Thayer School
Peter D. Stone, CE'62, who with BruceJohnson, Mech.E.'62 built with Army funds a 50-horsepower two-passenger "ground-effects" vehicle (operating on an air cushion) for their joint project-thesis, went on to graduate schooling in architecture.
Last summer he spent six exciting weeks working on a pilotplant type of community development with Paolo Soleri, the author of "Arcology—The City in the Image of Man." (Arcology = architecture + ecology.) The development, called Arcosanti, is located 70 miles north of Phoenix, Ariz., and will accommodate 1500 people on an 800-acre site where it is intended to residents shall live in non-polluting harmony with their environment. This project is expected to provide guidelines for communities of the future. There are strong similarities between Soleri's approach community building and Frank Lloyd Wright's apprentice/workman type of training for architects, i.e., learning by doing.
Tony Slocum, DE'70, is in the Operational Analysis Section of the LFE Corpration which recently took over Arwer Nichols for whom Tony worked. The corporate headquarters are now in Waltham, Mass. The corporation does analysis and design of water and sewer systems as well as industrial process control systems.
Tony reports directly to the Preslfive and describes his work as highly creative. He says he owes his position to his interest in digital computers, which he was aw develop into a professional capability Thayer. His doctoral thesis, a three-inch think tome, was on the "Computer Analysis and Design of Building Frames. He has two children, a recent arrival being a girl.
Tom Brady, M.S.'68 is writing his Ph.D. thesis, "Yielding Behavior of Glassy Amorphous Polymers," at the University of Michigan. He presented a paper on part of this work before the Division of High Polymer Physics of the American Physical Society; it was published in the October or November issue of the Journal of Applied Physics. After November 1, 1971, Tom will be doing polymer research at the Technical Center of the Owens-Illinois Corp. in Toledo, Ohio. He hopes eventually to get into teaching.
Kent Slaby ME'64 writes: In January of this year, I joined the Firestone Natural Rubber and Latex Co. as the Manager of engineering, and am living in Harbel, iSa with my wife Alice and two-year-old daughter Cynthia. Firestone operates three plantations in West Africa, of which he one at Harbel is the largest. In fact, with 90,000 acres under planting, it ranks as the largest rubber plantation in the world We have a staff of 170, ana approximately 700. local nationals are engaged in engineering activities. We have our own water supply systems, hydroelectric generating plant (5000 KW), diesel plant (2000 KW), telephone system, 590 miles of roads, 200-bed hospital, 30 pieces of heavy equipment, international radio station, and a processing plant which includes 80 De Lavel latex centrifuges, four large extruder type mechanical dryers (500 HP. each), mill lines, and dry buildings. In all, it is a fairly well integrated operation with a yearly output of approximately 75,000 tons of dry rubber. My wife and I are definitely enjoying this new experience, and this has been an excellent opportunity for us. I am very proud of the College and of Thayer, and feel that the current trend is a healthy one. We look forward also to visiting Hanover when we return to the States for vacation in May of 1973." (Kent was one of the first of my students to make a study of the small hydro-power plants that once abounded in what is now the backwoods of Vermont.)
Dr. Andrew Porteous, D.E.'67: "After leaving Thayer I spent a thoroughly stimulating three years . as Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering at Glasgow University. I taught Statistical Thermodynamics, Decision Theory, and Desalination Research.
"My research resulted in two patents and the formation of my own company to manufacture and market solar distillation hardware for developing countries. In May/June 1970 I spent two months on the island of Aldabra, in the Indian Ocean, where I installed four modular Solar Stills for the Royal Society of London Research Station on the island. I consider myself extremely fortunate in having visited this remote area which contains the only coral island eco system substantially untouched by man.
"I am now Reader in Engineering Mechanics at the Open University (a Reader' is equivalent to an Associate or Full Professor with tenure). The Open university is a pioneering institution set up to educate adult students to degree level in their own homes. About 20,000 students are enrolled and priority in admission is given to manual workers. The teaching media used are: a correspondence text, which is the core of the education system, an integrated television programme, an integrated radio programme, and self assessment questions and answers by which students can gage their progress in the course. Students have access to tutors and counselors at 280 centers throughout Britain. There are also tutor graded assignments, a short summer school course, and a home experiment kit. The Open University is a really exciting institution. Currently I am writing one correspondence course unit on 'the environment' and another on 'energy conversion.' With each unit I am responsible for the outline of the television and radio programmes which are made in conjunction with British Broadcasting Corporation producers and directors.
"We have a wonderful three-year-old boy, Neil, who shows every sign of being as active as his father! We have purchased a house in a small village in south Northamptonshire and find that we are back to the grass roots of life."
Mark Ginsberg, EE '56: "After graduation I spent one year as an electronics engineer with Sperry-Rand. The next year I was a manager with a stainless steel processor and jobber, after which I started my own business, The Mark Ginsberg Stainless, Inc. I retired from my business in 1970 after 12 years and now devote full time to my real estate speculative interests in factories, warehouses, garages, and truck terminals in the New York City area.
"I am currently finishing my second term as president of the Seminole Tennis Club of Forest Hill, N. Y. During the winter months, I compete in Platform Tennis tournaments throughout Connecticut and lower New York State, and have participated in the national championships in this sport for the last four years."
W. George Krall, Mech. E. '55: "Since graduation I've been with the General Electric Company in a variety of manufacturing engineering positions. I am presently Manager of Manufacturing Engineering for the Aircraft Engine Department. In truth I feel that the education I received at Dartmouth and Thayer was the best possible for the career I planned for and attained.
"After 16 years I still remember one of your ingenious exams which had as its main problem a set of conditions that caused an air conditioning unit to produce snow! The highest mark was 65!! After the class got over the initial shock, I recall some fine repartee when you revealed the solution."
Abbie Metcalf, the Thayer School librarian-emeritus, is back to catalog the books once owned by Sylvanus Thayer and Robert Fletcher. She was delighted to receive from Charlie Hitchcock, CE'39, some old engineering books which belonged to his grandfather, Prof. Hiram A. Hitchcock, CE'81. They are now on display at Thayer School.
