VOLUM[ J 3, NUMBER 6, SEPTl:MBtR 1979 CALTECH NEWS PUBLISHED FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF THE CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Prufrock House on the move For neurosCIence research $500,000 grant to Caltech Caltech has been awarded a grant of the brain and for improving our of $500,000 from the Pew Memorial understanding of the causes of dis­ Trust in support of its neuroscience eases of the central nervous system." research program, according to Pres­ Goldberger explained that scien­ ident Marvin L. Goldberger. tists at Cal tech are concentrating on "This magnificent grant will be of two aspects of ne uroscientific re­ tremendous help in allowing Cal­ search: cellular mechanisms in de­ tech's neuroscie ntists to continue velopment and behavior, and sen­ their efforts to understand the opera­ sory processes and perception. Their ti on of the nervous system and the work can yield insights into the role ca uses of neurological disorders," of hormones in behavior, the trans­ Goldberger said. "Their work holds mission of nervous impulses from great promise for solving mysteries one nerve to another, and the role of genes in learning. They may also discover more about the function of circadian rhythms - basic regula­ tory mechanisms of cells that govern the activity of enzymes and neurons - and of protein synthesis. Cal tech neuroscientists are also studying how the central nervous system processes auditory informa­ Pru{rock H()tL~(, j!, dC':,line(/ (ur d new /cK(lliOIl at 371 South Wilson AvenuC'. The graduJle student tion and how vocal learning devel­ re sidcnce' is nl1C' oj" ril rC'(' h()lJ s f' ,~ al I/l(' northwes t corner of Wilson and San p (l~qtliJ l thaI have yie lded to 111(:' impending constru ction of the new Braun Ld/;ora/orif.'5 of Cell Biology and Chemistr y, ops; how the central nervous system .'('hedu /e d 10 Ix'gin in November. Ano/her of 1/lC' houses - former site of th e public rclalions OffiCES - processes sound, and how visual has been relocated on Lura Street, w hile th e third - the Cal/ cell co ffee h OUSE - was tom down (a new and auditory data are integrated; coffee housr will open at JOO South Ho llistoll and public relations is in new quarters at 3 J 5 South IiiI/). Nov(.'m/;{'f (l /so will rnark the start of consUl/clion of the Th omas J. Warson, Sr., Laborat ories of and how the eyes integrate visual Appli00 Ph Y';in , iuq north (J/ C; /f'I'it' I rliJn rdlOfY. data to produce a three-dimensional world. Work that is improving our understanding of the inner car may help to prevent or cure deafness, Robert Gray, Sechler die verti go, and related problems ca used by damage to the inner ea r 's tiny Two Caltech faculty members - Carroll Award of the SOCiety for the hair cell s. Robert D. Gray, professor o f Advancement of Management. economics, eme ritus, and Ernest E. Resea rch o n the independent Sechler, 73, devoted his profes­ functioning of the two 1ll'll1i'pheres Sechl er, professor of aero nautics, sional life to teaching and research of the human brain is Iwlping to emeritus - d ied this summer after on the design of safe, lightweight provide clu es o n ho I\' brain extended illn 'sses. structures, including aeroplane mechanisms genera te co nscilluS ex­ Gray, 69, served 39 years on the fuselages and th e thin shell s of rock­ perience. Calt ech faculty and was director of Calrct h gradufl te Slu(/C'1l1 Mir hJf'/ C h f' 1l WC'Jf'S ets and boosters. He had been a The Pew Memorial Trust, loca ted the In d ustrial Relations Center from faculty member at the Institute since an e / e c lrode -~ tl1dde d helmel ldifured 10 fit his head, and a pdir of infrared pil%diodc' spccta­ in Philadelphia, is one of the largest 194'1 until 1977. He ca me to Caltech 1930 and was executive officer for c/e ~ th at lrdCt:! hi:, eyt' mov~·nl (' nt s . His goa l is to private foundations in the United in 1940 as associate professor of aeronautics from 1966 to '197'1. In Icarn whether hi:, eye movement!:. initiate States. It wa s founded by joseph N . economics and industrial relations, 1976 he retired as emeritus profes­ .~ pf'cific responses in the brdin':, vj:, ual curt ex. Chen if) working with Derek Fendt'r (professor of Pew, jr., j. Howard Pew, Mary Ethel becoming a full professor in ]942. sor. hiology [lnd appfif'rI sricf1cC') ill rrsc'<lrch In un­ Pew, a nd Mabe l Pe w Myrin, in During World War II , he serv ed as an derstand how the /Jody '!.> system uf eye mov('­ A consultant in the field of aero­ memory of th eir father, joseph N . adviser to the Railway Labor Emer­ m en!:' and the bra in work togelh C'r /0 f'nahlc an s pace structures throughou t the individual In pf'rrcivr Ill(' world J .~ .~ta l1c1in g still Pew, Sr., the founder of Sun O il Co., gency Panel, and then organized a aerospace indus try, Sechler a lso - (,V('/l though the f'Y(', O; may hf' ill rapid motion. and their mother, Mary Anderson massive program as supervisor of served as member and chairman of The wurk i:. parI of Ca llcch 's Neurosc ience r<t' ­ sf'arch Program. Pew. the engineering, science, and man­ various national advisory commit­ agem e nt war training classes in tees for the Air Force and NASA. He production engineerin g and indus­ was active in recent yea rs in promot­ trial relations at Ca ltech. ing the development of windmills as Reed: Caltech benefactor As director of th e Industrial Rela­ a power sou rce. tions Center, he was widely recog­ William G. Reed, managing part­ Reed earned his AB degree from the Sechl er was a member of the Na­ nized as an authority on wage and ner of Simpson Reed & Co. in Seat­ University of Washington and tional Academy of Engineering, the sa lary administration , ma nagerial tle, has endowed th e William G. studied at the Harvard Graduate American Association for the Ad ­ compensation, management devel­ Reed Graduate Fellowship at Cal­ School of Business. The son of Mark vancement of Science, California Acad­ opment surveys of employee opin­ tech. Presid e nt Marvin L. Gold ­ E. Reed, a pioneer in the lumber in­ emy of Sciences, and National ions, and employee benefit plans. berger said income from the dustry and an ea rly legislative leader Defense Preparedness Association. Active as a leader or consultant in endowment will provide tuition and in the Pacific Northwest, he is several governme ntal agencies, he Born in Pueblo, Colorado, Sechler expenses each year for a graduate chairman of the Simlog Corporation was twice president of the California entered Ca ltech as a fr eshman in student. He stressed that the gift a nd the forme r chairman of the State Personnel Board and was cho 1924, and was the first person to re­ meets a vital need for graduate stu­ Crow n Simpson Pulp Compa ny, sen to be on the Governor's Advi­ ceive its MS degree in aeronautics. dent support. the Simpson Timber Company, and sory Cuuncil in the Department of He also held a BS in engineering "Fellowship support from federal the Simpson Lee Paper Company, Employment. (1928), an MS in mechanical en­ agencies has dropped sharply in re­ the Shelton S tate Bank, and the A lea der in nume rous service and gineering (1929)' a nd a PhD in cent years, and private gifts such as Seattle Foundation. civi c groups and professional aeronautics (1934) from Ca ltech. this one are more important than A member of the President's societies, he received awards includ­ Contributions may be made to the ever in providing educational oppor­ Council at Caltech in 1968-70, he ing the Thomas P. Pike Industry Ernest E. Sechl er Memorial Fund, tunities for outstanding young scien­ headed the U.S. delega tion to the Award of the Alcoholism Council of O ffi ce of Memorial Funds (J -36), ti sts, " he sa id. Economic Commission for Europe in G rea ter Los Angeles and the Phil Ca ltech. A native of Shelton, Washington, 1960. 2 CALTECH NEWS The Alumni Fund How to stay on top of the mountain "Progress in society is made by a Poggi, BS '37, national chairman in as students. "This guy was best man that the donor had reconciled his handful of men and women - and 1976-77. "Not many Cal tech alumni at my wedding," or "I haven't seen bank balance just after filling out the many of them graduate from Cal­ actually enjoy raising money, but Frank since we both lived in Dabney Fund envelope, and had written the tech." That's the belief of Caltech when they take on a responsibility, 20 years ago" are typical remarks as check for the balance in his bank ac­ alumnus Cordon Weir, BS '40, and they do an excellent job." workers scan their lists. count. He was so pleased when the the reason he agreed in '1976 to be­ The Fund Council members in Outgoing calls from one alumnus, check was returned that he doubled come an a rea chairman for the 1972 stressed total alumni participa­ an attractive young woman who re­ his contribution. Alumni Fund.