General Dynamics News, Volume 18, Number 15, July 21, 1965 Page: 2 of 6
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Page 2
GENERAL DYNAMICS NEWS
Wednesday, July 21, 1965
A Glance to the Past
(General Dynamics divisions have a remarkable history as their heritage. The roots go back many,
many years and the exploits and accomplishments are irrevocably linked with the country’s indus-
trial past.)
Alfred Stromberg and Androv
Carlson, engineers of Swedish
descent, organize their own tele-
phone equipment company, with
a capital of $50,000. The year be-
fore they had formed a partner-
ship, each contributing $500 to
the venture.
70 Years Ago
1895
Edson Gallaudet is working on
his doctorate in electrical engi-
neering at Johns Hopkins. It will
be eight years before he forms
Gallaudet’s Engineering Company,
Convair’s earliest ancestor.
85 Years Ago
1880
William Woodnut Grissom, in-
ventor and electrical pioneer
destined to form Electro Dynamic
Company, obtained a patent on
his electric motor (May 18, 1880).
“Fenian Ram,” 31-foot pioneer
submarine, under construction in
New York City. Inventor is John
P. Holland, gifted Irishman, who
20 years later will be among
founders of Electric Boat. Project
is financed by Fenian Society,
Irish revolutionary group.
80 Years Ago
1885
UNDER WAY — The submarine Holland plows along smoothly.
Exhibition dives in Potomac river in 1900 resulted in purchase by
U.S. Navy.
RELIC — It was a Stromberg-
Carlson telephone that was used
to summon ambulance when Pres-
ident McKinley was shot.
BREAKTHROUGH — Kite, developed in 1 898 by Edson F. Gall-
audet, included his conception of warping wing. Had he fully de-
veloped the conception he might have been first to achieve heavier-
than-air flight, for the Wright Brothers did not hit upon the warp-
ing principle until the following year.
his brother, Oliver, he will form
Thomas Brothers Aeroplane Co.
the following year.
50 Years Ago
1915
Electiic Boat is busy on a Brit-
ish order for 20 submarines, small,
rugged H boats. To avoid neu-
trality restrictions, components
are shipped to Montreal for as-
sembly by skilled EB and Beth-
lehem workmen at Vickers plant.
Ten are assembled in record six
months, cross Atlantic under own
power to join Royal Navy in
Baltic and Mediterranean. EB
stock booms on New York market.
45 Years Ago
1920
Four DH-4 biplanes, rebuilt by
Gallaudet for U. S./Air Services,
fly first air expedition to Alaska,
arriving in Nome Aug. 25.
40 Years Ago
1925
Shipbuilding begins at Groton
for first time with three ways
constructed for Peruvian subma-
rine order. (Previously, Electric
Boat-designed subs were assem-
bled at Bethlehem’s Fore River
yard.)
PT-1 trainers in production at
Consolidated Aircraft factory in
Buffalo. (Consolidated formed in
1923, combining assets of Gallau-
det Aircraft and engineering tal-
ent of Day ton-Wright Co.)
35 Years Ago
1930
Stromberg-Carlson’s radio bus-
iness volume for first time sur-
passes that of its telephone busi-
ness.
Electro Dynamic observes 50th
anniversary, introduces new line
of electrically welded “Weld
Built” DC motors.
Consolidated Aircraft moves
from Buffalo to San Diego, bag
and baggage (157 carloads). Navy
orders 60 PYBs.
30 Years Ago
1935
Submarine Holland sold for $100
as scrap when Starlight Park in
Bronx, where it had been on ex-
hibit since 1916; is sold.
25 Years Ago
1940
B-24 program under way at
Consolidated plant in San Diego.
President Roosevelt visits Elec-
tric Boat; four new ways under
construction in North Yard.
20 Years Ago
1945
Convair’s vast wartime empire
cut back to five divisions as de-
fense orders are abruptly can-
celled.
Convair twin-engine transport
program launched.
15 Years Ago
1950
Electric Boat undertakes task
of designing and building world’s
first atomic submarine at request
of Capt. (later Admiral) Hyman
G. Rickover.
10 Years Ago
1955
General Atomic division estab-
lished to undertake basic re-
search, development and produc-
tion in nuclear energy.
USS Nautilus “under way on
nuclear power” (Jan. 17).
Shareowners approve merger of
Stromberg-Carlson into General
Dynamics.
Orders mount for new Model
440 Convair-Liner.
Double For Humans
65 Years Ago
1900
Mice Living Inside Magnetic Field
In Space Environmental Studies
“MAGNETIZED" MICE— In upper photo, white mice live in plexi-
glas cage which (lower photo) is mounted between poles of electro
magnet, creating high magnetic field environment for GD/Fort
Worth studies. Theory is that magnetic field might provide protec-
tion against radiation for space travelers. Preliminary results show
no pronounced effects on mice, though their appetites increased
and they gained weight. Researchers hope to extend experiments
to higher-life animals and, eventualiy, to humans.
The submarine Holland is pur-
chased by the U. S. Navy (April
11) from Electric Boat Company
and is on maneuvers with the
Atlantic Squadron off Newpoi’t.
The Holland is the Navy’s first
submarine. Her acquisition is a
triumph for the persistence of her
inventor, John P. Holland, and
the salesmanship of lawyer-finan-
cier Isaac Rice who had merged
the Holland Torpedo Boat Com-
pany with Electric Launch Com-
pany to form Electric Boat. Im-
portant in the sale was a series
of exhibition dives conducted in
the Potomac River in full view
of Washington officialdom. Al-
though there was strong opposi-
tion, Congress authorized six
more boats June 7.
55 Years Ago
1910
William T. Thomas, English en-
gineer, completes construction of
his first airplane at Hornell, N.
Y. Plane has 22 hp engine. With
Can humans live for long pei*-
iods in a high magnetic field en-
vironment without harmful ef-
fects ?
The question is more than
academic to research scientists at
GD/Fort Worth. High magnetic
fields may afford protection
against radiation for space bound
travelers of the future and may
be associated with some forms of
power-generation equipment.
To help find the answers, Dr.
Garry Hanneman, senior research
scientist in GD/FW’s Applied
Sciences section, is subjecting
white mice to a series of experi-
ments.
“So far, we’ve discovered no
pronounced adverse effects,”
Dr. Hanneman said. “But of
course it’s too early to draw
definite conclusions.”
The magnetic field is created
by passing an electric current
through coils of wire surrounding
an iron core. A gap in the core
enables a very high magnetic
field to develop; mice are placed
in this field in specially built
plexiglas “houses.”
In one test, urine from mice
was collected over a 24-hour per-
iod and analyzed to determine if
the magnetic field environment
affected some of the “ions” of
For this experiment, five mice
were exposed for 24 hours. Find-
ing: the subjects gained weight
and ate and drank more than
normally. Further, a blood count
revealed no appreciable change in
red cell count, but an increase in
white cells was noticed during the
28-day examination.
A physio-psychological experi-
ment was made to see if high-
magnetic stress would affect the
senses, especially vision.
To qualify for the test, mice
had to select the white (reward 1
door rather than the green (pun-
ishment) door of a maze for a
minimum of 25 consecutive trials.
After exposure to a rather in-
tense magnetic field, the mice did
“rather well”; three made only
one mistake; two made no mis-
takes in selecting the right “col-
or” door.
“To date, experiments have
been interesting, but prelimin-
ary,” Dr. Hanneman said.
“We’ll have to conduct much
more research—eventually with
higher-life animals — before
man can be subjected to serious
experimentation.”
Most of the experimentation—
and facilities themselves—are be-
ing conceived and built by Ap-
plied Sciences personnel.
body fluids. Result: a slightly in-
creased elimination of sodium, po-
tassium and calcium ions.
Another test was made to de-
termine if the field affected the
animals’ weight, or their eating
and drinking habits.
SAMPLE — Dr. Garry Hanne-
man, GD/Fort Worth senior re-
search scientist, takes blood from
mouse that has been exposed to
high magnetic environment.
Blood count reveals effects of ex-
perience.
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General Dynamics Corporation. Convair Division. General Dynamics News, Volume 18, Number 15, July 21, 1965, periodical, July 21, 1965; Fort Worth, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth777455/m1/2/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, Fort Worth.