ST. JOHN'S UNIVERSITYALUMNI NEWS Volume V SEPTEMBER 1963 Number 1 University Appoints Fr. Meyer, Dr. Clark As New SJU Deans Administrative Assistant Appointed; Father Colman Gets Education Post

The appointments of Rev. Cyril F. Meyer, C.M. as dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and Dr. John J. Clark as dean of the College of Business Administration, were announced early this month by the Very Rev. Edward J. Burke, C.M., SJU president. Also named was Rev. John E. Colman, C.M., as ad- ministrative assistant to the dean of the School of Educa- tion. Graduate Dean As dean of the Graduate School, Father Meyer also as- sumes the position of Coordi- nator of Research succeeding Rev. Joseph E. Hogan, C.M., who since September 1954 held the posts. Father Hogan, a professor of Philosophy and Political Science will resume teaching full-time this fall. The new dean is a native of Brooklyn. He attended St. J o- Dr. J. Clark Rev. C. Meyer seph's College, Princeton, N.J. and the Collegio Angelico, Rome, Italy, where he received SJU Alumnae Hold his Ph.D. in 1928. He received an honorary doctor of Science in Education from Niagara Fashion-Luncheon University in 1956. In addition to his post as a On October 19 professor of philosophy in St. Prizes, a display of the latest John's College for the past year, fashions, and lunch - these Father Meyer has served as the are the ingredients of the dean of the College from 1941- fourth annual Luncheon and 50. From 1950-56, he was vice Fashion Show, sponsored by ''ORIC ACID," said TIME, the weekly news magazine in its July 5, 1963 president and vice chairman the alumnae of St. John's Uni- .lJ issue, "once a favorite remedy for minor irritations such as diaper rash of the Board of Trustees of the versity's CBA, School of Edu- and prickly heat, can be fatal. Most insidious are the cases in which frequent University. cation, University College, Law, application allows boric acid to be absorbed into the body through mucous CBA Dean Pharmacy and Department of membranes. Since the body is slow to eliminate the chemical, it accumulates As dean of the College of Nursing Education. The annual in the liver and kidneys; in infants it sometimes causes nausea, convulsions Business Administration, Dr. affair, "Around the World in and death. For years pediatricians have been wary of boric acid. Now a re- Clark succeeds Dr. Peter K. Fashion," will be held on Oc- search team at St. John's University College of Pharmacy in New York City Ewald who has resigned effec- tober 19, at Carl Hoppl's Res- has developed a simple, effective urine test that can be performed by a doctor tive Aug. 31. Dr. Ewald held taurant, Baldwin, L. I., N. Y. in his office and can spot a boric acid buildup before it is too late." (See story the post since September 1960. Chairman for this year's A distinguished author, scho- affair is Irene K. Murphy '48 below and On page 2). (Photo by Donato L eo) lar and· administrator, Dr. Clark UC, who is being assisted by has served as assistant dean co-chairman Patricia McGold- and director of the Graduate rick '54UC. Division for the past three Mink Stole years. Fashions and models will be Boric Acid Research Dr. Clark came to SJU in provided by MR. MORT. High- By George P. Royall. boric acid as a "home remedy" 1950, became an associate pro- lighting the program will be Editor, SJU Science Reporter or family cure-all. fessor of economics in 1959 and the raffling of an "Autumn Given the seeming intracti- was named to his administra- Haze" Mink Stole by Peter A short time ago, a baby died in a bility of the general public and tive post the next year. Duffy. large Boston hospital after being treated (Continued on page 2, Col. 1) (Continued on page 4, Col. 3) (Continued on page 3, Col. 1) at home a few days before with a "harmless" remedy for diaper rash. In upstate New York, several months later, six infants lay seriously ill, victims of a mistake in feeding which had given them regular doses of a nondescript, clear liquid as part of their diet. College Alumni to Honor Golden & • These are selected examples of the work of an insidious type of poison that masquerades under the guise of a safe, all-purpose antiseptic. When properly used, H B0 , or as it is properly 2 3 Silver Jubilarians at 83rd Banquet known, boric acid, is just that, safe and harmless; but put it into the hands of the unwary ,or incautious user, who disregards the The 83rd annual dinner of Catholic Charities. New York. warning printed clearly on every bottle or can - "For external St. John's College Alumni RT. REV. MSGR. HENRY LEO A. McGINITY, retired, use only" - and it is a "chemical wolf in sheep's clothing," re- Association Oct. 10 will be M. HALD, P.A., Ph.D., LL.D., formerly staff writer and re- sponsible, last April alone, for 165 reported cases of poisoning in marked by the presentation of pastor, St. Benedict Joseph porter for the New York Times. children. the 50-year Golden Jubilee Labre, Richmond Hill, N.Y., and Mario M. Cuomo, a member What makes this type of poisoning so dangerous and difficult to Medals to the surviving mem- Superintendent of Schools, Dio- of the sponsoring class of 1953, counteract? The peculiar nature of the borate ion, for one, renders bers of the Class of 1913. cese of Brooklyn. is the general chairman of the early symptomatic detection almost impossible. Eliminated at a They are: ROBERT J. KIERNAN, re- affair. Mr. Cuomo, partner in very slow rate from the human system, borates can accumulate RT. REV. MSGR. WILLIAM tired, formerly vice president, the law firm of Corner, Finn, gradually through direct ingestion, absorption through broken or T. DILLON, J.D., LL.D., pastor, Sterling National Bank, New Froeb & Charles, N.Y.C., was irritated skin, or even inhalation, until a fatal or near-fatal de- St. Teresa's Church, Brooklyn, York City. recently elected president of posit exists. N.Y., and formerly president THOMAS F. J. LYNCH, re- the Catholic Lawyers Guild of The second and perhaps more difficult problem is the persis- of St. Joseph's College for Wo- tired, formerly assistant princi- the Brooklyn Diocese. Also a tence of human habit. Nearly every reported instance of boric men, Brooklyn. pal of Brooklyn Public School graduate of St. John's Law acid poisoning has been the result of carelessness or mistaken RT. REV. MSGR.PETERW. System. School, he is a lecturer on the usage. Yet packages are clearly labelled by law, textbooks and FOX, pastor, Blessed Virgin PHILIP E. McCAFFREY, re- faculty. prescription manuals attest to the possible toxicity of the com- Mary, Help of Christians tired, formerly administrative The banquet will also high- pound, and the combined professional voices of medicine and Church, Woodside, N.Y., and assistant, Grover Cleveland light the traditional honoring pharmacy have long urged a saner policy towards the use of Queens County Supervisor, High School, Queens County, (Continued on. page 4, Col. 5) 2 ST. JOHN'S UNIVERSITY ALUMNI NEWS, SEPTEMBER 1963

.MISUSED MEDICA TI0 N: Pharmacy Research Detects Boric Acid Poisoning (Continued from page 1) the ineffectiveness of present methods of diagnosing boric acid poisoning, further hand-wringing about the dangers of the fa- miliar antiseptic would seem pointless without an effective and sure method of early detection. The necessity of such a test has been made even more apparent by the increasing use of organic borane compounds in industry (jet and rocket fuels, plastics). Thus, added to the current danger of boric acid poisoning, predominantly in infants, is the fear that many workers may slowly accumulate lethal doses of boron sim- ply by breathing. DILIGENT RESEARCH Sometime· in the near future, an immediate, positive test for the detection of borates in the human system may be used throughout the country, nipping in the bud, hopefully, many po- tentially acute cases of boric acid or boron poisoning. The test is the result of the diligent research of three faculty members of the St. John's University College of Pharmacy, and the willing assis- tance of several ambitious undergraduates. The highlight of St. John's project, as reported at a recent meet- ing of the American Pharmaceutical Association, was that an in- expensive and efficient method for the detection of borates in samples of urine had been discovered. The findings of the research "team" were based on studies conducted over a period of a year, during which rabbits were fed varying quantities of boric acid and urine samples were collected periodically.

Object of research at St. John's is to detect the pres· ence of the borate ion when introduced into the biological system. Forced feeding (left) of pre-determined amount of boric acid in solution must be done while animal is com· fortable and oral route is accessible. After a short wait, sample of animal's urine is taken, placed in small porce- lain dish and evaporated by steam bath (above). Addition of hydrochloric acid, poly- vinyl alcohol and a drop of iodine will produce blue color, denoting the presence of bor· ates. Relatively inexpensive equipment and chemicals used by Dr. Sciarra and Professor Monte-Bovi (below) have had amazingly accurate results, evidenceCI in color ch-art held by Dr. Sciarra. Births Kathryn Judith to Mr. and Professor Anthony J. Monte-Bovi, Chairman of the Department Mrs. John J. Foerst '50C. of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, and one of the initiators of the pro- John Peter to Mr. and Mrs. ject, outlined the procedure used: "Each of the urine samples was Richard Marra '52UC, '56G subjected to a process of "drying," or concentration by steam bath, (Claire McDonald '53UC). and liquefied again by the addition of hydrochloric acid. A poly- Elizabeth Irene to Mr. and vinyl alcohol-iodine reagent added to this solution would then Mrs. Clayton Bardwell '53L. denote the presence of borates by a color change, usually a deep Cecelia Anne to Mr. and blue." Mrs. Warren Wallin (Dorothy • So effective did the test prove, that as little as 0.3 mg. (far Bruno '53NE). less than a fatal dosage) of boric acid in the urine sample would Gregory Peter to Mr. and cause a color change. Although designed primarily as a qualita- M1rs. William Heidelberger tive determination of the presence of borates, the test's slight color '54C. variations also seemed to show a definite correspondence with Richard Norman to Mr. and the quantity of boric acid ingested. The method had been used Mrs. Richard Merz (Eileen for "in vivo" (living organism) as well as for "in vitro" (test Walsh '56Ed.). tube) studies, suggesting the distinct possibility of its applicability Paul Joseph and Maryanne to humans. to Mr. and Mrs. Arthur De PROJECT'S SUCCESS Celie '57C. Donna Marie to Mr. and Mrs. All the aspects of the project's success were but a small tribute James Hegarty (Marian Lodato to the patience and work of nearly four years. As early as 1959, '58Ed.). the St. John's researchers had demonstrated the effectiveness of Robert to Mr. and Mrs. Ro- the polyvinyl alcohol-iodine method in finding less than 1% of bert C. Grillo '59CBA.). boric acid in solution. Dr. John J. Sciarra, Professor of Pharma- Christopher Paul to Mr. and ceutical Chemistry at St. John's along with Prof. Monte-Bovi, Mrs. Paul A. Golinski '60CBA, noted the unreliability of the two approved detection tests, the (Photos by Donato Leo) Dr. Vincent de Paul Lynch (above, 2nd '63L. turmeric paper and ignition, for accurate detection of the presence from left) and assistants have success· Daniel John to Mr. and Mrs. or the amount of boric acid in solution. Further refinement of fully used the new test. Charles J. Monahan (Kathleen their own method led the scientists to the ten-minute urine analy- Schlaich '60Ed.). sis which could be performed with a minimum of time and effort, search Board at St. John's, is lity is a microscopic test for the Fatrick -John to Mr. and Mrs. but a maximum of efficiency, in the privacy of a doctor's office. quick to note the real nature detection of borates in samples of body tissue. The suggestion Patrick J. Rafter, Jr. (Virginia • Dr. Vincent de Paul Lynch, Chairman of the Department of of such work. "Pure research, is clear: as long as there is Triolo '60Ed.). Pharmacology and Allied Sciences at St. John's, explored the such as that undertaken by even a remote chance of pro- Martin Jon to Mr. and Mrs. question of the effect of boric acid on the vital organs and found the College of Pharmacy, offers viding a more efficient safe- Martin Bartow (Rosemary My- large deposits in the heart, liver, kidneys and even the brain of no immediate practical advan- guard for man's health, teach- ers '61Ed.). poisoned animals. His research thus far seems to corroborate the tage, other than the partial ful- er-scientists will feel obligated Stephen John to Mr. and theory that an accumulation of boric.acid can be seriously damag- fillment of man's desire to to find it. Mrs. Frank Ursino '62P. ing to the body's vital organs, even in non-fatal cases. know. Yet this type of research Dr. Lynch credited much of the ground work in this research to must continue, and there is no the assistance he received from four students in the College of place which offers a more Pharmacy. The students, Lawrence Sell, Thomas Vetter, Joseph homogeneous environment than De Maio and Nicholas Camarinos were assigned specific tasks the university itself." Published monthly except December, March, July and August in the either in feeding, taking samples or running preliminary tests. interest of St. John's University and its alumni by the St. John's University While contributing their services to the project, the four men also Effective Detection Press. Editorial Offices at the Alumni Relations Office at 96 Schermerhorn fulfilled the College's undergraduate thesis requirement, and gain- The proof of the scientific- St., Brooklyn, N. Y. Telephone TRiangle 5-8100. Second class postage paid ed a valuable insight into the challenges of scientific research. At at Brooklyn, N. Y. Form 3579 to be sent to St. John's University, Grand academic pudding is that the Central and Utopia Parkways, Jamaica 32, N. Y. John P. Clarke '65CBA least one member of the group will be entered in a Master's degree St. John's boric acid team, not '57L, Director of Alumni Relations, Executive Editor. program in Pharmacology this fall. content with yesterday's lau- Editor, Joseph P. Consentino '57C. While the results of this particular experiment may offer defin- rels, have already begun to ite improvements for future medical and pharmaceutical practice, search for even more effective Member, American Alumni Council. Professor Monte-Bovi, who is also Chairman of the Science Re- ways of detection. One possibi- ST. JOHN'S UNIVERSITY ALUMNI NEWS, SEPTEMBER 1963 3 Sports National Magazine BY BILL ESPOSITO General N ews Manager, PR Office Honors Awarded Larry Bearnarth's pitching is proof that the man who said fig- ures don't lie was telling one. The big Bellmore, L. I. righthander, one of St. John's all-time To SJU REDMAN baseball greats, is finishing an excellent year in professional base- ball as he winds up his freshman year with the New York Mets. For the fourth consecutive year, St. John's University alumni But the records won't show magazine, THE REDMAN, has won honors in the national pub- that. ers blew Roger Craig out of lications competition of the AMERICAN ALUMNI COUNCIL. At As August closed in the trad- there early and Bearnarth came the AAC annual meeting held in July in Atlantic City, THE RED- itional time when the major in to hold the fort. The Mets MAN was adjudged one of the leagues separate the men from were down by two when he nation's "Top Ten" alumni the boys, Bearnarth had work- hiked in from the Polo Grounds magazines "in recognition of ed in over 40 games, pitched bullpen (which appears to be all-around editorial excellence and high professional stan- almost 100 innings, had an located in Yankee Stadium) earned run average of about and Bearnarth held the line. dards." 3.50 and a won-lost record of By the time the ninth inning Judges' Reaction 2-4. On paper, certainly no- rolled around, the Mets were Said the judges: "The RED- thing to start a draft move for up by one and LA hadn't scor- MAN magazine excells in the Presidency. ed. Then a shade came over photojournalism. Good pictures Casey Stengel the collective brains of the Met are in abundance and used Luckily for Larry, however, infield, to put it most kindly. boldly and creatively. The a baseball Mahatma Ghandi With any semblance of de- magazine employs design con- like Casey Stengel doesn't look fense, Larry wouid have been cepts that are often highly at the record. AI Smith prob- using Dial soap in the shower, experimental, enterprising, and ably wouldn't like that, but instead of wishing other people arresting. This magazine does Bearnarth does. For instance, did, and adding a win to the not shun controversy. RED- let's look at a ball game Larry Met victory malnutrition. MAN delivers an exceptionally pitched in early August against Of course, all the runs were- strong treatment of individual the front-running Los Angeles n't earned, but Bearnarth, or alumni-a child portrait photo- Dodgers. any other pitcher, will tell you grapher, the Chief of the U.S. . REDMAN MAGAZINE 1963 Walter Alston's bomb throw- that a run is a run is a run Secret Service, a baseball (thank you, Gertrude) and rookie in spring training - all versity Graduate School of every time an opponent's spikes alumni, all worth reading Journalism; Walter Hard, Jr., hit the plate its just that much about. Within a single issue, editor Vermont Life Magazine, added gas on the stomach. For the magazine can give the Montpelier and Arthur Roth- Marriages an example of earned runs that reader several dramatic changes stein, director of Photography, '33CBA. Samuel Slutsky to Syl- can kill, there was the time of mood and feel, yet do it LOOK Magazine. via Kroll. Larry was pitching against St. LARRY BEARNARTH '62C without creating pandemoni- ' 55L. John J . O'Shea to Mary Louis and got the third out, um·'' W.f.t~~:~:;~:~:~:~:~:~:J:~t~:~:I :~:~:~:~:~:~:l~:~I:J~:;~:~i1l~:ili:~;f.f~:m~1:ifM~:l~Ml~~~(:m Madeline Ward. with the bases loaded, when easy." The official . alumni publica- ~57C. John Thomas Frohnhofer he forced the batter to loft an Larry says he hasn't been tion of St. John's University, to Mary Margaret Reheuser. easy one to center field. The around long enough to single now in its twelfth year of ~ssuc. Robert P. Hall to An­ outfielder in charge of catching out his biggest thrill in pro publishing was a strong con- Engagements drea L. Koehler. easy ones fell down. Four runs ball. The first appearance in a tender for honors in the 1963 '52UC. Dr. Theodore Joseph 1 59C. William H. Ratchelous to scored. They were earned since major league boxscore, of "Magazine of the Year" cate- Schuster to Dorothy Marie Eleanor F. Hoegl. the ball was not touched, a course, was quite a kick. That gory, won by COLUMBIA Thomas. 1 60C, '63G. Raymond Russo to requirement for an error these came in April against the Reds. COLLEGE TODAY magazine. '56C. Richard Scott Shiebler to Marian Fouchardt '63Ed. days. Then there were several good Competing with the alumni Maribeth Doran. •GOCBA. Edward K. Brady _jo That's tbe way things have shows against the Giants and publications of more than 600 '58UC. George Formes to Es- Mary M. McCarty. been going for Bearnarth. He's some fine work against the of the nation's colleges and telle Marie Raimo. 1 60CBA. Edward Healy to Helen pitching more and also enjoying Cardinals. St. Lou star Dick universities, the REDMAN re- '60C. August A. Vrondis to Halvorsen. it more even though not in· the Groat said of Bearnarth, "This ceived five other awards at the Elizabeth Anne Padala. '61C. Bernard M. Cerrone to running for the Cy Young kid has it. He made an idiot national conference. Among '60Ed. Joan A. Dalton to E. .Joan Teresa Maniscalco '63Ed. award. out of me up there. I hope I these were first place honors George Meschi, Jr. '62CBA. '61Ed. Maureen Bride Kehoe to After a collegiate career that don't see him again." From a for "photographic content" and '60C. Herbert L. Satterlee to Matthew Francis Hogan '58 saw him take only two defeats batter of Groat's stature, that's third place for "special features Ruth Vera Wilson. CBA. in three years, you might figure high praise. Then there was the on alumni." The magazine was '61Ed. Grace Guarcello to Pa- .,61Ed. James Arthur Field to Larry would feel a bit piqued night in Philadelphia when his also cited for typographical trick Scarantino '61C . "Eleanor Louise Erhardt. working for a last place team. daughter was born while he excellence, covers, and indivi- '61G. George A. Giuliani to .. 61UC. Rosemary T. Ecker to Not so. was pitching against the Phils. dual photographs. Carol Ann Pierangelo. Patrick W. Hennessey '60CBA, "Last year in Syracuse help- So, Bearnarth winds up his Judges for the 1963 competi- '61CBA. Albert Kapusinski to .,62L. ed," he notes. "We didn't win first year in the big show. Be- tions were Paul Carre, vice Margaret Catherine Eichler. "'61Ed. Pauline Maher to Frank too many and I took it on the fore the season ends he'll prob- president, Barton-Gillet Com- '61UC. Joseph Liquori to Peggy Lang. chin but I learned, too." Learn ably win a few, lose a few more, pany, Baltimore; Alvin Eisen- Mohl. "'62C. Gerard J. Bogin to Mari- he did under John Vander pitch well and get a few bumps. man, director of Graphic Arts, '62P. Robert Vreeland to Anne lyn Handley. Meer, a tough old-timer and But he will have gained price- Yale University; Emily Flint, Josephine Petito. ·'62C. Michael Hanley to Pat- one of the National League's less experience, considerable managing editor, Atlantic Mon- '63CBA. Lt Harold W. Courter ricia Clart Hart. best pitchers when Pa was poise and big league prestige. thly; J. Benjamin Lieberman, to Nancy Florence Waidelich. ''62G. Richard T. Bray to Pa- dating Ma. Larry had a 2-13 Just 22, he has a bright future director of Education Repor- '63Ed. Dorothy Mistretta to -tricia K . DeCasperis. record upstate, hardly a state- ahead. ting Program, Columbia Uni- William L. Turano '62C. '63Ed. Geraldine Joyce Mar- ment of Churchillian propor- ·Otto to John Morton Dempsey. tions, but one that the Met "63P. Angela Marotta to John front office didn't bother with Bruno. when it came time to name the "63NE. Mary Eileen Stalkus to varsity this spring. William Joseph Deely. "63Ed. Janet Emily Hroch to Bearnarth's control was good Paul Vincent Gunning, Jr. in the minors, and they didn't "63Ed. Mary Margaret Fanelli bomb him every time out. to Clifford Fredrickson. Casey Stengel summed up the '63Ed. Linda Figone to Herbert St. John's lad best of all early Crau. this year after Larry did some '63CBA. Thomas P. Maletta to notable relief work against the Carol Anne Keegan. San Francisco Giants. "This boy," quoth Casey, "throws grounders." · The reference is not to Bear- .FASHION-LUNCHEON narth rolling the ball up there (Continued from page 1) but always keeping the ball All alumnae, wives of alum- low, sticking to the oft-proven :ni, undergraduates and friends axiom of baseball that if you are invited to attend. A special make them hit it on the ground "P,lea is being directed for vol- you won't have too much ·unteer committeemen especial- to worry you. ly from the School of Law and "I've been very lucky," he •College of Pharmacy. Volun- says, "to have played for fine teers are asked to contact the coaches. At St. John's I learn- Alumni Relations Office at ed the game from Coach Kaiser. .JAmaica 6-3700, Ext. 232 for He really has a system. Did ·further information. you know that his infield drill Reservations at $5.00 per is the same as the one we use ·person may be made by mail on the Mets? When I came up NSF PROGRAM. A visual demonstration is part of St. John's Cooperative College-High School ·to Margaret O'Brien, 92-18 37 I was nervous about picking Science Program, held at the Jamaica campus for the second year this summer. The program, direc- Avenue, Jackson Heights, N.Y. up all the fine points from the ted by Dr. John Coffey, is aided by a National Science Foundation grant, under the auspices of St. Checks should be made payable older men but with that train- John's Philosophy of Science Institute. This year, 55 talented science students participated in the -to St. John's University. ing in fundamentals it came 8 week program. (Photo by Donato Leo)