Thayer School

It has been somewhat difficult to become accustomed to the relative quiet at Thayer School the last two weeks of August and the first three of September. For many years we all attended the summer session where diverse talents were put to work on advanced surveying, electrical circuits and instrumentation, and metal processing. During the summer sessions of 1959 and 1960 all Thayer fifth-year men were engaged in engineering analysis using analog and digital computer methods. The transition period, during which the full Engineering Science Curriculum has been inaugurated, is now completed, and this summer there has been no summer session. The computer course will become a junior year requirement this fall, and the CE and ME surveying and shop courses will be required, non-credit courses in the first term, fifth year.

The building has not been quiet, however, for it has buzzed with the activity of several research projects. Professor MillettMorgan has continued his ionospheric research work with a staff of about a dozen engaged in equipment design and data processing. Professor Robert Dean, assisted by John Wheaton ME'61, and Andy UrquhartES'62, is engaged in two studies. John is at work on anode phenomena in a plasma torch, while Andy has designed and built apparatus to study transient under-water arcs of high intensity. Jim Allison TT'62 has been analyzing soil samples, collected by John Scully CE'58 in East Greenland, for Dr. Lincoln Washburn D'35. Also two members of the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Lab., together with Professor Ron Scott of California Tech and RussStearns CE'38, have been working at Thayer completing several sections of a polar engineering text for the U.S. Army Engineers.

On July 15 Professor of Engineering Myron Tribus arrived to assume the duties of Dean of the Thayer School, and Chairman of the Engineering Science Department. It is with pleasure that we all welcome Myron, and as alumni, faculty, and students look forward to our association with him in the Dartmouth Society of Engineers and at the Thayer School. Also joining the faculty this September are Visiting Professor of Engineering Science Noel D. Clarence from the University of Natal, Durban, South Africa; Assistant Professor Thomas Laaspere, formerly at the Center for Radiophysics and Space Research, Cornell University; and Peter P. Gillis, instructor in Engineering Science, who comes to Thayer from Brown University.

Three members of the faculty will be on leave for the year. Professor Bill KimballCE'29 joins the faculty at the Northwestern University Transportation Center in Evanston, Ill., as a Visiting Professor. Bill will study and lecture at the Institute while gathering material and developing plans for Thayer's new curriculum in Environmental Civil Engineering. Professor Jim Browning D'44 will devote full time this year to business operations at Thermal Dynamics, his company in Lebanon, N. H. Assistant Professor Carl Long will spend the year at Yale University continuing his graduate work in engineering mechanics on a National Science Foundation Grant.

A successful Thayer reunion was held at the Norwich Inn in June at which time the faculty presented Bill Kimball with a golf bag. Merle Thorpe ME'54 conceived and organized the reunion which was appreciated by all. The following alumni and faculty were present: Nelson Bellesheim TT'52, Art Worden TT'52, Merle Thorpe ME'54, A1 Doolittle CE'37, Heston Hirst '38, Ken Langler '37, Don Stuart CE'41, Charlie Weinberg CE'43, Ted Schoonbeck '43, Jim Skinner CE'43, Jack Guenther CE'42, George Capelle CE'37, Bill Kimball CE'29, Ed Brown CE'35, Professor Joe Ermenc, Professor Bob Dean, Russ Stearns CE'38.

For the second year the Thayer School fifth-year class received their degrees at the Dartmouth College commencement. At a graduation luncheon held the previous day, Bob Barr CE'42 welcomed the graduates into the Dartmouth Society of Engineers. Bob awarded two D.S.E. prizes for out- standing papers to Louis Semprebon ES'61, and Dave Schreur CE'61. Louis' paper was titled "Measurement of the Direction of Arrival of Atmospheric Whistlers," and Dave's "Report on Kalamazoo River Pollution."

In the absence of Dr. Charles GoodrichCE'06 and Mrs. Goodrich who were un- able to attend, Professor Ed Brown CE'35 awarded the Goodrich Prize for the most outstanding graduate to Art Feinstein CE'61.

In September Professor Millett Morgan attended an international conference in Paris as consultant for the Melpar Company of Virginia which is engaged in the study of basic communication techniques with emphasis on satellite systems. The conference concerned itself with global communication systems using satellites. Immediately following the conference Dr. Morgan participated in high altitude flights in the vicinity of Cape Horn which is the geomagnetic conjugate to Florida. While flying out of Buenos Aires in a KC-135 jet, Millett assisted the Air Force Cambridge Research Labs in studying radio signals between Holmes AFB in Florida and the flying laboratory.

As is the custom, this issue of the notes has concerned itself mainly with the opening of the college year and the activities of the Thayer faculty. The Thayer Bulletin of 1961-62 lists 35 members of the faculty and staff in addition to nine members of the Board of Overseers. These figures give some indication of the continuing growth and in- creasing activity of the Thayer School. Your correspondent will greatly appreciate news of alumni for the next issues of this column.