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News
The American Scientific Affiliation
VOL 1 NUMBER 5 25 August 1959

CALL FOR TEACHERS While this announcement is very late, it still seems worthwhile to announce that Los Angeles Pacific College is in need of a physics teacher and a chemistry teacher. Dean Paul C. Davis states that they are hopeful that one of these might also be able to assist in mathematics. This need is very urgent and any persons interested in applying should contact Dean Davis immediately. The address of the college is 625 Coleman Avenue, Los Angeles 42, phone Clinton 6-22/+6 days or Clinton 5-6810 after hours. Roberts Wesleyan College of North Chili, N.Y. is also on the lookout for some help in the teaching of physi4cs and mathematics, principally theformer. While they have been offering only a minor in physics, they are hoping to increase this to a major. Those interested should communicate with Professor Charles E. Keys, Chairman, Division of Science and Mathematics. RESEARCH SCIENTISTS' CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIPCharles Troutman, General Secretary 'of the Inter-Varsity Fellowship, Sydney, Australia, expresses gratitude for receiving the various publications of the ASA. The Research Scientists' Christian Fellowship of this area is especially grateful to be kept in touch with ASA activities. Troutman writes "At the moment, the chief activities of the RSCF have been to assist Christian Teachers in the High Schools and Senior High School students with the problem of evolution which is still a fiery issue down under. A great deal of material which the ASA has sent this way has been of great value. We are also encouraging a number of our scientific men to write for British and American publications and this seems to be a profitable activity. Unfortunately, geography is against us here and tends to isolate us from one another. Nevertheless we have a good deal of correspondence going backward and forwards and occasionally we do see other members of the RSCF." NSF INSTITUTES

A number of ASA members are involved in National Science Foundation Institutes for bringing science teachers up to date and thus improve the quality of science instruction. Dr. H. Harold Hartzler, President of the ASA, is teaching such a course at Mankato, Minnesota, and David P. McLaren has been attending such a session at University of Southern California. McLaren has recently returned from Japan where he taught dependents of Americans stationed there. NOMINATIONS Each year one person retires from the executive council after having served a five-year term. This worn and exhausted individual is replaced by a carefully elected fresh recruit with a gleam in his eye and a glint in his hair. At the annual business meeting during the convention at Trinity Seminary, Dr. Hartzler announced the nominees: Dr. J. Frank Cassel and Dr. David 0. Moberg. Both have the gleam in the eye, but Moberg has a considerable edge in the amount of hair he has to glitter! The nominating committee was composed of Hendrik J. Oorthuys (Chairman) Donald S. Robertson and F. A. Everest. DARWIN In this centennial year of the publication of Darwin's Origin of Species much bowing and scraping is being done in honor of this man's work. Even our own ASA is coming out with a book reappraising the theory of evolution after a century of mellowing. Dr John R. Howitt, Executive Council member of the ASA, has called our attention to a most interesting phenomenon. The current Everyman's Library edition of The Origin of Species carries an 18-page introduction written by W. R. Thompson, FRS, Director of the Commonwealth Institute of Biological Control, Ottawa, which replaces the former introduction written a quarter of a century ago by Sir Arthur Keith. Keith was, of course, a staunch Darwinian, but no stretch of the imagination can picture Thompson in this way. While Thompson admires the great scientific labors of Darwin, his introduction is primarily a keen criticism of the evolutionary doctrine. While too lengthy to treat in ASA NEWS, it is suggested that ASA members make a special point to obtain a copy of this edition and study Thompson's criticism. This book is published in London by J. M. Dent & Sons and in New York by E. P. Dutton & Co. Perhaps some qualified ASA members would like to submit their review of Thompson's criticism for local section attention or for publication in the ASA Journal. Send such to Delbert X. Eggenberger, 620 Lincoln Street, Downer's Grove, Illinois. AAAS We wish to congratulate Dr. Virgil H. Freed for having been recently nominated as Fellow of the American Association For the Advancement of Science. Dr. Freed is chairman of the Oregon State College section of the ASA. BUSWELL RECEIVES DANFORTH GRANT A Danforth Foundation Teacher Study Grant for the year 1959-60 has been awarded to James 0. Buswell III Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Wheaton College. One of the 73 Danforth Teachers" appointed for next year out of over 400 applicants, Buswell is the only anthropologist to have been appointed since the program was founded in 1953. He will spend the year completing the course requirements for the Ph.D. in anthropology at Columbia University. NEWS FROM THE 50th STATE A letter from Hawaii indicates that Dr. Wayne U. Ault has not yet been ravaged by that scourge of the islands, hopeless fever. Formerly of Lamont Geological observatory of Columbia University, Wayne is now with the U.S. Geological Survey with an assignment at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory perched on the edge of Kiluea Crater. He writes:

"We've not had much sign of an eruption yet --- a few earthquakes now and then and some tremors last night but nothing imminent. In a few more months we'll be ready with various types of fabricated samplers, fiberglass suit, aluminum helmet and gas masks; then we'll be praying for activity. Have made several trips to the top of Mauna Loa for sampling and are negotiating for helicopter support to reach unaccessible areas."

Apprehensions involving a grass shack on the Kona Coast may now be replaced 100% by apprehensions that your prayers will be answered, Wayne! Dr. Ault is author of the chapter, "Isotopic Fractionation of Sulfur in Geochemical Processes" in the book Researches in Geochemist recently published by Wiley and edited by P. 9. Abelson, Director of the Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington. He has also been selected as Chairman of the Hawaii (Big Island) division of the Hawaiian Academy of Science. ACS The Northwest Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society was held June 18th and 19th at the University of Washington. Of the 96 papers presented it was good to see that three were by ASA members: Albert L. Babb, "The Nuclear Engineering Program at the University of Washington". D. K. Anderson and A. L. Babb, "Concentration Dependence of Self and Mutual Diffusivities of Liquids'? and Herbert L. Hergert, "Constituents of Pacific Silver Fir Bark". ADVANC It is a pleasure to announce that long-time ASA member Dr. Edward J. Matson has been named director of scientific administration of Abbott Laboratories. Dr. Matson's testimony is listed in the tract, "Ten Scientists Look At Life". Dr. John H. Poll , formerly of National Lead Company, has been named organic chemist in research and development department of Plastics Development Division at Naval Propellant Plant, Indian Head, Md. Dr. Pollak has only recently become a member of ASA and the best wishes of the Affiliation are with him in this new responsibility. DARWIN SYMPOSIUM VOLUME The Darwin Symposium Volume edited by Dr. Russell L. Mixter of Wheaton College is due to be published by the Wm. B. Eerdman Company in September. Further announcements on the availability of copies of this book will be made as soon as it comes from the press. ASA-ETS ECHOS The secretary of the Evangelical Theological Society, Dr. J. Barton Payne, has reported the 1959 Joint ASA-ETS convention in the August issue of UNITED EVANGELICAL ACTION. This very interesting and complete documentation entitled, "No Conflict Between These Scientists and Theologians", also includes a historical sketch of both groups. DATA A new group has been founded to assist in bringing to the missionary the products and ideas of modern technology. Many technical assistance groups are in existence, but Mr. Wil Rose found in actual visits to mission fields that few foreign missionaries have heard of them. Mr. Rose founded DATA (Development and Technical Assistance) for the purpose of improving the communications between willing Christians with technical training and missionaries with problems on the field. DATA, located at 3201 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, California, recently qualified as a non-profit California corporation. Over 70 technical specialties are represented by members of the Technical Fellowship standing ready to offer consulting services free to the missionary. On the Policy Advisory Board of DATA is Mr. David R. Sheriff, Senior Engineer, Ampex Corporation, and member of the ASA. Another ASA member, Mr. Clayton F. Rasmussen, will be closely associated with DATA work. His New Products Development Labs of Fullerton, California, organized for purposes of Christian service, are to be moved to Palo Alto area to facilitate this cooperation. ASA members interested in contributing their technical services to missionaries are urged to write to Will Rose. SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS The idea of scheduling an ASA get-together at the major scientific meetings has been of considerable benefit. Although the application of this idea has been rather sporadic, plans are being made for increased activity of this type. There is a definite need to spread the responsibility for organizing these get-togethers. Dr. Walter R. Hearn, Secretary-Treasurer of the ASA has been active in the field of chemistry. The next meeting of the American Chemical Society is to be held at Atlantic City starting September 13th. The following ASA members have indicated their intention to attend this meeting: John DeVries Carl Gustafson, Jr. R. E. Jarvis Russell D, Sturgis F. D. Houghton Roy M. Adams Paul Drechsel Richard Hendry Earl S. McColley Elaine Zimmerman R. L. Bohon LOCAL SECTIONS The next issue of ASA NEWS will carry information helpful to local section groups, including the effect of the new constitution, etc. To have an effective fall program, it is necessary to have the program settled early. Section program chairmen should start the ball rolling, ASA Officers: Dr. H. Harold Hartzler, President 121 Clark Street Mankato, Minnesota Dr. Walter R. Hearn, Secretary-Treasurer 244 Campus Avenue Ames, Iowa ASA NEWS Editor:

F. Alton Everest

947 Stanford Street

Santa Monica, Calif.