Ipswich High School - Tiger Yearbook (Ipswich, MA)

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diphtheria. Edgar Douglas Adrian and Sir Charles Sherington are two British physiologists who are known for their great research and investi- gation of the nervous system. They have given us a complete study of the nerve impulse and the nerve tissue. Nor should we fail to mention Dr. Alexis Carrel, who came to the United States from France to continue his study of blood transfusions and blood vessels. It is, of course, true that these scientists and many others worked without any thought of reward, and these invaluable contributions to sci- ence would have been made if Alfred Nobel had never conceived his phil- anthropic plan. However, it is a source of satisfaction to see genius and unselfish devotion to a cause recognized, and to note, as we have said, that the prizes record, to a cer- tain extent, the great progress in science during the last forty years. When we come to consider the Nobel Awards in literature, we find that this field is one of the most in- teresting and arouses the most con- troversy. Recognizing the fact that here it is not so interesting to trace movements or progress, and realiz- ing too, that judgment of contempo- rary literature cannot be trusted too far, still we can all agree that the awards have been made to writers whose work is, at least, significant. In 1907, Rudyard Kipling received the Nobel Award for his famous short stories and novels of life in India. Especially proud are we of Sinclair Lewis who in 1930 became the first American to win the Nobel Prize in literature. In spite of the criticism attendant upon this award, we be- lieve he has revealed his sincerity of purpose as well as his prejudices. May poetry, drama, and prose con- tinue to develop in the United States and bring Nobel honor in literature to this country. It seems strange to most of us that the inventor of dynamite should in his will leave a share of his fortune to those per sons who contribute toward the promotion of world peace. It is reported that in the later years of Alfred Nobel’s life he became very much interested in what different so- cieties were doing to promote peace. It was his belief that by improving war material and, henceforth, in- creasing the dangers of war, he was in some paradoxical way contributing toward the peace of the world. We must admit that the men who have struggled to promote peace de- serve great honor, even though in these troublous and discouraging times they appear to be voices crying in the wilderness. Far from making progress toward world peace, since the first peace award was made, we seem to be daily growing farther and farther away from that ideal which has filled the minds and imaginations of so many peace-loving individuals. In spite of this fact, however, the in- tentions of the prize winners were noble and their accomplishments worthy of recognition ; and even the present mad scramble for armament 24

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treme wealth in many cases leads to idleness and prevents the develop- ment of the initiative which we all possess — the inherent desire to build an independent position for ourselves. It was his intention to help those who serve society and contribute to the welfare of mankind, receiving little compensation other than the personal satisfaction derived from the service itself. In order to accomplish his purpose, he made provisions in his will for the establishment of the Nobel Prize Fund. Each year the interest of the fortune is divided equally among re- cipients for distinguished work in five fields : namely, physics, chem- istry, medicine, literature, and in the promotion of peace. He also provided for judges in these fields as follows: the awards in physics and chemistry are made by the Royal Swedish Acad- emy of Science; the award in medi- cine is made by the Caroline Insti- tute; the Swedish Academy judges the merits of literary work submit- ted; and the peace prize is made by a committee of five elected by the Norwegian Storthing. One notice- able aspect is the universal scope which the awards embrace. No dis- tinction is made because of race, creed, or nationality; therefore, all have an equal opportunity. Since physics, chemistry, and medi- cine are all definitely related, it will be more convenient to discuss these three different fields together. It is interesting to note that the successive awards in these three fields mark great strides in the progress of science during the last century. In the first place, especially significant, originally to physical and later to medical science, was the discovery of the Rontgen or X-ray by William Rontgen, the first to be awarded the Nobel Prize in physics. It is hardly necessary to point out the value of this discovery to medical science in diagnosis and treatment of disease. Equally important was the discovery of radium and polonium by that re- markable woman, Madame Curie, who received the Nobel Award twice, once in physics and once in chemistry. No other scientist has ever been so honored. We like to pause here to think, in this connection, of her stead- fast refusal to commercialize her dis- covery and of her earnestness in wishing it to be used for the benefit of mankind. Everybody knows that radium has proved invaluable in the treatment of cancer, even curing the disease in its early stages. Truly, Madame Curie deserved to be so sig- nally honored by the Nobel Award. Among American scientists to be honored by the Nobel Award in chemistry are Thomas Richards and Irving Langmuir, who have increased our knowledge of atoms, electrons, and neutrons. Among the recipients of the Nobel Prize in medicine we have one of the greatest doctors that ever lived, Dr. Emil Bekring, who is the discoverer of diphtheria antitoxin and who sub- sequently made practical the use of the serum of animals immune to 23

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and frenzied preparations for war should not blind us to their service or discourage future efforts in the direction of peace. We therefore point with pride to Theodore Roose- velt, who received the award for his efforts in bringing about the peace treaty between Japan and Russia in the early part of the century; and to Woodrow Wilson, another great pres- ident, who exerted his efforts in ne- gotiating peace before the entrance of America into the World War. It is a very great debt, therefore, that we owe to the individuals who have been honored by Nobel Prizes in physics, chemistry, medicine, lit- erature, and in the promotion of peace. They have contributed to the welfare of humanity after years of research and hard labor. They have inspired in others ideas which de- veloped into further discovery, and they will continue to do so. In Amer- ica, the Land of Opportunity, there are millions of honest and ambitious young people who should make their country proud and in years to come bring to it its share of Nobel Honors. Class Day Parts Class History by Ursula M. Lombard X OUR years have passed since we, -L the class of 1938, hurried some- what timidly up the creaking steps of the old Manning building to our refuge in the ‘‘attic.” Now as we face our Graduation Day we look back with a smile at those rather barbaric individuals who were ourselves as freshmen. Our first year began in the Septem- ber of 1934, and in December at a truly freshman class meeting we elected Richard Davis, president; Richard Horton, vice-president ; Sam- uel Lombard, treasurer; and Ursula Lombard, secretary. In March we made our “debut” to Manning “soci- ety” ' when we entertained the sopho- mores at a St. Patrick’s Day dance. The sophomores enjoyed themselves; we lost ninety-eight cents. Our next venture was a play, Circumstances Alter Cases , which was presented to an unappreciative audience by a rather frightened cast, while the stage managers held up the scenery which threatened to collapse and ruin some of our most dramatic moments. “Dick” Horton played the part of a young prep-school boy and by some cruel trick of Fate he had obtained a suitcase of such size that it was prac- tically an impossibility for both him and the suitcase to get through the door at the same time. The audience found the struggle between “Dick,” the suitcase, and the door more amus- ing than the play itself. “Ruthie” Stone was the girl of the story while 25