Chemical world This week that the ESP-1 virus is actually a contaminant because its immunological response is identical to that of a mouse tumor virus. Dr. Spiegelman's results suggest that this immunological similarity is, in fact, quite likely, and that ESP-1 is probably the human virus it was originally suspected to be. APPOINTMENTS:
New NSF director . . . Dr. H. Guyford Stever, president of Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh, has been named by President Nixon to be the new director of the National Science Foundation. He succeeds Dr. William D. McElroy, who will leave the post in February to become chancellor of the University of California, San Diego. Spokesmen for both House and Senate committees concerned with NSF matters say committee members roundly applaud the selection of Dr. Stever for the post. For instance, Rep. John W. Davis, (D.Ga.), chairman of the House Subcommittee on Science, Research, and Development, comments that Dr. Stever is eminently qualified, an able successor to Dr. McElroy, and an old friend. However, some Congressional sources express concern that NSF top management will be too heavily weighted with engineers. They point out that Dr. Stever has spent about 20 years of his occupational life as an aeronautical engineer and that the NSF deputy director, Raymond L. Bisplinghoff, is also an aeronautical engineer. Stever:
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able successor
C&EN NOV. 22, 1971
Dr. Stever takes the helm of NSF lawyers for his corporate experience at a time when the agency is trying and administrative capabilities, the to maintain its role as a federal electrical engineer turned patent patron of basic research and sci- lawyer takes over from William ence education and at the same Schuyler, who left in August, time take on new roles such as pro- sources say, for several reasons. viding support for efforts to solve Sagging staff morale as he virtually problems of societal importance in- ignored day-to-day problems while cluding pollution, enzyme engineer- pushing the patent reform bill and ing, and transportation. One of the licensing amendments was one. first chores Dr. Stever faces is as- Failure to get the White House to suaging Congressional concern over resolve the dispute between the NSF's Research Applied to National Commerce and Justice Departments those amendments was Needs (RANN) program at hearings over Then, too, the White on the NSF fiscal 1973 budget. Con- another. gress cut RANN's fiscal 1972 bud- House killed a plan to upgrade the patent chief's status within Comget by about $30 million. Dr. Stever is well versed in federal merce. Morale has improved under Robscience activities. In addition to serving on the National Science ert Gottschalk, acting commissioner Board—NSF's policy-making body —so much so that employees peti—he is a member of the National tioned the White House to name Academy of Engineering, and an him to the top slot. Mr. Gottadvisory panel to the House Com- schalk's agreement to stay on mittee on Science and Astronautics. should ease any problems that Mr. He has served as chief scientist with Banner will have in winning staff the Air Force, and as chairman of support. a panel of the President's CommisShepherding the patent reform sion on Patent System, as well as bill through Commerce will still be heading numerous other federal sci- a major chore. Mr. Banner is not entific advisory committees. expected to have much better luck than his predecessor in getting White House support for the de. . . and patent commissioner feated licensing amendment. Other continuing Mr. GottRumored for weeks, the naming of concerns: Donald W. Banner to the Patent schalk's drive to cut bureaucratic Commissioner's post by President delay and handle complaints and Nixon was finally made 10 days ago. moving ahead with computerizing Expected to win easily Senate con- the patent system, an effort that firmation to the $36,000-a-year job, some observers say has, to date, the 47-year-old, general patent coun- been a failure. sel for Borg-Warner, Chicago, could take office next month. THE MOON: Highly regarded among patent
Looking for life
Banner:
easy confirmation
Three groups of scientists have been searching for amino acids in lunar soil since the first Apollo 11 samples were made available more than two years ago. With results now becoming available from the Apollo 14 material, the existence of free amino acids on the moon is still an unresolved question. Much of the problem lies in the difficulty of detecting and identifying amino acids at parts-per-billion levels. Investigators in the three groups all point to a need for larger samples from future Apollo missions. The existence of free amino acids on the moon is considered to be very unlikely by members of two of the groups, headed by Dr. Sidney W. Fox at the University of Miami and by Dr. Cyril Ponnamperuma at the University of Maryland. Coworkers
