Middle Tennessee State University - Midlander Yearbook (Murfreesboro, TN)

Page 22 text:

CHEMISTRY . . Let ' s take a quick excursion through the chemistry department, now housed in the basement. The im- portance of this department could be measured by the record of the graduates who have majored in chemistry. Many of those graduates in the past have received scholarships and fellowships to outstanding universities in the nation. Some have been employed in the labora- tories of Oak Ridge, DuPont, Tennessee Eastman, and other places. Here on your right is the chemistry faculty. The head of the department is Dr. J. E. Wiser (seated), and the assistant professor is C. F. Hull. Among the most important objectives of chemistry students are to pre- pare themselves for high school teachers, as chemists for industry, and to do graduate work in this field. Many others take chemistry as requirements for pre-dental, pre-med, pre-engineering, pre-nursing, and pre-pharmacy. In addition to the excellent physical plant, advanced students have access to the use of special equipment such as the Beckman Spectrophotometer, Photoelectric Calorimeter, and Able Refractometer. Down here in the corner are students at work in the Freshman lab. 4?o tke P u l lUa t6, BIOLOGY . . The third floor is occupied by the Biology Depart- ment, where every freshman is given something of his very own to love, cherish, and work on a frog. This department offers for the student some of the most interesting courses available. In biology a student learns by studying living material. For learning activities this department is well equipped for its work by providing adequate rooms for research, laboratory experiments, and rooms where individual study may be carried on. There are also complete offices for each instructor, and the department ' s museum, which contains various items that form a unique collection and contribute to the overall learning opportunity of the student. Both majors and minors may be secured m biology with the required hours being spent in general courses and specialized study in embryology, field zoology, and field botany. On your left are students at work in a biology lab and here, also, believe it or not, is the faculty at work. They are, left to right; Dr. Fred W. Emerson, Dr. Clifford J. Dennis, J. Gerald Parchment, and Dr. John A. Patten.

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HeieaAcU And this first building we come to that is set apart from the rest is the Science Building, constructed in 1931. Those peculiar odors you smell now unquestionably are a part of this building. No stranger aroma will you ever come in contact with than the combination of cooking food, formaldehyde, and many chemicals with which e, - periments are being made. You see, this building houses the departments of chemistry, home economics, biology, and physics, making it always full to the brim of industrious people laboring over their own special problems.

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PHYSICS . Down here all mixed up with the Chemistry De- partment is the physics lab — and believe me, don ' t think I didn ' t sweat out many long hours in there! We learned — or at least were supposed to have learned — everything from how to measure the amount of heat that a ton of coal will give off when burned, to how to wire up a radio. And of course there was some simple stuff, like how the atom bomb works and how to measure the speed of light. Douglas Shields is our physics teacher. Not many students hang around for the second and third year courses, but those who do really know something about what makes this world of ours go ' round. Hundreds of dollars are tied up in such equipment as the bomb calori ' meter and the spectrophotometer, and all of it gets a thorough workout every year. In the freshman labs all the students work on the same experiments, but in the advanced courses, each student is assigned a different set of experiments at the beginning of the quarter and at the end he has to report to the rest of the class on the work he has done. HOME EC . Here ' s Home Economics. Both boys and girls enjoy this department, but the girls are the ones who write back after they leave MTSC and tell us what their home economics means to them in everyday life. From the teachers come word of the success they have had in putting on a fashion show and the progress of their students. Many of the graduates do extension work which is a job of rich and satisfying experiences. Some become nutritionists, food chemists, dieticians, or just plain housewives. The husband of the housewife probably appreciates the department more than anyone. You can ' t forget about sewing either, which comes in mighty handy when the boys need the stripes sewn on their ROTC uniforms. A B.S. degree is received at graduation time upon completing this major. The competent women who manage and teach this department are Mrs. Virginia Muncie, Miss Agnes Nelson, and Mrs. Mary Knapp. This beautiful lobby is a part of their careful planning and attention. By the way, in that class we just passed the girls were studying deep fat frying. Above are the instructors in the Home Ec department: Mrs. Mary G. Knapp, Miss Myrtle Agnes Nelson, and Miss Virginia Muncie.