Caltech Engineers Dynamite Anniversary
California Institute of Technology in Pasadena isn’t growing old; it’s perpetually young. At its 100th anniversary party at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Monday night, 650 supporters--Nobel prizewinners, industry dynamos, faculty, students and civic leaders--launched the institute on its second century.
In its first 100 years, Caltech’s scientists discovered the positron, the nature of the chemical bond, quarks, left-brain/right-brain functions and the perils of lead. They also developed the foundations of molecular biology and earthquake science, the Recommended Daily Allowances for vitamins and the principles of airplane design. Equally inventive Caltech students are famous for pranks like changing the Hollywood sign to read “Caltech.”
Monday evening, Caltech made science fun and exhilarating. White envelopes marked “SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENT: Do not open until instructed” were propped behind the vichyssoise.
Silver pots of hot water were distributed. On cue, chemist Harry Gray told the audience to open the envelopes. Suddenly everyone was unwinding triangular paper clips, dipping them into the hot water and watching them spring back into triangles. The clips were made of nitinol, dubbed “memory metal” because it returns to its original shape when exposed to heat. Everyone took one home.
The Caltech Glee Club rollicked through an original piece--”In this atmosphere so conducive to searching for the elusive. . . .” Trustees Chairman Ruben F. Mettler welcomed guests. Walter Cronkite narrated the show. President Thomas E. Everhart referred to “Caltech’s outstanding minds.” (Entering students average 1,400 on Scholastic Aptitude Tests.)
Four professors--Gray, director of the Beckman Institute; Leroy E. Hood, director of the Center for Molecular Biotechnology; Carver A. Mead, computer scientist, and Edward C. Stone, director of Jet Propulsion Laboratory--looked into the next century. When Stone showed the audience a video on Mars, the crowd was breathless.
Trustees Vice President James W. Glanville announced Caltech has raised $125 million toward its goal of $350 million for “The Campaign for Caltech: A Second Century of Discovery.”
Frank Wells, attending with wife Luanne, and Keith and William Kieschnick were dinner chairs. In the crowd were four Nobelists who did their prize-winning research at Caltech: Charles Frances Townes, Dr. Murray Gell-Mann, Willy Fowler and Donald Glaser. A fifth prizewinner in the audience, Yuan Lee, is a Caltech trustee. There were also three former Caltech presidents--Lee A. DuBridge, Harold Brown and Marvin Goldberger--and two former Caltech trustees chairmen, Arnold O. Beckman and Stanton Avery.
Others attending included Caltech Trustee Gordon and Betty Moore (who recently gave $16.8 million), Dr. Richard and Nancy Call, Michael Scott, John R. McMillan, Kent and Joyce Kresa, Camilla and Dan Frost, Ben Rosen, Otis and Dody Booth, Dr. John and Lily Wong, Stephen and Kay Onderdonk, Donald and Joan Beall, Walter and Sheila Weisman, Charles and Nancy Munger, Richard and Maude Ferry, and Peter (a new trustee) and Pam Mullin.
