Chapter 5: Pennsylvania Academy of Science in the 1940s

Written by RCoxe on January 2, 2025

The War Years (1940s)

Life of the Average Pennsylvanian

The beginning of the 1940s, saw a world still recovering from the Great Depression.  However, this was about to change with World War II, which affected everybody including the Academy.  The efforts to produce steel and other manufactured goods for the war, propeled the economy in Pennsylvania.  Jobs were plentiful, but came with long hours and demanding conditions.  Quite a few men from Pennsylvania also left for the war effort, including some Academy members, and led to women taking jobs as not seen before.  Rationing was routinely practiced due to the needs and disruptions of the war.  When not working a lot of Pennsylvanians listened to Big Bands, went to movie theaters, and baseball games.

The Life of Science in Pennsylvania

Despite the war, there were some improvements in technology, such as the ENIAC computer was developed at the University of Pennsylvania and used for the war effort.  Radar was developed to detect aircraft.  While antibiotics such as Penicillin were discovered earlier they came into prominence with the war.  During the 1940s the ballpoint pen was also developed giving people an easier way to write.

Besides the computer above, there were other contributions to science during the 1940s, including the discovery of nylon by Wallace Carothers at the DuPont company and advances in electricity, led by Nikola Tesla at Westinghouse, and a growing awareness of environment by Rachel Carson.

Changes in the Pennsylvania Academy of Science

During the 1940s the Academy of Science continued to pursue minimum requirements for science teachers to meet in Pennsylvania through resolutions.  A new membership category, Cooperative Member, was intiated with its first member in 1941.  At the start of the war, a number of Academy members joined the war effort and were exempted from paying dues if they had a non-commissioned status.  The Academy also invested in War Bonds to support the war effort.

As the war ground on, beginning in 1943, the Senior meetings were shortened with the elimination of the evening banquet.  The Junior Academy meeting was cancelled during 1943, but resumed in 1944 at York, PA.  The program was limited to invited papers and other papers (non-invited) were considered for publication only.  Standing committees were instructed to plan activities for wartime and post-war time.

In 1943, the first Pennsylvania Academy of Science newsletter was published and was planned at the time that it would be published six times a year, which it reached in 1948.  Also during the 1940s, it was deemed necessary to revise the Constitution of the Academy.  In 1948, a proposal was made to increase the student membership, science organization memberships, and industrial memberships, in order to further the mission of the Academy.  The year of 1948 also saw the transition of the summer meetings becoming executive committee meetings.

Academy Meetings

17th Annual Meeting – March 22-23, 1940 (Washington and Jefferson College, Washington, PA): The executive committee met on March 21st at the George Washington Hotel.  During the executive meeting it was proposed to change the Annual meetings to the Friday and Saturday following Easter.  On the evening of March 22nd, dinner was held at the George Washington Hotel where Dr. Edgar T. Wherry presented on “Notable Native Plants of Pennsylvania.”

Summer Meeting – August 9-10, 1940: Academy members met at the courthouse in Gettysburg, PA on the afternoon of August 9th.  At the courthouse maps were observed of the Gettyburg Battle and then a tour of the battlefield was taken.  Dinner was then held at the Hotel Gettysburg, where R.D. Anthony of State College spoke on the apple industry in Adams County, PA.  PAS President, H.W. Thurston, spoke about fruit diseases.  August 10th was spent touring the apple orchards of Adams County and lunch was had in Biglerville.  After lunch, they proceeded to tour the C.H. Musselman Canning Plant, which was the largest apple packing plant in the world at the time.

18th Annual Meeting – April 11-12, 1941 (Scott Senior High School, Coatesville, PA): The executive committee meeting met on the evening of April 10th at the YWCA in Coatesville, PA.  On April 11th a joint dinner was held between the Junior and Senior Academies at YWCA, where a presentation was given by W.G. Theisinger of the Lukens Steel Company who spoke on “The Science of Making Steel and Steel Defense Products.”  The meeting was hosted by the Chester County Natural History Society.

Summer Meeting – August 8-9, 1941: Academy members met at the Fort Bedford Inn in Bedford, PA on the afternoon of August 8th.  The focus of the meeting was on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and during this meeting it was proposed by Dr. Otto Jennings that all plantings along the Turnpike be native species.  A presentation on the history of the Pennsylvania Turnpike was given by Harry Lundy of the Turnpike Commission.  August 9th was spent looking at the Turnpike and its geology, and a fish hatchery was visited.

19th Annual Meeting – April 3-4, 1942 (Edinboro State Teachers College, Edinboro, PA): At this meeting it was proposed that college students give papers at Academy meetings.  On April 3rd, dinner was held in the College Dining Hall, where A. Glenn Richards, Jr., of the University of Pennsylvania spoke on “The Present Status of Electron Microscopy Biology.” On April 4th, an excursion to the Biological Laboratory at Presque Isle was taken.

Summer Meeting – August 14-15, 1942: Academy members met at Pennsylvania State University on the afternoon of August 14th and took a tour of the Science Laboratories on campus.  Highlights of the tour included the rat colonies used for vitamin studies, the insectide laboratory, the new Physics building, and the Textile Chemistry building.  Dinner was held at the Sandwich Shop on Old Main.  During dinner, the geology and botany of Black Moshannon were discussed and a presentation was given by PAS President, Charles E. Mohr on “Caves and Cave Animals of Central Pennsylvania.”  On August 15th a trip was made to the Black Moshannon region with the swamp at the edge of the lake being the main feature.

20th Annual Meeting – April 2-3, 1943 (Senate Caucus Room, Harrisburg, PA): This meeting was cut short because of World War II and only selected papers were read.  A symposium on science education was also held.

21st Annual Meeting – April 7-8, 1944 (William Penn Senior High School): During this meeting, a talk was given on the wildflowers and ferns of the lower Susquehanna Valley.  A “Symposium on Burns” was also held.  This meeting was shortened due to the ongoing war (World War II).

Summer Meeting – August 11-12, 1944 (Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh, PA): Academy members met in the Education Room of the Carnegie Museum on the afternoon of August 11th and then toured the museum.  Later that day, the members toured the Nationality Room at the University of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning.  Dinner was held in the Carnegie Museum cafeteria.  The program for August 12th was at the Buhl Planetarium.

1945 Annual Meeting – This meeting was scheduled to be held at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, PA, but was cancelled due to war restrictions.

Summer Meeting – August 17-18, 1945: Academy met at the Bucknell Junior College in Wilkes-Barre, PA on the afternoon of August 17th.  From here they toured the Susquehana Colliery’s Company at Glen Lyon to study forest tree plantings and mine refuse banks.  Members also went to Nanticoke, PA to look at other tree plantings.  Dinner was held at the Hotel Sterling in Wilkes-Barre.  During dinner there were several speakers.  On August 18th, the members went to the U.S. Northeast Forest Experiment station to look at the use of DDT to control gypsy moths.

22nd Annual Meeting – April 19-20, 1946 (Packard Lab, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA): The highlight of this meeting was a Symposium on Premedical Education.

Summer Meeting – August 9-10, 1946: Academy members met in Warren, PA on August 9th on the banks of the Allegheny River.  On Saturday, August 10th, members visited the United Refining Company at Warren and several other companies and places in the Warren area including Allegheny National Forest.

23rd Annual Meeting – April 19-20, 1947 (Johnstown Central High School and University of PIttsburgh – Johnstown, Johnstown, PA): During this meeting among other papers, a presentation was given by J. Kenneth Doutt of the Carnegie Museum on “Life on an Unexplored River in the Hudson Bay District.”  A symposium on flood control and conservation was also held.

Summer Meeting – August 15-16, 1947: Academy members met at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, PA on August 15th, where they toured places of scientific interest.  In the evening a presentation was given by Edward A. Hill, a famous nature photographer and writer, who spoke on “Invisible Motion.”  On Saturday, August 16th, members studied the geology and physiography of the Susquehanna River valley.

24th Annual Meeting – March 26-27, 1948 (Grove City College, Grove City, PA): A highlight of this meeting was a talk by Mr. Howard L. Kuhns of the Pennsylvania Department of Public Instruction, who spoke on “Science in the Elementary Schools.” (Clearfield Progress, March 27, 1948).

Summer Meeting – August 13, 1948: Executive committee members met during the evening of Friday, August 13th in the Music Room of Schaeffer Auditorium of the Kutztown State Teachers College, where a general business was held.

25th Annual Meeting – April 15-16, 1949 (Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA): During this meeting three 25th anniversary papers were given.  E.M. Gress presented on the “Organization of the Pennsylvania Academy of Science,” V. Earl Light presented on “Highlights of the Pennsylvania Academy’s First Twenty Five Years,” and Ralph Stone presented on “Changes in the Status of Science in Pennsylvania from 1924 to 1949.”  In addition an address was given by Dr. William F. Foshag of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC (LItitz Record Express, April 14, 1949).

Summer Meeting – August 12-13, 1949: The Executive Committee meeting of the Academy met at the Inn in Buck Hill Falls, PA on the evening of Friday, August 12th.

 

Go to Chapter 6: Pennsylvania Academy of Science in the 1950s