SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1950
T HE MICHIGAN DAILY
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* * *
* * *
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Faculty Lists
Proj ects for
FutureStudy
To Probe, Social,
PhysicalScience
By SID KLAUS
Detailed future research into
peace time uses of atomic energy,
in both the natural and social
sciences has been mapped out
for the Michigan Memorial Phoe-
nix Project by members of the
University faculty.
The proposed investigations cov-
er 30 branches of science and in-
elude 157 specific projects.
SOME ATOMIC research, aided
by Phoenix funds, is already un-
derway on campus.
More than 20 faculty mem-
bers have begun work on pro-
jects which may be completed
in a University physics labora-
tory, or in a radio-active garden
in Japan.
Proposed programs in the field
of medicine may mean the end of
cancer, arthritis, heart disease, al-
* lergies, virus disease and lukemia.
DIAGNOSIS and treatment of
heart and ciiculatory diseases
with the use of radio active iso-
topes is planned by Dr. S. W.
Noobler, of the department of in-
ternal medicine. And isotopically
labeled vitamin B 12 will be used
in tracing the cause of pernicious
anemia.
Plans for research also call
nforinvestigation into the cause
M and treatment of high blood
pressure, and the cause and
cute of Iukemia.
The use of radio active iodine
in the treatment of thyroid dis-
eases is already being studied with
the help of early Phoenix grants
by Dr. Fred Hodges and Dr. Isa-
dore Lampe, of the roentgenology
department of University Hospi-
tal.
* *
IN THE FIELD of botany, the
plant kingdom's well kept secret
of photosynthesis, the process
which in plants transforms light
energy into storeable energy for
later use, may be uncovered by
F. D. Macdowell, of the botany
department. .
He hopes to trace the paths
of the elements employed in
photosynthesis with the use of
radioactive isotopes.
Prof Felix Gustafson, of the
botany department plans to use
BUT THE physical scientists A"
alone. Phoenix Project directors
have requested that social scien-
tists take part in research by in-
vestigating the effect of this newD tB c
force on our lives.TT 1 1
Prof. 3. P. Wernette, Director
of the Bureau of Business Re-
search, emphasized that one of
the vital social problems today
is to learn the effect of the atom
on the American economy.
He plans to'study the effect of
the atom in economic develop-
ment in every phase of the econ-
omy-industry, agriculture, health
and population growth, labor and
government and private enterprise
activity.
* * *
UNIVERSITY political scientists
have called for an intensive study
of the public administration of
atomic energy. They plan a study
of the set-up of the present Atom-
ic Energy Committee and any fu-
ture administrative agencies.
Another far reaching phase of
the social science field is cur-
rently being investigated by
Richard Tybout, a fellow in the
economics department. He is
doing research on the laws re-
lating to atomic power.
naif uentu
Nuclear Enera
r
ry s
History Listed
It was on a quiet summer day
in 1945 that Ann Arbor was first
exposed to the Atomic Age, but it
was some 50 years earlier that the
Atomic Era was born.
In 1896 Henri Becquerel disco-
vered the radioactivity of uranium.
This was the first step in the long
development of atomic energy. It
was followed two years later by the
Curies' history-making separation
of radium from pitchblende, after
almost endless time and effort.
Here is a brief history of the
development of nuclear energy:
1904-Rutherford discovers Al-
pha particle,
1905 - Einstein announces
equivalence of mass and energy.
PHOENIX STUDY-Botanist Harley H. Bartlett examines plants
exposed to radiation at the Bikini bomb tests for a University
atomic energy investigation. Prof. Bartlett's project is but one of
many studies of the atom that will be carried on under Phoenix
sponsorship.
* * * * *1
the atom to study the effect of
weed killers on plants; while
Prof. Harley Bartlett, director of
the University's Botanical Gar-
dens, has requested that the Phoe-
nix Project finance a trip to ra-
dioactive areas in Japan so that
experiments may be made on the
effects of radioactivity on plant
life.
* * *
BOTANNICAL research is al-
ready being furthered by Phoenix,
as the Project's funds permit Prof.
R. J. Lowry, of the botany depart-
ment, to conduct experiments on
the chromosome division in plants.
At present, he is feeding gair-
den peas radioactive phosphorus
and studying the results to de-
termine the effects of radioac-
tivity on plant heredity.
,Research in the unknown chem-
ical forces which give molecular
compounds of the same atoms
different physical properties is
now being studied with Phoenix
grants by Seymour Lewin, a grad-
uate fellow in the chemistry de-
partment.
ZOOLOGISTS HOPE to use ra-
dioactive materials to trace mu-
tations in animal forms and to
study the development of the em-
bryo.
The atom funds will also help
University scientists explain life
of the past. By using a newly
designed Geiger counter, Prof.
James B. Griffin, of the arche-
aology department, hopes to de-
termine the age of ancient re-
mains. The counter was design-
ed by another University scien-
tist, Prof. H. R. Crane of the
Physics department.
Prof. C. W. Hibbard, of the Mu-
seum of Paleontology, will attempt
to use radioactive carbon to trace
extinct life of the Great Lakes
area.
n%* *
ENGINEERS OF the University
are planning to use Phoenix Funds
to work on out some of the kinks
in the design and construction of
"that powerhouse of the future"
the0 atomic engine. Engineers also
hope to further the progress of
medicine by constructing mechan-
ical kidneys.
Many of the ideas submitted
to the directors of the Phoenix
Project to be considered for
funds are designed to aid in-
dustry.
A mechanical brain that can
compute mathematical formulas
10 times faster than machines
now in existance has been pro-
posed for Phoenix sponsorship by
Prof. C. C. 'Craig, of the mathe-
matics department.
The Survey Research Center~
wants to study the political atti- 1912-13-Bo]
tudes of atom scientists and pub- nuclear atom.
lic opinion regarding the control 1919-Aston+
of atomic energy. trograph for is
Prof. W. C. Olsen, of the edu- 1930-Compt
cation school, has outlined plans ray intensities.
for a study program to determine 1932-First
the effect of parents' reaction to- lithium nuclei
wards living in the atomic age on erated p
their children's feeling of security. era protons.
* * * 1932-35-De
SOME OF THE money will be clotron and 1
used to relieve faculty members of smashers.
teaching duties for the period in
which they are doing their re- 1939-40-Dis
search. Their salaries during this radioactivity b
period will be paid from Phoenix F. Joliet.
funds, while their regular income 1939-Discov
will be used to hire a substitute sion by Hahn
to meet their classes. Germany. Exte
Some of the money will be used ried on in the 1
for special equipment needed to 1939, March
carry on the experiments. Phoe- advised of poss
nix money will also be devoted to 1939, July-E
pre-doctoral fellowships for re- Szilard take stE
search workers. dent Roosevelt
Funds will also be used for of military ut
maintaining a full-time staff to energy.
administer the Project. It is con- 1
templated that there will be a method of s
director with his own research
program related to the peactime isotopes deve]
uses of atomic energy. A social 1941-Excha
scientist will probably be chosen and British scie
as assistant director. tion plan,
hr states theory of
develops mass spec-
sotope separation.
ton measures cosmic
transformation of
by artificially accel-
evelopment of cy-
high voltage atom
DRIVE ORGANIZERS-Members of the student executive committee for the Phoenix drive on cam-
pus go over last minute details for tomorrow's campaign kickoff. Appointed last year, the commit-
tee has been busy ever since organizing the giant drive.
* ,. * * * * * *
By BARNES CONNABLE
The student campaign of the
Michigan Memorial-Phoenix Pro-
ject is "the greatest responsibility
ever given the students of the Uni-
versity," according to its chair-
workers have participated in pre- women's dorms, men's dorns,
campaign organizational and pub- and League houses, coop houses
licity operations. Fifty-five of and private residences.
man, Marv Lubeck, '51.
And the number of interested
covery of artificial students who have undertaken the
by Irene Curie and gigantic task of publicizing the
Project making it a reality is com-
ery of uranium fis- parable to this responsibility by
and Strassman in all indications.
ensive research car- * * *
United States. MORE THAN 1200 student
-Navy department1 * * *
sibility of fission.p
Einstein, Wigner and
eps to inform Presi-
t of the possibility
tilization of atomic
Gaseous-diffusionrt
eparating uranium I
Loped.
nge of American
ntists in a coopera-
these were named last semester to
form the nuclei of nine working
committees and more have been
appointed since, mainly for so-
liciting purposes.
Five student committees are
responsible for directing solicit-
ing of funds in various campus
and city housing units. Separate
committees are handling the
drives in fraternities, sororities,
s s *
The remaining four committees
have & specialized functions. The
Speakers Committee is organizing
a speaking program on campus and
in alumni clubs in the state.
* * *
SPECIAL money raising projects
such as dances and benefit shows
come under the jurisdiction of the
Features Committee. The Person-
nel Committee is supervising the
selection of all personnel other
than the committee members.
BEGAN WORK EARLY:
Numerous Groups Direct Memorial
Although many people have OF COURSE the busiest side of
called the Phoenix Project nothing the present Phoenix set-up is the
more than a nebulous idea, the executive committee which cur-
Memorial project has been in ac- rently has the task of seeing the
tive, physical being since it was Project through to its goal of
first thought of four years ago. $6500000.
~ In reality the only time the
Memorial was but a plan was when This is a gigantic organization
it was being discussed in the 1946 which includes numerous cam-
Student Legislature. paigns that cover the world.
* * * When the student drive here be-
AS SOON AS-the idea was ap- gins tomorrow this group will
proved by the Board of Regents, see the last phase of its four-
a war memorial committee was year-old plans for the fund-
established to decide on the exact raising campaign get under way.
type of project that would be un- But this present organizational
dertaken. set-up will fade into history when
Whe h d. tthe Memorial fund is completed.
hen the idea for the Phoe Then a permanet board of di-
nix Project had been accepted rectors will be established and di-
a preliminary planning commit- rectors for the Project will be
tee was created to investigate$chosen.
{
There will be two chairmen: one
in charge of the Memorial build-
ing and research projects; one who
will direct general operations.
It is presumed that these men
will take an active part in the re-
search carried on by the Project
as well as direct it. One may
work on a phase of atomic energy
that can be studied from the phy-
sical angle. The other may work
on the social implications of the
atom.
Although the planning commit-
tee has checked several suggestions
of men to fill these posts they have
not yet named anyone definitely.
But in time, if the present cam-
paign is successful, the Project
will take full shape as atomic re-
search center of the country. I
FPhoen ix Myth
The choice of the phoenix
bird to represent the Univer-!
sity's war memorial has inject-
ed a new and vital meaning
into an ancient, sacred symbol
of rebirth.
According to legends dating
as far back as 450 B.C., this
fabulous bird mysteriously flew
out of Arabia every 500 years
and regenerated itself in a fiery
ceremony.
The most popular account of
the bird appears in the Physio-I
logus, a collection of Christian
allegories much read in the
middle ages:
"The bird flies to Heliopolis,
enters the temple, and is burn-
ed to ashes on the altar. Next
day 'the young phoenix is al-
ready feathered, and on the
third his pinions are full
grown and he flies away."
And so, out of the ashes and
destruction of a war climaxed
by the use of atomic energy, the
University memorial will arise,
dedicated to the "rebirth of
beauty and life."
194.1 - Preliminary studies of
atomic bomb begun at the Univer-
sity of Wisconsin. Work continued
by Oppenheimer at University of
California.
1942-First atomic pile built
at University of Chicago.
1942-Construction begun at LosE
Alamos, N. Mex., of atomic bomb
laboratory.
1942, Fall-Design of large-scale
diffusion plant at Oak Ridge be-
gun.
1943-One thousand kw. pile
constructed at Oak Ridge for pro-
duction of plutonium.
1943-Plant at Hanford, Wash.,
for the production of plutoniumI
designed.
1943-Large-scale mass-spectro-
graph separation plant at Oak
Ridge designed and built.
1945, June 16-First experimen-
tal bomb detonated near Alamo-
gordo, N. Mex.
1945, August 6 - First military
atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshi-i
ma, Japan. .
The Publicity Committee has
the job of keeping the campus
informed on the Memorial.
Student workers have already
succeeded in obtaining limited con-
tributions. For example, Alpha Tau
Omega made a contribution some
time ago and revealed at the same
time that it was requesting .its
other chapters throughout the
country to publicize the Project on
their campuses.
Overall supervision of the stu-
dent campaign is the role of a
13-member executive council un-
der Lubeck's chairmanship. Its pri-
mary job is to see that every stu-
dent on campus is contacted by a
campaign worker.
CHAIRMAN LUBECK is one of
the reasons that the student drive
is expected to be a success, accord-
ing to Phoenix workers. The 21-
year-old junior from Cleveland
doesn't consider it a full day un-
less he has held a half dozen con-
ferences with student and alumni
Phoenix leaders, explained the
Project's aims to a dozen persons
and polished off a pile of paper
work in the spare moments.
"I live the Phoenix Project 24
hours a day and enjoy ev-
ery minute of it," Lubeck says.
And there is ample evidence to
support his working hours claim.
He has spent every weekday af-
ternoon, two mornings a week and
very often Saturday mornings at
his desk in the Administration
Bldg.
'-
-Daily-Roger Reinke
LAST MINUTE RUSH-La Verne Schmitkons, personnel chair-
man for the student Phoenix drive, gives Don Boerma a hand in
a last minute check of his volunteer staff. Boerma has the job of
seeing that every student not living in an organized house group
is contacted for the Project.
Presdent's Message
i
To the students of the University:I
The Michigan Memorial-Phoe-
nix Project in large part originated
with the students of the University
and is designed to be of special
benefit to the generation which
evident their desire that this
memorial should be an active, con-
tinuing one which would force-
fully embody the ideals of a freer,
better world for which their com-
rades had given their lives. Having
thus contributed significantly to
the initiation of the Project, the
students of the University of Mich-
igan have a particular responsibili-
ty for its successful accomplish-
ment.
Alexander G. Ruthven
1948, May 17-Phoenix Project they represent. From the students
announced as vast research center returning after the war came the
to make the atom slave of man- first proposal that a memorial
kind. The Project will act as co- should be provided fo rthose of
ordinating agency for individual their number who did not re-
scientists throughout the nation. turn, and the students also made
.the extent of the University's
part in peacetime atomic devel-
opments.
The faculty group conducted a
survey covering the University,
other schools, government opera-
Mons, and industry to determine
if the Project would conflict with
oter atomic research programs.
RUTH yEN, HABER, LANG HAIL DRIVE:
Phoenix Project Leaders Urge Strong Student Support
* xLeaders of all Phoenix drives-
AFTER THE Memorial was ap- which extend around the world-
proved, it became even more a have given full support to the stu-
reality. dent campaign.
A faculty planning committee And they have stressed the im-
on a permanent footing was set portance of student participation
up under the direction of Dean in Project fund-raising drive on
Ralph Sawyer, of the School of which depends the success of the
Graduate Studies. Memorial.
The main job of this group has President Alexander Ruthven,
been direction of granting Phoe- honorary chairman of the nation-
nix funds to faculty members for al drive, Prof. William Haber,
research projects. To date some chairman of the faculty drive, and
.120,000 in grants have been given Chester Lang, national executive
to social and physical scientists
for study of the effects and poten-
tialities of atomic energy.
THE GROUP also considers
most of the other problems thaf t
chairman, all reminded students
of the significance of the Project
in statements yesterday.
"THE MICHIGAN Memorial
Phoenix Project in large part ori-
ginated with the students of the
University," President Ruthven
said.
He noted that it Is the present
students here who will benefit
from the vast gains made in
peaceful living which will be
possible through atomic research
done by Project workers.
He said that anyone serving the
Memorial will not only help the
Phoenix Project, but will help the
world.
* * * 4
PRESIDENT RUTHVEN re-
marked thfat many people have
told him that Phoenix is a magni-
ficent concept, but a rather nebu-
lous one.
"I would like to point out that
I the Phoenix Project is no longer
a dream. From preliminary
funds that have been contri-
buted by alumni and other
friends, we have already been
able to start 20 separate re-
search projects of a fundamental
nature.
"At a time when the threat of
atomic destruction hangs over us,1
the University is beginning a spe-
cial study to develop ways of and
means of protecting human beings
against radiation."
Thepresident explained that the
objective of the Project is a sturdy,
healthy, strong America and a bet-
ter, fuller happier life than man
has ever known.
"I am proud of the alumni,
faculty members and students of}
the University for proposing the
Phoenix Project. I am proud that
our University has undertaken to
do the great humanitarian work ;
it embraces." -
greatest scientific development
that grew out of the war."
He noted that the peace-time
uses of atomic energy are already
being recognized-in medicine and
engineering, in agriculture and in-
dustry.
"ITSPOTENTIALITIES in all
these fields are tremendous."
If it should develop that
atomic power could be applied
to industry, he pointed out that.
its consequences for the Ameri-
can economy would be greater
than the discovery of steam and
electricity. "We are at the be-
- 4 4 *
ginning of a great intellectual
adventure."
Prof. Haber said that because of
the vast good that can come of
atomic research, the Phoenix Pro-
ject merits the enthusiastic back-
ing of the student body.
* * *
LANG, who has the job of co-
ordinating the may global drives
that span the world, said that the
success of the national Phoenix
Project campaign may hinge on
the student response to the appeal.
"It must have the backing of
every single member of the stu-
dent body."
Lang also remarked that the
idea for the Memorial was born on
the campus, and called for stu-
dents to help make it a success.
"The beneficial possibilities of
atomic energy far outweigh its
* * *
LUBECK has been especially
successful in his campaign
speeches, according to co-workers.
However, the himself says, "I'm not
naturally a good speaker."
But, he admits, "when I talk
about the Project, something
takes over, and I seem to instill
the audience with some of my,
enthusiasm for it."
Coordinating the student cam-
paign with the national alumni
drive has been one of the big jobs
for the student Phoenix commit-
tees.
* * *
THEY HAVE had to adjust their
plans to the other drives, which
have been in progress for over a
month, so as to keep the drive to-
morrow fresh and lively.
There has already been much
Phoenix activity on campus,
with Atom Day and a football
half-time dedicated to the Pro-
ject last month.
"But we are confident that stu-
dents will realize the importance,
and timelessness of the Memorial
and put our drive over the top,"
Lubeck said.
Aside from raising funds, the
student drive will also help ac-
President Ruthven
students that the idea
memorial to University
from the student body.
reminded
for a war
dead came
t
face the Project, such as locating a
definite location for the Memorial'
building, choosing a final director
for the Project and ironing out
troublesome details in plans for
the future of Phoenix.
"HAVING THUUS contributed
significantly to the initiation of
the Project, the students of the
University of Michigan have a
particular responsibility for its
successful accomplishment."
I
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