Official Appointments Research Articles

Some Observations on Sociological Research in Government During World War II

T HIS discussion is based in considerable part upon experience in an organization charged with the study of attitudes and morale in the United States Army: Research Branch, Information and Education Division, War Department. Our analysis is based upon observations drawn from work in this country and from operations in the European Theater. Certain conclusions arise from wider observation of several other governmental research organizations. The intention is to focus mainly upon things which seem to have been learned about: (i) research organization, and (2) the relation of research to administrative action. Presumably most members of this Society are acquainted in a general way with the work of the Research Branch. The studies carried out by this organization do notfor sociologically significant reasons-fall neatly under the rubric of any one of the sciences as usually delimited. People who in previous academic life had been labelled as social psychologists, sociologists, and so on worked together; and in many instances it is impossible to ascertain from the technique or content of a given study the academic background of the author or authors. This situation arose in the first instance out of the mandate of the organization. It was established to carry out service research directed toward (i.e., immediate' administrative) problems. In many instances these concrete problems represented the interlacing of technical, economic, political, and psychological or sociological problemsall combined in one not-too-neat package. Generals were, understandably, not particularly interested in strictly analytical research as such; rather, they wanted specific, concrete findings which seemed to have a definite, immediate bearing upon administrative policy and practice. In such a climate, interdisciplinary cooperation in some sense becomes a practical necessity. This may be regarded as one of the early lessons which came out of Research Branch operations. Now, the opportunities and limitations in such an operation can be adequately understood only when it is recognized that it took place within what is practically the empirical polar type of bureaucratic organization. All the definitive characteristics of bureaucracy reach an especially high level of development in a modern Army, and in the Department which has official jurisdiction over the Army. These characteristics include among others a rigid hierarchy, formal and impersonal procedures, appointment of officials, sharp demarcation of areas of competence and authority, a multiplicity of explicit and rigid regulations, a high degree of specialization of functions, and a complex system of interlocking subordinate organizations.' This formal structure, embodying legitimate authority and commanding important coercive sanctions, emphasizes above all a rigid disciplineincluding the requirements of punctuality,

Official appointments

Official appointments

Official appointments. Fertilisers and Feeding Stuffs Act, 1926

Official appointments. Fertilisers and Feeding Stuffs Act, 1926

Official appointments

Official appointments

Official appointments

Official appointments

Official appointments

Official appointments

Official appointments

Official appointments

PARACELSUS(1493–1541)

PHILLIPUS THEOPHRASTUS BOMBASTUS VON HOHBNHEIM, who afterwards assumed the name Paracelsus to indicate that he believed himself as great a physician as Celsus, was born towards the end of 1493 at Einsiedeln in Switzerland, then part of Germany. His father was a practising physician of repute and his teaching laid the foundation of the medical career of the son. Of the early life of Paracelsus nothing is known beyond conjecture until 1526, when he appeared at Strasburg as a physician, described as doctor and admitted to citizen rights and to a Guild of Surgeons. He studied medicine, but it is not known how. In his writings he emphasizes that he got most of his useful knowledge from artisans and from the humbler assistants of the medical profession, whom he rates higher than the schools. On the other hand, he also once stated on oath that he had become a doctor of the University of Ferrara, and it is difficult to understand his short–lived official appointments unless he was properly qualified. Besides his medical knowledge, Paracelsus also says he had great experience for a long time with many alchemists and metallurgists, and he undoubtedly visited many mines and smelteries in his travels some time about 1514. These travels probably took in most European countries, including England, at various times, but those further afield are doubtful.

Official appointments

Official appointments

Official appointments

Official appointments

Official appointments

Official appointments

Official Chemical Appointments

Official Chemical Appointments

Official appointments

Official appointments

Official appointments

Official appointments

Official appointments

Official appointments

Official appointments

Official appointments

Official appointments

Official appointments

Official appointments

Official appointments

Official appointments

Official appointments

Albert Abraham Michelson, 1852 - 1931

Albert Abraham Michelson was born on December 19, 1852, at Strelno in Posen, now restored to Poland. When he was two years old, he was taken by his parents, Samuel Michelson and Rosalie (Przlubska), to the United States, and, after some fifteen years spent in Virgina City, Nevada, where his brother Charles was born, San Francisco became their home. There his sister Miriam, the author, was born, and the boy attended the high school. He was given, in unusual circumstances, an appointment in the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, and after graduating in 1873 he became a midshipman in the U.S. Navy for two years and was afterwards appointed instructor in physics and chemistry in the Naval Academy in 1875, holding the appointment until 1879. His next year was spent in the Nautical Almanac Office in Washington, and then he studied for two years at the College of France, and at Heidelberg and Berlin. In 1882 he became Professor of Physics in the Case School of Applied Science at Cleveland, Ohio. After seven years he went as Professor of Physics to Clark University, Worcester, Mass., and remained there until 1892. He was then appointed Professor at the head of the Ryerson Physical Laboratory, Chicago ; this appointment he held until shortly before his death, which occurred on May 9, 1931. He married Miss Edna Stanton of Lake Forest, Illinois, in 1899, and they had a son and two daughters. This in brief contains the history of his official appointments : how he filled the various posts is another matter.