The American Scientific Affiliation
VOL 1 NUMBER 2 6 April 1959
NORTH CENTRAL SECTION
The last issue of ASA NEWS described the first and very successful
meeting of the North Central Section of the ASA held at St, Paul on November
22, 1958. Because this group draws from several states, they have decided
that a couple of meetings with truly significant content is best for them.
Their second meeting will be held at Coffin Memorial Union, University of
Minnesota on t1m afternoon of Saturday April 25th.
Principal items on the
program:
"Mystery of Three Clocks", Moody Institute of Science Film
"The Hermeneutical Problem of the Damascus Document"
Philip Quanbeck, Head of the Department of Religion and Chaplain, Augsburg College) presents suggestion for the interpretation of materials relating to the Dead Sea Scrolls.
"Christianity and History", Bernard Ramm, Director of Graduate Studios, Department of Religion Baylor University, Waco, Texas, author of The Christian View of Science and Scripture, turns his attention to a social science.
This program has been drawn up by an informal steering committee headed
by David 0, Moberg,, Assoc. Professor of Sociology, Bethel College. A
program like that should increase the number of states it draws from!
Be there if you. can possibly arrange it.
PAPER PRESENTED
Samuel A. Elder, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory and
prominent in Washington DC section ASA activities is the author of a paper on
"Cavitation Microstreaming" (Jour. Acoust. Soc. Am. 31, 1, January, 1959).
ON ESCHEWING TELEOLOGY
A. J. Bernatowicz, Department of Botany, University of Hawaii, has
created a bit of a tempest in a teapot by his stern admonition to his scientific colleagues to avoid all teological expressions and anthropomorphisms
lest the minds of the students be corrupted (SCIENCE,128, 1402, 1958).
This has been challenged by some eminent men including G. G. Simpson (SCIENCE,
129, 608, 1959). You will profit by following these discussions, expressive
as they are of life philosophies.
BOARDMAN TO PAKISTAN
Dr. Donald C, Boardman, Chairman of the Department of Geology at
Wheaton College, has been honored with a SEATO professorship in East Pakistan.
Dr. Boardman has been released from a Fullbright Lectureship to West
Pakistan to take the SEATO appointment because of the greater prestige to
the United States. The Boardman family will leave by air August 14th and
will be away for one year. Anybody for a Fullbright on first bounce?
BOSTON ACS MEETING
ASA members are prominently displayed throughout the program of
the American Chemical Society meeting in Boston, April 6-10. Arthur R.
Schulert is to present a paper, "Comparative Hazards of Radioisotopes in
Nuclear Fallout". Another paper, "On the Nature of the Specific Binding
of Azaserine by an Enzyme of Purine Biosynthesis" is to be presented by
Robert L, Herrmann (with R. A. Day and J. M. Buchanan). Edmund C. Kornfield's
paper, "Conidine-Synthesis, Polymerization and Derivatives" is to be presented with co-authors Lavagnino, Chauvette and Cannon. The section on
Boron Chemistry is to be presided over by our own Roy M. Adams, also.
HELP WANTED
Geneva College, Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, is looking for a
replacement in their Department of Chemistry, preferably a Ph.D. in analytical
chemistry. They are also in need of a professional engineer to head up a
program in basic engineering and industrial engineering. Contact Dr.
Roy M. Adams.
DARWINISM
Robert F. DeHaan, Chairman, Department of Psychology, Hope College, Holland, Michigan calls
attention to a book "A New Answer to Darwinism"
by James Baldwin. Dr. DeHaan's comment is, "In my estimation Baldwin's book
really says something new about Darwinian evolution and points the direction in which our thinking and research should move." This appears to be
another good book for critical review in ASA local section meetings.
Copies may be obtained directly from the author at 431 S. Dearborn, Chicago,
103 Illinois.
NEW ASA OFFICERS ELECTED
EXECUTIVE
COUNCIL MEETS
The ASIA Executive Council met Saturday March 21st at The Moody
Bible Institute of Chicago.
Newly
elected Henry D. Weaver, Jr. was
present as well as Harold Hartzler, Walter Hearn, John Howitt and Delbert
N. Eggenberger (Editor). The only council member unable to attend was
Wilbur
L.
Bullock, and he was brought into the discussions by telephone
to New Hampshire during the afternoon sessions
Important-business included: wrestling with the problem of a new
printer of the Journal to speed up its appearance; appointment of a nominating committee (Alton
Everest, Donald Robertson and Hendrik Oorthuys);
printing a new directory of members in
1959;
selection of Seattle Pacific
College as the site of the
1960
convention (that is, if the college is
willing); consideration of brochures promoting the work of the Affiliation;
learning that the publication of One Hundred Years Since Darwin
(tentatively so named) would be somewhat later in
1959
than originally
hoped; the formulation of a request for Foundation support for the establishment of a national headquarters for ASA; possibility of changing the incorporation from
California to Illinois (not everything is moving West),
lengthy and learned cogitation on such important subjects as Local Sections,
Membership drive, constitutional revision and the ASA-ETS convention at
Trinity Seminary, Chicago, in June.
OORTHUYS RETIRES FROM COUNCIL
The Executive Council have expressed their gratitude to Hendrik J.
Oorthuys for his faithful service for five years, most of them as
Secretary-Treasurer, Prof, Oorthuys was Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering,
Purdue University~ until last year when he returned to his alma mater,
Oregon State College, to continue his teaching career. Those who have
worked closest to him appreciate best his quiet diligence and faithful,
efficient service as well as his talent for breaking the monotony by supplying
fresh examples for absent-minded professor jokes; Like the time he
got the wrong suit from the cleaners and wore it for two weeks with trousers
that were about ten inches "high-water".
S0ZER REPLACEMENT
Walter R. Hearn, new Secretary-Treasurer of the ASA, will lecture
this summer on biochemistry at the Teachers' Institute at Texas Tech,
Lubbock. He will also be speaking at the Second Baptist Church of Lubbock
on Sunday evening, July 12th.
WEAVER ELECTED TO
COUNCIL
They last for such a long tire (5-year term with threat of reelection' that much serious thought goes into the nomination and election of
executive council members. It is the matter of overlapping long terms that
gives stability and continuity to the governing body of the ASA. We are
happy to welcome to this important council Dr. Henry D. Weaver, Jr, Associate
Professor of Chemistry, Goshen College) Goshen, Indiana. Dr. Weaver has an
active interest in chemical research and in the development of a Christian
philosophy of science) both important ingredients of ASA leadership
WASHINGTON DC SECTION
Most section groups find that "variety is the spice of life" when
it comes to local ASA programs. An occasional private get-together
for the consideration of some important, though not always popular topic
seems basic and necessary to the growth of the local group. Such was the
meeting held on March 23rd at the home of Dr. Samuel Elder. About ten
members and prospects gathered for an informal discussion of witnessing on
the job. A wide variety of methods was covered: everything from directly
presenting the plain facts of the Gospel on the one hand to maintaining
superior work standards on the other. It was agreed that regular advertised luncheon meetings for Christians are desirable, but that random
distribution of tracts, etc, at the place of work might have unfavorable
effects.
SERMONS FROM SCIENCE
Many ASA members saw and hoard George E. Speake present Sermons
From Science in conjunction with the convention at Iowa 3tate last August.
His schedule of appearances for the spring of 1959 is as follows:
F. Alton Everest
947 Stanford StreetSanta Monica, California