News From Senior Physiologists
Letters to Felix Bronner
Carl Gans writes: “Thank you for the birthday greetings. I’ve had a stroke and
I’m partially paralyzed on my right side. Actually, this makes it even more
pleasant to receive greetings such as yours and many students, one of whom came
in today and spent the day with me. We spent time reviewing his most recent
papers and others being prepared. I have given much of my equipment to the
Museum in Brazil and slowly giving up my library. I achieved a merit certificate
about three years ago for 50 years of service from The American Society of
Mechanical Engineers. I’m spending my time with many books, thousands of which
have been accumulating in my attic. I have not concentrated on science; I have
occupied my time reading Dorothy Dunnett and Patrick O’Brien, among many other
authors. Shortly after I left Michigan, I joined the faculty in Austin, TX, but
unfortunately my wife passed away after taking good care of me for 50 years. I
guess that 50 years of company is something that someone shouldn’t complain
about, instead of an early death. So I tried to look at the positive side of our
science. I continue to be interested in burrowing animals and do some work on
these. I guess I am more of a herpetologist than a physicist.”
Noble Maluf writes: “Thank you for your good wishes about my forthcoming
birthday and for the well-done print of ‘Beaumont House’ of the American
Physiological Society.”
Carl Hammen writes: “Thank you for your greetings and invitation to write a
letter for The Physiologist. It is a sobering thought that when Claude Bernard
was my age, he had already been dead for 14 years. Most of my career was spent
teaching cellular and comparative physiology in a department of zoology, and
doing research on metabolism of marine invertebrates. Before the PhD at Duke, I
worked on cat and dog hearts in a pharmacology lab at a veterans hospital, and
raised houseflies in the insect physiology lab at Army Chemical Center. When I
went to the University of Rhode Island, a friend at Dartmouth extolled the
experience of running the Boston Marathon. Starting at age 43, I did it 12
times, my best time 3:05:12 at age 50 in 1974. However, I discovered that long
distance is not really my forte. I am best at 1500 to 5000 meters, a sort of
geriatric Prefontaine, eager to enter the next age group and start winning
again.
“Since becoming emeritus in 1993, I have enjoyed living in the cultural capitol
of Florida, where one can run outdoors every day of the year, and swim in the
Gulf, too (if you are Norwegian). Part-time jobs have included freshman biology
at local community colleges, and four months as enumerator for the 2000 census.
Toward the end, I became so adept at obtaining information that I was promoted
to denominator. The most interesting and rewarding job has been teaching
mathematics at Ringling School of Art & Design. With good instruction, art
students can perform calculations with natural logarithms just as well as most
physiologists can.
“Here is my advice to young scientists: work hard, publish those papers, get
those grants, but remember to get some regular aerobic exercise. To live to a
ripe old age, choose long-lived ancestors, avoid playing with firearms and
driving your car on Saturday nights. As Disraeli said, never complain, never
explain. As Nat Heard said, honesty is the best policy, and dishonesty is the
second-best.”
Frederic I. Giere writes: “Thank your for your kind request of April 24.
“I have enjoyed a rewarding life as an undergraduate teacher. I am grateful for
my association with the dozens of students who have continued to earn the PhD in
physiology or biochemistry.
“In preparation for that career, I was a student in Robert Gaunt’s department at
Syracuse. I accompanied my master’s adviser, W. J. ‘Tim’ Eversole, when he went
to the University of New Mexico. I was the first PhD student in that department
to do his research on the Albuquerque campus. That was 50 years ago.
“Early in my teaching at Luther College, IA, summers were spent in an APS summer
institute held at Carleton College, a research appointment at the Upjohn Company
and an APS research summer with Steven Horvath at Iowa. All through my teaching
years I have enjoyed using APS materials when making presentations in secondary
schools about careers in biology and physiology.
“The generous sabbatical leave program at Lake Forest College in Illinois
allowed me to spend a year with Kaare Rodal at the Arbeidsfysiologisk Institutt
in Oslo and two one-year periods with Norman G. Anderson in the Molecular
Anatomy Program.
“For more than 20 years I was the director and/or instructor in the educational
programs of the Division of Biological and Medical Research or the Center for
Educational Affairs of Argonne National Laboratory. Those programs included 10
week summer institutes and weekend workshops for college and university teachers
and lecture/laboratory series for undergraduates spending a semester of research
at Argonne. Other consulting has been provided to the National Bureau of
Standards and Abbott Laboratories.
“I have been a volunteer with the American Cancer Society for more than 40 years
serving on the Division Boards of both Iowa and Illinois. In Illinois I was the
chairman of its Research Committee for more than a decade. This committee
evaluated the proposals from junior faculty members for seed money grants to
help them become competitive for funding from national agencies. This was a very
successful program when judged by the indices of subsequent national funding and
publication in peer-reviewed journals. I was honored in receiving the ACS
National-Divisional Award (St. George Medal) in 1983.
“I retired in 1988 after 26 years as chairman of the biology department of Lake
Forest College, at which time I was appointed an Adjunct Professor at
Northwestern University Medical School where I worked with Chung Lee for 12
years.
“The understanding and support of my wife of 48 years has made it possible for
me to participate in these ‘extra-curricular’ activities. We have three adult
children, all of whom have distinguished themselves in their chosen fields of
engineering and business. They have provided us with five brilliant, cheerful
and compassionate grandchildren who demonstrate potential for becoming
productive citizens.
“Since 2000, time has been spent in community service, travel and enjoying my
wonderful family.”
John Hampton, Jr. writes: “Thanks for your inquiry about my present status. I
have completed a satisfying career in physiology and academia. I enjoy my
retirement.
“After completing requirements for my doctorate under Hymen Meyerson at the
Tulane School of Medicine in 1949, I remained in the department through the
ranks to full professor. Much of my research during the earliest years was with
the use of isotopes to study hematology and iron metabolism and the
physiological affects of whole-body radiation. The latter interest led to being
an occasional research participant at the Oak Ridge National Laboratories.
During three years, starting in 1960, I directed an AEC-NSF Tulane Summer
Institute in Radiation Biology for college teachers. Here I also developed an
interest in the care and reproduction of small primates. This led to two field
trips to Colombia, SA, to study, in habitat, the cotton-top marmoset (Saguinus
Oedipus). I also chaired the committee to prepare the application for the Delta
Regional Primate Research Center. While at Tulane I was honored by earning a
national appointment as a John and Mary Markle Scholar in Medical Science
(1951-1956).
“In 1966 I moved to the University of Texas at Houston as Professor of
Physiology in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. There I concentrated
on the already developed interest in reproduction of small primates. My
experiences with the Graduate School of Biomedical Science were most rewarding.
The graduate students with whom I worked as supervisor were excellent and
several have done notable work in their careers. Indeed, my wife, Suzanne,
earned her PhD here during my tenure.
“By 1973 I had a desire to ‘move on’ and accepted an appointment as Professor
and Chairman, Department of Biology, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY.
Facilities for research were limited but the experiences with the undergraduate
student body and its needs were absorbing and rewarding. After three years I
decided to move again.
“I accepted the position of Professor and Head of the Department of Biological
Sciences at the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA in
1976. Although research opportunities were limited in this position, the needs
of a department with 51 faculty members provided many challenges. I often
reflected on the fact that many small schools had no more than 51 faculty
members totally. The challenges were many and varied. But I enjoyed the
experience until my retirement in 1988.
“While at Cal Poly, I developed an interest in gerontology. It was possible to
work with faculty in other disciplines to develop a program for students to
minor in gerontology. Also, I created and taught a course in the physiology of
human aging. This resulted in my writing and publishing a text in that field
(The Biology of Human Aging, Wm. C. Brown Publishers, Dubuque, IA, 1991). It has
been well-received and has gone on to subsequent editions by other authorship.
By invitation, I prepared a popular book with my wife (Suzanne H. Hampton, PhD)
entitled Senior Years: Understanding Your Dog’s Aging Process. This was not a
scholarly work!
“Although I am no longer in an academic or research position, my background in
physiology continues to creep into my everyday life. My friends can reach me at
thepilot9@aol.com.”
Letters to Ed Folk
Hank Hirsch writes: “I retired last October and have more time to devote to my
hobbies. These include sleeping as late as I want to, reading fiction, swimming,
and most of all, science. I have been practicing science as a hobby since I was
five years old and find that I enjoy it more than ever.”
David Minard writes: “Thanks for the beautiful card depicting Beaumont House. I
will be proud to add this to my roster of gifts from the American Physiological
Society, including the 50-year membership founders plaque.
“At present, I am living in a house near the Choptank River on the eastern shore
of the Chesapeake Bay. My wife and I migrated here from Pittsburgh when I was on
the graduate faculty of the School of Public Health for ten years. We enjoy
being near the water and participating in hospital activities.”
Letter to Gabor Kaley
Ralph Sonnenschein writes: “Thoughts at 80? First, I’m happy to have reached 80
years, and still be able to think. These days, after my 1988 retirement from the
UCLA Department of Physiology (where I still have an office), having served
there since 1951 when the Department was founded, I have plenty of time to
reflect on my career and on the many people who helped me and shared my work and
experiences.
“While a student at Northwestern Medical School, I had the opportunity, starting
in 1944, to work in the laboratory of Dr. A. C. Ivy together with Dr. Morton
Grossman, on a problem in gastrointestinal physiology (humoral control of
Brunner’s Glands), for which I was granted an MS degree. After a rotating
internship at Michael Reese Hospital, 1946-47, I was able to continue research
under Dr. Ivy, then at University of Illinois Medical School. I worked with Dr.
Carl Pfeiffer, Chairman of Pharmacology, and some of his colleagues on ‘Pain
Mechanisms and Analgesia,’ the subject of my PhD thesis, and also carried out
some experiments on autonomic innervation of human sweat glands and piloerector
muscles. In my last year and a half at Illinois, I worked in Dr. Warren
McCulloch’s neurophysiology laboratory on the mechanism of hyperoxic seizures,
measuring cortical EEG, pH and O2 tension in animals subjected to high levels of
PO2. I still have good friends from those times.
“After my arrival at UCLA, a month or so before the first medical class was
admitted, I was actively involved with my new colleagues, Drs. Victor Hall, John
Field, Alan Hemingway and Robert Smith in organizing and helping to teach the
Physiology course. This included setting up the old-time ‘inductorium’
stimulators, smoked-drum kymographs, mercury manometers and other 19th-Century
laboratory equipment that we continued to use for several years until the Grass
Polygraphs and electronic stimulators (and some money) became available. I
continued some research on control of cerebral circulation, and later switched
mainly to muscle circulation following productive sabbatical leaves with Prof.
Börje Uvnäs in Stockholm in 1957-58 and Prof. Björn Folkow in Gothenburg in
1964-65. I am grateful for those experiences and for the fact that I still have
contact with those fine people and others of their colleagues whom I got to
know.
“Another fascinating and instructive year was 1971-72 when I served with the US,
Office of Naval Research, London, with the ‘duty’ of visiting university or
governmental research laboratories throughout Europe to learn about and report
on ongoing research. I visited many such laboratories in London and throughout
the UK, as well as in Iceland, France, Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary,
Turkey, Denmark, Sweden and Finland. These contacts led to some long lasting
friendships. A few years later, I was named an Honorary Member of the Hungarian
Physiological Society, a great honor.
"When, in 2000, APS acknowledged my 50-year membership, I recalled that some of
the senior members of APS in 1950, with whom I came in contact, might well have
known students of the 1887 founders of the Society—so brief has been our
Society’s history! That history, and the history of physiology in general,
continues as one of my abiding interests. I sense that our students,
particularly since the advent of computerized databases, have little interest in
or knowledge of what went on prior to that time. Of course, I realize that this
may have always been the complaint of the ‘elders.’ If I have any advice for the
‘younger’ generation, it is to get and keep an interest in our predecessors and
their contributions to concepts and techniques that led to modern advances in
our science.
“My own interest in the history of physiology and related sciences has been
stimulated and enhanced by my collection, started in the 1970s, of portrait
medals of individuals in those fields, along with some medals lacking portraits
but issued to celebrate scientific congresses and the like. The collection,
still growing, now numbers over 2000 pieces, many of which are of great artistic
merit. My wife Pat has been a wonderful helper and inspiration in this project.
A special side-advantage to this hobby has been our gaining several good
personal friends among similar collectors, mainly in France, Germany, Spain,
Italy, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, as well as USA. This more recent
coterie of friends has added to our ‘professional’ physiological friends with
whom I have had the pleasure of working with and/or meeting over the years, from
Sweden, Finland, France, UK, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, China, Japan,
Ireland, and USA. Contact with these friends and colleagues is one of my great
pleasures. My thanks and greetings to all of those who may read these lines.
“My thanks also to my wife Pat who keeps me going both at home and on our still
frequent travels, and to our children David, Lisa and Ann, who, together with
their crew of eight grandchildren, give us great joy and pride.”
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