Lowell Technological Institute - Pickout Yearbook (Lowell, MA)

Page 9 text:

RESEARCH FOUNDATION Prior to 1950, Lowell Textile Institute participated extensively in the technical development of the textile industry thru the agency of a special service program. This program made available to industrial sponsors the services of the faculty and the use of the physical equipment of the Institute on a nominal fee basis. However this special service mechanism did not provide a coordinating control agency which could establish standards of practices or procedures of administration to exploit fully the potential utility of the personnel and the facilities of Lowell Textile Institute. 1st Row: Mr. Raymond, Miss Groves, Mr. Skalkeas, Miss Boucher, Mr. Jones 2nd Row: Mrs. Lamoureaux, Mr. Wang, Miss Baribeault, Miss Jordan So it was that the Massachusetts State Legislature was requested to establish a central research agency. Thru the efforts of Kenneth R. Fox, past president of the Institute, and Martin J. Lydon, his successor, the State Legislature set up in November of 1950, the desired agency which is now known as the Lowell Textile Research Foundation. The Foundation was established primarily for the purpose of encouraging and administrating research sponsored by industry. The Foundation personnel, the Institute faculty and the student body jointly constitute the staff available for in- vestigating problems involving textiles, paper, leather, and related areas of interest.

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DEDICATION Throughout the entire textile industry is seen an ever increasing desire on the part of management to employ scientific methods for the improvement of existing products and for the development of new products. Because of this demand by an industry which the Institute serves, the Lowell Textile Institute Research Foundation was established. The stated purpose of the Foundation is to encourage and administer re- search sponsored by industry and Government at Lowell Textile In- stitute. The activity of the Foundation has become much broader in scope than had ever been anticipated. The services to industry that the Founda- tion has performed have surpassed even the most optimistic expecta- tions of its creators. This yearbook, then, is dedi- cated to the Foundation in recogni- tion of the work which it has done and will do to effect a liaison between scientific research and the practical utilization of the new ideas and methods that the textile industry must, of necessity, adopt if it is to maintain its prominent place in 1 American industry. 4 r r 1 r ! r r r r U I r. ,

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During the winter and spring of 1950 and 1951, a Board of Directors was appointed by the Board of Trustees of Lowell Textile In- stitute. This Board of Directors met in April of 1951 to organize the Foundation formally. An Executive Committee was selected, and Dr. Harold Webber was appointed Executive Director. The Executive Committee met monthly at first to establish policies and to consider procedures relating to the admini- strative mechanisms for the business of the Foundation. Now that this has been accomplished, the Executive Committee meets when deemed necessary, to review the work of the Founda- tion and to guide the Executive Director in the management of Foundation affairs. The principles of operation set up by the Executive Committee are followed in all re- search projects undertaken by the Founda- tion. Each project must be one that will make a contribution to the educational program of the Institute and must be one that is within the scope of the staff and facilities of the Foundation. Every regular member of the staff must be willing and available to accept responsibil- ity for technical supervision of the research of a project. Each faculty member is limited to sixty hours a month on any project to in- sure against research work interfering with academic work. There are many prominent businessmen on the Board of Directors of the Foundation who are engaged in the textile industry. Among these are, Mr. Kenneth E. Bell, Vice-President and Technical Director of the A. C. Lawrence Leather Company; Mr. Roland E. Derby, Sr. of the Textile Aniline and Chemical Co.; Mr. Kenneth R. Fox, Vice-president of Burl- ington Mills Inc., and former president of Mrs. Lamoureaux using the Tabor abrader Checking the reports Miss Baribeault and the Uster Yarn Evenness Tester