SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE BULLETIN The College at Springfield S P~INGfl£LD , COLLEGE ~ BULLETI N SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE BuU.tu. Alunn1l I...... Letter from Skip First Impressions Letters such as yours mean so much Last fall several staff members of to us in this war-torn nation. Word Radio WNEU at Northeastern Uni­ from home makes the tour of duty more versity had the privilege of visiting meaningful and tolerable. Springfield College's beautiful campus The educational background I re­ to broadcast the Northeastern-Spring­ ceived at Springfield, as well as the field football game. Aillmni Officers goals and ideals of the College, have An old proverb states that first im­ President: Thomas Collins III '42 helped me in adjusting to life in Viet­ pressions are lasting impressions and my rice President: Donald K. Hacker'SO nam. impression of your campus and students Secretary: Harold G. Lynch '41 The war is not easy - the battle­ will be very lasting indeed. Fund Director: Herbert B. Zenaty 'SO field is a testing ground for one's man­ The first and most obvious impression hood. I hope and pray to pass the test. was the cleanliness of your campus. Terms Expiring in June 1967 So many times lessons learned in the There were no papers on the grass, no Thomas Collins III '42 classroom and on the athletic field at cigarette butts about nor were there any Barbara S. Bennett ' 58 Grant W. Koch '35 Springfield have guided me through signs of litter on the streets. Ronald E. Sheriffs '58 rough moments. Even now, news from Speaking of cleanliness, your students Springfield is so welcome. Not having were spotless. All the men were clean Terms Expiring in Jllne 1968 had the opportunity to return to the shaven and had haircuts and they wore Mary Ann (Skroback) Burger '58 campus since 1964, I can well imagine clean clothing. The members of the Bruno Rumpal '38 . the great changes and new buildings. I Donald K. Hacker 'SO female set were immaculate also. The Dale W. Lash '23 know the spirit of friendship that makes main fact which impressed me was that Springfield great will never change. the women looked like women and the Terms Expiring in June 1969 This is my continuous memory of the men looked like men. Carl G. Eppelmann '63 campus - it is a friendly place. Springfield College is a college rich George C. McElroy '51 Perhaps I can make Springfield as with tradition. Tradition is a cement Elaine Panaretos '56 proud of me as I am of my College. Joseph A. Shields '34 which adheres all classes of a college Vietnam Walter (Skip) Daley '64 together. Representatives 0/ Graduating Classes Springfield College is what every Ed. Note: 1st Lt. Skip Daley was killed Eileen D. Vance '64 American college should be - a place in action in rietnam in February, 1967. Stuart T. Rogers '65 to build mind, body and spirit. This letter arrived in the .Alumni Office Gary W. Wilcox '66 your hospitality and that of the shortly before the news of his death was F~r Springfield College Radio Station - Student Representative reported. Patricia Poplawski '67 we thank you. Northeastern University Bob Ryan Alumni Fund Chairman Sincere Appreciation Robert H. Reardon '51 Speaking for the Bangor YMCA - ABOUT THE ,COVER yes, even for the 2500 people of Eastern Representing the Trustees Old grads will have no difficulty rec­ Maine who attended the performance Edmund T. Manley '27 ognizing former President Dr. L. L. - thank you for sending your group Arthur H. Christ '44 Doggett on the cover of this BULLETIN. of outstanding, clean-cut appearing, Dr. George H. Grover '35 Others depicted include, in May, 1927, young men and women to our city. H. Sanderson '28 and Clarence E. President Their demeanor as individuals meet­ A. Bittner '28; in October, 1937, football Wilbert E. Locklin ing our folks before and after the per­ standout Warren L. Huston '37, and formance, and as a group displaying Coach Paul Stagg; and in May, 1963, the disciplines and pageantry of the All America baseball team member, Gymnastic Exhibition, was such that Archie F. Moore '63, and Olympic gym­ they stole the hearts of our community. nast Kathy Corrigan '66. They would be a credit to any college. The December, 1942 cover awakens Coach Wolcott, Coach Potter, Bert a disquieting wartime memory. Inter­ Hill, Doctor Judd and your whole staff estingly enough, the beautiful photo on have our congratulations and sincere the December, 1949 BULLETIN was appreciation. taken by Otis E. Finley, Jr. '50, now Bangor, Maine Roland F. Chandler an Eastman Kodak executive. ' General Secretary A further summary of the BULLE­ P.S. I think every boy in our Leaders' TIN'S first forty 'years can be found on Club now wants to go to Springfield. page 10. 2 THE SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE BULLETIN A SPECIAL REPORT Cell monitors and signals By Dr. Harold Amos 141 T IS OBVIOUS to us all that the The problem as I see it in the adult the signal is assumed to be a property I human body to function must be human, frog, or mouse if you like, is of the membrane. Since the membrane equipped with an elaborate and effective that of a complex organism composed of of each cell type has properties that dis­ signalling system or set of systems. The billions of cells most of them highly tinguish it from other cell types, a given first and foremost example is the nerv­ differentiated. The whole organism can signal can conceivably elicit different ous system; a hundred years of careful survive only with a carefully balanced responses from different cells. Two investigation have established its role as performance on the part of each of this obvious advantages of a membrane "con­ detector of events taking place in the wide variety of cell types. Many of tact site" are: (1) the speed of action environment as well as inside the body. these types perform single functions: that requires merely contact between Sensory nerves respond to light, sound, formation of a digestive enzyme, syn­ the external cell membrane and a serum pressure, volatile compounds and a va­ thesis of growth hormone, synthesis of molecule as opposed to the time poten­ riety of chemical entities which can be a serum protein, etc. These products tially required for penetration of mole­ classified for the sake of this discussion are not to be elaborated all the time but cules into the cell; and (2) a variety of as signals. when needed. And it is just as impor­ influences by the same signal for a Signals to the nervous system include tant to stop product formation when variety of cell types. A not so obvious certain hormones - soluble molecules the need is satisfied as to start it. Thus, advantage of the membrane site is the that travel through the blood stream to there has evolved a system for sensitive greater latitude this permits in design of turn on and off other organs and tissues. control of differentiated function. By signal molecules. If the molecules were The hormones are synthesized by cells sensitive I refer to a speedy response to required to penetrate the cell, certain in specialized organs called glands. The "turn on" signals and an equally effec­ restrictions on size and net electrical glands are often geographically far re­ tive "shut off." charge would have to be respected; moved from the target tissues of the There are any number of models that molecules of high molecular weight (big hormones they synthesize. would satisfy the requirements for rapid molecules), for example, would not be initiation and rapid stoppage and we are very effective signals as they would A Shift of Focus encouraged to choose our particular ver­ penetrate the cell slowly, if at all. Size Until quite recently the focus of in­ sion because of some experimental eVI­ poses no problem for molecules interact­ terest in communications inside the body dence we have obtained. ing with the outside boundary of the had been restricted to the level of the To begin with, one can make a case cell. organ. As a result of vastly improved for evolutionary selection pressure fa­ Our general proposal is that differ­ methods of cell culture, there has been voring the plasma membrane (external entiated cells in the body are internally a shift of focus to the cellular level. cell membrane) as the site at which constrained, that they have some kind The questions that can now be posed signals initiate their particular influ­ of "governor" on their protein-synthe­ for experimental study are: (1) What ences (Fig. 2). The transmission of sizing machinery (Figs. 3 and 4) .** molecules serve as positive or negative signals for particular cell types? (2) Plasma membrane By what mechanism do signal mole­ cules induce cells to perform their spe­ cific functions (Fig. 1) ? In the light of experimental evidence obtained in my own laboratory (with the help of several co-workers and as­ sistants*) and many observations re­ ported by other investigators over the past fifty years, we have corne to pro­ pose some generalizations about signals and cell function in the higher verte­ brates. These ideas may prove of little Ribosomes Ribosomes longtime worth; however, they have al­ ready stimulated conceptual and experi­ mental reaction and have probably has­ CELL TYPE I CELL TYPE II tened their own demise by so doing. Let me first state our propositions, FIGURE 1 then present some of the evidence that • Signal molecules formed by Cell t Signal molecules formed by Cell led us to these generalizations.