Range Rider, Volume 30, Number 1, March, 1979 Page: 7a
16A, 16B p. : ill., ports. ; 38 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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March, 1979 RANGE RIDER Page 7A
Featherston lauded
by Texas SenateScientist's Heavy Metal
Dr. John Brewer has received many honors Society for Microbiology this year is one of the
during his distinguished career, but his selection most significant because it was awarded by the
to honorary lifetime membership in the American vote of his fellow microbiologists.
(Mark Keuthan Photo)i _
Fellow microbiologists honor Dr. Brewer
The American Society for Microbiology has
bestowed its highest honor on Dr. John H. Brewer,
director of the Science Research Center at Hardin-
Simmons University.
Dr. Brewer will be honored by the approximately
4,000 delegates to the Society's joint meeting with
the Japanese microbiology society in May. That
meeting will be split between Los Angeles and
Hawaii. The honorary membership adds luster to a
distinguished career that has seen Dr. Brewer play
key roles in such diverse areas as space exploration,
the battle to control syphilis and the detection of
brucellosis in cattle.
He has already received an impressive medallion
as part of the honor.
Dr. Brewer was reared in Abilene after being born
in Gorman. He earned both his bachelor's and
master's degrees from Hardin-Simmons in the early
1930's and received his Ph.D from Johns Hopkins in
1938.
After a term at the Texas State Department of
Health, he returned to Baltimore where he built an
impressive reputation while employed with Becton,
Dickinson and Co. and its subsidiaries. He returned
to Abilene and his alma mater in 1966 after
"retiring" but immediately stepped into the role of
researcher and scientist at H-SU.
Among his discoveries are the Brewer anaerobic
jar, the Gas-Pac H2 generator, thioglycollate
medium and the anaerobic petri dish and medium.
He also perfected the RPR Card Test for syphilis and
another card test currently in use for testing cattle
for brucellosis.The most exciting aspect of his work to the
layman is his decade-long association with the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
In his role as consultant to NASA on planetary
quarantine and sterilization of spacecraft, Dr.
Brewer and his associate at H-SU, Dr. Terry Foster,
are involved in one-of-a-kind research into the
possible effects of contamination of other planets by
germs from earth and how to prevent such con-
tamination in the event of accidental crash or during
planned landings.
For instance, Dr. Brewer headed a team that spent
several weeks at Cape Kennedy prior to the laun-ching of the Viking probe that landed on Mars,
sterilizing the craft.
Dr. Brewer received a 40-year membership
certificate from the American Society for
Microbiology last year but will now be exempt from
paying the dues as he has since 1938 and will also
qualify for free subscriptions to eight magazines
published by the society-a benefit worth in excess
of $200 per year.
But the fact that the lifetime membership is a rare
honor-and one decided by the voting of his fellow
microbiologists-is the main thrill.Orienteering team finding its way to#1
By PA TKILPA TRICK
Don't bother to tell the Hardin-Simmons
University orienteering team to get lost unless you
take its compass away-especially since the H-SU
orienteerers are presently ranked number one in the
state.
Sometimes referred to as the "Thinking Sport",
orienteering is a physical and mental contest
requiring an athlete's stamina for long distance
running and his mental skills in reading a map and
using a compass.
After their last meet win over second and third
place winners University of Houston and TulaneMedical schools accept two students
Two Hardin-Simmons University students have
been accepted to the dental and medical schools of
their choice-giving H-SU an astounding record of
seven of eight applicants accepted in the past two
years.
Marcus Whitmore, a senior from Denton, has
been accepted to Baylor College of Dentistry in
Dallas for the 1979 fall semester. Whitmore was
granted interviews with all three dental schools in
Texas (University of Texas at Houston, UT San
Antonio and Baylor).
A chemistry major and physics minor, Whitmore
is involved in Student Congress at H-SU as well as a
member of the Cowboy Band and Jazz Ensemble.December H-SU graduate Travis White has been
accepted by the University of Texas Medical School
in San Antonio in the first round of acceptances by
the school.
White, whose parents are Southern Baptist
Missionaries in Mexico, graduated from H-SU in 31/2
years with a major in biology and .a minor in
chemistry.
Dr. William Helms, associate professor in
chemistry and physics at Hardin-Simmons said,
"both young men are outstandingly capable and
mature students. They've been two of the best pre-
med and pre-dental students we've had here."University Dec. 2 at the University of Southern
Arkansas, the H-SU group has been touted as
"unquestionably the number one orienteering team
in Texas." The four man team has only to capture
the official state championship competition hosted
by Texas A&M University on March 25 to
unequivocally prove the statement.
Members of the varsity orienteering team at H-SU
include junior Ed Pekowski of Big Springs, junior
Tom Shelton of Tilden, junior Elmer Wallace of
Abilene, and team captain Lester Warren, a senior
from Electra.
Team coach SGM John Landry claims "this is the
best team H-SU has fielded sinced it began par-
ticipating in the sport back in 1975." Not only has
the varsity team managed to grab the top spot in the
state but the H-SU B team is currently holding
second place in the junior varsity category.
B team members include sophomore George
Elliott of Pecos, junior Greg Manning of Abilene,
sophomore One Perez of Abilene, and the only
female runner on the team, freshman Karen Wise of
Dallas.
In competition participants run cross country
courses ranging from four to five miles in length
battling time and nature. Various control points are
manned by monitors who verify a runner's progress.
Teams compete with four members running the
course separately totalling the three lowest times to
produce a team time.Solon R. Featherston, Hardin-Simmons University
graduate and member of the Board of Development
at H-SU, was honored by the Texas Senate last
January.
The Senate passed a resolution commending the
outstanding life and work of Featherston.
Featherston, who died in November of 1978,
graduated from Simmons College in 1918 and went
on to serve on both board of trustees and
development until the time of his death.
At the age of 83, while recovering from a stroke
and three operations, Featherston wrote his first
book, "The Romance of Hardin-Simmons
University", dedicating all proceeds from its sale to
H-SU's Profile for Progress Campaign.
Earlier this year Featherston published his second
book, "True Romantic Tales of the West", and had
begun a third.
Born in Aspermont, Featherston later settled in
Wichita Falls, serving as president of the Wichita
Falls Real Estate Board and was a charter member
of the city':; Homebuilders Association.
In 1955 Featherston and his wife, the former Lillie
Reeves, won the coveted John J. Keeter Award for
outstanding alumni.
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Hardin-Simmons University. Range Rider, Volume 30, Number 1, March, 1979, periodical, March 1979; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117031/m1/7/: accessed July 8, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Hardin-Simmons University Library.