“You've Come a Long Way, Alice!”

Abstract

It is uncommon for an individual to devote 42 years of service to same institution; it is almost unheard of for anyone to summarize those experiences in a written chronicle. Both apply to Alice A. Thorngate, who has just published That Far Horizon: The Medical Technology Program at University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1925-1975 (A-R Editions Inc, Madison). It is our pleasure to feature these accomplishments here in Laboratory Medicine and to include a few reflections and quotations from her work. Alice A. Thorngate was born and raised in rural Nebraska, one of six children whose parents admonished them to get an education so you can make something of yourself. Miss Thorngate was one of early graduates in clinical laboratory training at University Hospital in Madison and began working as a technologist in 1934. 1940 she was appointed to Department of Clinical Pathology at university, a tenure that was to span 36 years in various roles as instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, and professor. After 36 years in classroom, she had taught 833 students. When I started working at Wisconsin General Hospital in 1934, beginning civil service salary for a laboratory technician was $75.00/ month for a 44 hour week...In those hard times, none of us who worked in hospital laboratories ever dreamed of going on strike or marching in streets with placards or barricading governor in his mansion. reference to students, Miss Thorngate records, In early years of training program there was a lack of uniformity in educational background of students. Their preparation ranged from one or two years of college education to degrees in bacteriology, chemistry or home economics...Students have uniformly met high standards of performance that were set for this school from beginning. The differences that show up during a fifty-year period are largely superficial. An examination of annual class pictures from 1980s through mid-1970s calls attention to increased size of classes, reveals contrasts in dress and hair styles and records emergence of men as part of student body. At end of 50 years, however, students are definitely more liberated than their predecessors would have ever dreamed possible. They are not afraid to question authority and they no longer stand in awe of anyone—not their elders, their supervisors or their teachers...The professional students in 1970s were not closely knit groups that classes in past had always been. Directors of present-day, complex, multi-test laboratories may long for 1930s, when primary attention was given to urinalysis report and complete blood count (CBC), which with 'serology' were evidently done routinely on admission. Also occupying main body of form was space for basal metabolism report, a complete gastric analysis and 'sputum'..At bottom of page, least conspicuously displayed, is a small block for blood chemistry reports. Five determinations are listed: sugar, NPN (nonprotein nitrogen), creatinine, urea nitrogen and uric acid. By mid1950s, however, the clinical laboratory field in general was steadily expanding in both volume and variety of procedures called for, due in part to improvements in methods and testing materials. Timesaving devices and screening tests were developed. Testing kits and 'dip-sticks' were on market. Plastics in place of glassware had made their appearance. But most remarkable developments were in realm of instrumentation and automation: analytical chemical analyzers, electronic cell counters and finally computers. this fashion, narrative covers 50 years of virtually every facet of laboratory practice. Miss Thorngate concludes in epilogue, Thus ends an era. What was accomplished in fifty years? Many of goals on 'that far horizon' were realized, both in laboratory and in classroom... Although school did not attain great fame, its graduates were among brightest and best, of that we were assured many times over. final analysis, what better proof of success of an operation than quality of its product? This is good reading and will elicit many pangs of joy among nostalgia buffs. We agree with your student who said, You've come a long way, Alice!