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University Daily Kansan
Monday. Oct. 12, 1953
Florentine Mosaic Art Old Stuff' to Curator
By SAM TEAFORD
Ask Edward Maser, curator of the Museum of Art, a question about Florentine art, and he'll probably know the answer, after working in an art museum in Florence, Italy, that was founded by the De Medici family in 1580.
Studying in Germany in 1949 on a Fulbright scholarship, Mr. Maser was granted a renewal of the Fulbright grant to study 18th century Florentine art and to help reorganize the Museum of the Manufactory of Florentine Mosaic in Florence.
Uncared for since the 1860s, the museum had become disordered and the collection of mosaics—art work made from small pieces of glass or semi-precious stones—was not catalogued, so that no one knew what was in the collection or exactly how valuable the mosaics were.
Working in collaboration with the Italian ministers of public instruction and the director of the museum, Mr. Maser studied and sorted the mosaics until he was able to occupy them. Then he had written a catalog describing his findings and the methods by which the mosaics were rearranged.
Completely reorganized, the museum was opened to the public at a special ceremony attended by the mayor and other dignitaries in May 1951.
Last summer Mr. Maser was again in Florence, this time to assist in the installation of a new room in the museum.
The museum in Florence—the only one of its kind in the world—constructs as well as displays mosaics. Mr. Maser said that for the last 300 years the museum has been making mosaics (a long, tedious process) to decorate the walls of a chapel in Florence.
A graduate of the University of Chicago, Mr. Maser taught at Northwestern university and the University of Chicago before coming here as curator this fall.
French Rebel Prices Drop
Paris —(UP)— Thousands of rebellious farmers barricaded roads in central France today to protest falling farm prices in the first major unrest among French peasants since the revolution of 1789.
The age-old call of French rebels,
"to the barricades," was signaled by
church bells in about 10 rural depar-
tments at dawn. Peasants rolled
out barrels, logs, wagon tongues,
tractors and other farm equipment
to block highwavs.
Farm prices have dropped 40 to 50 per cent and some of this year's record crop has been left to rot in the fields because it was not worth harvesting.
Truckloads of black-uniformed republican security guards kept vital traffic running in the early morning hours. But reports from the area told of peasants erecting barricades, retreating while security guards dismantled them, and then putting up new blockades.
The government sent in thousands of battle-garbed security troops to reinforce local and state police. The troops were under orders of the interior ministry to maintain order "at all costs."
The demonstration came on the eve of the National assembly session scheduled to debate the agricultural policy of Premier Joseph Laniel. Angry peasant deputies have threaten coalition and there was danger that the three-month-old Laniel cabinet may fall.
Navy Recommissions Submarine 'Rock'
Philadelphia —(UP)— The USS submarine Rock, lengthened 30 feet and thoroughly modernized, was recommissioned at the naval base here today as one of the first of the new radar picket submarines.
WASH YOUR 50c OWN CAR For CHUCK McBETH CONOCO SERVICE at 9th and Indiana
Calendar Captains Select Crews
Nathan Harris, college junior, and Jane Magaffa, journalism senior, editor and business manager of the KU calendar, have appointed six other staff members and have announced that the calendar will be distributed early in November.
Assistant editors are Louis and Larry Stroup, college freshmen; Jack Frost, college junior, assistant business manager; Dick Brammett, college sophomore, circulation manager; Lee Pemberton, business junior, assistant circulation manager; Jay Ott, college sophomore, photography editor, and Vince Bilotta, college freshman, activities editor.
Cadet officers for the Air Force Reserve Officers Training Corps for the present school year were announced today by Col. Thomas B. Summers, commander of the Air Force ROTC detachment.
AFROTC Staff Named for Year
Officers appointed are George McKemey, college senior, wing commander; Lewis Leonard, business senior, wing executive; Gene Rogers, engineering senior, wing S-1 personnel; Harold Reade, business senior, wing S-2 operational; wing S-3 service; wing S-4 supply; Norman Wilson, engineering senior; wing adjant; Henry Springe, business senior, wing aide.
Kenneth Dam, business senior,
wing PIO officer; Robert Trego,
second year law, wing flying training
officer; Joseph Engle, engineer-
ing senior, wing social officer; Lynn
Osborn, graduate student, group 1
commander; Robert Ball, college
senior, group 2 commander; Dick
Klassen, business senior, group 3
commander; James Houghton, secon-
d year law, group 4 commander;
Harold George, business sophomore,
drill team aide, and Frank Vacin,
education senior, band commander.
Ships float because they weigh less by volume than water.
By CHUCK MORELOCK
1953 Jayhawks Tame Beside Early Grads
KU students are a sober, hard-working lot devoted to rigid standards of scholarship. At least they seem to be in comparison with their brethren of the horse and buggy days.
The Chancellor immediately left for the funeral after leaving instructions that a memorial service be held
Organized outlets for student enthusiasm—such as athletic contests—were almost non-existent in early University life. Consequently, excess energy frequently was worked off in the form of pranks.
Fraser hall—then called University hall—was the scene for one of the biggest pranks during the first commencement exercises. While speakers were telling the University's initial graduating class of the crisis to be faced in the years ahead, a skeleton, bearing the labed PREX, was lowered through a hole in the ceiling.
In 1880, two male students had a fake telegram delivered to Chancellor Marvin informing him of the sudden death of Rev. F. I. Ingalls of Atchison, a member of the board of regents.
in the University chapel the next day.
The house was packed the next morning to hear Prof. Snow deliver a stirring eulogy of the virtues of the "late" Rev. Ingalls.
Prof. Snow became rather embarrassed at the close of the service, however, to learn that the indignant Rev. Ingalls was very much alive. The two ringleaders in the fraud—both lawyers—were quickly booted out of school.
One later returned, however, and obtained his degree. Thirty years later, he appeared on a chapel program with a message to students on the proper way to succeed in life. No mention was made of phone telegrams.
The total oil energy used in farming is about 750 million horsepower, which is more than that used by all other American industries.
Research
provides broad opportunities for chemists,physicists and engineers cooperating on many problems.
For one thing, much Du Pont research is fundamental, aimed at advancing scientific knowledge regardless of specific commercial objectives. However, such research often suggests new products . . . each with its own challenging technical problems which must be solved before commercial production can begin. Solving these problems offers another great field of work for teams of engineers and scientists.
Howard E. Holmquist, Ph.D. in Org. Chem., Univ. of Minn.'51, is shown at work on a problem in synthetic organic chemistry.
"Teflon" tetrafluoroethylene resin is an example of this well integrated teamwork.
Doing chemical engineering research on a plate in a distillation tower are: C. M. Gamel, Jr., S.M.Ch.E., M.I.T. '48; and J. B. Jones, M.S.Ch.E., Univ. of Mich. '46.
During research on refrigerants, the polymer was discovered and work was begun to make it useful. The new plastic had a remarkable combination of properties; temperature resistance beyond the range of any previous plastic, excellent electrical characteristics, and the highest degree of chemical inertness of any commercial plastic.
In fact, "Teflon" was almost too unusual. Although it melts, it is too viscous to flow like other plastics. It does not dissolve—even in aqua regia. There was no method for molding it or for making it into thin coatings.
The problem of molding was solved with the help of techniques used in powder metallurgy. "Teflon" is now molded by cold pressing, followed by sintering or "fusing" at about $360^{\circ} \mathrm{C}$.
Research workers have available modern apparatus, such as the infrared spectrometer being used here by Vaughan C. Chambers, Ph.D. Org, Chem., M.I.T.'50.
For coatings, previous research suggested dispersions—minute particles suspended in a liquid. After much study, a team of technical men learned how to suspend particles of "Teflon" about 1/125,000 of an inch in diameter. Then a commercial scale process was devised. This development made possible thin coatings of "Teflon" and also a process for extruding the material.
Meanwhile, another group discovered how to successfully formulate the new plastic into "Teflon" tetrafluoroethylene resin finishes and wire enamels.
The development of "Teflon" illustrates the close teamwork that is the basis of research at Du Pont. But this teamwork doesn't end with research. Bringing the product to commercial reality requires development and design work by chemists and both chemical and mechanical engineers. Next month's Digest will feature information on the opportunities Du Pont offers men interested in this phase of making "better things for better living...through chemistry."
ASK FOR "Chemical Engineers at Du Pont." New illustrated booklet describes initial assignments, training and paths of promotion. Just send post card to E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. (Inc.), 2521 Nemours Building, Wilmington, Delaware. Also available: Du Pont and the College Graduate and Mechanical Engineers at Du Pont.
BETTER THINGS FOR BETTER LIVING
... THROUGH CHEMISTRY
Watch "Cavalcade of America," on Television