- 
ciple: health;  safety;  clean  environment;  racial  equality; 


The  American  Council  on  Education  (A.C.E.)  has  done 
the  most  reliable  study.  It  examined  the  costs  incurred 
from  1970  to  1975  by  six  institutions  complying  with  12 
federally  mandated  social  programs  which  were  universal 
in  nature  (like  social  security)  rather  than  aimed  specifi- 
cally at  higher  education  (like  the  Buckley  Amendment). 
The  cost  for  these  six  institutions  in  1974-75  was  between 
$9  million  and  $10  million,  and  ranged  from  1  to  4  per- 
cent of  operating  budgets,  and  from  5  to  8  percent  of  tui- 
tion revenues.  Costs  doubled  over  the  five-year  period. 
And,  not  surprisingly,  more  than  half  of  the  cost  went  for 
social  security. 


sexual  equality;  whatever.  No  single  principle  is  fit  to  live 
with.  At  some  point,  every  principle  becomes  too  expen- 
sive —  in  terms  of  other  values  —  to  be  pushed  further. 
But  most  of  us  would  recognize  the  stopping  point  much 
sooner  than  would  an  equally  intelligent  person  whose  ca- 
reer is  defined  entirely  by  the  single  principle,  and  so  bu- 
reaucracies thrust  past  the  balance  point  to  produce  re- 
sults that  are  disastrous  to  institutions  and  processes  that 
depend  on  a  balance  of  principles." 


THE  DOLLAR  COST  of  complying  with  federal  regula- 
tions is  difficult  to  measure  with  precision,  but  the 
amount  is  unquestionably  large  and  getting  larger.  One 
study  estimates  that  the  annual  cost  to  higher  education 
of  complying  with  federal  regulations  is  now  more  than 
$2  billion. 


10  /  Apnl  1 979  /  The  WPI  lournal 


Individual  cases  indicate  how  serious  the  financial 
problem  is: 

►  The  University  of  Maryland  estimates  it  spent  more 
than  $1  million  on  a  single  affirmative  action  case,  includ- 
ing litigation. 

►  Columbia  University  estimates  it  spends  $1  million 
annually  just  to  meet  its  various  federal  reporting  require- 
ments. 

►  To  develop  affirmative  action  plans  at  the  University 
of  California  and  the  University  of  Michigan  cost 
$400,000  and  $350,000,  respectively. 

►  Ohio  State  University  estimates  it  spends  $50,000  an- 
nually hauling  waste  to  a  landfill  site  in  accordance  with 
environmental  regulations,  $250,000  annually  to  comply 
with  the  Buckley  Amendment,  and  $885,000  over  the  past 
two  years  to  meet  Occupational  Safety  and  Health  Act  re- 
quirements. 

►  Duke  University's  cost-per-student  of  implementing 
federally  mandated  social  programs  rose  from  $58  in  1968 
to  $451  in  1975.  At  Georgetown  University,  the  cost-per- 
student  rose  from  $16  in  1965  to  $356  in  1975. 

►  A  study  by  the  Southern  Association  of  Colleges  and 
Schools  found  the  cost  of  compliance  with  federal  regula- 
tions required  some  institutions  to  spend  as  much  as  50 
cents  to  administer  each  federal  dollar  received.  An  offi- 
cial at  Tufts  University  claims  the  school  is  spending 
more  on  compliance  than  it  is  getting  in  federal  aid  to  stu- 
dents. 

►  Compliance  with  the  new  handicapped  regulations 
could  cost  higher  education  as  much  as  $2  billion  in  capi- 
tal outlays  to  modify  physical  plant.  Trinity  College  in 
Hartford,  Conn.,  has  a  10-member  committee  surveying 
what  must  be  done  to  its  45  buildings.  Trinity  has  already 
seen  $75,000  added  to  the  cost  of  a  new  dormitory  as  a  re- 
sult of  changes  to  make  it  accessible  to  handicapped.  Trin- 
ity has  four  handicapped  students.  George  Washington 
University  estimates  it  will  have  to  spend  nearly  $5  mil- 
lion to  alter  about  8  percent  of  its  plant  to  meet  the 
program's  requirements. 

►  Physical  plant  modifications  needed  at  the  nation's 
colleges  and  universities  to  meet  energy  efficiency  stan- 
dards and  to  comply  with  O.S.H.A.  requirements  could 
cost  more  than  $1 1  billion  in  capital  expenditures. 

As  new  regulations  are  written  or  existing  ones  ex- 
panded, costs  are  likely  to  rise.  The  Office  of  Civil  Rights, 
late  in  November,  was  about  to  issue  guidelines  requiring 
institutions  to  spend  about  the  same  amount  per  capita 
on  female  athletes  as  they  do  on  male  athletes  for  scholar- 
ships and  other  services.  One  education  association  offi- 
cer estimated  this  could  cost  individual  institutions  from 
$62,000  to  $300,000. 

There  are  additional  costs  which  are  less  visible  but 
no  less  real.  Federally  mandated  social  programs  such  as 
retirement  benefits  or  unemployment  compensation  are 
increasingly  funded  from  taxes  on  employment  (such  as 
social  security  taxes)  rather  than  from  taxes  on  income. 
Over  the  past  1 5  years,  revenues  from  employment  taxes 
doubled  from  1 5  to  30  percent  of  the  federal  budget,  while 
corporate  income  taxes  declined  from  23  to  15  percent. 


"Bureaucrats  make  more  laws 
than  Congress  does.  It  is 
government  by  the  non- 
elected." 


This  has  two  important  consequences  for  colleges  and 
universities: 

First,  since  educational  institutions  are  labor- 
intensive,  they  feel  the  brunt  of  the  employment  taxes 
more  heavily,  and  they  pay  a  disproportionate  share  of  the 
costs  of  these  social  benefits. 

Second,  the  value  of  an  institution's  tax  exemption  is 
lessened,  since  it  exempts  the  college  and  university  from 
income,  property,  and  sales  taxes,  but  not  employment 
taxes. 

Recurring  proposals  for  tax  reform  make  educators 
very  nervous,  for  they  realize  how  disastrous  the  conse- 
quences would  be  if  gifts  of  appreciated  securities  were 
subject  to  capital  gains  tax  or  if  the  tax  deduction  for  the 
appreciated  value  of  gifts  of  property  were  eliminated; 
both  suggestions  are  regularly  made. 

Even  without  such  radical  changes,  there  have  been 
hidden  costs  for  colleges  and  universities  in  tax  law 
changes.  John  Gardner,  former  Secretary  of  H.E. W.,  notes 
that  five  increases  in  the  standard  deduction  in  the  last 
eight  years  decreased  the  number  of  taxpayers  itemizing 
deductions  from  almost  50  percent  in  1970  to  less  than  25 
percent  today.  Charitable  organizations,  including  educa- 
tional institutions,  have  lost  about  $5  billion  in  contribu- 
tions because  of  the  increases  in  the  use  of  the  standard 
deduction. 


"Higher  education's  capital 
outlays  to  meet  the 
requirements  of  the 
handicapped  legislation,  OSHA, 
and  environmental  efficiency 
standards,  could  exceed  $13 
billion." 


The  WPI  Journal  /  Apnl  1979  /  1 1 


Many  leaders  in  higher  education  have  proposed  that 
their  burden  would  be  eased  if  the  federal  government 
made  funds  available  to  them  to  defray  the  costs  of  com- 
pliance. More  skeptical  and  cautious  observers,  however, 
point  out  that  such  a  move  would  probably  increase  regu- 
lation by  making  the  agencies  feel  that,  since  they  de- 
frayed the  costs,  they  had  license  to  regulate  even  more. 


FAR  MORE  IMPORTANT  than  the  financial  costs  of 
excessive  government  regulation  is  the  pnce  that  is  paid 
in  institutional  freedom  and  autonomy  The  chorus  of 
concern  from  educational  leaders  grows  louder  with  each 
new  incursion  by  government  into  internal  institutional 
affairs. 

In  testimony  prepared  for  the  Senate  Subcommittee 
on  Education,  the  Ivy  League  institutions  and  Stanford  de- 
clared: "We  object  to  the  increasing  propensity  of  the  fed- 
eral government  to  intrude  randomly  into  the  day-to-day 
operations  of  our  colleges  and  universities  and  to  descend 
to  progressively  more  trivial  levels  of  the  educational 
process." 

Most  educators  are  convinced  that  academic  freedom 
and  institutional  autonomy  are  not  generally  understood 
by  those  who  write  and  enforce  regulations.  Bureaucrats, 
it  is  widely  agreed,  don't  see  much  difference  between  a 
college  and  a  business.  A  study  conducted  for  the  Exxon 
Education  Foundation  concluded  that  bureaucrats  write 
regulations  for  "hierarchical  management  systems  and  not 
for  horizontal  collegial  systems  where  authority  is  shared." 

Estelle  Fishbein,  general  counsel  at  Johns  Hopkins, 
emphasizes  the  difference  by  arguing  that  universities 
have  a  special  relationship  to  the  First  Amendment  as 
custodians  of  free  speech  and  free  thought.  "Manu- 
facturers and  retail  establishments  may  be  regulated  and 
constricted,"  she  says,  "yet  the  business  of  production  and 
buying  and  selling  can  still  go  on.  But  if  regulation  of  the 
university  inhibits  intellectual  inquiry,  if  it  suppresses  the 
free  exercise  of  intellectual  judgment  and  the  responsible 
exercise  of  discretion,  then  the  business  of  the  university 
is  concluded." 

Government  regulation  has  opened  the  way  for  an- 
other form  of  restriction  of  institutional  autonomy  —  in- 
trusion by  the  courts.  The  case  of  Nelda  Barnes  versus 
Converse  College  which  began  this  report  is  one  example 
of  hundreds,  perhaps  thousands,  of  suits  brought  against 
colleges  and  universities  for  alleged  violations  of  federal 
regulations. 

A  set  of  briefing  papers  for  postsecondary  institu- 
tions, published  by  the  American  Association  of  Junior 
Colleges,  concludes  that  "the  range  and  complexity  of  fed- 
eral laws  is  now  such  that  infractions  are  not  easy  to 
avoid."  And  to  compound  matters,  as  the  president  of  Co- 
lumbia University  points  out,  the  burden  of  proof,  con- 
trary to  normal  judicial  procedures,  is  on  the  defendant  in- 
stitution to  prove  that  it  is  not  guilty. 


In  the  absence  of  clear  rules  and  precedents,  the  ques- 
tion of  compliance  is  a  matter  of  interpretation.  And,  ever 
more  frequently,  the  courts  are  being  called  upon  to  make 
that  interpretation.  Many  areas  (tenure,  for  example)  that 
have  always  been  decided  within  the  institution  are  now 
being  decided  in  the  courtroom.  The  growth  of  regulation 
has  contributed  significantly  to  the  fact  that  litigation  in 
the  Supreme  Court  more  than  doubled  in  just  ten  years. 

As  a  consequence,  legal  costs  at  many  institutions 
have  skyrocketed.  In-house  counsel  at  universities  are  a 
growing  breed,  and  higher  education  law  is  one  of  the  fast- 
est growing  fields  in  the  profession. 

The  briefing  papers  sum  it  up  well: 

"The  present  burden  is  just  too  much  for  most  col- 
leges and  universities.  They  do  not  have  the  requisite  bat- 
teries of  attorneys  and  other  officials.  They  do  not  have 
reserves  of  reallocable  funds.  Compliance  for  them  comes 
slowly  and  adds  considerable  cost  to  their  academic  pro- 
grams. They  do  not  have  the  resources  to  challenge  agen- 
cies whose  actions  are  subject  to  question." 


1 2  /  Apnl  1979/  The  WPI  Journal 


TO  UNDERSTAND  FULLY  the  fears  and  worries  of 
higher  education's  leaders,  one  should  consider  the  nature 
of  the  federal  regulations  they  must  comply  with  and  the 
impacts  that  these  regulations  have  on  their  institutions. 

Here  are  some  of  the  characteristics  common  to 
many  federal  regulations: 

►  Regulations  are  usually  written  to  accomplish  a  wor- 
thy objective,  such  as  preventing  racial  or  sexual  discrimi- 
nation or  assuring  proper  accounting  of  expenditures  of 
government  funds. 

►  They  are  invariably  longer  and  more  detailed  than  the 
laws  they  seek  to  implement.  Thus,  Title  IX  of  the  Educa- 
tion Amendments  of  1972  takes  just  37  words  to  forbid 
discrimination  on  the  basis  of  sex,  but  H.E.W.'s  regulations 
elaborating  on  that  law  require  18  triple-column  pages  of 
fine  print.  This  gives  rise  to  legitimate  concern  that  the 
regulators  often  go  further  than  the  Congress  originally 
intended.  H.E.W.,  for  example,  wrote  more  than  10,000 
words  of  regulations  amplifying  on  the  45  words  in  Sec- 
tion 504  of  the  handicapped  legislation.  In  so  doing, 


H.E.W.  transferred  to  the  handicapped  almost  the  entire 
substance  of  previously  established  equal  opportunity  and 
affirmative  action  regulations.  It  took  nondiscrimination 
principles  previously  focusing  on  employment  and  ex- 
tended them  to  such  other  aspects  of  the  school  as  admis- 
sion, housing,  academic  programs,  financial  aid,  and  ath- 
letics. And  the  agency  included  in  its  definition  of  'handi- 
capped' such  dissimilar  groups  as  amputees,  blind,  deaf, 
mentally  retarded,  alcoholics,  and  drug  addicts. 

►  Regulations  are  often  written  with  other  segments  of 
society  in  mind  and  simply  catch  higher  education  in 
their  broad  net.  This  can  be  very  costly  and  disruptive. 
The  Employment  Retirement  Income  and  Security  Act 
(E.R.I.S.A.)  was  designed  to  deal  with  the  abuses  of  private 
pension  funds.  Colleges,  universities,  and  most  other  non- 
profit organizations,  innocent  bystanders  for  the  most 
part,  found  themselves  included  under  the  regulations  and 
were  forced  to  review  and  revise  their  pension  plans  at 
great  expense  of  time  and  money.  A  year  or  so  ago,  the  Of- 
fice of  Management  and  Budget  proposed  regulations  to 
prevent  the  use  of  bribes  to  obtain  federal  contracts  and 
subcontracts.  The  regulations  would  have  prohibited  con- 
tractors from  soliciting  or  accepting  gifts  from  subcontrac- 
tors, and,  in  the  process,  could  well  have  restricted  corpo- 
rate giving  to  higher  education. 

►  Regulations  are  too  often  hastily  passed,  without  suf- 
ficient prior  consultation  with  those  to  be  regulated,  and 
even  sometimes  in  secrecy.  The  Buckley  Amendment 
passed  without  findings,  consultation,  hearings,  or  com- 
mittee report.  Charles  B.  Saunders,  vice  president  for  gov- 
ernment regulations  of  the  American  Council  on  Educa- 
tion, notes  that  proposed  regulations  may  "appear  without 
warning  in  the  Federal  Register,  forcing  harrassed  educa- 
tors to  drop  other  duties  in  the  scramble  to  submit  com- 
ments before  the  30-day  period  ends."  As  if  to  prove  that 
point,  the  U.S.  Office  of  Education  issued  this  past  Au- 
gust, just  prior  to  the  start  of  the  academic  year,  proposed 
regulations  governing  the  way  colleges  and  universities 
administer  the  massive  federal  student  aid  programs.  The 
response,  reported  in  that  week's  Chronicle  of  Higher  Edu- 
cation, was  swift  and  vociferous.  "The  whole  thing  smacks 
of  a  C.I.A.  operation,"  growled  one  college  official.  Dallas 
Martin,  executive  secretary  of  the  National  Association  of 
Student  Financial  Aid  Administrators,  complained  that 
the  rules  "have  been  kept  under  wraps,"  and  "because  the 
higher  education  community  has  not  been  involved  as  it 
might  have  been,  there  are  more  problems  than  there 
ought  to  be." 

►  Regulations  often  overlap  (and  even  conflict),  and 
jurisdiction  may  be  shared  by  several  agencies.  John  Ke- 
meny,  president  of  Dartmouth,  says:  "The  Department  of 
Health,  Education,  and  Welfare  pushed  us  to  do  more  to 
attract  minority  students,  while  the  Internal  Revenue  Ser- 
vice was  questioning  us  and  trying  to  prove  that  we  were 
practicing  reverse  discrimination  —  leaning  over  too  far 
to  admit  minority  students."  Federal  patent  policy  for  in- 
ventions is  another  good  example:  There  is  none.  Or,  more 
accurately,  there  are  many. 


The  WPI  Journal  /  Apnl  1979/13 


Although  the  federal  government  supports  two-thirds 
of  the  scientific  research  in  this  nation,  there  is  no  un- 
iform policy  on  patents  for  invention.  Over  the  past  three 
decades,  separate  government  agencies  have  developed 
some  22  different  patent  agreements,  ranging  from  exclu- 
sive agreements  that  give  inventors  and  research  institu- 
tions first  option  on  all  future  inventions,  to  policies  that 
almost  automatically  turn  over  inventions  to  anyone  who 
wants  to  develop  them. 

In  the  current  controversy,  over  equal  pension  pay- 
ments for  men  and  women,  institutions  are  caught  be- 
tween two  differing  agencies.  Women  employees  have 
filed  grievances  with  the  Equal  Employment  Opportunity 
Commission  (EE.O.C.)  over  the  fact  that  colleges  make 
smaller  monthly  retirement  payments  for  them  than  are 
made  for  men,  because  insurance  actuaries  indicate  that 
the  women  will  live  longer.  Whatever  the  merits  of  the 
case,  a  major  problem  for  many  institutions  is  that  they 
do  not  administer  pension  programs  but  subscribe  to  a  na- 
tional plan  which  is  acceptable  to  the  Department  of  La- 
bor but  not  to  E.E.O.C. 


The  enforcement  of  regulations  affecting  higher 
education  is  generally  an  all-or-nothing  proposition.  The 
rules  are  formulated  at  the  maximum  level  of  enforce- 
ment —  that  is:  comply  or  lose  all  federal  fund- 
ing. This  has  been  called  'the  atomic  bomb'  theory  of  en- 
forcement. College  officials  complain  that  an  infraction  in 
one  part  of  an  institution  can  jeopardize  the  whole  enter- 
prise, and  that  the  punishment  does  not  fit  the  'crime'  in 
many  cases. 


"THE  FEDERAL  GOVERNMENTS  treatment  of 
higher  education  is  shocking,"  says  Edward  Levi,  former 
president  of  the  University  of  Chicago  and  former 
Attorney  General  of  the  U.S.  He  adds:  "They  have  made 
demands  on  institutions  that  are  unfair,  unrealistic,  and 
coercive.  Their  use  of  leverage  to  try  to  correct  wrongs  of 
the  past  is  questionable." 

Mr.  Levi  might  have  had  in  mind  the  current  struggle 
between  the  government  and  the  University  of  California 
at  Berkeley. 

Early  last  year,  investigators  from  the  Office  of  Civil 
Rights  of  H.E.W  began  an  affirmative  action  'compliance 
check'  of  the  institution's  75  departments.  They  selected 
nine  which  they  felt  should  have  hired  more  women 
based  on  "availability  pools  of  qualified  persons  for  faculty 
positions."  The  investigation  narrowed  finally  to  two 
departments:  history  and  art  history.  And  then  the  present 
conflict  erupted. 

In  somewhat  oversimplified  terms,  the  dispute 
involves  the  confidentiality  of  records,  particularly  of 
letters  of  recommendation  solicited  in  support  of  job 
candidates  who  were  not  hired.  The  H.E.W.  investigators 
insist  on  their  right  to  duplicate  the  records  and  take 
them  back  to  Washington  for  further  study.  The 
university  officials  insist  that  the  material  in  the  files  was 
gathered  on  the  promise  of  confidentiality  and  that,  once 
copied,  the  material  will  become  part  of  the  government's 
files  and  will  be  publicly  available  under  the  Freedom  of 
Information  Act. 

This  past  summer  the  dispute  reached  an  impasse. 
Administrators  at  Berkeley  tried  a  compromise:  They 
would  lend  the  files  to  the  investigators  to  take  where 
they  wished  for  as  long  as  they  wished,  so  long  as  they 
were  kept  confidential.  The  investigators  refused,  and 
requested  an  administrative  law  judge  in  the  Labor 
Department  to  order  the  university  to  surrender  its  files 
and  to  order  "the  immediate  cancellation,  termination, 
and  suspension"  of  all  federal  contracts  held  by  the 
university  until  it  complies.  Berkeley  countered  with  a 
request  for  a  hearing  in  an  effort  to  avoid  the  loss  of  the 
federal  contracts,  which  amount  to  about  $17  million 
annually.  As  of  the  end  of  this  past  calendar  year, 
negotiations  were  continuing,  and  university  officials  had 
not  yet  given  up  hope  of  reaching  a  compromise 
settlement. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  nothing  so  far  uncovered 
in  the  investigation  at  Berkeley  has  demonstrated  sexual 
discrimination  —  which  all  university  officials  heatedly 
deny.  The  issue  is  essentially  procedural;  it  has  to  do  with 
authority,  and  territorial  imperatives,  and,  most 
importantly,  who  is  going  to  decide  who  shall  teach  and 
what  they  shall  teach.  One  Berkeley  administrator 
observed:  "It  does  make  you  wonder  whether  a  University 
of  California  can  continue  to  exist  in  this  day  and  age." 


14  /  Apnl  1979  /  The  WPI  Journal 


"If  regulation  . . .  inhibits 
intellectual  inquiry,  if  it 
suppresses  the  free  exercise  of 
intellectual  judgment  and  the 
responsible  exercise  of 
discretion,  then  the  business  of 
the  university  is  concluded." 


FOR  MORE  THAN  THIRTY  YEARS,  the  federal 
government  and  higher  education  have  collaborated  to 
achieve  important  national  goals.  Their  productive 
partnership  has  produced  unparalleled  scientific  and 
technological  accomplishments;  it  has  educated  and 
trained  the  manpower  necessary  to  manage  a  complex 
post-industrial  society;  it  has  built  the  finest  and  most 
elaborate  system  of  education  in  the  world  and  provided 
universal  access  to  it. 

That  partnership  is  now  in  grave  jeopardy  In  a  hard- 
hitting speech  in  Washington  this  fall,  M.I.T.  president 
and  former  White  House  science  advisor  Jerome  Wiesner 
declared:  "The  basic  relationship  between  the  federal 
government  and  the  research  community  after  nearly 
three  decades  of  the  most  fruitful  partnership,  is 
floundering.  Indeed,  it  has  begun  to  deteriorate  and  come 
apart  so  badly  that  we  have  reached  a  point  of  crisis  that 
could  see  the  effectiveness  of  the  nation's  major  research 
universities  seriously  curtailed  at  a  time  when  it  sorely 
needs  to  be  enhanced." 

Some  observers  think  that  the  deteriorating 
relationship  is  directly  related  to  higher  education's  'fall 
from  grace.'  They  point  out  that  the  general  public  has 
become  somewhat  disenchanted  with  colleges  and 
universities  because  of  higher  education's  own  internal 
problems,  its  failure  to  come  up  with  solutions  to  society's 
pressing  social  problems,  and  the  apparent  decline  in  the 
value  of  a  college  degree  as  highly  trained  graduates  are 
unable  to  find  jobs  commensurate  with  their  education. 

It  is  interesting  and  perhaps  significant  that  the 
timing  of  this  loss  of  confidence  in  higher  education 
coincided  with  the  dramatic  increase  in  the  regulation  of 
colleges  and  universities  by  the  federal  government. 

Whatever  the  cause,  the  spirit  of  collaboration  has 
rapidly  been  degenerating  into  an  adversary  relationship 
at  best  and  open  hostility  at  worst.  A  number  of  recent 
acts  by  both  Congress  and  the  agencies  have  widened  the 
rift  and  created  genuine  alarm  on  the  campuses.  Here  are 
three  examples: 


►  Perhaps  the  most  controversial  case  was  the  blatant 
attempt  by  the  Congress  to  force  medical  schools  to  admit 
students  who  had  attended  foreign  medical  schools  - 
mainly  because  they  had  failed  to  gain  admission  to  U.S. 
medical  schools.  Under  pressure  from  these  students  and 
their  families,  the  legislators  amended  the  Health 
Professions  Educational  Assistance  Act  of  1965  to  provide 
that  the  Secretary  of  H.E.W  would  assign  each  medical 
school  a  quota  of  such  students.  No  student  could  be 
denied  admission  for  failing  to  meet  the  school's 
admission  requirements.  And  failure  to  comply  would 
mean  the  loss  of  all  capitation  funds. 

Eighteen  medical  schools  refused  to  comply  and  were 
faced  with  a  loss  of  federal  dollars  averaging  more  than 
$500,000  each.  After  considerable  debate,  a  compromise 
measure  was  adopted,  requiring  medical  schools  to  "make 
a  good  faith  effort"  to  increase  their  enrollment  of  such 
students  by  5  percent. 

►  Last  spring,  the  Office  of  Management  and  Budget 
published  proposed  regulations  and  accounting 
procedures  for  recovery  of  indirect  costs  of  federally 
sponsored  research  at  universities.  If  finally  approved, 
these  new  rules  would  result  in  a  loss  to  research 
universities  of  more  than  $120  million.  In  the  hope  of 
delaying  approval,  a  number  of  education  associations  are 
establishing  a  national  commission  to  study  the  indirect 
cost  question  and  make  recommendations. 

►  New  guidelines  issued  by  H.E.W.  last  fall  pose  another 
threat.  The  regulations  treat  the  professional  fees  of 
salaried  faculty  physicians  as  restricted  funds  which  must 
be  deducted  from  Medicare  claims.  This  would  cost 
Stanford's  medical  school  alone  about  $2.3  million. 

"It  is  harrowing,"  says  one  university  administrator; 
"these  sudden,  unexplained,  and  confusing  shifts  in  policy 
are  wearing  us  down." 

"In  brief,"  says  Dr.  Wiesner,  "universities  have  been 
beset  in  recent  years  by  a  barrage  of  independent  and 
unrelated  government  actions  that,  often  individually  and 
certainly  in  the  aggregate,  have  an  adverse  impact  on  the 
health  of  the  university.  What  we  need,  and  what  the 
country  now  needs,  is  regulation  of  regulation." 


"The  basic  relationship 
between  the  federal 
government  and  the  research 
community  . . .  has  begun  to 
deteriorate  and  come  apart  so 
badly  that  we  have  reached  a 
point  of  crisis." 


The  WPI  Journal  /  April  1979/15 


NOBODY  IS  QUITE  SURE  how  to  go  about  regulating 
the  regulators  or  unraveling  the  web  that  has  entangled 
our  institutions  of  higher  learning  (and  most  of  the  rest  of 
our  society). 

Thoughtful  people  make  specific  suggestions  to 
improve  the  situation.  They  urge  higher  education  to 
document  with  more  precision  the  consequences  of 
federal  regulation,  its  costs  and  impacts  on  institutions, 
individually  and  collectively.  They  plead  for  consultation 
between  the  federal  agencies  and  the  institutions  and  the 
associations  which  represent  higher  education.  They  ask 
for  a  policy  of  enforcement  which  includes  a  range  of 
sanctions  graded  according  to  the  alleged  violation,  so 
that  a  minor  infraction  does  not  "bring  down  a  whole 
institution."  One  of  the  more  imaginative  suggestions  is 
for  an  "education  impact  statement"  —  comparable  to 
environmental  impact  statements  —  to  be  submitted  by 
agencies  along  with  their  proposed  regulations.  All  of 
these  suggestions  have  as  their  goal  to  reduce  regulation 
to  a  bare  minimum  and  to  make  that  which  is  absolutely 
necessary  both  workable  and  effective. 


Some  progress  has  been  made.  Secretary  Califano  has 
succeeded  in  making  the  regulatory  process  at  H.E.W. 
more  open,  if  not  less  active.  And  an  Interagency  Task 
Force  on  Higher  Education  Burden  Reduction  studied  the 
problem  and  issued  a  number  of  constructive 
recommendations.  Unfortunately,  the  task  force  went  out 
of  business  with  its  creator,  President  Ford.  Nonetheless, 
its  recommendations  have  been  passed  on  to  the 
Commission  on  Federal  Paperwork,  and  there  is  still  some 
possibility  that  they  will  be  acted  upon.  The  paperwork 
commission's  recommendations  have  already  led  to 
significant  reductions  in  the  number  of  rules  and 
reporting  requirements  for  O.S.H.A.  and  E.R.I.SA. 
President  Carter  announced  this  fall  the  creation  of  a 
"regulatory  council"  with  the  mandate  to  slash  away  at 
contradictions  and  redundancies  in  all  federal  regulation. 

The  more  pessimistic  observers  hold  out  little  hope 
for  any  significant  reduction  in  government  regulation  of 
higher  education.  Charles  Saunders  of  the  A.C.E.  is  not  a 
pessimist,  and  he  continually  calls  for  less  rhetoric  and 
more  understanding  and  cooperation  from  both  sides. 


Some  major  legislative  acts 
affecting  higher  education 


There  are  a  number  of  federally  mandated  social  programs  which 
are  not  directed  specifically  toward  higher  education,  but  which 
nonetheless  have  a  significant  impact: 

^■Social  Security  Act  of  1935:  provides  benefits  for  employees 
based  on  institutional  and  employee  payroll  contnbutions. 

^■National  Labor  Relations  Act  of  1935:  governs  collective  bar- 
gaining of  college  and  university  staffs  and  faculties. 

^Equal  Pay  Act  of  1963:  provides  for  equal  pay  and  other  condi- 
tions of  compensation  for  equal  work. 

^■Employment  Retirement  Income  Security  Act  of  1974:  governs 
pension  plans,  their  management,  and  investment. 

Civil  rights  legislation  and  executive  orders  have  had  a  pro- 
found effect  on  the  nation  and  higher  education  over  the  past  1 5 
years. 

>>Civil  Rights  Act  of  1964;  Executive  Order  1 1246;  and  Execu- 
tive Order  11375:  prohibit  discrimination  on  the  basis  of  race, 
color,  religion,  national  origin,  age,  and  sex,  and  require  organiza- 
tions receiving  government  funds  to  maintain  an  affirmative  ac- 
tion effort. 

Several  acts  affect  higher  education  even  though  they  con- 
vey no  financial  assistance  to  colleges  and  universities. 

>Title  IX  of  the  Higher  Education  Amendments  of  1972:  pro- 
vides for  equal  treatment  of  women  students. 


►  Section  504  of  the  Rehabilitation  Act  of  1973:  prohibits  dis- 
crimination against  the  handicapped  and  requires  institutions  to 
take  necessary  steps  to  accommodate  the  handicapped. 

^■Family  Education  Rights  and  Privacy  Act  of  1974:  sometimes 
known  as  the  Buckley  Amendment,  affords  to  students  rights  of 
access  to  records. 

►  Occupational  Safety  and  Health  Act  of  1970:  sets  standards  to 
assure  that  working  conditions  are  safe  and  healthy. 

^■Education  Amendments  of  1976:  especially  the  Student  Con- 
sumer Education  Act  of  Senator  Javits,  which  makes  the  govern- 
ment the  consumer  advocate  for  students  and  parents  and  re- 
quires institutions  to  publish  policies  and  practices  and  be  held 
accountable  for  them  according  to  "truth  in  advertising"  stan- 
dards. 

Various  laws  provide  financial  assistance  to  higher  educa- 
tion directly  or  through  student  grants. 

►The  Higher  Education  Act  of  1965:  particularly  Title  IV,  which 
provides  federal  student  financial  assistance  and  work-study  pro- 
grams. 

^■Health  Professions  Educational  Assistance  Act  of  1976:  pro- 
vides assistance  to  students. 

Also:  the  National  Science  Foundation  Act  of  1950,  the  Na- 
tional Foundation  on  the  Arts  and  Humanities  Act  of  1965,  Pub- 
lic Health  Service  Act,  and  International  Education  Act  of  1966, 
all  of  which  support  academic  programs. 

Also:  Circular  A-21  of  the  Office  of  Management  and  Bud- 
get, which  determines  how  indirect  costs  associated  with  re- 
search grants  will  be  calculated  and  reimbursed  to  institutions. 


16 /April  1979/The  WPI  Journal 


Nonetheless  he  says:  "Don't  believe  any  politician  who 
promises  deregulation.  We  cannot  go  back  to  the  glorious 
days  of  yesteryear. . . .  Regulation  is  here  to  stay  in  a 
growing  variety  of  forms." 

Some  feel  that  the  only  hope  for  a  reduction  in 
regulation  lies  in  a  "people's  revolt,"  which  they  think  may 
be  possible  soon  because  of  a  change  in  public  opinion 
about  the  omniscience  and  omnicompetence  of 
government,  perhaps  because  regulation  is  now  touching 
millions  and  millions  of  individuals  in  matters  of 
immediate  import  to  them. 

John  Howard,  president  of  Rockford  College,  would 
like  to  precipitate  such  a  revolt.  He  urges  colleges  to 
"engage  in  an  intensive  campaign  to  bestir  their  alumni, 
their  students,  their  students'  parents,  their  faculties,  and 
their  local  communities  to  send  urgent  messages  to  their 
representatives  in  Washington  . . .  requesting  a 
moratorium  on  any  further  tampering  with  the 
educational  system." 


BUT  THE  ISSUE  is  greater  than  "tampering  with  the 
educational  system."  The  issue  is  how  a  democratic 
society  like  ours  accomplishes  such  profoundly  important 
goals  as  equality  for  everyone,  enough  energy,  a  sound 
economy,  peace,  prosperity,  and  progress. 

Revolutions  in  transportation  and  communications 
have  transformed  the  United  States  into  a  true  "national 
society."  Because  of  that  and  because  of  the  largeness  and 
complexity  of  our  problems  and  expectations,  we  have 
turned  more  and  more  to  government  to  meet  our  needs. 


Not  surprisingly,  there  has  been  a  corresponding  shift  of 
power  to  government  and,  in  the  main,  to  national 
government. 

This  has  inevitably  led  to  an  enormous  growth  in 
government,  in  bureaucracy,  in  the  number  of  federal  laws 
and  regulations  —  all  necessary  to  cope  with  the  growing 
demands  that  we  place  upon  the  federal  government.  In 
the  last  major  speech  he  made  as  Secretary  of  H.E.W, 
Caspar  Weinberger  declared:  "In  the  process  of  pouring  out 
all  of  these  compassionate  and  humanitarian  blessings, 
and  institutionalizing  our  social  obligations,  we  have  built 
an  edifice  of  law  and  regulation  that  is  clumsy,  inefficient, 
and  inequitable.  Worse,  the  unplanned,  uncoordinated, 
and  spasmodic  nature  of  responses  to  these  needs  —  some 
very  real,  some  only  perceived  —  is  quite  literally 
threatening  to  bring  us  to  national  insolvency." 

The  purpose  of  this  report  has  been  to  increase  the 
awareness  of  the  alumni  and  alumnae  of  the  nation's 
colleges  and  universities  of  the  proliferation  of 
government  regulations  and  their  impact  on  higher 
education.  It  is  proper  and  natural  for  institutions  of 
higher  learning  and  their  graduates  to  be  concerned  with 
the  impact  of  of  government  regulations  on  higher 
education,  to  worry  about  how  to  cope  with  regulations 
without  losing  institutional  autonomy.  But  perhaps  the 
paramount  question  to  be  pondered  by  educators,  by 
government  officials,  by  alumni  and  alumnae,  is  how 
much  a  free  people  can  expect  its  government  to 
accomplish  in  its  name  and  still  remain  free. 


UIPI 


This  report  is  the  product  of  a  coopera- 
tive endeavor  in  which  scores  of  colleges 
and  universities  are  taking  part.  It  was 
prepared  under  the  direction  of  the  per- 
sons listed  below,  the  members  of  Edito- 
rial Projects  for  Education,  Inc.,  a  non- 
profit organization,  with  offices  in  Wash- 
ington, D.C.  and  Providence,  Rhode  Is- 
land. The  members,  it  should  be  noted, 
act  in  this  capacity  for  themselves  and 
not  for  their  institutions,  and  not  all  of 
them  necessarily  agree  with  all  the  points 
in  this  report.  All  rights  reserved;  no  part 
may  be  reproduced  without  the  express 
permission  of  EPE.  The  members  are: 

Geno  A.  Ballotti 

Permanent  Charities  Committee  of  Bos- 
ton 

Denton  Beal 

Christopher  Newport  College 

Robert  W.  Beyers 
Stanford  University 


David  A.  Burr 

The  University  of  Oklahoma 

Maralyn  Gillespie 
Swarthmore  College 

Charles  M.  Helmken 

Council  for  Advancement  and  Support  of 

Education 

lohn  I.  Mattill 

Massachusetts  Institute  of  Technology 

Ken  Metzler 
University  of  Oregon 

Robert  M.  Rhodes 
Brown  University 

Verne  A.  Stadtman 

Carnegie  Council  on  Policy  Studies  in 

Higher  Education 

Frederic  A.  Stott 

Phillips  Academy,  Andover 


Charles  E.  Widmayer 
Dartmouth  College  (emeritus) 

Elizabeth  Wilson 
University  of  Toronto 

Elizabeth  B.  Wood 
Sweet  Briar  College 

Chesley  Worthington 
Brown  University  (emeritus) 

Ronald  A.  Wolk 
Editor 

Martha  Matzke 
Associate  Editor 

Leslie  K.  Hubbard 
Assistant  Editor 

Kelsey  Murdoch 
Special  Consultant 

Copynght  1979  by  Editorial  Projects  for 
Education,  Inc. 


The  WPI  lournal  /  April  1979/17 


CHARLIE  KEISLING 

It  is  very  warm  for  March.  The  morn- 
ing sun  floods  the  cheerful  living 
room  at  463  Linden  Street  in  Boyl- 
ston,  Mass.  A  neighbor  who  has 
dropped  by  while  walking  his  dachs- 
hund decides  it's  time  to  leave  when 
the  dog  tugs  at  the  leash.  He  gets  up 
from  his  chair  and  heads  for  the  door. 
"See  you  tomorrow,  Charlie,"  he  says. 

Charles  Keisling,  senior  techni- 
cal designer  and  instructional  associ- 
ate at  WPI  for  the  last  forty  years, 
waves  his  friend  away  with  a  smile. 
"Sure.  See  you,"  he  calls. 

Stella  Keisling,  Charlie's  wife, 
adds:  "He'll  be  back.  He's  been  over 
here  almost  every  day  since  Charlie's 
come  home  from  the  hospital."  Char- 
lie ha^been  at  home  recuperating 
from  surgery  since  December.  "I've 
worked  at  WPI  since  1939,"  he  says, 
"and  I  think  I've  only  had  about  ten 
days  of  sick  leave  until  now.  But,  I'm 
coming  along." 

There  is  an  attractive  charcoal 
portrait  of  a  handsome  boy  hanging 
near  the  front  window.  "Our  grand- 
son," Stella  explains.  "Charlie  did  it," 
she  says  proudly.  "He  also  takes  pho- 
tographs." 

"Mostly  nature  studies,"  her  hus- 
band replies.  "I  like  to  photograph 
flowers  and  birds.  One  of  our  sons  is 
a  horticulturist.  He  used  to  give  lec- 
tures on  wild  orchids,  which  I  would 
illustrate  with  slides."  Again  that 
warm  smile.  "Just  a  hobby." 


Does  he  have  any  other  pasti- 
mes? Stella,  who  collects  antiques  as  a 
hobby,  disappears  into  the  den  and  re- 
turns with  two  pieces  of  intricate 
dollhouse  furniture.  "He  made  these 
for  our  granddaughter,"  she  says. 
"They  are  exact  reproductions  of  our 
dining  room  furniture,  and  they  fit 
the  dollhouse  he  made  for  her." 

And  who  upholstered  the  little 
chairs?  "Charlie,"  she  answers.  "He  can 
do  just  about  anything,"  she  laughs. 
"Even  knit.  I  tried  to  learn  to  knit  my- 
self one  time,  but  couldn't  get  the 
hang  of  it.  Charlie,  who'd  never  knit 
before,  decided  he'd  teach  me  how. 
Before  you  knew  it,  he  had  knit  him- 
self a  pair  of  argyle  socks."  She  grins. 
"I  never  did  learn  how." 

Any  other  hobbies?  "Well,  he 
used  to  make  violins.  He  also  builds 
clocks.  See  that  grandfather  clock  in 
the  corner?"  "Oh,  I  made  that  from  a 
kit,"  Charlie  protests.  "Well,"  Stella  an- 
swers him,  "you  made  the  one  in  the 
den  from  scratch."  The  shelf  clock  in 
the  den  is  unusual  and  beautiful.  It 
has  an  elegant  hand-rubbed  wood 
case.  "Charlie  made  that  case  out  of 


old  mahogany  boxes  discarded  by 
WPI,"  she  says. 

Back  in  the  living  room,  conver- 
sation turns  to  the  Keisling's  Cape 
Cod  home  with  its  warm  wood  panel- 
ing and  built-in  kitchen.  Did  Charlie 
have  a  hand  in  building  that?  "He, 
built  it  from  the  ground  up,"  Stella  re- 
plies. "And  he  helped  build  most  of 
the  neighbors'  houses,  too,  including 
the  winng,  plumbing,  and  heating." 

"This  is  a  very  close  neighbor- 
hood," Charlie  goes  on.  "Years  ago  we 
all  moved  out  here  together  and 
helped  each  other  build  our  houses. 
We  were  young  and  didn't  have  much 
in  the  bank.  We  saved  money  by 
sharing  our  labor." 

Charlie  has  a  well-equipped 
workshop  in  his  basement,  where  he 
pursues  his  various  hobbies:  carpen- 
try, furniture  building,  miniaturizing. 
He  has  table  saws,  planes,  lathes,  a 
band  saw,  and  a  jig  saw.  Some  are  nor- 
mal size,  others  are  miniature.  Much 
of  this  equipment  came  in  handy 
when  he  designed  and  built  the  brick 
Cape  next  door  and  his  son's  modern 
house  in  back  of  his  property.  "When 


[  8  /  April  1 979  /  The  WPI  Journal 


it  comes  right  down  to  it,"  says  Char- 
lie, "my  hobbies  have  been  a  real  help 
to  me  in  my  work  at  WPI.  They  have 
been  my  training  school." 

Charlie  Keisling's  formal  educa- 
tion ended  when  he  graduated  from 
Worcester  Boys  Trade  High  School. 
He  also  received  training  as  an  elec- 
tronics technician  in  the  U.S.  Navy, 
where  he  was  a  petty  officer,  and  at 
the  Capitol  Radio  and  Engineering 
School  in  Washington,  D.C.  He  traces 
his  natural  abilities  to  a  "mechanical" 
family  background. 

As  WPI's  visualizer-fabricator  in 
the  chemical  engineering  and  chemis- 
try departments,  Charlie's  many  cre- 
ative abilities  are  constantly  being 
put  into  play.  Former  chem  eng  de- 
partment head  (now  dean  of  graduate 
studies)  Wilmer  Kranich  says,  "It  is 
part  of  Charlie's  job  to  keep  the  major 
laboratory  in  operation.  He  is  marve- 
lously  adept  at  mechanical  design 
and  fabrication  and  at  electronics  re- 
pair. A  tremendous  troubleshooter. 
He  creates,  designs,  and  builds  equip- 
ment at  great  savings  to  WPI." 

Undergraduates  ("I  see  more  of 
them  now  because  of  the  Plan  and 
the  projects,"  Charlie  reports),  gradu- 
ate students,  and  professors  often 
don't  know  exactly  what  they  want, 
so  Keisling  chats  with  them  until 
they  have  put  into  words  the  jobs 
they  need  the  equipment  to  perform. 
Developing  the  concept  of  what  he's 
going  to  build  takes  the  most  time, 
but  the  actual  fabrication  is  relatively 
easy,  he  says.  He  believes,  "if  you  find 
you  can't  do  it  one  way,  then  you 
look  for  another  way." 

This  facility  to  envision  and 
then  produce  what  others  can  hardly 
put  into  words  has  led  Leonard  Sand, 
professor  of  chemical  engineering,  to 
call  Keisling  a  man  of  "exceptional 
talents,  particularly  in  his  ability  to 
visualize  in  three  dimensions."  Prof. 
Sand  also  praises  Keisling  as  a  special 
person  because  he  is  respected  by  the 
WPI  community  for  his  professional 
expertise  and  is  regarded  as  a  person 
in  whom  others  feel  comfortable  con- 
fiding. 

"I  like  to  think  I'm  a  close- 
mouthed  individual,"  says  Keisling. 
His  wife,  agreeing,  reveals  that  he 
once  had  a  gag  sign  on  his  office  door 


that  read  "Chaplain's  Office."  Of  the 
students  who  bring  him  their  prob- 
lems, Charlies  says,  "they  are  good 
kids.  They  have  the  same  problems 
we  had  —  they  just  seem  bigger. 
They're  all  pretty  serious  and  con- 
scientious, and  some  are  pretty  up- 
tight." 

Keisling  has  been  cited  in  scien- 
tific papers  and  has  coauthored  sev- 
eral. He  has  worked  on  a  book  with 
Prof.  Sand,  and  he  holds  U.S.  and 
Canadian  patents  on  pneumatic  tank 
drains  (Keislmg-Stanley  valves)  and 
other  inventions. 

Among  pieces  of  equipment  that 
Charlie  has  designed  are  an  instru- 
ment that  measures  rates  of  adsorp- 
tion of  gases  by  minerals  (Prof.  Sand 
calls  this  the  Keisling  balance;  Keisl- 
ing calls  it  an  adsorption  balance);  a 
field  kit  for  mineral  exploration; 
chemical  reactor  vessels  ("cans"  that 
operate  at  very  high  pressures);  and  a 
press  that  makes  zeolite  pellets  with 
uniform  density  and  dimensions. 

Because  of  Keisling's  ingenuity, 
WPI  has  been  able  to  avoid  buying 
very  expensive  equipment  and  sup- 
plies. Also,  he  has  supplied  the  school 
with  many  devices  that  are  not 
available  on  the  market  at  any  price. 

Charlie's  precision  in  the  lab  car- 
ries over  full  circle  to  yet  another 
free-time  hobby,  mountain  climbing. 
The  family  and  a  number  of  friends 
are  enthusiastic  climbers.  "We've 
climbed  the  Presidential  Range 
dozens  of  times,"  Stella  says.  "We  use 
the  hut  system.  We  make  sure  we 
have  a  roof  over  our  heads  at  night. 
No  tents!"  Charlie  adds,  "anything 
over  fifteen  feet  high,  we'll  climb." 

Charlie  is  a  past  chairman  of  the 
Worcester  chapter  of  the  Appalachian 
Mountain  Club.  Prof.  Robert  Wagner 
of  chemical  engineering  recalls  that  it 
was  Charlie  who  sponsored  him  for 
membership  in  the  club.  "He's  a  won- 
derful person,"  Prof.  Wagner  com- 
ments. "Not  only  do  we  share  an  in- 
terest in  mountain  climbing,  but  he's 
helped  me  in  many  other  ways.  He's 
had  a  tremendous  effect  on  my  life. 
Technically  speaking,  he's  outstand- 
ing. Nobody  can  compare  with  him." 
Wagner  pauses.  "We've  grown  very 
close.  We've  had  lunch  together  at 
WPI  nearly  every  day  for  thirty 
years." 


Charles  Keisling  echoes  the 
friendship  theme  in  his  Boylston  liv- 
ing room.  "I  am  fortunate  to  have 
made  so  many  good  friends  at  WPI. 
But,  then,  I  was  fortunate  in  having 
good  friends  at  Surprenant,  too."  Sur- 
prenant; "Yes,  at  Surprenant  in  Clin- 
ton. It's  a  part  of  ITT  now.  I  worked 
there  for  25  years,  right  along  while  I 
was  working  at  WPI.  I  designed  extru- 
ders, takeups,  and  wire  product  ma- 
chinery." "He  designed  the  golf  course 
buildings  there,  too,"  Stella  goes  on. 
"It's  called  the  ITT  International  Golf 
Course  now." 

The  Keislings  have  deep  roots  in 
the  Boylston-Clinton-Lancaster  area. 
Charlie  has  served  as  a  past  chairman 
of  the  Boylston  Finance  Committee 
and  as  a  past  trustee  of  the  Congrega- 
tional Church.  His  mother  was  a  de- 
scendant of  the  Ball  family,  which 
was  given  a  large  land  grant  in  the 
1600s  that  extended  right  into  what 
is  now  Shrewsbury.  "We  still  have  29 
acres  of  the  original  grant  left,"  re- 
ports Stella. 

Heritage  and  family  mean  some- 
thing to  the  Keislings.  Their  son 
Richard  has  an  ancestral  Revolution- 
ary War  rifle  over  his  mantel.  He 
lives  down  the  street  with  his  wife 
and  two  children.  Their  son  Paul 
lives  in  back  of  them  with  his  wife 
and  three  children.  And  there  are  lots 
of  life-long  friends  living  within  a 
stone's  throw  of  their  cozy  red  Cape. 

Such  a  nice,  close-knit  neighbor- 
hood. "We  like  it,"  Stella  Keisling  says. 
"This  is  our  home.  We  wouldn't  want 
to  live  anywhere  else." 


As  we  go  to  press,  a  celebration  is  be- 
ing planned  in  honor  of  Charlie 
Keisling's  40  years  of  service  at  WPI. 
Cocktails  and  a  steak  dinner  are  sla- 
ted to  be  served  at  Higgins  House  on 
Saturday,  May  5,  starting  at  6:30  p.m. 
Arrangements  are  being  made  by  the 
Chemical  Engineering  Department. 


IIIPI 


The  WPI  Journal  /  April  1979/19 


1911 


Mrs.  Mary  M.  (Polly)  Carpenter  passed 
away  in  January  and  David  Carpenter  is 
now  living  with  his  son  in  Agawam,  Mass. 


1916 

Secretary 

C  Leroy  Storms 

135  West  6th  Ave 

Roselle,  NJ 

07203 

Arthur  Ingraham  attended  the  winter  an- 
nual meeting  of  the  American  Society  of 
Mechanical  Engineers.  At  the  meeting,  he 
showed  the  ASME  president-elect,  Prof. 
Donald  Zwiep,  head  of  the  WPI  ME  De- 
partment, a  small  brass,  highly  polished 
anvil  that  he  had  made  as  a  student  at  WPI. 


1930 

Secretary  Representative: 

CarlW  Backstrom  Carl  W.  Backstrom 

113  Winifred  Ave 
Worcester,  MA 
01602 

Arthur  Barnes  continues  as  president  of 
Barnes  and  Jarnis,  Inc.,  in  Boston.  .  .  .  Still 
department  head  at  Welch  &  Forbes,  Bos- 
ton, Sherman  Dane  writes,  "Don't  expect  to 
retire  until  my  kids  get  through  college." 


1931 


Secretary. 

Representative 

Edward  J  Bayon 

A  Francis  Townsend 

45  Pleasant  St 

PO  Box  267 

Holyoke,  MA 

150  Shell  Lane 

01040 

Cotuit,  MA 

02635 

Edward  Bayon,  a  principal  of  Tighe  &  Bond, 
an  Easthampton  (Mass.)  firm  of  consulting 
engineers,  has  been  elected  president  of 
the  New  England  Water  Pollution  Control 


Association.  He  has  been  active  with  the 
association  since  1 956  and  has  served  on  its 
executive  committee  for  several  years. 
Prior  to  joining  Tighe  &  Bond  in  1956, 
Bayon  was  superintendent  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  Public  Works  in  Holyoke.  He 
started  to  work  for  the  city  in  1 938  as 
superintendent  of  public  buildings,  and  in 
1946  he  became  outdoor  superintendent. 
Because  of  his  work  with  the  association 
and  his  professional  affiliation  with  major 
water  pollution  control  projects  in  the  area, 
Bayon  is  regarded  as  an  expert  in  the  field. 
The  association  consists  of  nearly  2,000 
consulting  engineers,  scientists,  state  and 
municipal  officials  and  educators,  as  well  as 
those  connected  with  the  water  pollution 
control  business.  It  has  long  championed 
preservation  of  New  England's  waterways, 
and  is  affiliated  with  the  Water  Pollution 
Control  Federation  which  is  involved  with 
national  and  international  pollution  prob- 
lems. 

Warren  Doubleday  of  New  Salem,  Mass. 
spoke  on  the  subject,  "The  Why  and  How 
of  Quabbin"  at  a  luncheon  meeting  of  the 
Ramapogue  Historical  Society  in  January. 
The  talk  was  illustrated  by  movies  taken  40 
years  ago  when  several  towns  in  the  area  of 
North  Dana  were  flooded  to  make  way  for 
the  reservoir.  Mr.  Doubleday  worked  on 
the  project  and  his  own  family  lost  their 
home  during  the  flooding.  .  .  .  Oliver 
Underhill  is  a  retired  tree  farmer  in  the 
vicinity  of  Franconia,  N.H. 


1932 


Representative 
Howard  P  Lekberg 
RFD  115  Main  St 
East  Douglas,  MA 
01516 


Formerly  an  associate  professor  at  Worces- 
ter Junior  College,  Howard  Lekberg  is  now 
retired. 


1933 


Secretary 

Sumner  B  Sweetser 
100  Pine  Grove  Ave 
Summit,  NJ 
07901 


Representative: 
Robert  E  Ferguson 
36  Lake  Ave 
Leicester,  MA 
01524 


Harry  Jensen,  the  retired  vice  president  of 
technology  at  Sikorsky  Aircraft,  is  presently 
residing  in  Riviera  Beach,  Fla.  .  .  .  Albert 
Laliberte  has  retired  from  Omnitech,  Inc.  in 
Dudley,  Mass.  He  founded  the  firm  and  will 
continue  to  serve  it  as  a  consultant. 


1934 


Secretary: 
Dwight  J  Dwmell 
Box  265 

Brownington,  VT 
05860 


Representative: 
Dwight  J  Dwmell 


Chester  Dahlstrom  retired  recently  from 
du  Pont  after  37  years  of  service. 


1935 


Secretary: 

Raymond  F.  Starrett 

Continental  Country  Club 

Box  104 

Wildwood,  FL 

32785 


Representative: 
Plummer  Wiley 
2906  Silver  Hill  Ave 
Baltimore,  MD 
21207 


Joseph  Glasser,  a  Raytheon  Company  vice 
president  and  division  manufacturing 
manager,  has  been  named  to  the  new 
position  of  manager  of  the  Andover-  Lowell 
manufacturing  operation  of  the  company's 
Missile  Systems  Division.  Joe,  who  plans  to 
retire  on  July  1st,  began  work  at  Raytheon 
in  1945.  Since  then  he  has  served  in  aseries 
of  increasingly  responsible  positions  in 
manufacturing  management  with  three  di- 
visions of  the  company.  He  has  been  the 
Andover  plant  manager  since  1 968,  and  a 
company  vice  president  since  1 971 .  He  has 
an  honorary  doctor  of  science  degree  from 
Lowell  University.  Last  year  he  received  the 
Robert  H.  Goddard  Award  for  "outstand- 
ing professional  achievement"  from  WPI. 
He  is  a  trustee  of  Bon  Secours  Hospital,  a 
corporator  of  the  Lawrence  General  Hospi- 
tal, a  trustee  and  corporator  of  the  Law- 
rence Savings  Bank,  and  a  board  member 
of  the  Greater  Lawrence  Boys'  Club.  He  is 
chairman  of  the  electronics  section  of  the 
Manufacturing  Technology  Division  of  the 
American  Defense  Preparedness  Associa- 
tion. In  June  he  will  become  a  WPI  trustee. 
Although  "Rollie"  Nims  has  been  retired 
for  several  years,  he  continues  to  do  con- 
sulting work  for  the  National  Electric  Man- 
ufacturing Association. 


1936 


Secretary: 

Harold  F  Hennckson 
1406  Fox  Hill  Dr 
Sun  City  Center,  FL 
33570 


Representative 
Walter  G  Dahlstrom 
9  Jewett  Terr 
Worcester,  MA 
01605 


Jim  Lane  spent  1972,  1973,  and  1974  (on 
leave  from  the  Oak  Ridge  National  Labora- 
tory) with  the  International  Atomic  Energy 
Agency  in  Vienna,  where  he  was  con- 
cerned with  the  possibilities  of  nuclear 
power  in  developing  countries.  He  spent 
1975  at  Oak  Ridge,  from  which  he  retired 
in  1 976.  He  then  rejoined  the  IAEA  until  his 
contract  ran  out  last  year.  In  July  he  became 


20  /  April  1 979  /  The  WPI  Journal 


a  full  time  consultant  at  the  Institute  for 
Energy  Analysis.  He  spent  six  weeks  in  July 
and  August  in  Brazil  doing  a  study  of 
alternative  energy  options  for  the  country 
(solar,  etc.).  He  went  back  to  the  IEA  at  Oak 
Ridge  until  the  end  of  1978.  In  January  he 
went  to  the  Argonne  Center  for  Educa- 
tional Affairs  to  assist  with  a  training  pro- 
gram on  electric  power  system  expansion 
planning.  He  writes,  "We  have  25  partici- 
pants from  14  developing  countries  taking 
the  nine-week  course.  When  it  is  over,  I'll 
go  back  to  the  IEA  again  as  a  full-time  staff 
member."  During  the  past  few  years,  Jim 
has  traveled  to  more  than  50  countries 
including  Canada,  Mexico,  Pakistan,  En- 
gland, Portugal,  Germany,  the  Nether- 
lands, Argentina,  Puerto  Rico,  Venezuela, 
and  the  Virgin  Islands.  .  .  .  David  Morley 
retired  from  General  Electric  in  January 
after41  years  of  service.  He  was  laboratory 
manager  in  the  Salem  (Va.)  plant. 


1943 


1937 


Secretary 
Richard  J  Lyman 
10  Hillcrest  Rd 
Medfield,  MA 
02052 


Representative: 
Richard  J  Lyman 


Currently  C.  Chapin  Cutler  is  a  professor  at 
Stanford  (Calif.)  University. 


1938 


Secretary 

Representative: 

Emory  K  Rogers 

Albert  L  Delude,  Jr 

141  Lanyon  Dr 

261  Garden  City  Dr 

Cheshire,  CT 

Cranston,  Rl 

06410 

02910 

Malcolm  Safford,  formerly  a  senior  applica- 
tion engineer  for  Hamilton  Standard  of 
Windsor  Locks,  Conn.,  is  now  retired  in 
East  Longmeadow,  Mass. 


1942 


Representative: 
Norman  A  Wilson 
17  Cranbrook  Dr 
Holden,  MA 
01520 


Alexander  Mikulich  of  Wellesley,  Mass.  is 
president  of  M.J.  Alexander,  Inc. 


Representative 
Behrends  Messer,  Jr 
Mobil  Research  & 
Development 
PO  Box  1026 
Princeton,  NJ 
08540 

Art  Grazulis  is  rounding  out  two  and  a  half 
years  in  Houston,  Texas  as  principal  process 
control  engineer  for  Diamond  Shamrock. 
He  has  been  involved  in  building  a  vinyl 
chloride  plant  and  a  plant  for  a  fungicide 
intermediate.  He  is  slated  to  move  back  to 
Cleveland,  where  he  will  again  be  in  corpo- 
rate engineering  working  on  a  variety  of 
instrument  engineering  assignments.  Last 
year  he  celebrated  30  years  with  Diamond. 
He  and  his  wife  recently  visited  Ireland  and 
Mexico.  They  have  three  children  "who 
have  flown  the  coop." 

Raymond  Matthews  has  been  appointed 
assistant  general  manager  of  Robertshaw 
Controls  Company's  Tempstat  Division  in 
Hinsdale,  N.H.  He  joined  Tempstat  in 
1974,  and  has  served  as  chief  engineer  and 
plant  manager.  .  .  .  Presently,  Pete  Messer 
is  manager  of  wholesale  plant  and  civil 
engineering  for  Mobil,  and  has  previously 
done  considerable  globe-trotting  involving 
the  construction  of  marine  terminals  and 
refineries.  He  is  also  chairman  of  the  Ameri- 
can Petroleum  Institute's  General  Commit- 
tee on  Measurement.  Pete  has  four  chil- 
dren and  two  grandchildren.  He  is  located 
in  Princeton,  N.J. 

Bailey  Norton  writes  that  he  is  currently 
a  trustee  of  the  Community  Savings  Bank 
and  a  director  of  Daniel  O'Connel's  Sons, 
Inc.,  a  heavy  construction  company  in 
Holyoke  (Mass.)  which  celebrates  its  1 00th 
anniversary  this  year.  He  is  with  Acme 
Chain-lncom  International,  Inc.,  and  has 
made  many  recent  business  trips  to  South- 
east Asia  where  he  has  been  partly  respon- 
sible for  the  building  of  another  company 
facility  in  Singapore.  Bailey  and  his  wife, 
Phoebe,  who  have  three  grown  children, 
have  "acquired  some  real  estate  of  our  own 
in  Edgartown." 

Leon  Rice,  treasurer  and  general  man- 
ager of  Leighton  Machine  Co.,  Manches- 
ter, N.H.,  serves  as  president  of  the  local 
YMCA.  He  is  especially  interested  in  the 
"Y's"  physical  fitness  program.  He  is  also 
clerk  of  the  state  YMCA;  a  past  president  of 
the  Kiwanis  Club;  a  member  of  the  Man- 
chester Industrial  Council  and  of  the  Daniel 
Webster  (BSA)  Council;  a  past  chairman  of 
the  advisory  committee  of  the  Manchester 
Voc  Tech  College;  an  elder  of  the  Bedford 
(N.H.)  Presbyterian  Church;  and  a  charter 
member  of  the  Merrimack  Valley  Chapter 
Society  of  Manufacturing  Engineers.  In- 
volved in  land  development  in  Bedford,  he 
presently  owns  100  acres  of  "beautiful 
wood  lots,"  as  well  as  property  on  a  nearby 
lake,  and  in  Clearwater,  Fla.  The  Rices  have 
six  children  and  two  grandchildren. 


Al  Voedisch  retired  after  32  years  with 
the  USAF  Aeronautical  Systems  Division  as 
chief  engineer  for  propulsion  systems  de- 
velopment. He  remarried  in  1977,  and  is 
enjoying  travel  and  hobbies.  .  .  .  Pierre 
Volkmar  has  been  with  the  Garrett  Corp. 
for  25  years.  The  aerospace  firm  is  located 
in  Los  Angeles  and  Phoenix  and  builds 
turbine  engines,  life  support  systems,  and 
controls.  For  the  past  ten  years  he  has  been 
on  the  staff  of  the  vice  president  of  ad- 
vanced marketing.  Garrett  is  currently  ap- 
plying its  aerospace  technology  to  a  gas 
turbine  for  trucks  and  electric  cars  for  DOE, 
Volkmar  being  heavily  concerned  with  the 
former.  He  has  five  children  and  three 
grandchildren. 


1944 


Secretary 

Representative 

JohnG  Underbill 

John  A  Bjork 

6706  Barkworth  Dr 

1 1  Tylee  Ave 

Dallas,  TX 

Worcester,  MA 

75248 

01605 

Phil  Brown,  who  has  long  been  the  Navy's 
soil  mechanics  and  foundation  engineering 
expert,  retired  in  August  and  has  moved  to 
Amherst,  Mass.  He  is  doing  consulting 
work.  .  .    Irving  James  Donahue,  Jr., 
president  of  Donahue  Industries,  Inc., 
Shrewsbury,  Mass.,  has  been  elected  presi- 
dent of  the  Memorial  Hospital  board  of 
trustees.  Jim  serves  as  a  trustee  at  WPI  and 
is  the  corporate  clerk  of  Consumers  Savings 
Bank.  He  is  past  director  of  the  Central 
Massachusetts  Employers  Association, 
Worcester  Area  Chamber  of  Commerce, 
and  the  Massachusetts  League  of  Cities 
and  Towns.  Also,  he  is  a  former  chairman  of 
Shrewsbury  selectmen  and  the  Shrewsbury 
Finance  Committee. 

Donald  Gilrein  recently  retired  as  sales 
manager  of  the  West  Springfield  (Mass.) 
District  Office  of  the  Metropolitan  Life 
Insurance  Company.  His  30-year  career 
was  devoted  to  various  levels  of  manage- 
ment throughout  the  New  England  states 
and  at  the  company's  home  office  in  New 
York  City.  Presently,  he  is  residing  at  140 
Clover  Rd.,  Ludlow,  Mass.  Some  time  in  the 
future  he  may  move  to  the  Dennis  area  of 
Cape  Cod.  He  writes:  "I  am  the  proud 
father  of  five  children  (the  youngest,  Steve, 
is  a  junior  at  WPI),  and  seven  grandchil- 
dren." .  .  .  Everett  Johnson,  a  manager  at 
Texaco's  Beacon  Research  Laboratories, 
has  been  elected  to  the  board  of  directors 
of  the  Council  of  Industry  of  Southeastern 
New  York.  Since  1946,  Johnson  has  been 
associated  with  Texaco  in  supervisory  posi- 
tions. He  is  active  in  government  and 
community  affairs  in  the  town  of  Fish  kill, 
NY. 

Currently  Russell  Pentecost  holds  the 
post  of  senior  project  engineer  at  Boise 
Cascade  in  Rumford,  Me. 


The  WPI  Journal  /  April  1979  /  21 


1945 


Representative: 

Robert  E  Scott 

Allendale  Mutual  Insurance  Co 

P  O  Box  7500 

Johnstown,  R  I 

02919 

Richard  Fitts  was  recently  appointed  as  a 
coordinator  for  the  newly-established  mar- 
keting information  systems  in  the  market- 
ing division  of  Eastman  Kodak  Company. 
He  started  at  Kodak  in  1944.  His  most 
recent  position  was  that  of  manager  of 
marketing  systems,  corporate  systems  de- 
velopment and  services,  administrative 
services,  finance  and  administration.  He 
has  an  MBA  from  the  University  of  Roches- 
ter, is  vice  chairman  of  the  YMCA  of 
Rochester,  past  chairman  and  a  member  of 
the  Industrial  Engineering  Society,  and  a 
member  of  the  Administrative  Manage- 
ment Society.  .  .  .  Bill  Howard,  former  vice 
president  of  Abrasives  Marketing  in  the 
Grinding  Wheel  Division  of  Norton  Co.,  has 
retired.  .  .  .  Daniel  Katz  now  serves  as  a 
design  engineer  at  PEDCO  in  Cincinnati, 
Ohio. 


1946 

Secretaries:  Representative 

M  Daniel  Lacedonia  George  R  Monn,  Jr 

106  Ridge  Rd  81  Park  Ave 

East  Longmeadow,  MA  Keene,  NH 

01028  03431 

George  H  Conley,  Jr 
213  Stevens  Dr 
Pittsburgh,  PA 
15236 

Richard  Anschutz,  executive  assistant  to 
the  president  of  Pratt  and  Whitney  Aircraft, 
Government  Products  Division,  Palm 
Beach,  Fla.,  has  been  appointed  to  the 
board  of  trustees  at  Florida  Institute  of 
Technology  in  Melbourne.  From  1976  to 
1978  Anschutz  served  as  vice  president  for 
United  Technologies  Advanced  Systems 
and  Programs  in  the  Pratt  and  Whitney 
Division,  the  largest  supplier  of  advanced 
military  aircraft  engines  in  the  free  world 
From  1 960  through  1 973  Anschutz  was 
program  manager  for  P&WsRL10  engine, 
the  world's  first  liquid  hydrogen-liquid 
oxygen  rocket  engine.  A  former  officer  in 
the  U.S.  Navy,  he  is  also  a  former  town 
commissioner  and  vice-mayor  of  Jupiter 
Inlet  Colony,  Fla.,  and  remains  active  in 
civic  affairs  in  that  area. 


George  Button  II,  with  Shipman  Ward  in 
New  Jersey  having  been  sold,  is  now  lo- 
cated in  Boca  Raton,  Fla.,  where  he  plans  to 
go  into  the  building  business.  .  . .  Dean 
William  Grogan  received  the  1979 
Worcester  Engineering  Society's  Scientific 
Achievement  Award  in  February.  He  was 
honored  at  the  Society's  Engineer  Week 
banquet  for  his  help  in  implementing  the 
WPI  Plan,  a  new  approach  to  engineering 
education  which  he  helped  develop.  He  has 
directed  the  plan  since  1 970.  Dean  Grogan, 
who  did  graduate  work  at  WPI,  joined  the 
faculty  in  1 946  and  became  a  full  professor 
in  1962. 

Robert  Hamilton  was  recently  elected 
vice  president  of  the  abrasives  marketing 
group  at  Norton  Co.,  Worcester.  He  had 
been  general  sales  manager  of  the  group. 
After  spending  two  years  as  an  instructor  of 
mechanical  engineering  at  WPI,  Hamilton 
joined  Norton  in  1948.  A  Navy  veteran,  he 
is  also  a  graduate  of  the  Advanced  Man- 
agement Program  at  Harvard  Business 
School.  His  previous  experience  at  Norton 
included  his  posts  as  sales  manager  of 
Mexican  operations  and  managing  director 
for  the  United  Kingdom  subsidiary.  .  .  . 
Allan  Johnson  was  elected  to  the  board  of 
directors  of  Kemper  International  Insur- 
ance Company  at  a  recent  board  meeting. 
He  was  also  elected  vice  president  of 
KemperS.A.  in  Europe  and  Kemper  Limited 
in  Australia.  Currently  manager  of  the 
highly  protected  risk  department  at  the 
insurance  group's  Long  Grove  (III.)  head- 
quarters, he  joined  Kemper  in  1964. 


1949 


1948 


Secretary: 
Paul  E  Evans 
69ClairmontSt 
Longmeadow,  MA 
01106 


Representative 
John  J  Concordia 
36  Summer  St 
Shrewsbury,  MA 
01545 


F.A.  (Mike)  Curtis  has  been  named  a  vice 
president  of  the  F-16  Program  plans,  con- 
trols, and  contracts  at  General  Dynamics' 
Fort  Worth  (TX)  Division.  Earlier  he  was 
F-16  deputy  program  director.  Since  start- 
ing with  GD  in  1 949,  as  an  aerodynamicist, 
he  has  held  a  number  of  increasingly  re- 
sponsible positions  including  director  of  the 
F-1 1 1  Engineering  Project  Office  and  di- 
rector of  product  engineering.  He  holds  a 
master's  degree  in  aeronautical  engineer- 
ing from  California  Institute  of  Technology 
in  Pasadena.  ...  A  collection  of  Thomas 
Grove's  color  photographs  were  recently 
on  view  at  the  Artiste  Showcase  in  Penfield, 
N.Y.  A  machine  design  engineer  for  Kodak, 
Grove  is  also  a  photographer  whose  work 
has  won  several  awards  in  national  and 
international  competitions.  His  entries  in 
the  Kodak  International  Salon  of  Photog- 
raphy earned  him  medals  in  1969,  1973, 
and  1975.  He  considers  photography  as  a 
hobby,  is  essentially  self  taught,  and  reads 
avidly  on  the  subject. 


Secretary 
Howard  J  Green 
1  Kenllworth  Rd 
Worcester,  MA 

Representative: 
James  F  O'Regan 
17  Hundreds  Rd 
Westboro,  MA 

01602 

01581 

Francis  Holden,  a  research  and  materials 
engineer  with  the  Massachusetts  Depart- 
ment of  Public  Works,  has  taken  a  part- 
time  post  at  Central  New  England  College, 
Worcester  where  he  is  assistant  chairman 
of  the  engineering  and  technology  de- 
partment. The  position  was  designed  to  be 
a  link  between  local  industry  and  part-time 
students. . . .  ElzearLemieux  has  been 
elected  a  fellow  of  the  American  Institute  of 
Chemical  Engineers  in  recognition  of  his 
outstanding  contributions  in  the  areas  of 
"professional  attainment  and  significant 
accomplishment  in  engineering."  He  was 
cited  for  his  contributions  to  research  in 
distillation  design  and  practical  application. 
Only  1 0  percent  of  the  association's  mem- 
bership attains  the  rank  of  fellow.  Lemieux 
was  promoted  to  manager  of  equipment 
design  at  Pullman  Kellogg  world  headquar- 
ters in  Houston  last  year.  He  joined  the 
Pullman  Kellogg  division  of  Pullman  Incor- 
porated in  1 950.  He  has  since  served  in  a 
number  of  capacities  including  that  of 
supervisor  of  pilot  plants,  supervisor  of 
research,  and  manager  of  vessel  analytical 
engineering.  He  has  an  MS  in  chemical 
engineering  from  WPI  and  belongs  to 
Sigma  Xi,  the  Scientific  Research  Society, 
and  is  a  professional  engineer  in  Texas  and 
New  York. 

Robert  Quattrochi,  president  of  Pete's 
Chrysler-Plymouth  Auto  Agency,  Pittsfield, 
Mass.,  has  been  named  chairman  of  the 
Central  Berkshire  Chamber  of  Commerce. 
He  has  been  associated  with  the  family- 
owned  business  for  28  years.  During  World 
War  II  he  served  in  the  Navy.  Before  joining 
his  father  in  the  auto  agency,  he  worked  as 
a  design  engineer  in  GE's  ordnance  de- 
partment. He  is  past  treasurer  of  the  Mas- 
sachusetts State  Auto  Dealers'  Association 
and  is  the  National  Dealer  Advisory  Council 
representative  for  the  New  England 
Chrysler-Plymouth  Dealers  Association.  He 
is  on  the  board  of  the  Berkshire  County 
Historical  Society  and  is  a  member  of  the 
board  of  corporators  for  City  Savings  Bank. 
He  and  his  wife  Kathryn  have  four 
daughters. 

The  former  project  manager  for  the 
Worcester  Development  Consortium,  Rus- 
sell Larson,  has  joined  J.L.  Marshall  &  Son, 
Inc.  of  Pawtucket,  R.I.  as  executive  vice 
president.  Earlier  Larson  had  served  as  vice 
president  of  Granger  Contracting  Co.,  Inc., 
with  which  he  had  been  associated  for  29 
years.  While  with  the  Consortium,  he  was 
involved  with  the  planning  of  Worcester's 
new  civic  center.  Larson  is  a  registered 
professional  engineer  and  belongs  to  many 
professional  and  civic  organizations. 


22  /  April  1979  /  The  WPI  Journal 


1950 


Secretary: 

Lester  J  Reynolds,  Jr 

15  Cherry  Lane 

Basking  Ridge,  NJ 

07920 


Representative 
Henry  S  Coe,  Jr 
3  Harwick  Rd 
Wakefield.  MA 
01880 


Stanley  Friedman  is  the  new  group  general 
managerof  ITT's  Industrial  Products-North 
America,  New  York  City.  ITT  companies 
reporting  to  him  include  ITT  General  Con- 
trols, ITT  Barton  Instruments,  J.C.  Carter 
Co.,  Reznor-U.S.,  ITTThermotech,  ITT  Phil- 
lips Drill  Division,  ITT  Harper  Division,  and 
ITT  Abrasive  Products  Company.  Previ- 
ously, Friedman  was  with  Monogram  In- 
dustries, Inc.,  where  he  was  president  of 
the  Spaulding  Fibre  Company  in  To- 
nawanda,  N.Y.,  and  a  vice  president  of 
Monogram.  Earlier  he  had  held  general 
management  and  executive  positions  with 
the  Lockheed  Electronics  Company  and 
RCA.  He  graduated  from  the  Sloan  Pro- 
gram in  Executive  ManagementTraining  in 
the  Graduate  School  of  Business  of  Stan- 
ford University  and  holds  an  MSEE  from 
Purdue. 


195 1 


Secretary 
Stanley  L  Miller 
1 1  Ash  wood  Rd 
Paxton,  MA 
01612 


Representative 

John  L  Reid 

31  Spring  Garden  Dr 

Madison,  NJ 

07940 


Halsey  Griswold  is  now  assistant  general 
manager  of  the  Supply  &  Logistics  Division 
of  Texaco,  Inc.  in  White  Plains,  NY.  He 
holds  an  MS  from  Cornell  University.  .  .  . 
George  Messenger  is  a  self-employed  en- 
gineering consultant  in  Las  Vegas,  Nevada. 
He  was  named  an  IEEE  fellow  in  1976  and  is 
listed  in  Who's  Who  in  the  West.  This  year 
he  will  attend  an  international  conference 
in  Tbilisi,  USSR.  .  .  .  C.  Condit  Peirce  has 
been  promoted  to  manager  of  engineering 
of  standard  products  at  Sippican  Corpora- 
tion's Ocean  Systems  Division  in  Marion, 
Mass.  He  and  his  family  reside  in  Rochester. 


1952 


Secretary 
Edward  C  Samolis 
580  Roberts  Ave 
Syracuse,  NY 
13207 


Representative 

Philip  B  Crommelin,  Jr 

P  O  Box  38 

Stanton,  NJ 

08885 


William  Boraski  and  his  partner  have 
moved  their  law  firm  from  its  long-time 
headquarters  at  28  North  St.  to  their  newly 
purchased  building  at  36  Maplewood  Ave. 
in  Pittsfield,  Mass.  The  firm  now  occupies 
four  rooms  on  the  first  floor  of  the  building 
and  provides  general  law  services,  includ- 
ing criminal  and  civil  cases,  estates  and 
divorces.  Boraski  has  practiced  law  in 
Pittsfield  since  graduating  from  Northeast- 


ern University  School  of  Law  in  1953.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Massachusetts  and  fed- 
eral district  court  bars  as  well  as  the  Mas- 
sachusetts, American,  and  Berkshire  bar 
associations. 


1954 


Secretary 
Roger  R  Osell 
18  Eliot  Rd 
Lexington,  MA 
02173 


Representative 
Roger  R  Osell 


^■Married:  Marvin  V.  McCoy  and  Lorraine 
H.  Godsoe  on  February  3,  1979  in  Mer- 
rimack, New  Hampshire.  The  groom  is  the 
east  coast  regional  manager  of  Blackburn 
International  Telephone  &  Telegraph  Co. 


1955 


Secretary 

Representative 

Kenneth  L  Wakeen 

Ralph  K  Mongeon,  Jr 

344  Waterville  Rd 

Riley  Stoker  Corp 

Avon,  CT 

PO  Box  547 

06001 

Worcester,  MA 

01613 

Edouard  Bouvier  continues  with  SNET  Co., 
New  Haven,  Conn.,  where  he  is  staff  man- 
ager of  buildings  equipment.  .  .  .  Paul 
Brown,  Jr.  holds  the  post  of  president  at 
P.W.  Brown,  Inc.  in  Westboro,  Mass. 


1957 


Secretary: 

Dr  Robert  A  Yates 

11  Oak  Ridge  Dr 

Bethany,  CT 

06525 


Representative 
Alfred  E  Barry 
1  Algonquin  Rd 
Worcester,  MA 
01609 


Boakfar  Ketunuti  continues  as  managing 
director  at  Universal  Engineering  Consul- 
tants Co.,  Ltd.  in  Bangkok,  Thailand. 


1958 

Secretary- 
Harry  R  Rydstrom 
132  Sugartown  Rd 
Devon,  PA 
19333 

William  E.  Griffiths,  Jr.  has  been  elected  a 
vice  president  of  Hedstrom  Company  in 
Bedford,  Pa.  He  will  be  responsible  for  the 
company's  manufacturing  and  engineering 
functions.  Previously,  he  had  been  general 
manager  of  the  Bedford  plant.  The  firm,  a 
member  of  Brown  Group,  Inc.,  has  five 
manufacturing  locations.  .  .    Philip  Lenz  is 
still  with  Armco,  Inc.,  where  he  is  a  sales 
engineer.  He  is  located  in  Wallingford, 


Conn.        Joaquim  S.  S.  Ribeiro  has  been 
elected  treasurer  of  the  board  of  trustees  of 
Memorial  Hospital,  Worcester.  He  is  vice 
president  of  finance  and  international  af- 
fairs at  Jamesbury  Corp.,  a  director  at  Me- 
chanics Bank,  a  trustee  of  United  Way,  and 
a  member  of  the  Worcester  Committee  on 
Foreign  Relations  and  the  Financial  Execu- 
tives Institution. 


1959 


Secretary 

Dr  Frederick  H  Lutze,  Jr 

1 10  Camelot  Court  NW 

Blacksburg,  VA 

24060 


Representative 

Dr  Joseph  D  Bronzino 

Trinity  College 

Summit  St 

Hartford,  CT 

06106 


>Born:  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stanley  M.  Wall- 
ner  a  son  Harlan  David  on  August  20, 
1978.  Recently,  Stan  was  promoted  to 
branch  manager  at  Fisher  Scientific  Co., 
Livonia,  Michigan. 

Richard  Ronskavitz  is  manager  of  the 
design  section  at  Broward  County  Traffic 

Engineering  in  Ft.  Lauderdale,  Fla Geza 

Ziegler,  who  is  dean  of  college  extension  at 
the  Bridgeport  (Conn.)  Engineering  Insti- 
tute, has  assumed  new  duties.  He  will  now 
supervise  the  administration  of  the  Dan- 
bury  and  Stamford  branches.  Associated 
with  the  evening  college  since  1963, 
Ziegler  is  also  chief  engineer  at  the  A.N. 
Apanel  Company  in  Stamford.  He  is  a 
former  dean  of  the  BEI-Stamford  branch. 


i960 


Secretary. 
PaulW  Bayliss 
170WyngateDr 
Barrmgton,  IL 
60010 


Representative 
JohnW  Biddle 
78  Highland  St 
Holden,  MA 
01520 


At  the  present  time,  Murray  Elowitz  is  a 
project  engineer  for  TRW  Defense  &  Space 

Systems  Group  in  Redondo  Beach,  Calif 

Continuing  with  GE,  Paul  Kendra  is  now  a 
software  systems  engineer  for  the  firm  in 

Binghamton,  NY Phil  Pastore,  Jr.  holds 

the  post  of  contract  manager  at  Turner 
Construction  Co.  in  New  York  City.  He,  his 
wife,  Marilou,  and  three  children  reside  in 
Guilford,  Conn.  .  .  .  Thomas  Poole  of 
Setauket,  NY.  is  president  at  Hy-tec  Indus- 
tries. 


The  WPI  Journal  /  April  1979/23 


The  RED  BARON 


Robert  Kelley,  '60  MNS,  will  go  to 
almost  any  lengths  to  catch  his  stu- 
dents' attention.  It  has  been  rumored 
that  he  wears  a  "Red  Baron"  World 
War  I  flying  helmet  to  one  of  his 
classes  at  Worcester  State  College.  In 
this  particular  instance,  however,  a 
flying  helmet  is  especially  appropri- 
ate. 


strikes 
again! 


Three  years  ago,  Kelley,  who  is 
with  the  department  of  natural  sci- 
ence and  physics  at  WSC,  came  up 
with  a  new  idea.  Why  not  create  a 
summer  course  to  instruct  teachers 
how  to  teach  subjects  in  aviation?  As 
an  untitled,  do-everything  member  of 
the  Massachusetts  Association  of 
Science  Teachers,  he  had  learned  that 
aerospace  education  was  in  trouble. 
What  to  do?  He  and  a  number  of  other 
aviation  buffs  formed  the  New  En- 
gland Aerospace  Umbrella,  which 
spawned  the  idea  of  the  WSC  sum- 
mer course. 

According  to  Kelley,  the  thrust  of 
the  course  is  "to  give  teachers  a  way 
of  introducing  (aviation)  subjects  in  a 
way  that  can  reach  their  students." 
He  believes  in  on-the-job  training. 
This  past  summer,  for  example,  he 
and  his  teacher-students  learned 
about  the  physiology  of  flight  at  Pease 
Air  Force  Base  in  New  Hampshire. 

"We  went  into  the  chamber  and 
removed  our  oxygen  masks,"  he  says. 
"It  was  really  something.  We  even 
took  physicals  from  a  flight  surgeon." 

The  course  showed  the  future 
teachers  the  effects  that  flight  can 
have  on  the  human  body,  such  as 
disorientation  and  spatial  problems. 
Kelly  says  that  it  is  hard  to  tell 
whether  you're  right  side  up  or  upside 
down  in  a  plane.  "The  instruments 
will  tell  you,  but  often  the  body 
can't,"  he  explains. 

The  students  also  held  the  stick 
during  a  short  flight  in  a  small  plane, 
and  learned  about  the  structure  and 
integrity  of  the  aircraft. 

Near  the  end  of  the  course, 
twenty-four  members  of  the  class 
boarded  an  Air  Force  plane  and 
headed  for  Washington,  D.C.,  a  trip 
which  conceivably  might  have  con- 
vinced some  that  the  fear  of  lying  was 
no  laughing  matter.  The  military  air- 
craft was  wide  open  inside,  with  can- 
vas seats  for  parachutists.  It  was 
nowhere  near  as  well  insulated  as  a 
commercial  one,  and  the  take-offs 
and  landings  were  almost  deafening. 


"In  spite  of  the  noise  the  majority 
of  the  students  found  the  trip  inform- 
ative," Kelly  reports.  "The  plane  was 
very  informal.  People  could  go  up 
front  and  look  at  the  instruments, 
which  were  similar  to  those  found  on 
a  small  plane." 

From  the  air,  the  group  was  able  to 
recognize  forest  destruction,  pollu- 
tion in  the  rivers  and  lakes,  and  open 
mine  pits.  The  difference  between 
algae  and  chemical  pollution  was  also 
noted. 

Since  they  had  recently  finished 
training  in  navigation,  some  charted 
the  course  of  the  flight.  Others  picked 
out  landmarks. 

Back  in  Worcester,  the  class 
studied  rocketry  during  the  final 
week  of  the  course.  No  one  was  shot 
into  space,  but  students  were  in- 
ducted into  the  Order  of  the  Red 
Baron  (Bier  Uber  Alles  Luftwaffe),  an 
international  association  of  aero- 
space education  buffs. 

Bob  Kelley  hopes  that  his  course, 
which  will  be  offered  next  spring  in 
WSC's  evening  school,  will  become  a 
certificate  program  in  the  natural  sci- 
ence and  physics  department.  The 
eventual  goal  is  to  make  it  part  of  the 
regular  curriculum,  and  a  minor  for 
undergraduate  students. 

"Everyone  seems  to  have  a  lot  of 
fun  taking  the  course,"  Bob  says.  "But 
more  important,  they  learn  some- 
thing." 

The  Civil  Air  Patrol  ( CAP-US AF) 
has  honored  Kelley's  New  England 
Aerospace  Umbrella  by  presenting  it 
with  the  Frank  Brewer  Award  "For 
furthering  the  aims  of  aviation  educa- 
tion." The  award,  which  was  an- 
nounced this  fall,  is  regional  in  scope 
and  includes  the  New  Jersey, 
Pennsylvania,  New  York,  and  New 
England  area. 

mm 


24/  April  1979  /  The  WPI  Journal 


1961 

Secretary 
John  J  Gabarro 
8  Monadnock  Rd 
Arlington.  MA 
02174 

Bradley  Hosmer  was  recently  appointed 
staff  vice  president  of  planning  at  AMF 
Incorporated,  a  world-wide  producer  of 
industrial  and  leisure  time  products.  Brad 
joined  the  White  Plains  (NY.)  firm  last  year 
as  director  of  marketing  and  industrial 
products.  Previously,  while  with  Branson 
Sonic  Power  Company,  he  rose  from  gen- 
eral manager  to  vice  president  of  market- 
ing. He  had  also  been  with  Booz  Allen 
Hamilton,  the  international  consultingfirm. 
Brad,  who  has  an  MBA  from  Harvard,  lives 
with  his  wife,  Juanita  and  three  children  in 
West  Redding,  Conn. 

Mo  Noradoukian  has  been  named 
supervisor  of  product  management  at 
T-Bar  Incorporated  in  Wilton,  Conn.  He  is 
responsible  for  formulating  plans  for  en- 
hancements or  additions  to  existing  prod- 
uct lines,  recommendations  for  new  prod- 
uct areas,  and  providing  the  company's 
sales  department  with  technical  assistance 
and  promotional  material.  He  will  manage 
the  supervision  of  product  managers  for 
T-Bar's  four  areas  of  components,  com- 
munication switching,  computer  switching 
and  instrumentation  and  control  equip- 
ment. Also,  he  will  supervise  the  Applica- 
tion Engineering  Department.  Previously, 
Mo  had  operated  his  own  manufacturer's 
representative  firm  and  represented  a 
number  of  data  communication  and  termi- 
nal manufacturers.  Still,  earlier,  he  was  with 
Timeplex,  Inc.  and  GTE  Information  Sys- 
tems. He  istheauthorof  a  published  paper: 
"The  Benefits  of  Frequency  Division  Mul- 
tiplexors vs.  Time  Division  Multiplexors." 

T-Bar  products  are  used  worldwide  by 
airlines,  hotel  and  auto  rental  reservation 
systems,  stock  exchanges,  and  by  industry 
for  the  management  of  inventory  man- 
ufacturing and  process  control. 

Dr.  Robert  Seamon  sponsored  a  free 
public  concert  by  Organist  Peter 
Planyavsky  at  Worcester's  Trinity  Lutheran 
Church  in  February.  Dr.  Seamon,  a  former 
Worcester  resident,  is  a  nuclear  physicist 
and  organist  in  Los  Alamos,  New  Mexico. 
Peter  Planyavsky  is  the  organist  at  Vienna's 
St.  Stephan's  Cathedral. 


1962 


Secretary 
Harry  T  Rapelje 
1313  Parma  Hilton  Rd 
Hilton.  NY 
14468 


Representative: 
Richard  J  DiBuono 
44  Lambert  Circle 
Marlboro,  MA 
01752 


Still  with  Revere  Supply  Co.,  Inc.,  New  York 
City,  Michael  Kaufmann  currently  holds 
the  post  of  director  of  engineering.  .  .  . 
Although  he  works  full  time  as  a  traffic 
engineer  for  the  Lexington- Fayette  Urban 
County  government  in  Kentucky,  the  Rev. 
Andrew  Terwilleger  also  does  church  work 
on  a  "part-time,  as  needed  basis." 


1963 


Secretary. 

Robert  E  Maynard,  Jr. 

8  Institute  Rd 

North  Grafton,  MA 

01536 


Representative 
Joseph  J  Miehnksi,  Jr 
34  Pioneer  Rd 
Holden,  MA 
01520 


Dr.  Anthony  Allegrezza  is  a  senior  research 
scientist  at  ABCOR,  Inc.,  in  Wilmington, 
Mass.  .  .  .  Bob  Behn,  a  professor  at  Duke 
University,  has  been  credited  by  Frank 
Hatch  (the  defeated  candidate  for  gover- 
nor of  Massachusetts)  as  having  helped 
him  over  some  rough  spots  during  the 
recent  gubernatorial  campaign.  According 
to  the  Feb.  25th  issue  of  the  Boston  Sunday 
Globe,  Hatch  has  said,  "I  was  rescued  by  a 
brilliant,  young  political  expert,  Bob  Behn, 
who  flew  back  from  Duke  University  to 
spend  two  days  readying  me  for  the  big 
night  (Faneuil  Hall  debate).  His  presence 
was  crucial.  How  much  you  know  isn't  as 
important  as  feeling  confident  and  loose 
enough  to  get  across  what  you  do  know. 
Thanks  to  his  preparations,  I  wasn't  quite 
quoting  Muhammad  Ali  couplets  before 
the  fray,  but  I  was  certainly  psyched  and 
ready.  ..." 

Continuing  with  Standard  Brands,  Inc., 
James  Davis  is  now  a  process  development 
engineer  in  Peekskill,  NY...  Thomas 
Donegan  serves  as  vice  president  of  Over- 
seas International  Distributors  of  Geneva, 
Switzerland.  A  resident  of  Devon,  Conn., 
he  is  also  the  organizer  and  director  of  the 
Bank  of  New  Haven,  and  a  professional 
engineer. . . .  Dick  Wagner  is  employed  as  a 
salesman  for  Wagner  Hydraulics  in 
Smithtown,  NY. 

Ted  Zoli,  Jr.  has  a  solid  grip  on  the  reins 
of  the  family  business,  Torrington  Con- 
struction Co.,  in  Glens  Falls,  N.Y.,  and 
believes  that  hard  work,  diversification, 
honesty,  and  one-stop  service  have  been 
the  basis  of  the  company's  success. 

Take  the  hard  work  part.  Ted  thinks 
nothing  of  putting  in  ten-hour  days.  He 
started  helping  out  his  dad  at  the  firm  when 
he  was  only  12  years  old.  Today  he  knows 
the  business  inside  and  out.  (His  father,  still 
president,  is  retired.)  In  the  early  days, 
Torrington  was  strictly  a  highway  and 
heavy  construction  firm. 


Currently,  Torrington  has  three  perma- 
nent Ready  Mix  concrete  plants,  one 
mobile  Ready  Mix  plant,  and  three  sand 
and  gravel  quarries.  It  generates  millions  of 
dollars  in  sales  annually  and  employs  up  to 
1000  persons. 

Zoli's  company  is  involved  with  prepara- 
tionsforthe  1980  Winter Olympicsin  Lake 
Placid.  It  supplied  the  majority  of  cement, 
sand  and  gravel  used  in  the  construction  of 
the  70  and  90-meter  ski  jumps. 

Besides  his  association  with  Torrington 
and  its  affiliated  companies,  Zoli  holds  the 
post  of  president  of  Courtesy  Air  Service, 
Inc.,  which  will  start  a  Glens  Falls  to  New 
York  City  flight  in  April.  The  corporation, 
started  by  Zoli  in  1 967,  employs  24  people, 
and  is  probably  the  largest  Beech  18  sales 
and  service  organization  east  of  the  Missis- 
sippi. Courtesy  Air  is  the  only  firm  in  the 
world  which  puts  cargo  doors  in  Aztecs. 

Zoli  is  "an  old  car  nut."  He  has  a  1938 
"type  57,  Bugatti"  and  a  1951  Jaguar 
XK-1 20  coupe.  At  home,  he  and  his  sons 
(he  has  five  children)  have  installed  a 
wood-fired  steam  boiler  by  themselves.  In 
the  community,  he  is  an  opera  devotee  and 
serves  as  president  of  the  Lake  George 
Opera  Festival  board  of  directors.  He  is 
president-elect  of  the  Glens  Falls  Rotary 
Club. 


1964 


Secretary: 

Dr  David  T  Signon,  Jr 

6613  Denny  PI 

McLean,  VA 

22101 


Representative 
Barry  J  Kadets 
7  Bellwood  St 
Framingham,  MA 
10701 


Daniel  Gorman  holds  the  post  of  vice  pres- 
ident at  Fox  Companies.  He  resides  in 
Wyncote,  Pa.,  and  is  an  instructor  in  prop- 
erty management  at  Temple  University 
Real  Estate  Institute. ...  Dr.  Joseph  LaCava 
writes:  "It's  great  to  be  back  on  the  East 
Coast,  nearer  WPI."  After  four  years  in 
Ohio,  Joe  is  now  with  Bell  Labs  in  Holmdel, 
N.J. 


1965 

Representative: 
Patrick  T  Moran 
100  Chester  Rd 
Boxboro,  MA 
01719 

^■Married:  Robert  W.  Asplund  and  Vir- 
ginia K.  Racey  in  Williamsport,  Pennsyl- 
vania on  January  6,  1979.  Mrs.  Asplund 
graduated  from  Williamsport  School  of 
Commerce  and  is  a  senior  data-entry 
operator  at  Circuit  Module  Operation  of 
GTE  Sylvania,  Inc.,  Halls  Station,  Pa.  Her 
husband  is  a  senior  research  and  develop- 
ment engineer  for  the  same  firm. 


The  WTI  lournal  /  April  1979  /  25 


Nils  Ericksen  formed  Ericksen  As- 
sociates, Inc.  last  August  and  currently  has 
41  jobs  in  1 2  states  that  are  completed  or  in 
progress.  His  firm  specializes  in  ski  area 
engineering,  such  as  uphill  transportation 
(lifts),  snowmaking,  trail  layout,  and  drain- 
age. .  .  .  Robert  St.  Pierre  has  been  named 
engineering  manager  at  the  Excelsior  plant 
of  the  Torrington  Co.  in  Connecticut.  He 
started  at  the  plant  as  an  engineering 
trainee  following  graduation.  Since  then  he 
has  served  in  various  engineering  capacities 
involving  product  and  machine  design  and 
development,  as  well  as  a  two-year  stint  as 
a  general  foreman  in  production  work. 


1966 


Secretary: 

Representative 

Gary  Dyckman 

Dr.  Donald  H  Foley 

29  Skilton  Lane 

Indianfield  Rd 

Burlington,  MA 

Clinton,  NY 

01803 

13323 

Still  with  Heublein,  Inc.,  Raymond  Hopkins 

is  now  operations  manager  in  Allen  Park, 
Mich. . . .  Peter  Kudless  has  been  promoted 
to  principal  construction  engineer  with  the 
Public  Service  Electric  and  Gas  Company  of 
New  Jersey.  He  started  with  the  company 
as  an  engineer  in  the  Gas  Engineering 
Department  in  1 971 ,  after  completing  five 
years  of  active  duty  in  the  Navy  Civil  En- 
gineer Corps.  While  with  the  Newark  of- 
fice, he  worked  on  the  Burlington  (N.J.) 
LNG  plant  and  Harrison  (N.J.)  SNG  plant.  In 
1 973  he  was  assigned  as  site  engineer  to  be 
the  senior  company  representative  at  the 
Linden  SNG  plant  construction  site.  In  1975 
he  transferred  to  the  Project  Construction 
Division  of  the  Engineering  and  Construc- 
tion Department  and  worked  on  the  Hope 
Creek  Generating  Station  Project.  In  1976 
he  was  promoted  to  senior  construction 
engineer,  and  has  been  responsible  for 
supervising  the  PSE&G  Construction  De- 
partment personnel  who  surveil  construc- 
tion of  the  reactor  and  auxiliary  areas.  Now 
he  will  be  responsible  for  supervising  a  staff 
of  construction  engineers  who  monitor  all 
field  construction  activities  at  Hope  Creek. 
Kudless  is  a  registered  professional  en- 
gineer in  New  Jersey.  He  belongs  to  the 
Society  of  American  Military  Engineers, 
American  Nuclear  Society  Delaware  Valley 
Section,  and  the  American  Gas  Association. 
He  is  also  a  lieutenant  commander  in  the 
Naval  Reserve.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kudless,  the 
parents  of  five  children,  are  active  in  the 
marriage  encounter  movement.  They  are 
CCD  teachers,  Pre-Cana  instructors  and 
lectors  at  St.  Peter  and  Paul  Church  in 
Turnersville,  N.J. 

Charles  Slama  is  supervisor  of  technical 
services  at  Sikorsky  Aircraft  in  Stratford, 
Conn.  .  .  .  Beverly  Zivan,  who  has  an  MS 
from  WPI ,  is  vice  president  of  development 
at  Education  for  Management,  Inc.  in 
Watertown,  Mass.  ...  Dr.  Lionel  Carreira, 
an  assistant  professor  at  the  University  of 


Georgia,  received  the  Coblentz  Award  for 
his  work  in  coherent  anti-Stokes  Raman 
spectroscopy  at  the  Pittsburgh  Conference 
on  Analytical  Chemistry  and  Applied  Spec- 
troscopy held  in  Cleveland  in  March. 


1967 


Secretary: 

John  L  Kilguss 

5  Summershade  Circle 

Piscataway,  NJ 

08854 


Representative: 
Raymond  C  Rogers 
92  North  Common  Rd 
Westminster,  MA 
01473 


Richard  DeGennaro  is  manager  of  strategic 
planning  at  Conrail  in  Philadelphia.  . .  . 
Joseph  Goulart  has  been  promoted  to 
manager  of  customer  liaison  engineering 
for  Simpson  Industries,  Inc.  of  Litchfield, 
Mich.  Simpson  is  a  leading  manufacturerof 
precision  machined  components  for  the 
original  equipment  automotive  and  truck 
market  with  annual  sales  in  excess  of  $125 
million.  Joe  and  his  wife,  Pat,  an  industrial 
engineer  with  General  Motors,  reside  in 
Hillsdale,  Mich. . . .  Eduardo  Mendez  holds 
the  position  of  project  superintendent  at 
Pavarini  Construction  Co.  in  Puerto  Rico. 

Ronald  Mucci  is  with  Bolt  Beranek 
Newman  in  Cambridge,  Mass.  . . .  James 
O'Rourke,  a  project  advisor  in  WPI's  elec- 
trical engineering  department,  is  currently 
a  part-time  faculty  member  at  Central  New 
England  College,  Worcester,  where  he  is  an 
assistant  chairman  of  the  electrical  en- 
gineering department. . . .  John  Soulliere 
was  recently  appointed  manager  of  indus- 
try and  application  sales  at  the  Foxboro 
(Mass.)  Company.  Formerly,  he  served  as 
regional  sales  manager  in  the  firm's  Boston 
office.  Soulliere,  a  member  of  the  Instru- 
ment Society  of  America  and  ASME,  has  an 
MBA  from  Bryant  College. 


1968 


Secretary 
Charles  A  Griffin 
2901  Municipal  Pier  Rd 
Shreveport. LA 
71119 


Representative: 
William  J  Rasku 
33  Mark  Bradford  Dr 
Holden,  MA 
01520 


C.  David  Larson  has  been  promoted  to 
technical  manager  of  Bondmaster  Automo- 
tive Products  at  National  Adhesives,  a  divi- 
sion of  National  Starch  and  Chemical  Cor- 
poration in  Birmingham,  Mich.  Larson 
joined  National  in  1971  as  a  development 
chemist  in  the  adhesives  division,  and  most 
recently  was  marketing  specialist  for  the 
Bondmaster  Adhesives  group.  He  has  an 
MS  in  chemical  engineering  from  the  New 
Jersey  Institute  of  Technology  and  an  MBA 
from  Rutgers  University.  .  .  .  Ronald 
Rehkamp  has  been  advanced  to  senior 
actuarial  associate  within  the  actuarial  or- 
ganization at  State  Mutual  Life  Assurance 
Company  of  America  in  Worcester.  He 
joined  State  Mutual's  actuarial  organiza- 
tion as  an  actuarial  assistant  in  1968,  was 


promoted  to  actuarial  associate  in  1976, 
and  was  named  an  associate  in  the  Society 
of  Actuaries  that  same  year.  He  has  a 
master's  degree  in  business  management 
from  the  University  of  Arkansas. 


1969 


Secretary 

Representative: 

James  P  Atkinson 

Michael  W  Noga 

41  Naples  Rd 

West  Bare  Hill  Rd 

Brookline,  MA 

Harvard,  MA 

02146 

01451 

>-Born:  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  B.  LeeTuttleason 
Robert  Bruce  on  February  7, 1979. 

Donald  McCarthy  is  a  student  at  Temple 
University  in  Philadelphia. 


1970 


Secretary: 

F  David  Ploss  III 

208  St  Nicholas  Ave 

Worcester,  MA 

01606 


Representative: 
Domenic  J  Forcella,  Jr. 
25  Hough  St 
Plainville.CT 
06062 


Paul  Dresser,  who  has  been  promoted  to 
co-pilot  for  Delta  Airlines,  is  now  located  in 
Carriere,  Miss.  He  flys  DC-9's  out  of  New 
Orleans.  .  .  .  Dom  Forcella,  Jr.  is  currently 
teaching  business  math  and  economics  at 
Briarwood  School  in  Southington,  Conn. 
This  spring  Briarwood  will  become  a  junior 
college. . . .  William  Hillner  continues  as  a 
senior  sales  representative  for  Solar  Ther- 
mal Systems-Exxon  in  Burlington,  Mass.  He 
and  his  wife,  Paula,  reside  in  Reading. 

Philip  Johnson  has  joined  Computac, 
Inc.,  West  Lebanon,  N.H.,  where  he  serves 
as  a  systems  analyst  engineer.  Formerly,  he 
had  been  director  of  minicomputer  devel- 
opment for  the  Savings  Management  Re- 
search Corp.,  Hanover,  a  statistician  in  the 
State  of  New  Hampshire's  division  of  public 
health,  and  a  mathematics  teacher  at  Ban- 
croft School  in  Worcester.  Married  and  the 
father  of  two  children,  Johnson  and  his 
family  reside  in  Lyme,  N.H.  Computac  pro- 
vides computer  services  for  businesses, 
state  governments  and  institutions  in  the 
U.S.  and  Canada.  Its  computers  are  in 
instantaneous  contact  with  about  100  af- 
filiates in  locations  such  as  Oakland,  Calif., 
Fairbanks,  Alaska,  and  White  River  Junc- 
tion, Vermont. 

Dr.  Robert  Markot  is  a  senior  software 
engineer  at  Boeing  Computer  Services  in 

Seattle.  He  has  a  PhD  from  Ohio  State 

Richard  Schwartz  has  joined  Data  General 
as  a  senior  negotiator  for  major  accounts. 
He  is  responsible  for  contract  negotiation 
of  major  contracts;  competitive  analysis  for 
company  policy  resolution  and  sales  sup- 
port in  the  area  of  management  policy. 
Formerly  in  general  practice  of  law  in 
Worcester,  he  has  his  MS  in  computer 
science  from  WPI,  and  a  Juris  Doctor  from 
Suffolk  University. 


26  /  April  1979  /  The  WPI  fournal 


1971 

Secretary: 
Vincent  T  Pace 
4707  Apple  Lane 
West  Depttord,  NJ 
08066 

►fiorn:  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edward  C.  Lowe  III 

a  daughter,  Elizabeth  Webster,  on  October 
1 0, 1 978.  Ed  is  manager  of  area  sales  in  the 
steam  turbine-generator  marketing  de- 
partment at  GE  in  Schenectady,  N.Y.  ...  to 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Martin  I.  Rose  their  second 
son,  Ryan  Scott,  on  July  1 6, 1 978.  Ryan  has 
an  older  brother,  Byron.  The  Roses  are 
moving  to  their  new  home  in  Meriden, 
Conn,  in  May. 

"Ned"  Cunningham  is  currently  a  sales 
engineer  with  Nash  Engineering  in  New 
Jersey.  .  .  .  Reginald  Dunlap  holds  the  post 
of  division  operations  control  manager  at 
Mead  in  Fairfax,  Ohio.  He  and  his  wife 
Shirley  reside  in  Cincinnati.  .  .  .  Philip 
Johnson,  who  has  been  with  Omnitech, 
Inc.,  Dudley,  Mass.  since  1971 ,  was  re- 
cently named  general  manager  of  the  firm. 
He  has  a  master's  degree  in  management 
science  and  engineering  from  WPI.  Om- 
nitech is  a  subsidiary  of  GenTex  Corp.  .  .  . 
Gerald  Kersus  is  a  senior  member  on  the 
technical  staff  at  ITT-Defense  Communica- 
tions in  Nutley,  N.J.  He  holds  an  MSEE  from 
New  Jersey  Institute  of  Technology. 

Donald  Nadow  has  been  promoted  to 
assistant  vice  president  at  Freedom  Federal 
Savings  in  Worcester.  He  started  working 
part  time  at  the  savings  and  loan  associa- 
tion while  a  student  at  WPI.  From  1973  to 
1975  he  was  with  the  mortgage  servicing 
department.  For  the  past  three  years,  he 
has  been  programmer  and  analyst  for  the 
company's  computer. 


1972 


Secretary 

Representative 

John  A  Woodward 

Lesley  E  Small  Zorabedian 

101  Putnam  St 

16  Parkview  Rd 

Orange,  MA 

Reading,  MA 

01364 

01867 

^Married:  Shawn  Sullivan  to  Miss  Debra 
Beha  on  October  14,1 978  in  Worcester. 
Mrs.  Sullivan  graduated  from  DeSales  High 
School,  Utica,  N.Y.  Her  husband  is  with 
Amstar  in  Charlestown,  Mass. 

>-Bom:  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  James  D.  Hall, 
Jr.  a  daughter,  Leslie  Ann,  on  February  8, 
1979.  Jim  holds  the  post  of  group  product 
manager  at  Norton  Co.  in  Cranston,  R.I. 

Dr.  James  Ciskowski  is  employed  as  a 
research  chemist  at  du  Pont,  Photo  Prod- 
ucts Division,  in  Parlin,  N.J.  He  has  a  PhD 
from  Duke  University.  ...  Dr.  Raymond 
Fish  is  currently  a  visiting  assistant  profes- 
sor of  electrical  engineering  and  bioen- 
gineering  at  the  University  of  Illinois  in 
Urbana.  His  research  includes  development 


of  a  computerized  tomography  scanner 
using  ultrasound.  Ray  is  also  practicing 
medicine  and  is  a  clinical  instructor  in  the 
School  of  Clinical  Medicine  at  the  Univer- 
sity of  Illinois. 

Tom  Longo  owns  and  operates  Able 
Music  Service  in  Orange,  Conn.,  and,  in 
addition,  is  a  test  technician  for  Coromet- 
rics  Medical  Systems  in  Wallingford. . .  . 
Continuing  with  Stone  &  Webster,  Robert 
Parry  is  now  lead  test  engineer  for  the 
Boston  firm.  .  .  .  Loren  Smith  recently 
received  an  MS  degree  in  applied  ocean 
science  from  Scripps  Institution  of 
Oceanography.  Previously,  he  had  served 
as  a  physicist  at  Westinghouse-Bettis 
Atomic  Power  Labs. 


1973 


Secretary: 
Jay  J  Schnitzer 
322  St.  Paul  St 
Apt   #3 
Brookline,  MA 
02146 


Representative 
Robert  R  Wood 
14  Stone  Brook  Rd 
Sudbury,  MA 
01776 


>Born:  to  Bruce  and  Allison  (Huse)  Nunn 

their  second  child,  a  daughter,  Heather 
Laura,  on  March  7,  1979.  The  Nunns  also 
have  a  son,  11/2.  Bruce  works  for  the  Jones 
Division  of  the  Beloit  Corp.  in  Pittsfield, 
Mass. 

Ben  Allen  is  a  graduate  research  assistant 
at  the  University  of  Rhode  Island,  Kingston, 
where  he  is  concerned  with  DOE. . . . 
Presently,  Jason  Burbank  is  with  Clever- 
don,  Varney  &  Pike  in  Boston.  .  .  .  William 
Cloutier  holds  the  post  of  general  engineer 
at  Consumers  Power  Co.  in  Jackson,  Mich. 
. .  .  Charles  Henrickson  is  now  employed 
by  Digital  Equipment  Corp.,  Salem,  N.H., 
as  a  manufacturing  engineering  supervisor. 
Formerly  with  GE,  Charlie  and  Pam  cur- 
rently reside  in  Derry,  N.H.  In  his  present 
post,  Charlie  is  responsible  for  manufactur- 
ing process  development  for  the  final  as- 
sembly and  test  facility  in  Salem. 

Frederick  Kulas  writes  that  he  is  continu- 
ing as  a  marketing  representative  for  IBM's 
General  Systems  Division  in  Waltham, 
Mass.  In  1 978  he  achieved  over  200  per- 
cent of  his  computer  sales  and  installation 
quota  objectives.  In  March  he  traveled  to 
San  Francisco  to  attend  IBM's  Hundred 
Percent  Club  conference.  His  wife,  Sue,  is 
completing  her  studies  for  a  master's  de- 
gree in  counseling  and  consulting  psychol- 
ogy at  Harvard  University.  .  . .  David 
Kulczyk,  who  has  been  with  Torrington 
(Conn.)  Co.  since  1973  when  he  was  hired 
as  a  project  engineer  at  the  Excelsior  Plant, 
was  recently  promoted  to  supervisor  of 
sewing  machine  needle  process  engineer- 
ing at  that  plant.  Last  year  he  was  named 
supervisor  of  manufacturing  engineering. 


.  Thomas  Radican  is  a  process  engineer  for 
Savage  Industries,  Inc.,  Warrington,  Pa.  He 
is  also  chief  engineer  at  Legal  Chemical 
Disposal,  Inc.  in  Philadelphia.  .  .  .  Stephen 
Schneider  is  a  graduate  student  in  the 
Department  of  Anatomy  at  Emory  Univer- 
sity in  Atlanta,  Ga.  . .  .  Richard  Sliwoski 
serves  as  a  captain  in  the  U.S.  Army  Corps 
of  Engineers.  . . .  James  Viveiros  now 
works  for  the  Oscilloscope  Marketing  De- 
partment of  the  Hewlett-Packard  Co.  in 
Colorado  Springs,  Colorado. 


1974 


Secretary: 
James  F  Rubino 
18  Landings  Way 
Avon  Lake,  OH 
44012 


Representative 
David  Lapre 
PO  Box  384 
Tunkhannock,  PA 
18657 


Duane  Arsenault  is  a  staff  engineer  at 
MIT's  Lincoln  Laboratory  in  Lexington, 
Mass.  .  .  .  Todd  Cormier  serves  as  a  techni- 
cal associate  for  the  Cape  Cod  Planning 
and  Economic  Development  Commission 
in  Barnstable,  Mass.  He  is  helping  to  de- 
velop a  model  on-site  sewage  disposal 
management  program  to  implement  the 
Cape  Cod  208  Plan.  .  .    Ronald  LaFreniere 
was  recently  named  city  engineer  in 
Marlboro,  Mass.  Earlier  he  had  been  acting 
assistant  engineer.  He  will  be  concerned 
with  subdivision  control  including  formulat- 
ing recommendations  for  new  home  con- 
struction and  inspecting  finished  work.  He 
will  continue  to  work  on  the  Bolton  St. 
landfill.  A  licensed  professional  engineer, 
LaFreniere  joined  the  city  engineering  de- 
partment as  a  grade  three  provisional  en- 
gineer four  years  ago. 

Gerard  Petit  presently  serves  as  an  ad- 
ministrative assistant  at  Union  Carbide 
Corp.  in  New  York  City.  .  .  .  John  Stopa, 
who  has  a  Juris  Doctor  from  the  Boston 
University  School  of  Law,  is  an  attorney 
located  in  Newton  Highlands,  Mass. .  . . 
Anthony  Tomasiello,  Jr.  graduated  from 
Suffolk  University  Law  School  with  a  Juris 
Doctor  degree  last  June,  and  was  admitted 
to  the  Massachusetts  Bar  in  December.  He 
has  become  an  associate  of  the  law  firm  of 
Healy,  DeSimone  &  Rocheleau,  which  is 
located  at  390  Main  St.  in  Worcester. 


1975 


Secretary: 
James  D  Aceto,  Jr 
70  Sunnyview  Dr 
Vernon,  CT 
06066 


Representative 
Frederick  J  Cordelia 
24  Imperial  Road 
Worcester,  MA 
01604 


Robert  Andren  is  with  Northeast  Utilities 
Service,  Berlin,  Conn.  Also,  he  is  working 

for  his  MSME  at  UConn Karen  Arbige 

serves  as  a  senior  programmer-analyst  at 
Digital  Equipment  Corp.,  Maynard,  Mass. 


The  WPI  journal  /  Apnl  1979  /  27 


. . .  1/Lt.  Kent  Berwick  recently  graduated 
from  pilot  training  at  Vance  AFB,  Ok- 
lahoma. He  has  been  assigned  to  Westover 
AFB,  Mass.  for  flying  duty  on  the  C-130 
Hercules.  .  .  .  John  Cabranski  works  as  an 
auditor  at  Coopers-Lybrand  in  Springfield, 
Mass.  He  received  his  MBA  from  Columbia 
last  year. 

Glenn  Guaraldi  is  a  project  engineer  at 
Harris  Corp.,  Westerly,  R.I.  .  .  .  Presently, 
Karl  Hansen  holds  the  post  of  manager  of 
the  Alaska  Division  of  Williams  Brother 
Engineering  Co.  in  Anchorage.  .  .  .  Abdul 
Khan  works  in  the  division  of  engineering 
for  the  Lexington-Fayette  Urban  County 
government  in  Kentucky.  .  .  .  Jim  Lane  is 
currently  employed  as  a  systems  software 
designer  at  Microsoft,  and  is  located  in 
Redmond,  Washington,  a  suburb  of  Seat- 
tle. He  is  a  member  of  the  "Seattle  in  '81" 
World  Science  Fiction  Convention  bid 
team. 

Ronnie  Materniak  has  accepted  a  posi- 
tion as  a  design  engineer  with  the  du  Pont 
Engineering  Department  in  Wilmington, 
Delaware.  For  three  and  a  half  years  he  had 
been  working  in  one  of  du  Pont's  subcon- 
tractor's offices. . . .  James  Regan  works  as 
afield  service  engineer  at  ITT  Grinnell  Corp. 

in  Providence,  R.I Peter  Schwartz  is  a 

sales  manager  for  Gould  Inc. -Instruments 
Division.  His  territory  includes  New  York 
state  and  northern  New  Jersey.  .  .  .  Cur- 
rently, Ronald  Simmons  is  with 
Westinghouse-Bettis  Atomic  Power  Lab., 
Bremerton,  Washington. 


1976 


Secretary 
Paula  E  Stratouly 
318  Thorn  berry  Ct 
Pittsburgh,  PA 
15237 


Representative: 
Lynne  M  Buckley 
648  Commercial  St 
Braintree,  MA 
02184 


^Married:  Craig  W.  Arcari  and  Laura  M. 
Goward  on  February  10, 1979inHolliston, 
Massachusetts.  The  bride,  a  graduate  of 
Becker,  is  manager  of  the  Gatepost  in 
Framingham.  The  bridegroom  is  with  Riley 

Stoker Conrad  J.  Orcheski  and  Leslie  A. 

Bryant  in  Winchendon,  Massachusetts  on 
December  23,  1978.  Mrs.  Orcheski  re- 
ceived her  BS  from  Worcester  State  College 
and  her  MA  from  SUNY  at  Buffalo.  She 
serves  as  a  speech  pathologist  at  Franklin 
County  Hospital  in  Greenfield,  Mass.  The 
groom,  who  has  a  BS  from  SUNY,  Buffalo, 
is  an  analytical  chemical  engineerat  C-E  Air 
Preheater  Combustion  Engineering,  Inc.  in 

Wellsville,  N.Y Joseph  Rodierand  Miss 

Patricia  C.  ChuplisonSeptember8, 1978  in 
North  Oxford,  Massachusetts.  The  bride 
graduated  from  Becker  and  is  a  fashion 
coordinator  at  Cherry  &  Webb  in  Auburn 
and  Shrewsbury.  Her  husband  is  with  Paul 
Flury,  Inc.,  Auburn. 


Jeremy  Brown,  an  associate  of  the 
Society  of  Actuaries,  has  been  promoted 
to  senior  actuarial  associate,  within  the 
actuarial  organization  at  State  Mutual  in 
Worcester.  He  joined  State  Mutual's  pen- 
sion actuarial  organization  in  1 976  and  was 
promoted  to  actuarial  associate  within  the 
pension  actuarial  organization  last  year. . . . 
William  Clark  serves  as  a  project  engineer 
at  Codman  &  Shurtleff,  Inc.,  Randolph, 
Mass.  .  .  .  David  McCormick  is  a  student  at 
Cornell  University. 

Kathleen  Morse  holds  the  post  of 
software  engineerat  DEC  in  Tewksbury, 
Mass.  .  .  .  Robert  Pharmer  is  employed  by 

CH2M  Hill  in  Boise,  Idaho John  Smith, 

a  graduate  student  at  Roswell  Park  Memo- 
rial Institute  Division  of  Graduate  School,  is 
head  resident  at  State  University  of  New 
York  at  Buffalo. 


1977 


Secretary 

Representative: 

Kathleen  Molony 

Christopher  D  Baker 

Apt   #1 

P  O  Box  35 

29  Seaview  Ave 

Page,  AZ 

Norwalk,  CT 

86040 

06855 

^■Married:  Lawrence  N.  Coel  to  Miss  Val- 
erie A.  Cohen  in  New  Britain,  Connecticut 
on  December  30,  1978.  Mrs.  Coel 
graduated  from  Vassar  College  and  is  a 
graduate  student  at  MIT,  where  she  has  a 
research  assistantship  in  the  Department  of 
Electrical  Engineering  and  Computer  Sci- 
ence. Her  husband,  a  marketing  consul- 
tant, holds  an  MBA  from  the  University  of 
Hartford.  .  .  .  James  T.  Mickol  and  Miss 
Judith  M.  Patton  in  Wellesley  Hills,  Mas- 
sachusetts on  November  18, 1978.  The 
bride  attended  Simmons  College.  She  is  an 
associate  programmer-analyst  at  Digital 
Equipment  Corp.  The  groom  is  a  systems 
programmer  at  Digital. 

Keith  Harrison  works  as  a  highway  en- 
gineer trainee  for  the  Federal  Highway 
Administration  in  Jackson,  Mississippi.  .  .  . 
Paul  McLoughlin,  a  physics  teacher  at  Gil- 
ford (N.H.)  High  School,  is  studying  for  his 
MA  at  Assumption  College.  .  .  .  Robert 
Medeiros  is  with  Industrial  Risk  Insurers  in 
Towson,  Md.  .  .  .  Chris  Morosas  is  em- 
ployed as  a  product  development  engineer 
at  CIT-Cryogenics,  Helix  Technology 
Corp.,  in  Waltham,  Mass.  .  .  .  Reed 
Mosher,  who  is  with  the  Army  Corps  of 
Engineers  at  the  Waterways  Experiment 
Station,  Vicksburg,  is  working  on  his  MS  at 
Mississippi  State  University. 

Theodore  Parker  works  as  a  production 
engineer  at  Polaroid  Corp.  in  Norwood, 
Mass.  .    .  Konstantin  Terentjev  is  with  the 
Boeing  Company  in  Seattle.  .  .  .  Peter 
Wiberg  is  a  manufacturing  engineer  at 
Unimation,  Inc.  in  Danbury,  Conn.  Thefirm 
manufactures  industrial  robots. 


1978 

Secretary 
Cynthia  Grynlck 
303  Wolcott  St 
Waterbury,  CT 
06705 

^■Married:  William  L.  Collins  to  Miss  Ann 
M.  Gaffney  of  Rochdale,  Massachusetts 
last  June.  The  groom  is  with  Stone  &  Webs- 
ter in  Boston.  . . .  Jeffrey  A.  Wakefield  and 
Eileen  M.  Pickett  in  Worcester  recently.  The 
bride  graduated  from  Fanning  School  of 
Health  Occupations  and  is  employed  as  a 
dental  assistant.  Her  husband  has  joined 
Gino's  in  Shrewsbury  (Mass.)  as  assistant 
manager. . . .  John  J.  Wallace  to  Miss 
Cheryl  L.  Pierce  in  Worcesteron  December 
30, 1 978.  Mrs.  Wallace  attended  Fitchburg 
State  College,  graduated  from  Burbank 
Hospital  School  of  Nursing,  and  is  a  regis- 
tered nurse.  The  bridegroom,  a  student  at 
Carnegie-Mellon  University,  Pittsburgh,  is 
a  member  of  the  technical  staff  at  Bell 
Laboratories  in  Chicago,  Illinois. . .  . 
Stephen  B.  Wilmot  to  Lori  Vanderman  on 
January  6,  1979.  The  groom  is  a  systems 
analyst  at  Hamilton  Standard  in  Windsor, 
Conn. 

William  Alexander  is  a  design  engineer 
at  Heald  Machine  Co.  in  Worcester —  Zita 
Babickas  is  a  graduate  student  in  bio- 
chemistry at  the  University  of  Rochester 
(N.Y). . . .  Daniel  Baublis  serves  as  a  field 
engineer  for  Babcock  &  Wilcox  in  San 

Francisco Michael  Beaudoin  continues 

in  the  post  of  junior  engineer  at  Golder 
Associates,  Inc.  in  Atlanta,  Ga.  .  .  .  Richard 
Bielen  has  joined  Hamilton  Standard, 
Windsor  Locks,  Conn.  .  .  .  Richard  Bisson- 
nette  is  a  maintenance  supervisor  at  Jos.  E. 
Seagram's  &  Sons  in  Lawrenceburg,  In- 
diana.       Antonio  Borgonovo  is  a  partner 
in  Borgonovo  Hnos.,  S.A.,  in  San  Salvador, 

El  Salvador,  C.A 2/Lt.  Richard  Bour- 

gault,  U.S.  Army,  was  recently  stationed  at 
Fort  Knox,  Kentucky. 

Robert  Brosnahan,  a  graduate  research 
assistant  at  Clemson  (S.C.)  University,  is 
working  for  his  master's  in  bioengineering. 
.  .  .  Robert  Brown  III  is  employed  as  a 
mechanical  design  engineer  at  the  Harris 
Corp.  (Web  Press  Division)  in  Westerly,  R.I. 
.  .  .  Currently,  Gary  Bujaucius  works  as  an 
actuary  at  Hanover  Insurance  in  Worcester. 
. . .  Robin  PaisnerChapell  has  joined 
Peterson  International,  Chicago,  III.,  as  an 
operations  coordinator.  .  .  .  Ralph  Chap- 
man works  as  a  systems  programmer  at 
National  CSS  in  Wilton,  Conn.  .  .  .  Factory 
Mutual  Research,  Norwood,  Mass.,  em- 
ploys David  Chin  as  an  associate  engineer. 
. . .  Currently,  William  Christian  serves  as  a 
Peace  Corps  volunteer  in  Nairobi,  Kenya, 
Africa.  .  .  .  Steven  Ciavarini  is  an  analytical 
engineer  at  United  Technologies  Power 
Systems  Division  in  South  Windsor,  Conn. 


28  /  April  1979  /  The  WPI  (ournal 


Jack  Condlin,  who  has  his  MS  in  urban 
planning  from  WPI,  has  been  named 
executive  director  of  the  Community  De- 
velopment Agency  in  Willimantic,  Conn. 
He  had  served  the  agency  for  1 9  months  as 
rehabilitation  director.  Earlier,  he  had 
worked  for  the  Natick  (Mass.)/edevelop- 
ment  Authority  for  four  years. . . .  Robert 
Cook  is  a  product  designer  at  Hewlett- 
Packard  Co.,  General  Systems  Division, 
Cupertino,  Calif.  .  .  .  George  Cooper  is 
employed  as  a  junior  engineer  at  Seelye, 
Stevenson,  Valve  &  Knecht  in  Stratford, 
Conn.  .  .  .  John  Cozzens,  Jr.  has  joined  GE 
in  Hudson  Falls,  NY.,  where  he  is  a  design 
engineer.  .  .  .  Barry  Cronin  works  as  a 

project  engineeratGE  in  Syracuse,  N.Y 

Kathryn  Dearden  serves  as  a  development 
engineer  at  Mobil  Chemical  Company's 
Plastics  Division  in  Macedon,  N.Y.  .  .  .  Rick 
Diamond  has  been  employed  by  Fafnir 
Bearing-Textron,  where  he  is  an  industrial 
engineer  in  the  New  Britain  (Conn.)  plant. 

David  Dickey  holds  the  position  of  direc- 
tor of  biomedical  engineering  at  Hurley 
Medical  Center  in  Flint,  Mich.  He  has  an 
MS  from  WPI.  .  .  .  2/Lt.  William  Diederich, 
USAF,  has  graduated  from  the  Strategic  Air 
Command's  missile  combat  crew  opera- 
tional readiness  training  course  at  Vanden- 
berg  AFB,  Calif.  He  is  now  at  Francis  E. 
Warren  AFB,  Wyo.  for  training  and  duty  as 
a  missile  combat  crew  member.  . . . 
Elizabeth  McCauley  Donahue  is  a  social 
worker  at  Lynndale  School  and  Training 
Centerforthe  Retarded  in  Augusta,  Ga. . . . 
Judy  Donaldson,  who  has  her  MS  from 
WPI,  is  a  junior  programmer  at  IBM  in 
Suffern,  N.Y.  .  .  .   Craig  Dowley  is  a  prod- 
uct engineer  at  Parker  Hannifin  Corp.,  Ot- 
sego, Mich Thomas  Edwards  holds  the 

position  of  analyst  at  Pattern  Analysis  and 
Recognition  Corp.,  Rome,  N.Y.  His  January 
note  states,  "Five  feet  of  snow  to  date!" 

Anthony  Fernandes  has  joined  Malcolm 
Pirnie,  Inc.,  Philadelphia,  Pa.  .  .  .  Jeffrey 
Firestone,  a  senior  manufacturing  engineer 
at  Rocketdyne  in  Canoga  Park,  Calif.,  is 
also  working  for  his  master's  in  materials 
engineering  at  California  State  University  in 
Northridge.  .  .  .  James  Fisher  is  a  software 
engineer  for  Hamilton  Test  Systems  in 
Windsor  Locks,  Conn.  .  .  .  Robert  Flynn, 
who  has  his  MBA  from  Babson  College, 
now  works  as  a  sales  representative  for 
Braun  North  America  in  Cambridge,  Mass. 
.  .  .  John  Frazer  is  a  design  engineer  at 
Hauni  Richmond,  Inc.,  Richmond,  Va.  He 

has  his  MSEE  from  WPI Presently, 

George  Fredette,  is  employed  as  a  field 
engineer  at  Halliburton  Services,  Bradford, 
Pa.  .  .  .  Paul  Gardner,  with  an  MS  in 
management  science  from  WPI,  holds  the 
post  of  business  manager  at  Norton  Co. , 
Worcester.  He  is  a  registered  professional 
engineer  in  Massachusetts. 


2/Lt.  Alan  Geishecker,  a  platoon  leader 
with  the  U.S.  Army,  is  located  in  Wiesba- 
den, Germany. . . .  Dean  Giacopassi  serves 
as  an  associate  engineer  at  Boeing  Aero- 
space Co.  in  Seattle.  .    .  Richard  Gottlieb 
has  joined  Morrison-Knudsen  Co.  in  Boise, 
Idaho.  .      Bryce  Granger  works  as  a 
manufacturing  engineer  at  Parker  Hannifin 
Corp.  in  Ravenna,  Ohio. . . .  John  Hannon  is 
with  du  Pont-Remington  Arms  in  llion, 
N.Y —  Mark  Harley,  a  computer  software 
engineer  at  GenRad,  Inc.,  West  Concord, 
Mass. ,  also  serves  as  organist  at  the  United 
Church  of  Shirley  (Mass.).  .  .  .  Annie  Harris 
is  employed  as  an  associate  engineer  at 
Westinghouse  in  Monroeville,  Pa.  .  .  . 
David  Hawley  holds  the  post  of  vice  presi- 
dent of  Howard  Products,  Inc.,  Worcester. 
. . .  Lawrence  Hindle  is  a  project  engineer  at 
Electric  Boat-General  Dynamics  in  Groton, 
Conn.  .  .  .  Michael  Huba  works  as  an 
associate  engineer  at  Westinghouse-Bettis 
Atomic  Power  Lab.,  West  Mifflin,  Pa.  .  .  . 
Daniel  Jackson  serves  as  a  graduate  assist- 
ant at  the  University  of  Illinois.  .  .  .  Austin 
Kalb  is  a  teaching  assistant  in  the  physics 
department  at  U.C.L.A.  in  Los  Angeles.  .  .  . 
Philip  Katz  works  for  Riley  Stoker,  Worces- 
ter. 

Osamu  Kimura,  a  junior  engineer  at 
Gilbane  Building  Co.  in  Baltimore,  is  also 
working  for  his  master's  degree  in  en- 
gineering administration  at  George 
Washington  University.  .  .  .  Kenneth  King 
has  been  employed  as  an  assistant  engineer 
in  the  distribution  department  at  Public 
Service  Co.  of  New  Hampshire  in  Manches- 
ter. .  .  .  Although  he  expects  to  be  trans- 
ferred in  June,  currently  Carlton  Klein  is  a 
quality  control  engineer  for  GE  Ordnance 
Systems  in  Pittsfield,  Mass.  .  . .  Stephen 
Kuczarski  serves  as  an  aerospace  engineer 
on  the  shuttle  spacelab  payloads  project  at 
NASA-Goddard  Space  Flight  Center  in 
Greenbelt,  Md.  .  .  .  Stephen  LaPlante  has 
joined  La-Man  Constructors  in  Houston, 
Texas.  .  .  .  Donald  Lundstrom  is  superin- 
tendent of  planning  and  control  at  Norton 
Co. ,  Worcester.  He  has  his  MGS  from  WPI. 
.  .  .  Kathryn  Lyga  is  with  Northrop  Corp.  in 
Norwood,  Mass. 


Kenneth  MacDonald  is  presently  with 
the  Department  of  Physics  at  Johns  Hop- 
kins University,  Baltimore,  Md.  .  .  .  Neil 
Manus  is  a  grad  student  at  the  University  of 
Connecticut  in  Storrs.  .  .  .  Charles  Marden, 
Jr.  serves  as  an  ensign  with  the  U.S.  Navy 
aboard  the  U.S.S.  Indianapolis.  .  .  .  David 
Markey  is  a  materials  engineer  at  Sikorsky 
Aircraft  in  Stratford,  Conn.  .  .  .  Charles 
Martin  is  an  aerospace  ground  equipment 
engineer  at  GE  in  Lynn,  Mass. 
.  . .  John  McGee  works  as  a  product 
development  engineer  at  Hewlett-Packard 
in  Andover,  Mass. . . .  Steven  McLafferty,  a 
field  test  engineer  for  GE  Ordnance  Sys- 
tems of  Pittsfield,  Mass.,  is  currently  lo- 
cated in  Maine.        Kevin  McNamara  has 
joined  Riley  Stoker,  Worcester.  .  .  .  Richard 
McNamara  has  been  employed  as  a  field 
engineer  at  Turner  Construction  in  Boston. 
.  .  .  Edward  Menard  serves  as  a  consultant 
for  Hias,  Inc.,  South  Grafton,  Mass.  . .  . 
Babu  Metgud  holds  the  post  of  chief  en- 
gineer at  Omni  Fabricators,  Inc.  in  Vincen- 
town,  N.J        Stephan  Mezak  is  a  grad 
student  at  the  University  of  California  at 
Berkeley. . . .  Bradford  Mills  is  employed  as 
a  junior  engineer  at  Fay,  Spoffard  & 
Thorndike,  Inc.  in  Boston. 

Robert  Naugler  is  with  Raytheon  Co.,  of 
Wayland,  Mass.  .  .  .  Sanders  Associates, 
Nashua,  N.H.,  has  employed  Ted  Neiman 
as  an  electrical  engineer.  .  .  .  Michael 
O'Hara  serves  as  a  consulting  engineer  for 
Rolf  Jensen  &  Associates,  Inc.,  San  Fran- 
cisco, Calif.  .  .  .  Stephen  Pace  is  a  sales 
trainee  at  Combustion  Engineering  in 
Windsor,  Conn.  .  .  .  Charles  Pallett  has 
joined  Exxon  Research  &  Engineering  Co., 
Florham  Park,  N.J. . . .  Lawrence  Parretti, 
Jr.,  who  is  with  the  Perini  Corporation, 
Framingham,  Mass.,  recently  returned 

from  a  six-month  assignment  in  Kuwait 

Prakash  Patel  is  a  project  engineer  at  Harri- 
son Radiator  in  Lockport,  N.Y.  .  .  .  Louis 
Pelletier  works  as  an  estimator  at  V.  Pel- 
letier  &  Sons,  Fitchburg,  Mass.  .  .  .  Jennifer 
Pollard  is  a  junior  engineer  for  the  New 
York  State  Department  of  Transportation 
in  Poughkeepsie. . . .  Wiebe  Postema  is  a 
member  of  Technical  Services  I  at  Rockwell 
International  in  Canoga  Park,  Calif.  .  . . 
Frank  Pulaski  has  been  employed  as  a  sales 
engineer  by  Westinghouse  in  Houston, 
Texas. 

Kenneth  Rass  is  an  assistant  nuclear  en- 
gineer at  Westinghouse  in  Idaho  Falls, 
Idaho —  John  Richie,  Jr.  is  studyingforhis 
PhD  in  biochemistry  at  the  University  of 
Louisville  in  Kentucky.  .  .  .  John  Ronna  has 
joined  the  Bose  Corporation  in  Framing- 
ham,  Mass. ,  where  he  is  a  quality  assurance 
engineer. .  .  .  Dick  Russell  is  a  product 
market  support  supervisor  at  DEC  in 
Maynard,  Mass.  .  .  .  Navy  Ensign  Robert 
Sachuk  was  recently  graduated  from  the 
Basic  Civil  Engineer  Corps  Officer  Course. 
He  joined  the  Navy  in  September. . . .  David 
Sartorelli  is  a  research  engineer  at 
Goodyear  Tire  &  Rubber  in  Akron,  Ohio. 


The  WPI  Journal  /  April  1979  /  29 


.  .  .  Philip  Scarrell  works  as  a  production 
area  engineer  at  du  Pon\  in  South  San 

Francisco,  Calif Clifford  Schulze  is  with 

Grinnell  Fire  Protection  Systems  Co.  in 
Macedonia,  Ohio.  He,  his  wife,  Sharon, 
and  son,  Patrick,  reside  in  Broadview 
Heights.  .  .  .  Krishna  Shah  has  joined 
Mid-West  Steel  Bldg.  Co.,  Inc.,  Houston, 
Texas.  .  .  .  Wayne  Shiatte  is  employed  by 
Baxter  &  Woodman,  Inc.,  Crystal  Lake,  III. . 
. .  James  Shuris  serves  as  a  structural- 
geotechnical  engineer  at  Fay,  Spofford  & 
Thorndike,  Inc.,  Boston. 

Gregory  Smith  is  now  with  Johns- 
Manville  Co.,  where  he  is  an  industrial 
engineer.  He  is  located  in  Nashua,  N.H. . . . 
Gary  Sowyrda  works  as  an  associate  en- 
gineer at  Exxon  in  Houston.  .  .  .  William 
Spacciapoli,  who  is  a  mechanical  engineer 
working  with  his  father,  the  owner  of  Cus- 
tom Molding  Products,  Leominster,  Mass., 
went  across  the  country  alone  on  his  bicy- 
cle last  summer.  During  the  entire  3,000- 
mile  trip,  he  suffered  only  one  physical 
ailment,  sunburn,  and  averaged  about  110 
miles  a  day.  His  most  rewarding  experience 
was  riding  30  miles  up  to  the  summit  of  the 
Bighorn  Mountains  in  the  Rockies,  and 
then  riding  down  —  a  distance  of  about 
9,600  feet  . . .  Newell  Stamm,  Jr.  is  a 
project  manager  for  the  Department  of  the 

Navy  in  Norfolk,  Va Paula  Jane  Stoll  is  a 

graduate  student  and  teaching  assistant  in 
the  chemical  engineering  department  at 
WPI.  .  .  .  Procter  &  Gamble  in  Cincinnati 
employs  Jeffrey  Sun  as  a  project  engineer. 


.  Stephen  Superson  is  a  field  engineer 
with  Thames  Valley  Steel  Corp.,  New  Lon- 
don, Conn. 

2/Lt.  Andrew  Tabak,  USA,  is  stationed  at 
Ft.  Riley,  Kansas. . .  Tracy  Taylor  works  for 
Prime  Computer  in  Wellesley,  Mass.  . . . 
William  Taylor  is  a  sales  representative  for 
the  Timken  Company  in  Memphis,  Tenn. 
.  .  David  Thibodeau,  Jr.  has  joined  San- 
ders Associates,  Inc.,  Nashua,  N.H. . .  . 
Brian  Timura  is  a  bacteriology  technologist 
at  St.  Elizabeth's  Hospital  in  Brighton, 
Mass..  .  .  Jeffrey  Toran  serves  as  a  research 
assistant  at  WPI.  .  .  .  Norton  Co.,  Worces- 
ter, has  hired  Stephen  Tourigny  as  a  pro- 
cess engineer.  . . .  Joseph  Tsao  holds  the 
post  of  design  engineer  at  Damon  Corp., 
Needham  Heights,  Mass.  He  has  an  MS 
from  WPI.  He,  his  wife,  Lily,  and  two 
children  reside  in  Framingham. . . .  Eduardo 
Valcarce  is  with  Monsanto  in  Indian  Or- 
chard, Mass. . . .  John  Vestri,  Jr.  is  now  with 
Parker  Hannifin  Corp.  as  a  product  line 
planner.  He  is  headquartered  in  Ravenna, 
Ohio. 

Michael  Walker  currently  serves  as  a 
field  engineer  for  Turner  Construction  Co. 
in  Beaver,  Pa.    .  .  Russell  Warnock  is  a 
platoon  leader  for  the  Army's  84th  En- 
gineer Company.  He  is  stationed  in  Furth, 
Germany.  .  .  .  Dean  Wilcox  is  employed  as 
a  supervisor  at  General  Dynamics-Electric 

Boat  in  Groton,  Conn Dave  Wilson  has 

joined  Polaroid  Corp.  in  Norwood,  Mass. 


.  .  .  Jeff  Wilson  works  for  Honeywell 
Commercial  Controls  in  Wellesley,  Mass. . . 
Presently,  Randall  Wyatt  is  enrolled  in  the 
power  systems  engineering  course  (in- 
house  GE)  and  will  be  in  training  for  about 
two  years.  Wyatt,  an  applications  engineer 
for  GE  in  Schenectady,  is  also  studying  for 
his  master's  degree  of  engineering  in  elec- 
tric power  at  RPI . . . .  Sandra  Wyman  serves 
as  a  manufacturing  technology  engineer  at 
Monsanto  in  Springfield,  Mass.  .  .  .  Greg 
Yeo  is  a  graduate  student  in  the  depart- 
ment of  chemical  engineering  at  WPI. 


30  /  April  1979  /  The  WPI  Journal 


School  of  Industrial 

Management 


Edward  Keith,  '57,  was  recently  elected  a 
vice  president  of  New  England  Power  Co., 
a  subsidiary  of  New  England  Electric  in 
Westboro,  Mass.  He  also  continues  as  di- 
rector of  thermal  production  for  the  power 
company.  In  1 947  Keith  joined  the  utility  as 
a  draftsman,  and  he  has  worked  since  as  a 
field  engineer,  technical  assistant,  and  su- 
perintendent of  production.  He  attended 
the  School  of  Business  Administration  at 
the  University  of  Michigan. 

George  Lynch,  '57,  has  been  named  execu- 
tive secretary  of  the  board  of  selectmen  in 
Sturbridge,  Mass.  He  served  as  a  selectman 
from  1952  to  1955  and  was  active  in  civic 
and  governmental  organizations.  He  was 
chosen  for  his  new  post  from  a  group  of 
seven  applicants.  He  was  employed  at 
American  Optical  Corp.,  Southbridge  until 
1 971 ,  and  held  the  post  of  personnel  direc- 
tor at  RathboneCorp.,  Palmer,  until  his 
retirement  in  1977. 

Ralph  Miller,  Jr.,  '64,  of  Southbridge, 
Mass.  has  formed  TASCO  Sales  Company, 
Inc.,  as  the  exclusive  marketing  and  sales 
agent  for  TASCO  Corp.  of  East  Providence, 
R.I.,  manufacturer  of  hearing  protectors  for 
the  safety  and  sporting  good  fields.  With 
the  David  Clark  Company,  Worcester  for 
21  years,  he  had  recently  been  associated 
with  the  company's  safety,  sporting  goods, 
and  medical  divisions.  Earlier,  he  was  with 
the  Safety  Products  Division  of  American 
Optical  Corp. 


Jack  Shields,  '69,  is  the  newly  appointed 
vice  president  of  customer  services  at  Digi- 
tal Equipment  Corp.  He  is  in  charge  of  three 
corporate  groups,  including  software  ser- 
vices and  field  service,  and  is  now  a 
member  of  the  operations  committee  and 
its  marketing  subcommittee.  Formerly, 
Shields  was  vice  president  of  field  service 
and  software  service.  He  joined  Digital  in 
1 961  as  a  senior  technician.  The  next  year 
he  became  one  of  the  company's  first  three 
field  service  engineers.  In  1964,  he  was 
named  manager  of  field  service,  and  in 
1968  he  was  promoted  to  corporate  man- 
ager of  customer  service.  Appointed  vice 
president  of  field  service  and  training  in 
1974,  he  was  responsible  for  Digital's  cus- 
tomer service  organizations,  including  field 
service,  educational  services,  user  services, 
and  technical  documentation  groups. 


Edward  Buck,  '70,  is  now  the  management 
information  system  manager  at  Coppus 
Engineering  Corp.,  Worcester.  He  joined 
Coppus  last  June  after  having  served  in  a 
similar  capacity  at  Digital  Equipment  Corp. 
and  Crompton  &  Knowles.  He  has  a 
bachelor's  and  a  master's  degree  in  busi- 
ness administration  from  Clark  University. 

John  DelPrete,  '76,  chairman  of  the  board 
of  selectmen  in  Framingham,  Mass.,  has 
finished  the  requirements  for  a  BA  degree 
in  liberal  arts  at  Framingham  State  College 
following  six  years  of  night  classes.  "It's 
something  I've  always  wanted  to  do,"  he 
says.  He  serves  as  a  public  affairs  repre- 
sentative for  Commonwealth  Gas  Com- 
pany in  Southboro,  where  he  had  been 
foreman  of  construction  for  20  years.  Four 
of  his  six  children  have  gone  to  college,  and 
he  now  has  a  son  at  Suffolk  Law  School. 

Robert  Galvin,  '78,  is  an  assistant  plant 
manager  at  Allen-Sherman-Hoff  in  Mal- 
vern, Pa. 

John  Hickey,  Jr.,  '78,  holds  the  post  of 
assistant  controller  at  N.E.  High  Carbon 
Wire  Corp.,  Millbury,  Mass. 

Bateman  Lawrence  III,  '78,  serves  as  prod- 
uct support  manager  at  Digital  Equipment 
Corp.  in  Merrimack,  N.H. 

Aram  Sohigian,  '78,  is  employed  as  man- 
ager of  project  engineering  at  Bay  State 
Abrasives,  Westboro,  Mass. 

George  Vachon,  Jr.,  '78,  works  as  a  senior 
manufacturing  engineer  at  Fenwal  Inc.,  in 
Ashland,  Mass. 


Natural  Science 
Program 


Alwin  Hopfmann,  '72,  a  science  teacher  at 
Bromfield  in  Harvard,  Mass.,  has  been 
granted  a  one-year  unpaid  leave  of  ab- 
sence by  the  School  Committee  so  that  he 
may  run  for  Congress  from  the  Second 
Congressional  District.  He  will  run  as  a 
Democrat  against  Democratic  incumbent 
Edward  Boland  of  Springfield.  Hopfmann 
has  been  active  as  secretary-treasurer  of 
the  Central  Massachusetts  chapter  of  TRIM 
(Tax  Reform  Immediately). 


John  Despres,  '78,  presently  teaches  sci- 
ence at  Worcester  Academy.  .  .  .  Steven 
Foehr,  '78,  is  a  teacher  at  the  Wickford 
Middle  School  in  North  Kingstown,  R.I. . . . 
Judith  Doherty  Hanson,  '78,  teaches  in  the 
town  of  Norwell,  Mass.  .  .  .  Presently, 
Donovan  Lewis,  '78,  serves  as  a  research 
assistant  II  at  Brown  University  in  Provi- 
dence. .  .    Richard  Mongeon,  '78,  is  with 
the  Stoneham  (Mass.)  Public  School 
System. 


The  WPI  Journal  /  April  1979/31 


Frank  F.  Hutchings,  '08,  of  Concord,  Mas- 
sachusetts, died  at  the  Rivercrest  Nursing 
Home  on  January  7, 1979. 

He  was  born  on  Nov.  1 6,  1 883  in 
Amherst,  Mass.  After  studying  at  WPI,  he 
received  his  BS  from  Massachusetts  Ag- 
ricultural College  and  his  MS  from  Mas- 
sachusetts State  College.  He  was  commis- 
sioned a  second  lieutenant  in  the  U.S.  Army 
in  1917  and  saw  duty  overseas  in  Bor- 
deaux, France.  In  1943  he  retired  with  the 
rank  of  Lt.  Colonel. 

Mr.  Hutchings  was  a  former  science 
teacher  in  the  Saybrook  and  Manchester 
(Conn.)  school  systems.  Later,  he  taught  in 
New  Bedford  (Mass.),  where  he  was  ap- 
pointed director  of  Civil  Defense.  He  served 
for  a  time  as  a  placement  officer  with  the 
Veterans  Administration,  and  worked  at  GE 
in  Lynn,  Mass. 

Among  the  organizations  to  which  he 
belonged  were  the  Massachusetts  Board  of 
Civil  Service  Registrars,  the  National  Asso- 
ciation of  Retired  Civil  Engineers,  the  Re- 
tired Officers  Association  of  the  U.S.  Army, 
the  Society  of  American  Military  Engineers, 
and  the  Retired  Teachers  Association  of 
Massachusetts.  He  was  a  Mason.  He  was 
also  a  Methodist  and  a  life  member  of  the 
Scottish  Rite  Valley  of  Boston. 

Henry  J.  Schaefer,  '13,  former  treasurer  of 
Central  Machine  Works,  Worcester,  died 
on  November  24,  1978  in  Overland  Park, 
Kansas. 

A  native  of  Clinton,  Mass.,  he  was  born 
on  August  6, 1 889.  In  1 91 3  he  graduated 
as  a  chemist  from  WPI.  In  1915  he  joined 
the  Gun  Cotton  organization  (Sayles)  of 
Pawtucket,  R.I.  In  1916  he  was  named 
chief  chemist  for  Gun  Cotton  plants  in 
Woonsocket,  Central  Falls,  and  Phil- 
lipsdale,  R.I.,  as  well  as  in  Bristol,  Pa., 
Charlotte,  N.C.,  and  Atlanta,  Ga. 

He  returned  to  Worcester  in  1918  as 
president  of  Worcester  Gameting  Co.,  and 
treasurer  of  the  Central  Machine  Works,  a 
family-owned  business.  He  went  into 
semi-retirement  as  treasurer  in  1960. 

Mr.  Schaefer  belonged  to  the  Masons, 
the  Commercial  Travelers,  and  All  Saints 
Church,  Worcester,  For  the  past  four  years 
he  had  been  living  with  his  daughter  and 
son-in-law  in  Kansas. 


Everett  C.  Bryant,  '19,  died  unexpectedly 
at  his  home  in  Arlington,  Massachusetts  on 
January  18,  1979  at  the  age  of  83. 

For  a  number  of  years  he  served  as  vice 
president  and  manager  of  Mystic  Valley 
Gas  Company,  Maiden,  Mass.,  from  which 
he  retired  in  1 960.  He  was  a  member  of 
Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon.  In  1 91 9  he  graduated 
with  a  degree  in  chemistry. 

Mr.  Bryant  was  a  member  of  the  Ma- 
sons, the  Arlington  Rotary  Club,  the  Ameri- 
can Gas  Association,  the  New  England  Gas 
Association,  and  the  Guild  of  Gas  Manag- 
ers. He  was  born  on  Dec.  18,  1895  in 
Worcester,  and  was  a  World  War  I  veteran. 

William  H.  Cooney,  '22,  director  of  Civil 
Defense  in  Pittsfield  (Mass.)  for  27  years, 
passed  away  on  December  21,  1978.  He 
was  78  years  old. 

He  was  born  in  Pittsfield  on  June  1 , 1 900. 
After  graduating  from  WPI  as  an  electrical 
engineer,  he  joined  General  Electric, 
Pittsfield,  from  which  he  retired  42  years 
later  as  manager  of  the  IBM  705  computer 
operation  in  the  power  transformer  de- 
partment. 

Prior  to  entering  WPI,  Mr.  Cooney  had 
worked  briefly  at  GE  and  had  served  a  short 
time  in  the  Army  during  World  War  I.  In 
1 925,  he  became  a  Reserve  Officer.  During 
World  War  II  he  was  a  captain  on  the  staff 
of  the  Eastern  Signal  Corps  School  at  Fort 
Monmouth,  N.J.  In  1944  he  was  promoted 
to  lieutenant  colonel  and  became  director 
of  personnel  for  the  entire  training  center. 
Later,  he  served  with  the  American  Military 
Government  in  Germany. 

In  1950,  he  was  named  Pittsfield's  first 
Civil  Defense  director.  He  served  in  that 
capacity  without  pay  until  his  retirement 
two  years  ago.  He  was  honored  in  1 974  for 
his  long-time  service  in  a  tribute  by  U.S. 
Representative  Silvio  Conte  at  a  testimonial 
dinner  at  which  he  stated,  ". . . .  We  salute 
(Bill  Cooney)  as  a  man  of  boundless  energy 
and  dedicated  public  service  to  his  home 
community." 

Mr.  Cooney,  a  professional  engineer, 
was  a  former  business  manager  of  Berk- 
shire Community  College.  He  belonged  to 
the  BCC  New  Campus  Committee,  the  Fire 
Department  Building  Commission  (22  yrs.), 
as  well  as  various  professional  groups.  He 
had  served  as  past  chairman  of  the  local 
section  of  AIEE,  and  was  a  member  of 
Theta  Chi,  Tau  Beta  Pi,  and  Sigma  Xi.  He 
was  a  fellow  of  IEEE. 


Winthrop  S.  Marston,  '26,  of  Walnut 
Creek,  California  died  of  a  heart  attack  on 
September  3,  1978. 

In  1926  he  received  his  BSEE  from  WPI. 
During  his  career  he  was  with  Utica  (N.Y.) 
Gas  &  Electric  Co.,  New  York  State  Electric 
&  Gas  Corp.,  J.G.  White  Engineering  Corp., 
du  Pont,  the  U.S.  Army  Corps  of  Engineers, 
and  the  National  Park  Service  in  San  Fran- 
cisco, from  which  he  was  retired. 

Mr.  Marston,  who  was  born  in  North 
Hampton,  N.H.  on  June  16,  1904,  was  a 
professional  engineer  in  New  York  state. 
He  belonged  to  ATO,  the  Masons,  the 
Scottish  Rite  Bodies,  and  the  Shrine. 

William  J.  Williamson,  '26,  of  Buffalo, 
New  York  passed  away  recently. 

He  was  born  on  March  13,1 903  in 
Niagara  Falls,  N.Y.  After  studying  mechan- 
ical engineering  at  WPI,  he  became  presi- 
dent of  the  Cataract  Ice  Company,  Niagara 
Falls,  and  was  associated  with  the  firm  for 
many  years.  He  was  with  GE,  Carrier,  and 
Westinghouse,  as  a  distributor.  He  served 
as  general  manager  of  Cold  Storage  Com- 
pany and  worked  on  special  assignments 
for  The  Wall  Street  Journal. 

Mr.  Williamson  belonged  to  Phi  Gamma 
Delta.  He  held  a  BS  in  economics  from  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania. 

Kevork  K.  Nahigyan,  '27,  a  former  resident 
of  Clearwater,  Florida,  passed  away  re- 
cently. 

A  member  of  the  Institute  of  Aerospace 
Scientists,  Mr.  Nahigyan  was  with  NASA  at 
the  Lewis  Research  Center  from  1941  to 
1 970.  He  had  been  assistant  chief  of  the 
Engineering  Design  Division.  Previously,  he 
was  a  development  engineer  for  Riley 
Stoker  Corp. 

He  belonged  to  Sigma  Xi,  Tau  Beta  Pi, 
and  AIAA.  In  1927  he  graduated  with  a 
BSME  from  WPI.  He  was  born  in  Harpoot, 
Turkey  on  Sept.  8,  1900. 

A.  Harold  Rustigian,  '29,  died  in  the 
Memorial  Hospital  in  Worcester. 

He  was  born  in  Worcester  on  November 
7,  1 906  and  was  a  member  of  the  class  of 
1 929  at  WPI.  For  many  years  he  was  with 
Norton  Co.,  from  which  he  was  retired. 

Edward  T.  Fox,  '30,  a  former  investigator 
for  the  Social  Security  Administration,  died 
in  Hahnemann  Hospital,  Worcester,  on 
November  18,  1978. 

Mr.  Fox  was  born  on  June  3,  1906  in 
Clinton,  Mass.  In  1930,  he  graduated  with 
his  BS  in  mechanical  engineering.  He  joined 
the  State  Employment  Service  and  Chance 
Vought  in  Stratford,  Conn.  In  1971  he 
retired  from  the  Social  Security  Administra- 
tion. 

He  belonged  to  the  Retired  State  County 
and  Municipal  Employees  Association  of 
Massachusetts. 


Eben  H.  Rice,  '31,  a  retired  Codman  & 
Shurtleff  executive,  died  on  January  26, 
1979  of  a  heart  attack  in  Exeter,  New 
Hampshire.  He  was  68  years  old. 

After  receiving  his  civil  engineering  de- 
gree from  WPI,  he  taught  at  Gardner  High 
School.  He  then  worked  in  the  Civilian 
Employee  Corps  of  Engineers  from  1935 
until  1948  at  the  Cape  Cod  Canal,  the 
Franklin  Falls  (N.H.)  Flood  Control  Dam, 
the  Kindley  Airfield  in  Bermuda,  and  the 
office  of  the  district  engineer  in  Boston.  He 
served  as  executive  vice  president  and  trea- 
surer of  the  surgical  instrument  firm  of 
Codman  &  Shurtleff,  Inc.,  Boston,  from 
1948  until  his  retirement  in  1970. 

Mr.  Rice  was  a  president  and  former 
member  of  the  Boston  Lions  Club,  the 
Wellesley  Country  Club,  the  Brae  Burn 
Country  Club,  and  the  Union  Church  of 
Waban.  In  1 975  he  became  president  of 
the  New  Hampshire  Farm  Museum,  Inc., 
and  was  actively  involved  with  it  until  his 
death.  He  belonged  to  Theta  Chi  and  Skull. 
He  was  born  in  Gardner  on  February  6, 
1910. 

Edward  D.  Perkins,  '32,  former  chairman  of 
the  Danvers  (Mass.)  School  Committee, 
died  on  January  1 9, 1 979  in  Lowell  General 
Hospital. 

He  was  born  in  Somerville,  Mass.  on  June 
16,  1909.  During  his  career,  he  was  with 
New  England  Medical  Center,  Sylvania, 
Newton  Engineering,  and  Maiden  City 
Hospital,  where  he  retired  as  an  electrician 
in  1 974.  He  was  a  town  meeting  member  in 
Danvers  in  1 956.  For  several  years  he 
served  on  the  school  committee  of  which 
he  was  chairman. 

Long  identified  with  Masonic  affairs,  Mr. 
Perkins  was  the  founderand  PastMasterof 
the  Pulpit  Rock  Lodge  of  Pelham,  N.H.  He 
was  also  a  Shriner  and  a  member  of  the 
Grand  Lodge  of  Masons  of  New  Hamp- 
shire. 

Wallace  R.  Powell,  '34,  who  spent  over  30 
years  with  General  Electric,  died  recently. 

A  native  of  Willimantic,  Conn,  he  was 
born  on  October  26,  1 91 1 .  He  graduated 
with  a  BSEE  in  1934,  then  joined  GE.  From 
1934  to  1945  he  served  as  a  special  GE 
representative.  He  was  also  vice  president 
of  Casco  Products  Corp.  and  president  of 
his  own  firm,  Fairfield  Associates.  For  many 
years  he  was  sales  manager  for  GE's  Lamp 
Division. 

Mr.  Powell  belonged  to  ATO,  the  Black 
Rock  Yacht  Club,  the  Congregational 
Church,  and  the  Republican  Town  Com- 
mittee. He  was  a  member  of  the  Illuminat- 
ing Engineering  Society  and  the  National 
Association  of  Electrical  Distributors. 


Frederick  A.  Gammans,  '48,  of  Fairhaven, 
Massachusetts  died  suddenly  of  a  heart 
attack  on  September  5,  1978. 

Mr.  Gammans,  the  chief  engineer  of  the 
New  Bedford  (Mass.)  Department  of  Public 
Works,  had  previously  been  with  the  U.S. 
Army  Corps  of  Engineers.  Other  employers 
had  been  Fay,  Spofford  and  Thorndike  of 
Boston,  Franchi  Construction  Co.,  Inc.,  and 
M.  A.  Gammino  Construction  Co.  During 
his  career,  he  had  supervised  work  on  the 
Connecticut  Turnpike  and  had  worked  on 
the  breakwater  at  the  U.S.  Naval  Base  in 
Newport. 

He  was  born  on  May  10, 1925  in  Fairha- 
ven, Mass.  He  belonged  to  Lambda  Chi 
Alpha,  served  as  a  class  agent,  and 
graduated  from  WPI  as  a  civil  engineer. 

John  J.  Connolly,  '57,  died  on  January  5, 
1979  in  the  University  of  Massachusetts 
Hospital,  Worcester,  after  a  long  illness. 
For  many  years  he  was  a  clerk  in  the 
Shrewsbury  (Mass.)  Post  Office.  From 
1 949  to  1 952  he  served  as  a  corporal  in  Air 
Force  security.  He  belonged  to  the  Knights 
of  Columbus  and  the  American  Legion. 

Arakel  R.  Naroian,  '61,  an  executive  and 
mechanical  engineer  with  the  design  de- 
partment at  Riley  Stoker  Corp.,  died  in 
Worcester  on  February  1 , 1 979.  He  was  47 
years  old. 

At  Riley  Stoker  he  made  many  contribu- 
tions, especially  in  the  development  of  an 
optimized-design  industrial  boiler.  In  1968 
he  was  promoted  to  sales  engineer  in  the 
utility-boiler-proposal  engineering  de- 
partment, where  he  developed  conceptual 
design  of  boilers  for  the  utilities  industry. 
He  was  appointed  manager  in  the  newly 
formed  plant  improvement  division  in 
1970,  and  was  a  leader  in  its  growth. 
Earlier,  he  had  been  with  Bethlehem  Steel- 
Shipbuilding  Division  in  Quincy. 

Prior  to  entering  WPI,  he  graduated  from 
Massachusetts  Maritime  Academy  in  1952, 
where  he  had  played  football.  Later,  he 
served  in  the  Army  at  the  Aberdeen  Prov- 
ing Grounds  in  Maryland.  He  graduated 
from  WPI  with  a  BSME  in  1 961 . 

He  was  a  past  president  of  the  Worcester 
chapter  of  the  ASME,  and  was  also  in 
charge  of  membership  development  in 
New  England  for  the  society.  He  was  vice 
president-elect  of  the  Rotary  Club  of  the 
Boylstons. 

Mr.  Naroian  belonged  to  the  Armenian 
Church  of  Our  Saviour,  Worcester.  He  was 
born  on  May  17,  1931  in  Whitinsville, 
Mass. 


Alfred  M.  Sowa,  '64,  MNS,  died  at  his 
home  in  Chicopee,  Massachusetts  on 
January  6,  1979. 

A  lifelong  resident  of  Chicopee,  he  was 
born  on  March  5,  1 936.  He  taught  physics 
at  Chicopee  High  School  and  at  Holyoke 
Community  College,  where  he  had  been 
chairman  of  the  math  and  science  depart- 
ments for  the  past  six  years. 

Mr.  Sowa  had  a  BS  degree  in  zoology 
and  education  from  the  University  of  Mas- 
sachusetts and  a  master's  in  education 
from  Westfield  State  Teachers  College. 

Richard  S.  Neff,  '67,  of  Tolland,  Connec- 
ticut died  unexpectedly  last  May. 
He  was  born  on  April  5,  1945  in 
Hartford,  Conn.  In  1967  he  received  his 
BSME  from  WPI.  He  had  a  master's  degree 
in  theoretical  and  applied  mechanics  from 
Cornell  University,  and  was  employed  as  an 
analytical  engineer  at  Pratt  &  Whitney  in 
East  Hartford,  Conn.  He  belonged  to  Theta 
Chi  and  Pi  Tau  Sigma. 


The  WPI  Journal  /  April  1979  /  33 


J»»*«c 


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