California Institute of Technology Volume 25, No.2 April 1991 Not many people know that the three largest trees in Caltech 's acreage tn the Neider Grove are named for Millikan, Hale, and Noyes. One of the giant .equola.ln Caltech'. acreage rI.e. toward the .ky. Visiting Caltech's giant sequoias by Ted Combs, BS '27 Not many people-not even Cal tech his pracrice rhere, and married a Miss forest containing more than 100 giant oldtimers-know that the Institute owns Clara Fowler. Clara's farher was a suc­ sequoias. an acreage of giant sequoias in the cessful lumberman, a holder of mineral Fortunately for Caltech, soon after remote Nelder Grove area JUSt south of rights, and vice president of his Fleming arrived in Pasadena, he was the Yosemite National Park boundary. brorher-in-Iaw's business. The brorher­ induced by President Edwards of Although some of the trees date back ro in-law was Cyrus McCormick. Throop Polytechnic Institute ro help before the birth of Christ, Caltech's Before long, Arthur also became support the school. In fact, he became chapter in the hisrory of the ttees begins involved in his father-in-Iaw's lumber its principal benefactor. In 1903, he in 1922. It begins, actually, with business. In 1896, in a move related to was elected to the board of trustees. In Arthur H. Fleming, wealthy Pasadenan Clara's healrh, rhe Flemings came ro 1910 he became the board vice and benefacror of Throop Polytechnic Pasadena, and Arthur's lumber interesrs president, and in 1917, board president. Institute and of Caltech. also moved to include California. It seems that the Institute had trouble Arthur Fleming was born in Canada When Clara's farher died, Arrhur con­ balancing its budget, and Fleming pro­ in 1856, the oldesr of ren children. tinued rhe business, and soon owned, vided funds every year to offset the When he was in his early twenties, he among a number of other enterprises, deficit. He even took over much of the moved ro Derroit and became a U.S. the Sugar Pine Lumber Company in cicizen. Having studied law, he began Madera Counry, a 1540-acre traer of Continued on page 6 2 Freshman merit­ FRIENDS based scholarship established Harrison C. Lingle (BS' 4 3) and hi wife, Dorothy B. Lingle, have estab­ lished a merit-based award fund fot incoming freshmen at the Institute. Th fund will make it possible to offer a $ 5 ,000 merit award to an entering Barish chosen M.mber. of the new Executlv. Commltt.. of Th. A•• ociat •• : Millard Jacob. C8S freshman in the fall of 1991. The '401, vic. pr•• ld.nt; Dorl. Pankow. pr ••ldent; Edith Rob...... ecr.tary; and J. scholarship will be awarded based on How.rd Mar.hall C8S '57. PhD '851. tr.a.u.. r. Not p ....nt I. J •••• Gran.r C8S '431. Linde Professor vic. p ...ld.nt. the student's "demonstrated exceptiona. character, plus an outstanding academi, record, particularly in math and science Barry C. Barish has been named the with an expressed interest in pursuing ~ first Ronald and Maxine Linde Profes­ career in the field of science and sor. The professorship was established engineering .• by Caltech trustee Ronald K. Linde (MS If the student continues to remain in '62, PhD '64) and his wife, Maxine, Fraser named Parsons awards good academic standing, the scholarship with part of the Linde Fund, which they will be renewed each academic year. created at Caltech in 1975 and recently first Rosen $333}OOO grant Additionally, a merit award will be augmented. offered to a member of each subsequent In establishing the chair, the Lindes Professor to Institute entering freshman class. Ultimately, it stated that the ptofessorship would not is anticipated that a full tuition scholar­ necessarily reside permanenrly in a par­ ship will be awarded to·a freshman· each ticular division, but could be used wher­ Scott Fraser, professor of biology, has The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation year, and continued every year so long ever it would be the most beneficial. been named the first Anna 1. Rosen has awarded Caltech a $333,000 grant as that student remains in good The Lindes founded Envirodyne Professor. The professorship was estab­ to support a research project in develop­ academic standing at the Institute. Industries in 1970 and built it into a lished by Cal tech trustee and board vice mental biology entirled "How The Gene The Lingle Scholarship Fund will be Fortune 500 company. Ronald is the chairman Benjamin M. Rosen (BS '54) Regulatory System Transforms An Egg the first merit-based endowed scholar­ former chairman of the board and Max­ of New York; his brother, Harold A. Into An Embryo.' The principal ship fund for freshmen to be established ine is former corporate secretary and Rosen (MS '48, PhD '51) of Santa researchers will be Leroy Hood and Eric at Caltech. Harrison Lingle, the retired general counsel of the corporation, Monica; and his sister, Ruth Rosen Davidson. Hood is the Ethel Wilson founder and president of Hartco Co. in which was sold in May 1989. In 1988 Weisler of New Orleans. Bowles and Robert Bowles Professor of Skokie, Illinois, believes strongly that Envirodyne was ranked as one of the The chair is restriaed to the Division Biology and director of the Science and excellence and achievement should be United States' fastest growing com­ of Biology, with a preference for . Technology Center for Molecular recognized and hopes that a freshman panies. It was a worldwide leader in the biotechnology . Biotechnology, and Eric Davidson, the financial award, based solely on merit, development and manufacture of food "We wish this chair to be a fitting Norman Chandler Professor of Cell without regard to need, will encourage packaging materials and systems, operat­ remembrance to our mother, who was Biology. additional high school students of excep­ ing in virtually every country of the instrumental not only in sending us all One of the basic problems in modern tional character and intellect to apply to world from 26 manufacturing and through school, but also in instilling in biology is how an organism starts as a Caltech. finishing plants in North America and us an appreciation of education. W e single cell, the fertilized egg, and grows Europe. hope that it will contribute in some way to become a complex adult organism. The Lindes are residents of Chicago. to advancing the frontiers of science and For humans, the 100,000 units of infor­ Both earned their undergraduate degtees benefiting all of mankind, a goal that mation (genes), contained on our 23 at UCLA. Maxine was a research she would have supported enthusiasti­ pairs of chromosomes and present in engineer at JPL in the early 1960s. She cally: the Rosens said in a statement each cell, encode the information upon received her JD degree from Stanford in upon making the gift. which development is based. 1967. The new Anna L. Rosen Professor The goal of the research project will Jennings speaks Ronald Linde has been a Cal tech joined the Cal tech faculty in January, be to identify and describe the events trustee since 1989. He is also a life 1991. Previously he had been professor that occur in the genes as an egg begins member of the Alumni Association. and acting chairman of the Department to be transformed into an embryo. All at Provost's Among his many technical achieve­ of Physiology and Biophysics at UC of the cells formed in the early embryo ments, he has done pioneering research Irvine. He joined the UC Irvine faculty contain the same complete set of genes Circle dinner in various fields of physics, chemistry, in 1980 as assistant professor and was formed when the sperm and egg nuclei and engineering, and in the develop­ named associate professor in 1986. fuse at fertilization. This set of genes is The Provost's Circle dinner in the ment of new empirical techniques. He Before that he was an associate research known as the genome of the organism, Athenaeum this winter brought together is the author or coaurhor of approxi­ scientist in the Department of Biophys­ and is formed from the maternal and 83 members to hear Paul Jennings, vice mately 50 technical publications, and ics at Johns Hopkins University. Fraser paternal chromosome sers. president and provost. Jennings has invented and patented equipment earned his PhD from Johns Hopkins Early in the development of every described for the group some of the for enhancing chemical reaction rates. University in 1979, and his BS degree embryo, however, different cells begin to exciting work being done at the Insti­ Barry C. Barish has been a professor in physics from Harvey Mudd College express different sets of genes. For tute through membership contributions. of physics at Caltech since 1972. He in 1976. example, some cells become part of the Greeting guests was Robert D. Volk, joined the faculty in 1963 as a research Fraser's research interests are develop­ muscle tissue because they express chairman of the circle. Fifteen faculty fellow. His current research is on the mental neurobiology, regulation of cell muscle-specific genes. Others give rise members were hosts. Members of the search for a magnetic monopole in Italy. lineages, cell-cell communication, pat­ to nerves, others to intestine, etc. Provost'S Circle are Life Members of He has been involved in studies of high tern formation, experimental embryol­ "If we can understand how different The Associates who contribute between energy neutrino interactions and electron ogy, and theoretical biology. He is a gene function arises, we can see how the one and six thousand dollars a year to positron annihilations, and has con­ member of the American Association for complex organs and structures are the Institute.