RETROSPECT Reflections on Issues Gone By Professor Dennis F. Hasson

with the assistance of Judy Parker

JULY-1976 THE United States' 200th anniversary is celebrated in

K.J.A. Kundig's editorial "Happy Birthday, America!" Using an effective paradoxical style which focuses on the people, places and things characteristic of the 60s and 70s, Kundig espouses the spirit of the centennial by cataloging the negative to accentuate the positive . . . "in spite of airline baggage handlers and every deodor-ant commercial ever made ... in spite of Henry the K, Murray the K and Nick the Greek . . . in spite of skate boards, trail

JULY-1936 This issue of Mining and Metallurgy reports that

"Professors at Rochester, by studying radioactive eminations of the isotopes of uranium. . . have 'proved' that the earth became a cosmic entity 2.5 billion years ago."

In more terrestrial news, Hayhurst's presentation on silicosis includes several piquant observations, "Chronic silicosis probably existed prehistorically in connection with

making flint-pointed weapons and is said to be the oldest known occu-

bikes, barbie dolls and Las Vegas ... (and) inspite of ... sometimes you and me, it's still the best damn country in the whole wide world!"

ON TO MEXICO 1 " pational disease." He explains sili-cosis by saying " ... it is not due to any cutting properties of the crystalline matter itself, both phys-ics and physiology being against such a contention. The piezo-electrical properties of quartz might explain the phenomenon as due to release of pressure as the grains undergo slow solution in the lung juices."

Aside from Kundig's patriotic sentiments, the issue also features a detailed examination of texture analysis and anisotropy in metals. Written by Professor G.J. Davies of Cambridge, the article notes that controlled anistropy has some beneficial behaviors, including di-rectional strength and improved formability.

"The Metals Profession" column notes that the Iowa State University Outstanding Teacher Award went to Professor J.D. Verhoeven in recogni-tion of superior classroom teaching.

JULY-1956 The "Personnel Service" section

has two rather interesting ad highlights. In the first one, the General Electric Company expresses interest in an "engineer-scientist for nuclear radiation studies for ap-plication to atomic flight." The ad is actually referring to the long-forgotten aircraft nuclear propul-sion (ANP) program. The second ad, this one by Martin-Baltimore, seeks a research metallurgist for "Martin, Builder of the Earth Sat-

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This ad for the 1936 AIME Annual Meeting appears in the July 1936 issue of Mining and Metallurgy. Unlike today's announcements, no mention is made of the technical program. The famous floating gardens of Mexico and the pyr-amids of San Juan Teotihuacan are, however, prominently noted.

Robie's "The Drift of Things" features some interesting capsule comments, including mention of Robie's preferred source of business news. He notes that his lO-cent a week budget for business services is invested in The New York Times "which also has a good sporting section." In "Opportunities for Engineers," he notes that "the prospect of the employment of an additional number of engineers in the Government service is not par-ticularly bright" (shades of Gra-ham-Rudman-Hollings). On a more positive note, job prospects for col-lege graduates are reported to be unusually promising with entry-level salaries ranging from $100 to $150 per month. The best year since 1929 to have graduated, I'd say, especially in light of the com-ment "Young ... metallurgists are

ellite and the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile." While the first program was common knowledge at the time, the announcement of Martin's ICBM activity might well have been considered a breach of security for 1956.

far from being in oversupply." Jordan's "Tomorrow's Metallurgy" reports on a steel

process which provides excellent resistance to corrosion by acids, chlorine and salt spray; resistance in oxidizing atmospheres to 1800°F; and resistance to galling and seizing. The process responsible for these outstanding properties, which result from the diffusion of silicon into the cast of the steel, is called "Ihrigizing."

The ever alert "Reporter" section makes note of Soviet use of direct introduction of oxygen, a western development, for open hearth bath by tubes at several locations. The Russians' then current "five-year plan" called for the construction of oxygen plants at several steelworks.

40 Years of Reporting the Traditional, the Innovative and the Revolutionary

80 JOURNAL OF METALS· July 1986