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Regional Oral History Office University of California the Bancroft Library Berkeley, California Regional Oral History Office University of California The Bancroft Library Berkeley, California University of California Source of Community Leaders Series Anne deGruchy Low-Beer Dettner A WOMAN'S PLACE IN SCIENCE AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS: 1932- 1973 With Introductions by Helene Maxwell Brewer and Lawrence Kramer Interviews Conducted by Sally Hughes and Gabrielle Morris in 1994 and 1995 Copyright @ 1996 by The Regents of the University of California Since 1954 the Regional Oral History Office has been interviewing leading participants in or well-placed witnesses to major events in the development of Northern California, the West, and the Nation. Oral history is a modern research technique involving an interviewee and an informed interviewer in spontaneous conversation. The taped record is transcribed, lightly edited for continuity and clarity, and reviewed by the interviewee. The resulting manuscript is typed in final form, indexed, bound with photographs and illustrative materials, and .placed in The Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley, and other research collections for scholarly use. Because it is primary material, oral history is not intended to present the final, verified, or complete narrative of events. It is a spoken account, offered by the interviewee in response to questioning, and as such it is reflective, partisan, deeply involved, and irreplaceable. All uses of this manuscript are covered by a legal agreement between The Regents of the University of California and Anne deGruchy Dettner dated April 20, 1995. The manuscript is thereby made available for research purposes. All literary rights in the manuscript, including the right to publish, are reserved to The Bancroft Library of the University of California, Berkeley. No part of the manuscript may be quoted for publication without the written permission of the Director of The Bancroft Library of the University of California, Berkeley. Requests for permission to quote for publication should be addressed to the Regional Oral History Office, 486 Library, University of California, Berkeley 94720, and should include identification of the specific passages to be quoted, anticipated use of the passages, and identification of the user. The legal agreement with Anne deGruchy Dettner requires that she be notified of the request and allowed thirty days in which to respond. It is recommended that this oral history be cited as follows: Anne deGruchy Dettner, A Woman's Place in Science and Public Affairs, 1932-1973, an oral history conducted in 1995 by Sally Hughes and Gabrielle Morris, Regional Oral History Office, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, 1996. Copy no. Cataloging information DETTNER, Anne deGruchy Low-Beer (b. 1905) Biochemist A Woman's Place in Science and Public Affairs, 1932-1972, 1996 xxiii, 260 PP San Francisco family and 19th century forebears: cultural life, summers in Tiburon; University of California education interruptus (1922-1960); pursuing a scientific career: experiences at Stanford Hospital (San Francisco), Donner Laboratory, Berkeley Radiation Laboratory, University of California Medical School, including early radioisotope research, treatment, bioassay programs and publications (1940-1971); volunteer achievements: San Francisco League of Women Voters presidency (1932-34), California director National Youth Administration (1934-1939), United Crusade Settlement House Reorganization Committee chair (1958) and Aging Committee chair (1964), and others. Introductions by Helene Maxwell Brewer, Professor Emerita of American Literature and American Studies, Queens College, City University of New York, and Lawrence Kramer, Chairman of the Board, Kramer, Blum and Associates, Inc. Interviewed 1995 by Sally Hughes and Gabrielle Morris for the University of California, Source of Community Leaders Oral History Series. Regional Oral History Office, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley. This oral history of Anne deGruchy Dettner was made possible by contributions from the following sources. Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory University of California, Class of 1931 Endowment Fund TABLE OF CONTENTS--Anne deGruchy Dettner PREFACE INTRODUCTION--by Helene Maxwell Brewer INTRODUCTION--by Lawrence Kramer INTERVIEW HISTORY--by Gabrielle Morris xvii CURRICULUM VITAE AND BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION xxi I GETTING STARTED I1 SAN FRANCISCO LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS PRESIDENCY, 1932-1934 GROWING UP IN SAN FRANCISCO Life in the Moore-deGruchy Family Girls' High School Alice B. Toklas and Some of Mother's Other Childhood Companions Four Generations of California Forebears Frank Sloss; The Bohemian Club Father deGruchy; Boston Interlude Childhood Adventures in Belvedere Uncle Samuel I. Moore Dr. Lillian Martin's Influence Supporting Good Causes Then and Now First Acquaintance with George Dettner IV UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AND STANFORD EDUCATION AND TRAINING Continuing Friendships, Science Studies, Part One Stanford Hospital Hematology Laboratory Further Studies V DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION Unemployment Relief Bonds, 1932 LWV Hosts Presidential Candidates, 1932 Becoming President of the League Involvement with Other Civic Organizations League Leadership Program VI CALIFORNIA DIRECTOR, NATIONAL YOUTH ADMINISTRATION, 1934-1939 City and State Relief Commission Preliminaries Differing Relief Commission Ideas about Social Work Eleanor Roosevelt Champions the NYA Administering Education and Work Programs Setting Up Education and Work Programs Escorting Mary McLeod Bethune With Mrs. Roosevelt in California and New York Residential Program Problems; Job Termination Personal and Political Changes; World War I1 Nears Advisors and Staff; Other LWV Recollections Lessons Learned Serving on the 1948 Grand Jury VII CAREER IN RADIOLOGY, 1940-1972 Scientific Education, Part Two Clinical Pathology Technician, Stanford Medical School Crocker Radiation Laboratory Technician, University of California, Berkeley; Early Neutron Therapy Monitoring Patients Radiophosphorus for Therapeutic Use Physical Layout of the Laboratory Diego Rivera's Visit John H. Lawrence, M.D. Joseph G. Hamilton, M.D. Metabolic Studies on Plutonium and Radioactive Strontium VIII LIFE WITH BELA (Bertram V.A.) LOW-BEER, 1941-1955 Dr. Low-Beer at the Berkeley Radiation Laboratory and University of California Medical School Marriage and Working Together Bela's Successor, Franz Buschke, M.D. Radiation Safety Committee at the Medical School Dr. Low-Beer's Leukemia Hamilton's Leukemia Low-Beer Family During World War 11 1951 Sabbatical in Europe Living with Leukemia Personal Relationship FURTHER GRADUATE STUDIES; RETURN TO THE BERKELEY CAMPUS 1960-1973 Doctoral Candidate at UC San Francisco, 1958-59 Establishing the Bioassay Program at Lawrence Berkeley Lab, 1960 More Details on Radioisotope Research The Issue of Informed Consent Strontium Research More on Donner Lab Women in Science 1994 Visit to Livermore Lab The Berkeley Lab and Campus Administration On Retirement; Consultant to the Lab On George Dettner X VARIETIES OF PUBLIC SERVICE AND VOLUNTEER COMMUNITY WORK War Manpower Commission, 1944 League of Women Voters Energy Committee, ca. 1972 Neighborhood Centers Unification Plan, 1971 Ford Foundation Sponsors Committee on Aging, 1964 Recapitulation Council for Civic Unity; Emma McLaughlin APPENDICES A. "A 'Ship Subsidy' Debate, Girls' High School Orators Win Easy Victory for Negative,'' The Seamen's Journal, January 18, 1922 B. Copies of letters of introduction for Mrs. Earl [Anne deGruchy] Treadwell from Maurice Harrison [MEH] to George Creel, W.G. McAdoo, and E. Cyril Wynne, May 21, 1935 C. Copy of letter from Maurice Harrison to Mrs. Earl Treadwell regarding assistance from Mr. and Mrs. Henry F. Grady, May 25, 1935 D. "Dynamic Mrs. Treadwell Due to Head State Youth Drive," San Francisco News, July 1935 E. Statement prepared by Mr. Ralph E. Jenney, chairman of the [California] State Relief Commission, to be submitted to the next meeting of the commission and comments thereon by the state administrator [Frank Y. McLaughlin], [August 19351 F. Letter, Frank Y. McLaughlin, San Francisco regional administrator, to Robert H. Hinckley, Assistant Administrator, Works Progress Administration, regarding unemployment relief in California, August 16, 1935 G. "First Lady Acclaimed in Lecture on 'Youth"' and "Mrs. Roosevelt Sees Los Angeles," Los Angeles Evening Herald, March 17, 1938 H. "State Administrator Dissatisfied with Local Set-up," and "High and Low Tide," John J. Berry, South Bay Breeze [Redondo Beach], July 20, 1939 I. "Hermosa Youth Hotel to Close on August 15," Los Angeles Herald & Express, July 21, 1939 J. Letters, Leo B. Baisden, Assistant Superintendent of Schools, Sacramento, to Sheridan Downey, Aubrey Williams, and Anne deG. Treadwell, regarding NYA school program, July 31, 1939 K. Letter to Mrs. Treadwell from Vivian Osborne Marsh, August 25, 1939 L. Two letters from Mrs. Treadwell to Vivian Marsh, September 1, 1939 225 M. Memo "To All NYA Employees," reproducing letter from Henry Rhine, national office, UFWA, to Aubrey Williams, administrator, National Youth Administration, describing the Mandell case, October 12, 1940 227 N. Anne deG. Low-Beer, "Bioassay of Plutonium" and "Bioassay of Transplutonium Elements," in Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology, O.Eichler, A. Farah, H. Herken, A.D. Welch, eds., vol. xxxvi, Berlin, Heidelberg, New Pork: Springer-Verlag, 1973 23 1 0. "Dettner Recalls a Life of Service," Cindy Cassady, Friday's Newsline, April 1, 1994 252 P. Citation,
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