Guelph Alumnus Magazine, November 1973

GUEL R ALUMNU

CENTENNIAL ~ HIGHLIGHTS

Special events At Home OAC Agricultural Conference College Royal, Open House Dedication of Johnston Arch Historical Plaque Centennial Festival and Alumni Days OAC Farm and Home Week Centennial Stamp Issuing Ceremony Official Opening of Centennial Arboretum Centre OAC Centennial Symposium Laureate of Agriculture

Janu ary 1 January 2, 3, 4 March 9, 10 July 6 July 6-13 July9,10,11 July 12

January 12-18 January 19 January 26 February 1 February 2 February 9 February 10 May 22, 23, 24 September 21 September 23-28 October 18-20 October 19

International Conferences Symposium on Haploids in Higher Plants

June 10-14

Ontario Food Processors field mens Conference Ontario Institute of Agrolo;:)ists annual meeting Ontario Cheesemakers Conference Canadian Feed Manufacturers Nu路trition Conference Ontario Dairy Industry Conference Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology Environmental Science Teachers of Ontario Ontario Bankers School Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food Extension Branch Conference 4-H Provincial Conference Canadian Veterinary Medical Assoc. annual meeting 4-H Provincial Girls Club Conference Eastern Apiculture Society Conference Junior Farmers Association of Ontario

CENTENNIAL 'SEVENTY FOUR路 ONTARIO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE

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June 23-26 Ju Iy 14-20 August8-15 August 18-24

Other Conferences July 13 October 17, 18 October 17

Campus activities Winter Carnival Centennial Hockey Game Centennial Wrestling Match Winter Convocation Conversat Centennial Basketball Game, Women 's Hockey Intervarsity Choral Festival Spring Convocations Centennial Cross-Country Meet Aggie Week Homecoming Weekend Homecoming Football Game

American Dairy Science Association annual meeting International Congress of Farm Management Can ! Am Horticultural Science annual meetings International Agri cu Itu ral Students Conference

January 8, 9, 10 April 14-16 April 17 April 23, 24 April 24, 25 April 26 May 2, 3, 4 May 6-10

June 3-6 June 16-18 Ju ne 30-Ju Iy 4 July 9-12 August 7-10 August 10-11

UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH

Contents

GUELPH Nov.-Dec., 1973 AWMNUS

Volume 6, Number 6

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Toward economic reality A lumnus John Kenneth Galbraith delivered the second Ron ald S. Ritchie lecture, telling his audience that economists must revise their thinking if they are to effect responsible change in today's society.

7 The soul of a university That is the function of a good college library. And the University's McLaughlin library is a showpiece as well.

page 7

10 Today pollution- tomorrow food It may seem improbable, but there are thousands of tons of protein being wasted daily by North Am erican industry. Guelph scientists are developing ways of harvesting thi s rich food source to help feed the world and to reduce pollution output.

PI CTURE CR ED ITS : Dan Thorburn, Audio·Visual Services, page 4; Ken Barlon, page 7; Dave Helsdon, pages 8-11.

UNIV ERSITY

OF GUELPH

12

Campus highlights

ALU MN I AS SOCIATION

PRESIDENT: Mr. T . R. (Dick) Hilliard, OAC '40.

SENIOR V ICE-PRE SID ENT : Mrs. J. D. (Virgini a Shortt) Bandeen, Mac ' 57 .

pag e 10

V ICE-P RE SIDENTS: Mrs . J. B. (Doree n Kern) Dawson, Mac '54; Mrs. R. P. (Valerie Mittler) Gilmor, B.A . ' 72; Dr. Wm . C. (Bill) Hack ing, OVC '69 ; Mr. J . A. (Jo hn) Wiley, OAC '58.

SEC RETAR Y: Mrs. A. R. (Shirl ey Ann McFee) Holmes, Mac '62.

DIRECTORS: Mr. P. D. (Peter) Anderson, We:1 '68; Dr. D. A. (Donald) Barnum . OVC '41 ; Mr. G. R. (George) Greenlees, OAC '62; Mr. M. G. (Milt) Greer, OAC ' 41; Mrs. M. (Linda Sully) Keith , Well '67; Mr. J. N. (John) Mayes, OAC ' 69; Mrs. J . R. (Shirley Jackson) Robinson , Mac '48; Dr. Jean Rumney, OVC '39; Dr. D. I. Si lve r, OVC '72; Mrs . S. W. (Pat Damude) Squire , Mac '63; Mr. M. C. (Michael) Streib , Well '69.

EX-OFFIC IO DIRECTORS : Mr. J. K. (John) Babc ock , OAC '5 4; Mr. F. T. (Tom) Cowan, OAC ' 65; Mr. A . L. (Larry) Gouge, B.A . '69; Dr. F. D. (Dona ld) Horney , OVC '51; Mr. P. (Peter) O'Ma lley, President.

U.G.C.S. A. ; Mrs. D. J. (Jill Young) Varnell , Mac '6 1.

page 12

The Guelph Alumnus is published by the Deparlment of Alumni Alfairs and Development, Uni ve rsity of Guelph.

The Ed itoria l Committee is compris ed of Editor-John Bowles, BA '72, Atumni Oflicer; Arl Di rector-Lyte Docherty, BA '72; J. K. Ba'Jcock, OAC '54, Director o f Alumni Affairs and Deve lopment; Rosemary Clark , Mac '59, Senior Alumni Officer; D. L. Wat e rston , Di rector of tnf ormation: D. W. Jose, OAC '49 , Assistant Director of Information .

The Ed ito rial Ad visory Board of the Unive rsity o f Guelph Alumni Associa tion is comprised of Dr. J . H. Millingt on, OVC '69, chairman ; Dr. Allan Au stin , Robert Merc er, OAC '59; G. B. Powe ll , OAC '62; James Rusk, OAC '65;

Mrs. Joan (Ell erington) Tanner, Ma c '57;

Ex-offi c io : J. K. Bab coc k, OAC '54; T . R. Hilliard ,

OAC ' 40; Correspon d ing members : D. R. Baron,

OAC '49; G. M. Carman, OAC '49; and H. G. Dodds ,

OAC '58.

Unde livered copies should be return ed to Alumni House, Unive rsity of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.

Contributors to th is issue Kathleen Lyle has been a scien ce editor for the Clarendon Pre ss at Oxford and is now a freelan ce writer .

Dave Webster is a former editor of the Alumnus.

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The cover

Economist John Kenneth Galbraith addresses a stand ing-room­ only audience at War Memorial Hall. Ill ustration and cover design

by Lyle Docherty.

3

J.K. Galbraith

Toward economic reality

John Kenneth Galbraith, OAG '31, distinguished economist, first recipient of a Guelph honorary degree , and onetime critic of his alma mater, returned to campus last October. He came to give the second Ronald S. Ritchie Lecture and he spoke , not surprisingly, on economics.

Specifically, his subject was "Economics and the Public Purpose ." which is also the title of his most recent book, the third and last in a series of major works dealing with contemporary economics.

Or. Galbraith is a scholar who stands tall -literally and figu ratively-among his fellow economists. He is also an iconoclast who spares not the pieties of conventional wisdom.

Wh ile that has won him criticism from some quarters, it has also gained him a large following of academics and laymen alike.

Presently Paul M. Warburg Professor of Economics at Harvard University, Dr. Galbraith has been active in public affairs and is immediate past president of the American Economic Association.

The following article is adapted from his address at the University.

CONOMICS is an important subject and in our own way we economists are important people. The reason is not entirely to our credit. John Maynard Keynes, the greatest economist of this century, once said that the economic problem s would one day be so lved . He thought economists wou Id then become unimportant. He thought we would be rather like dentists, in a world where there was no tooth decay.

Well, we have saved ourselves far beyond the foresight of Keynes. We have not solved the economic problem. We have even added to the urgency of the problem by our own efforts.

The conventional, or neo-classical, view of economics centres on three groups or institutions-the consumer, the market , and the business firm-and the relationship between them. It views all business firms as being pretty much the same . Whether business firms are large or sma ll , they are su bject to ihe same motivation and confined in their activities by the sa me discipline.

The motivation for all is to make as much money as possible. The discipline for all is the di sc ipline of the market. All firms must obey the in struc tion of the market-the instruction as to where prices are best, as to

E

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what can be sold, as to where the most money ca n be made. This co mbination of motivation and market disc ipline assu res in turn that all firms will be subject to the ultimate instruction of the consumer. For it is the purchases of the consumer that make the market, that tell where prices will be higher, where more can be sold.

I'v e been seeking to develop a view of the modern industrial economy which abandons the assumption that all business firms are alike in favour of a view which is more real .

This view divides the economy into two parts: into a world of very large firms, which I call "the planning system," and a world of the many small firms for which I give the more traditional title, " the market system."

What separates the two is the susceptibility of any particular economic task to being performed by an organization, to being performed by several people working together on a common task.

A singular feature of the few huge co rporations that comprise the planning system is a very large and complex organization. The feature di stinguishing the market system is the continuing need for a dominant role by a single individual, a single entrepreneur.

The market system consists in the United States of somewhere arou nd 12 million small firms- farms, service establishments, small retai lers, small manufactu rers, artists, lawyers, physicians , photographers, pornographer s and the like. The planning

"We economists have

added to the urgency of

the problem by our

own efforts."

system consists of roughly the thousan d great corporations-General Motors, Ford, General Electric, IBM .

There are four fact ors that exclude great organization in a small firm and make it necessary that business be conducted under the eye of a single individual. The first factor is geographical dispersion of the task. In addition, the requirements of the task vary from one day to the ne xt or from one transaction to the next. This is obviously true of agriculture.

electrical power. This also is readily explained when we introd uce the word planning .

The planned societies have had an endemic problem in matching up the planning of different sectors. We no longer have any mechanisms by which the output of automobiles is related to the capacity to supply fuel. We no longer have any mechanisms by which the production of air-conditioned buildings in New York is related to the capacity to supply them with power.

The view of the economy I offer makes inequality and income distribution pre­ dictable. The firm in the planning system is a strong technical dynamic based on high technical competence and strong state support. The firm in the market system has no such control. Some firms survive, as I have mentioned, because they can reduc e their wages or increase the hours of wo rk.

The neo-classical assumption of a tend en cy for equality of return is inconsistent with the structural characteristics of t he economy as I have examined it. Indeed, it could be simply a convenient disguise for obscuring a very inconvenient reality.

Even in the richest of modern economies -Canada and the United States, for .example-many people continue to live precarious and meagre existences. They d on·t share in the general affluence. In the United States, inequality of income in recent years has been actually increasing. This is something that is much in conflict with neo-classical economics, which holds that there should be a general tendency to equalization of income as people move from lower paid to higher paid occup at ions.

It isn't happening . In 1970, the most recent ye ar for which we have figures, one­ fifth of Am eric an families-those wi th the fifth highest income-got just under 42 per cent of all income, not very much short of half. And the top five per cent of families had such a big increase in the share of all income in that year-from 14.4 per cent to 17.2 per cent-that the Nixon administration had to take drastic action. They stopped publishing the figures.

The tendency of the mod ern economy to inflation is also explained. The planning system has power to resolve differences with the unions, the power over its prices which allows it to export the costs of a settlement to the rest of the society. This

6

process then accelerates into a wage-price spiral.

The problem of the over-deve loped technostructure I don't want to dismiss. We must recognize that we get weapons, automobiles, highways, and space travel in their present abundance not because we want or need them but because the planning system has the power to obtain them.

Therefore, the central problem of modern government is to allocate public funds not in accordance with this power but in accordance with an abstract and objective view of public need. If legislatures respo nd to the planning system they will-as is now the case-spend too much in the p re sen t overdevelopment of the economy. Only if they respond to the differi ng public need will they effectively enhance and balance out economic well-being. It seems to me also from this analysis that we must have much stronger measures to co rre ct inequal ity than in the past.

In the yea rs following World War II, the

"The Nixon administration

had to take drastic

action. They stopped

publishing the figures,"

goal of the planning system, the goal of growth, was generally accepted as the basic goal of society. Economic growth came to be thought of as the solution for all public ills. In those years many economists, seeing the possibility of growth and assuming that it was the benign remedy for all ills, came to the conclusion that most of the problems of their subject matter had been solved.

Most economists came to the conclusion that the age of major reform was over, that the refinement of existing ideas was the basic need, that the building of eve r more elaborate and complex models was the most satisfactory way of keeping employed.

Economics, although it was not generally recognized as such, became in conse­ quence a rather complacent subject.

Economics was , as Keynes predicted , on the way to becoming a subject a bit like dentistry in a world without cavities.

Plainly this is not so. The age of major economic reform in the advanced industrial society is still ahead. •

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The soul of a university

T h at's how an Ox ford don described a IIniversity lib rary .

A I Guelph, McL aughlin Library is also the heart of the cam pus .

by Dave Webster

W

ORCESTER, Mass.-A 50-carton collection of books and articles relating to apiculture has been sold to the University of Guelph, giving Guelph one of the world 's best collections of beekeep ing information ...

TOR ON TO-Guelph's expertise in cataloguing and computer techniques is being tapped by the Council of Ontario Universities in order to set up a province­ wide co-operative library system . ..

LONDON, England-The London Metropolitan Police have arrested a former student and seized a large quantity of stolen books, 50 of w hich are being returned to the University of Guelph . . .

Those news stories have one feature in common-they all concern the McLaughlin Library, where some surprising things have happened since the building opened its doors in 1968. The people who run the

library speak with enthusiasm about every­ thing from the building's design to its collection of agricultural and bi ological materials. Their enthusiasm is rei nforc ed by a steady stream of official visit ors, averaging 300 a year, who come from far­ away places to inspect the library, "The Li brary 's strength is in t he servi ce it provides," Chief Li brarian Marga ret Beckman says. "Th e collection is accessible to everyone. You don't have to queu e up or fill out forms, and the library staff is available at all times to provi de assistance ."

The lib rary certainly is extensively used.

Every day, up to 11 ,000 peopl e pass through the turnstiles and 3,000 books are d aily circulated during busy semesters. This rate of use is five times that for on e comparable university in the United States.

The library now contains some 690,000 volumes and is adding at the rate of 1,500 per week. "Our best collection of material is in agriculture, veterinary and biological scienc es," says Mrs. Beckman .

A significant step in this building process was the acquisition of an apiculture collection. According to John A. Moldenhauer, BA '68, head of the library'S acquisit ions depa rtment, the colle ct ion was willed to Cl ark University in Worce ster, Mass. by Dr . Burton Gates, who was once a p ro fessor at the Ontario Agricultural College, with th e und erstanding that it would be put up for auction. The University was able to buy the collection thanks in part to an unusual for m of aid: the Inter­ national Development Research Centre, an organiz ation funded by the United Nations, gave money tow ard t he purchase.

Rarely does an international resea rch agency provide such funds, says Mr. Moldenhauer. The IDRC gave it bec au se Guelph is invol ve d in beekeeping pro grams in developing countries such as Ken ya.

The pe ople who run the library also emphasize its computerized facilities.

McLaughlin Library is probably the most highly automated in Canada and one of the most automated in North America, says Professor John B. Black, assistant librarian in charge of services . No mere exercise in technique, automation is an integral psrt of the building 's operation to provide bette r access to the collection. Visitors are often surprised to discover that the library's computer operation is "in-house," under­ taken free of outside funding.

The library's six major computer systems are used for circulation, cataloguing, serials control, government documents, maps, and acquisitions, says Larry Porter, 7

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Above . A wide selection of learned journals and magazines are displayed on each of the general circul atio n floors. Below: The computerized checkout station is centrally located on the main floor.

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assistant librarian for sys tems and development. Five of these systems are processed on the University's large IBM 370 /155 computer.

Two new projects have developed from the use of computer systems at the library.

One of them , a cooperative library system for Ontario universities , wi ll produce union catalogues, and lists of all the materials in the province 's univers ity libraries. These lists will be accessible to all fa cu lty and students, says Mrs. Beckman.

Catalogues of government publications and seria ls have now been compiled and distributed to the various libraries. The government publications catalogue is particularly related to Guelph: it has been compiled using a system developed in the McLaughlin Library and is now being adopted in other libraries.

The library is also working on a computerized retrieval syste m to enable researchers to quickly zero in on subjects they wish to study. With thi s system they can feed the name of a subjec t into a terminal, which is connec ted to a data bank th at provides a listing of all recent articles on that subject.

The system was demonstrated on campus last spring and generated a great deal of enthusiasm, says Mrs. Beckman. It can save researchers weeks of hunting thr ough books and jou rnals.

The McLaughlin Library operates on the "open -stack " principle; almost all of the collection is open for browsing . But, while convenient for users, the arrangement presents library sta ff w ith the problem of

theft. To co mbat the problem another type of automatic device, a "ta ttletape " electronic sensing machine, was installed in 1972. If someone tries to carry a book away without having it checked out, a buzzer sounds and the turnstile jams.

At the time of in sta llation, library thefts were running yea rl y at 2.5 per cent and costing the Universi ty $125,000 per year.

The device has proved to be very effective.

In its first year of operation it cut losses by 80 per cent.

Thefts have been especially severe in certain fields. In the two-year period before the sensing device was in stalled, 18 per cent of the books on cooking, 19 per cent of the books on sex and 29 per cent of the books on witchcraft disappeared. A number of them were retu rned-the resu It of pangs of co nscience and sharpened memories.

Last month several books came back under more dramatic circumstances. In the winter of 1970, Jonathan St. Clair-Erskine, a first-semester student and self-described war lock , took particular interest in the witchcraft collec tion, a set of sever al hundred books purchased a year earlier from Rabbi Bernard Baskin of Hamilton.

When St. Clair-Erskine disappeared in the spring, a number of the w itchcraft books also disappeared. Thei r w hereabouts was unknown until camp us poli ce received a call last October.

Erskine-who now called himself Sir A lei sdare SI. Clai r-Erskine-had been under investigation by poli ce in London, England.

His flat had been raided and a number of books, including some 50 from the

Extensiv e indexes in the library's document ation centre enable users to quickly trace government documents .

McLaughlin Library , had been seized.

SI. Clair-Erskine was put on trial for theft

and the books were returned to Guelph.

Since the sensing device was installed thefts

of witchcraft books have dropped to nil.

The library has frequently been praised for its design. A six-storey complex, it was completed in 1968 at a cost of $8,175,000 and named after the late Colonel R. S. McLaughlin, a major benefactor of the University's development fund, who gave a sizeable donation toward its construction.

The building was designed to be flexible so as to meet different needs. Everythi ng in t he library moves, says Robert Logan, head of the library's information and orientation division. For instance, up to the end of last year the library had two reserve sections, one for audio- and videotapes and the other for books needed for cou rses. This yea r bookshelves, walls and desks have been shifted to create a single, easily-staffed reserve area that combines both sections.

Library materials are org anized according to subject with the main floor for catalogues and reference material, the second for arts, and humanities, the third for social sciences, and the fourth and fifth for sciences. The sixth floor provides study and research space. The ground floor is primarily devoted to the docu mentation centre, a collection of government publications from countries around the wo rld.

The University's library system includes the Ontario Veterinary College br anch library which is located in the OVC's main buildin g. This library was set up in 1953 and now contains 29,000 books and journals pertaining to the health sciences.

Alumni have made financial contributions to the library, such as assisting, through the Alma Mater Fund, in the purch ase of the

apiculture collection, plus donations of books and papers. H. C. Mason, OAC '20, of Brampton, has for some time been contributing rare and interesting books on the history of agriculture . Donations from all sources total some 3,000 books and papers per yea r.

"We welcome all types of donations, " Mr . Moldenhauer says. "We are particularl y interested in materials on three subjects­ agricultural history, early days at Guelph and regional history. At the moment we are very much in need of mat erials relating to the history of Wellington , Grey and Dufferin counties, and Southern Ontario in general.

People often contribute books to the library.

But they forget that letters, di ari es and other documents can be just as important to the historian," he says.

Although the library exists principally to serve students and faculty, it may also be used by the public. People not affiliated with the University may in addition receive borrowing privileges by paying a deposit and a fee of $15 per year. For almuni the fee is $10 per year-"and well wo rth it," says a recent g raduate. "It 's like continuing my education-only at a fraction of the price .".

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Today pollution -tomorrow food Thousands of tons of industrial waste go down the drain every day -and with it a valuable source of protein,

by Kathleen L yle

M

IC ROORGANISMS have a bad image.

We think of them as undesirable

germs and moulds, to be avoided as much as possible. But these simple cells have thei r uses, too. The British writer Lord Ritchie-Calder has pointed out that the "domestication" of single-cell organisms for use!ul purposes is the first important cultivation of any species since prehistoric times. Professor J. D. Cunningham, OAC '48, of the University's Department of Environ­ mental Biology has been studying the possible role of "tame" microorganisms in controlling pollution caused by industrial wastes, particu larly waste liquors from the food and beverage industries.

Every day in Ontario, thousands of tons of potentially valuable material go down the drain. Waste liquors rich in carbo­ hydrates are discharged directly into municipal sewage systems by the food and beverage industries as well as pulp and paper plants.

The Ontario pulp and paper industry alone discharges daily over 300 million gallons of water , containing more than 1,000 tons of cellulose and other carbo­ hydrates. In the peak season Ontario cheese factories dispose of half a million gallons of whey daily; this contains over 100 tons of usable carbohydrate. Breweries discharge about 1,000 gallons of last runnings and press liquor for every brew, which is only a fraction of their total waste.

Distilleries, too, must dispose of large quantities of liquid waste. And other smaller-scale operations, such as canning and potato-processing plants, also waste several tons of carbohydrate per day.

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Professor Cunningham and an example of single cell protein. A cross-section of a brewer's yeast cell, it is magnified 23,800 time s.

These liquid wastes are rich in starches, sugars, or cellulose derivatives, and they are particularly difficult for sewage systems to cope with because of the high organic content. Decomposition of organic material requires large amounts of oxygen, and this high biochemical oxygen demand, or BOD as it is called, may be beyond the capacity of the sewage disposal system.

Aware of the high pollutant effects of these c arboh ydrate-rich wastes, munici­ palities are beginning to levy charges agai nst industries based on the BOD of their waste material. A company might also be requested to stop discharging waste material if the sewage system shows signs of overload.

Such stringent controls begin to make conventional methods of waste disposal unattractive. In seeking alternative methods, some companies have installed their own sewage systems. It's an expensive operation and does not solve the problem of what to do with the sludge that remains. Another alternative , the one on which Professor Cunningham has been working since 1965, is to reduce the pollution factor by microbial activity and utilize or recycle as much of the waste as possible .

Professor Cunningham's research has concentrated on the microbial conversion of carbohydrate wastes by yeasts and other microfungi. He has worked in close collaboration with the brewing, distilling, and corn refining industries, with co­ operation and financial assistance from Molson's, L. J. McGuinness, and the St. Lawrence Starch Company.

One of the rese arch students involved in this project, C . D. Kulkarni, studied the fe rmentation of brewery waste by mixed cu ltures of yeasts. The was te under­ goes a submerged fermentation, which quickly uses up organic material in the liquid and thus reduces its BOD. The yeast cells, which have a very high pro tein content, can then be harvested and dr ie d.

Another brewery w aste product is surplus yeast. Usually it just goes down the drain, but it can easily be recovered, dried and used as a protein and B-vitamin supplement in human and animal nutrition.

At present it is cheaper for Canadian breweries to let surplus yeast go to waste, but the BOD of this effluent is high and, as the cost of sewage disposal increases, recovery of the yeast will become economically preferable .

An important distillery waste called "thin stillage" is also being studied at Guelph. Pro:essor Cunningham's aim is not only to purify the waste and recover the biomass, but also to investigate the possible recovery of usable enzymes as a byproduct of fermentation. Man y micro­ organisms, such as the Aspergillus species involved in this study , produce large quantities of the starch-splitting enzyme amylase, which can be recovered from the fermented waste . The importance of this to distilleries is that amylase can be used instead of the traditional-and increasingly expensive-malt for the breakdown of starch grains to sugars and then to alcohol.

This does not, as connoisseurs might fear, affect the taste of the end product: the

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Left: Technician Marjorie Windover injects a sample into a gas-liquid ch rom atograp h use d to separate fermentation compounds. Right: Graduate student John Sedgwick and Pr ofessor Cunningham opera te fermentors that produce single cell protein from simulated indu strial waste ,

final distilled liquor is identical.

Although produ ction of single-cell protein (SCP) from industrial waste is not the primary objective of the Guelph re­ searchers, it is a su bject th at is exciting a great deal of interest among nutrition specialists. The idea of using SCP derived fro m bacteria, yeasts, and simpl e fungi and algae as a hum an food may see m novel, but in fact mankind has been eating such p rotein for tho usands of years.

Cheeses, yoghurt, sauerkraut, soya sauces, and fer mented liquids such as wine an d beer all contain substantial quantities of microorganisms.

The United Nations Protein Advisory Group (UNPAG), an international ag en cy concerned with world protein supp li es, has become increasingly interested In SCPo But the agency does not foresee a time w hen people will use SCP as their sale protein source. Presently it is con­ sidered to be a valuable protein supplem ent In hu man diets and an important sourc e of pr otein for animal fee d.

Most of the research on SCP has been carri ed out in Europe , the Soviet Union and Japan. Several large petroleum companies have experimente d with growing microorganisms on hydrocarbo n substrates.

This has prove d fe asible on a pilot plant scale, and the resulting biomass is useful as an animal feed. In addition, the fraction of the hydrocarbon substrate used by the microorganisms has no commercial importance, so the process does not waste valuable fuel resources.

Financi ally, the use of carbohyd rate

waste liquors is even more att ractive, because the cost of the culture medium is not merely low , as w ith hyd rocarbons, but actually negative. It is a good way of killing two birds with one stone: fermenta­ tion reduces the pollution fac tor of the wastes and leaves a biomass with 40 to 50 pe r cent high-quali ty protein.

A gre at advantage of SCP is the rate at which it can be produ ced. Fie ld wo rkers are fond of citing the comparison t hat a 1,000-pound bullock can synthesize less than one pound of protein a day, wh er eas 1,000 pounds of yeast could synthesi ze 50 t ons of protein in the same time-at least in theory, Like any new development, the p roduction of SC P has its problems, Bacterial an d microfun gal cells are not chemically identic al to the plant and anim al cells that have been the traditional sour ces of food.

Some contain hi gh levels of th e nucleic acids DNA and RNA which are metabolized in the human body to uric acid, a substance that can be harmful if p resent in large quantities. Fortunately it may be possible to trea t SCP to lower the nucleic acid content.

The question of the acceptability of the end product is also import ant. "Foods are not foods until they are eaten" is a basic rule of nutrition. The Department of Consumer Studies at Guelph is interested in several new foods, including SCP, and in 1970 Dr. Mabel Sanderson, Mac '31 , of that department, working in collab oration with Professor Cunningham, produced biscuits enriched with yeas t protein .

Another Guelph research team, led by

Dr. K. F. Gregory of the Dep artm ent of Mic ro biology, is studying the growth of microorganisms in cassav a flour to pro duce a protein -rich product that has t he ad­ vantage of bei ng familiar to pe opl e in underdeveloped count ries .

Re searoh into SCP and microbial poll uti on con trol is still at an early stage. Professor Cun ningham emphasizes that he is prim arily interes te d in pollution control, bu t obviously this on e aspect cannot be developed In isolati on . He foresees the use of microbial culture to produce not only enzym es li ke amylase but also other org anic compo u nds such as citric aci d, amino acids and vit amin B12 which are expen sive to produce by traditional methods.

New de velopm en ts of this kind promote research that cuts ac ro ss traditional su bject barriers . Th e p rojects under way at Guelph involve the Departments of Mi crobiol ogy, En vironmental Biology, Nutrition, Food Sc ience and the School of Engineering.

The University also is wor ki ng in coll abora­ tion w ith th e Un iversity of Ghana and the Intern ational Centre for Tropical Agriculture in Colombia.

The food an d beverage indu stries them­ sel ves are actively interested in Professor Cu nningham 's research, and some c om panies have research pro grams of the ir own. Silverwood Dairies in London, Ontar io , for example, is studying the growth of microorg anisms on wh ey. And at least one com pan y is developing a type of molecular filter that will fac ilitate the removal of organi sms and large molecules like enzymes from fermented waste liquors.

Every industry has its own waste di spo sal problems, and each p ro ce ss must be studied separately. No Canadian co mpan y has yet installed a waste ferm entation u nit, although a distillery, for examp le, cou ld easily do so. The initial outlay-which Pro fessor Cunningh am estim ates at around $250,000-would soo n be repaid.

The time is not far off when every industrial plant will be required to solve its waste disposal problems. When that time comes the results of th e research now going on at Guelph will be of the greatest importance not only to industrialists bu t to all of us who will ben efit from this creative approach to pollution co ntro l. .

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campus highlights

Awards presented at Homecoming meeting At the University of Guelph Alumni Association 's annual meeting, held during Homecoming, A. W. " Jack" Baker was made the 1973 Alumnus of Honour and Mildred (Morton) Kona n received the 1973 Alumni Medal of Achievement.

Professor Baker, OAC '11, was named Alumnus of Honour in recognition of his many contributions to the field of entomology, his community, and the University. Dr. Konan, Mac '64, was awarded the Medal of Achievement, which is given annually to an outstanding alumnus who has g raduated within the past 10 years, for her work as a sociologist, especially in the field of education and women in society.

In presenting the ci tation to Professor Baker, UGAA president Dick Hilliard, OAC '40, noted that he is "a man of many parts-academic, entomologist, conserva­ tionist , athlete, and tireless organizer."

After professor Baker graduated with a BSA he joined OAC's Department of Entomology and Zoology . He later became head of the department , a position he held until his retirement in 1955. He continues to be a member of several professional societies concerned with entomology and has been an active naturalist and conservationist.

During World War II Professor Baker served as a captain in the navy and was re sponsible for estab lishing the University Naval Training Divi sion.

He has always had a keen interest in

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Above: University of Guelph alumni asso cia tions were repre sen ted in the Homecoming parade by this rare calliope. A panel of university representatives judged the various floats .

Below: Special guest John Kenneth Galbraith officiated at the crowning of the Homecoming queen.

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UGAA president Dick Hilliard presents Professor Baker with Alumnus of Honour citation.

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students and helped many w ho were in student athletics, in an executive capacity and as basketball coa c h for 25 years.

Professor Baker is well kno w n to many alumni for his gatherings at Beaverton, Ont., and in Florida. He is a life member of the OAC Alumni Association and has served

on the college's special anniversary committees.

Be ca use of the birth of a dau g hter two days before the annual meetin g, Dr. Konan was unable to be present to receive her award from UGAA senior vice-president Ginny Bandeen , Mac '57. Her husband, Ray,

accepted it on her behalf, After graduation from Macdonald Institute, Dr. Konan studied for MS and PhD degrees at Cornell University, She has been involved in research in the sociology of education and, more recently, in sex role socialization of male and female high school students.

She was an ass'istant professor of sociology at Augustana College, Rock Island, III., for two years and, most recently, has taught sociology at Ahmadu Bello University at Zaria, Nigeria.

Following the presentations, a new board of directors was elected for 1973-74.

The officers are: T, R. Hilliard, OAC '40, president; Virginia (Shortt) Bandeen, Mac '57, senior vice-presid ent ; Doreen (Kern) Dawson, Mac '54, Shirley Ann (McFee) Holmes, Mac '62, Shirley (Jackson) Robinson, Mac '48, Pat (Damude) Squire, Mac '63, Mac-FACS directors; D. A. Barnum, OVC '41, W. C. Hacking, OVC '69, Jean Rumney, OVC '39, D. I. Silver, OVC '72, OVC directors; M. G. Greer, OAC '41, John Wiley, OAC '58,

John Mayes, OAC '69, George Greenlees,

OAC '62, OAC directors; Linda (Sully) Keith,

BA '67, Valerie (Mittler) Gilmor, BA '72,

Peter Anderson, BA '68, Michael Streib,

BA '69, Arts and Sciences directors;

J. K. Babcock, OAC '54, F. T. Cowan, OAC

'65, F. D. Horney, OVC '51, Jill (Young)

Varnell , Mac '61, Larry Gouge, BA '69,

Peter O' Malley, ex-officio directors.

when on international assignment.

The establishment of an annual $250 scholarship in economics received the board's consent, su bject to approval by the Senate. The award has been created through the generosity of John K. Galbr'a ith, OAC '31, who waived his fee when he gave the second Ronald S. Ritchie lecture, At a meeting on November 22 , the board gave authority to issue contracts for the construction of the Ontario Veterinary College's new Pathology /Veterinary Microbiology and Immunology building, It also approved revisions to the design of the new School of Hotel and Food Administration building,

Actor awarded LL.D. at convocation Shakespearian actor William Hutt was awarded an LL.D. honoris causa at the University's fall convocation. On that occasion over 300 graduands received degrees and diplomas at the hands of UniverSity chancellor Mr. Justice Hall.

Dr. Hutt 's convocation address was concerned with the plight of the Canadian

artist, who "continues to travel third class through Canadian history."

He suggested that Canadians as a people are too reluctant to assert themselves. "If we express confidence and conviction in our own we are in immediate and serious danger of revealing our identity," he said. We have a "national fear of success" in case that success cannot stand "the ultimate test of international scrutiny," he added.

Dr. Hutt emphasized that a national identity does exist, but that we are "strangulated by doubt as to whether we should reveal it." He suggested that we are culturally timid - a timidity that will dis足 appear "in the frank revelation of our identity through the bold use of our native assets."

He told the audience how well off Canada is in its cultural resources and potential足 "in the army of artists deeply, profoundly concerned and dedicated to the seeding of a culture that is radiantly and proudly Canadian."

Dr. Hutt 's acting career began at Hart House Theatre , University of Toronto, in the mid-1940s. He joined the Stratford Festival Company in 1953 and was appointed an associate director of the company in 1970.

Board approves building plans, policy changes and scholarship At its October 25 meeting, the Board of Governors approved the construction program for an extension to the Biology building.

A number of revisions concerning faculty policy also were approved. The board agreed that faculty who run for public office are entitled to a leave of absence with fu II salary and benefits. If a faculty member is elected to office he is entitled to a leave of absence without pay until seven days after the next election, at which time he will be reinstated at his previous rank ; in the event that he is re-elected he will be required to resign his University appointment.

The board approved an amendment to the faculty leave policy In which faculty will be entitled to a maximum of two year's leave

Willi am Hutt shares a ioke with academic vice-president Percy Smith.

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Brief stresses financial problems The University recently submitted its annual brief to the Committee on University Affairs, a government body that represents the interests of Ontario 's universities to the provincial Ministry of Colleges and Universities, The brief, prepared by the Senate Committee on Academic Priorities, stresses the problems of university financing, There is concern that unless financial restraints on the province 's universities are ea sed there will be "serious erosion of both instruction and research, " Increases in cost of living have not been met by higher operating revenues for universities, desp ite the fact that they have been severely affected by financial cut­ backs, the brief states, In presenting the brief to the CUA, University president W, C, Winegard noted that the shortage of operating funds has affected the University 's hiring policy, About 75 per cent of operating revenue from the government is now taken up by salarie s and wage s; goods and services take up the rem ai ning 25 per cent. The University recommend s that a formula be devi sed to determine in : reases in revenue that reflect higher salaries, While acknowledging the advantages to formula financing , the brief points out that "unless the system is modified, universities will be driven to lower their admission standards and to engage in wasteful competition for students," This will lead to "efforts to cater to student whim s rather than to real student needs," The committee also notes that the open curri culum at Ontario high schools will further contribute to the lowering of standards, The brief argues that universities are being driven to compensate for gaps in freshman learning by altering their programs and increasing guidance services.

The present arrangement of student aid is for cing universities "to collaborate in an eliti sm" that brings to the universities only those students whose parents are able and willing to support them , the brief c laims.

The University recommends that the CUA urge the government to increase student assistan ce and incorporate into the plan a provision for increases in the cost of living.

Regarding capital allocations, the University is concerned about the difficulties 14

Above: Assistant to the president Hugh Branion (left) chats with Or . Parr while Profess or John Powell looks o n. Right : The fac ade of the new Human Kinet ics bu ilding .

that have resulted from the capital freeze ordered by the mini stry over a year ago. The brief recommends that revisions to the present capital allocations formula be made as soon as possible and that the value for the cost of space be revi sed in line with present constructio n co sts. The brief makes particular reference to the severe shortage of capital support for the new Ontario Veterinary College building.

In its final recommendation, the brief requests the CUA to consider a major inc rease in the sc ope of continuing education programs throughout Ontario, and to provide funds in support of such programs.

Human Kinetics building opened The new $2 million Hum an Kinetics building was officially opened on homecoming weekend by J, G. Parr, Deputy Minister of Colleges and Univers'ities. Alfred Hales, OAC '34, federal MP for Wellington South, T. R. Hilliard, OAC '40, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food , Guelph mayor N'orm Jary and Raymond Moriyama, designer of the building, were guests at the openin'g.

"It's good to engage the scissors of a civil

servant In these days of finan c ial cut­ backs," quipped Dr. Parr. "We can celebrate part of the development of your university in the educational progress of mankind," he added , Professor John Powell, director of the School of Physical Education, emphasized that only academic study will take place in the new building, while the adjacent Athletic s Centre will continue to be used for sports and athleti c events.

William Lasby , chairman of the Board of Governors, desc ribed the new building as an important addition to the University. He

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referred to the program in human kinetics as "unique in its scope and a substantial improvement on traditional physical educational facilities at other universities."

The new building contains specialized laboratories for the study of psychokinetics and kinesiology. The work physiology area contains 15 units and labs. The biomechanics research unit contains a research room, clinic, laboratories and office. An extension into the Athletics Centre houses seminar and lectu re rooms and a dance studio.

After the opening ceremonies, visitors toured the building and were shown some of the department's equipment in operation.

Lord Zuckerman

Scientist advocates environmental moderation "Environmental change is inevitable," according to the distinguished British scientist Lord Solly Zuckerman , but it must be accommodated within political and social requirements.

Lord Zuckerman was spe3king on campus recently in the University of Guelph Distinguished Lecturer series. A life peer, he is a former scientific adviser to the British government and is now professor at large at the University of East Anglia and is a fellow of University College, London.

In his lecture, entitled "The Middle of the Environmental Road," Lord Zuckerman criticized those environmentalists who tend to naivete and hysteria. He pointed out that such famous scientists as J. B . S. Haldane and Sir Julian Huxley had predicted in the 1930s the chaos that would befall the world's environment. The arguments put forward by the Club of Rome in its report The Limits to Growth he attacked as "more naive than anything ever put down on paper."

Lord Zuckerman's "middle way" Is to avoid panic and despair while trying to improve the environment in a framework of political decisions. There are. however, risks as well as benefits to this approach, he said. Absolute standards for the environment are impossible. because environmental conditions are different in different places, he pointed out. He cited the example of DDT , saying that its benefits "totally outweigh " the negaHve conse­ quences of its use. He said that malaria hlS dramatically increased in Ceylon since spraying with DDT was discontinued .

"We must be careful to put the risks in balance," Lord Zuckerman noted. "We don't want the environmental movement to make people think that living itself is an environmental risk."

Alma Maler scholarships The University Senate has approved the establishment of two entrance scholarships to be awarded to students entering the BA program.

Financed through the Alma Mater Fund, the scholarships are valued at $500 each and will be available to students beginning in the fall semester.

The scholarships will be awarded to two eligible students with the highest overall standing in year 5 (Grade 13). Whenever possible, one of the scholarships will be awarded to a student who plans to major In the social sciences, and one to a student who plans to major in the humanities.

Scholarly achievement will, however, be the principal consideration.

Centres add a new dimension 10 education For several years the University student residences have been home to three "living-learning" centres. They are des·i gned to encourage the special interests of students and to provide informal settings for students and faculty alike.

Each centre is a small residence unit that houses about 50 students. French House. the first of these centres, was established six years ago. Arts House and International

House have followed .

French House provides a francophone environment for students whose knowledge of the language range from basic to extensive. The centre has matured to the point where 40 per cent of its residents are francophone and many are honours students in French. A teaching assistant, involved in an exchange program between France and the University, and an exchange student from Sherbrooke, Quebec, are also in the residence this year.

Activities are both structured and spontaneous. French fi Ims are shown, French classes are occasionally held in the centre, and a reception for the visiting theatre company, Le Treteau de Paris, will also be held here. In the main lounge, /e grand sa/on, a library of French books, magazines and records is being accumu­ lated, mainly through donations.

Arts House, located on the third floor of Lennox Hall residence, is a centre for students with an interest in the arts­ music, drama, crafts, painting, creative writing.

Much of the activity in Arts House is purely social and similar to that of any university residence. In addition , however, there are poetry and craft workshops, films and involvement with Arts Festival Week .

A reception for the Mime Theatre was held recently and a printing press has been revived. Facilities are also available for individual creative efforts. There is a piano, a jewellery kiln , potter's wheels and rooms which can be used as studios.

International House, in Watson Hall residence, is also in its second year as a living-learning centre. Designed to provide a learning environment for students with an interest in internationalism, its educational resources are the students themselves.

Twelve of the residents are from foreign countries including Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, Hong Kong and the United States.

Activities include a series of Monday night discussions entitled "Canada and the Wor!d." One of the discussions, a debate on Canadian-American relations, attracted faculty , off-campus students and members of the Guelph community .

Because of the enthusiasm for the living­ learning concept the University hopes to establish other centres, where students interested in other fields can learn from one another through day-to-day interaction.

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CENTENNIAL'SEVENTY FOUR ONTARIO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH GUELPH,CANADA

Best things come in small packages!

YOUR MYSTERY PACKAGE Are you one of the lucky Guelph alumni who can stay home this winter, who doesn't have to go to Mexico, Hawaii, Greece, Cuba, the Caribbean, or on a cruise to South America?

Or are you searching for a weekend of fun when you can forget all your worries and cares and have the greatest party since the 1973 January Jaunt? Then read on.

For $49.95 per couple ($25.00 single)

you can joi n alumni and friends on a

nostalgic weekend- " March Madness"­

through a winter wonder land of

spectacular snow and ice provided in

the honeymoon capital of the world .

Leave all the fuss to us!

Travel by chartered bus.

This mysterious event takes place

SATURDAY AND SU NDAY

MARCH 2 and 3, 1974

If you do not receive further details in your alumni mail before February 8, please write to Alumni House, University of Guelph, for complete details.

A program of the University of Guelph Alumni Association

coming events

January 29

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O.V.C. Al umni Association Annua l Meeting, Constellation Hotel, Re xdale, Ontario

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Winter Carnival

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Conversat '74 (The theme is "Heritage Ball" to celebrate the OAC centennial. Tickets available, at $10 a couple, from Alumni House .)

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College Royal Open House

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March 9-10

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Wanted: records of student government

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The University of Guelph Central Student Association is arranging to have student government records microfilmed and deposited in the McLaughlin Library. The CSA reports having no records dating before 1920, but it does have minutes from 1920 to 1934 and from 1944 to 1967.

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The association wishes to locate the mi ssing minutes as well as other materials related to student government and societies associated with it. The CSA's intention is to assemble and preserve student government records for their historical value and perhaps to commission a history of student activities at Guelph.

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If you have any documents or information related to the above, the CSA would appreciate receiving them. Materi al, which will be returned on request, shou ld be addressed to Alumni House, Box S.G., University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario. _________________________________________________________________

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