ADDRESS BY MR. JOSEPH F. ABBOTT, PRESIDENT,
SUGAR RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC., AT
DINNERGIVEN
EY DR. KARL T. COMPTON, PRESIDENT,MASSACHUSETTS I
N
STITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY,
AT THE ALGONq,UINCLUE,
B
OSTON
, MASSACHUSETTS.
MARCH 2ND, 1945
Dr. Compton, Dr. Jewett, Dr. Robbins, Gentlemen: As a business man I have some misgivings which so many outstanding scientists are gathered. privilege of being with you and under circumstances ly science and industry can cooperate.
in addressing an audience in But I deeply appreciate the that demonstrate how
effective-The sugar industry, in organizing the Sugar Research Foundation in
1943,
rmbarked into a new field. We realized that we faced some very serious problems. Our product had been bounced from pillar to post for years. An incomplete picture had been given the public of our product. Some of the critics were nutritionists and government officials: others were food faddists and publicity seekers. Oppor-tunists took advantage of the wartime food problems and rationing to attempt to impose unrealistic reforms. The public was told that sugar causes most of the ills that plague mankind. A pertinent example was the bald statement, by one of sugar's antagonists, that our product was as dangerous as the drug heroin and should be legally outlawed.Then, too, we were conscious that our industry had made no serious effort to investigate the potentialities of sugar as an organic chemical compound. That field, we knew, needed intensive investigation.
In consequence, and after serious consideration, we determined to organize the Sugar Research Foundation, under which agency we might attack our problems in-telligently. We determined to give the public a better perspective
of
the known facts concerning sugar and to expand such knowledge by objective research and,fur-ther, to ~xtend our research work into the broad.er field of sugar as an organic · · material.
We had no experience as to the proper approach to our problem, so we sought the ad.vice and counsel of Dr, Compton. Despite the added and heavy wartime burdens upon his shoulders, he graciously offered a helping hand and he has been our invaluable mentor since that time. For our Scientific Director he generously suggested Dr. Hockett, one of the outstanding men on his faculty at M,I.T. Dr. Hockett1s acceptance of this key position with us started the Foundation on its course. Dr. Compton next suggested that the carbohydrate laboratory at M.I.T. be expanded and operated on a cooperative basis with the Foundation. This offer was promptly accepted.. Again he aided us in the preparation of the terms and conditions governing the prizes Dr. Hockett has announced tonight, and has recommended the National Science Fund of the National Academy of Sciences to administer the award-ing of these prizes. On many other occasions he has shared his time to advise and to guide us.
One of Dr. ·Compton's admirable cha~acteristics is his talent for bringing science and industry together. It has been stated that, as recently as one hundred years ago, science and industry nodded to each other but hardly enjoyed an intimate acquaintance. Dr. Compton understands how to narrow the gap between the new fron-tiers of knowledge and their application by industry to the social needs and progress of mankind. He has a wide acquaintance with men in industry and enjoys their respect
repre 2 repre
-senting industry, to cooperate in the public welfare. The members of the Sugar Research Foundation are deeply grateful to you, Dr. Compton, for your cooperation in our work and for your friendship as expressed by this dinner. We earnestly hope that the results of our efforts, as measured in terms of public benefit, will be so successful that your return will be "a hundredfold." This is the only way we can adequately repay you.
I should like to tell you who we are and explain our work and objectives. The Sugar Research Foundation, is a non-profit membership corporation. It is the first joint endeavor of substantially all the sugar interests serving the United States and Canada. Our membership comprises most of the beet sugar manufacturers, cane sugar refiners and
raw
sugar producers of continental United States, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Canada and Cuba.We
have no laboratories under our direct control. In our research work wemake
use of the laboratories of our leading universities and scientificinstitu-tions by grants-in-aid. We now have seventeen projects under wa;y. A great majority of them are in the field of fundamental research. And all are independent of our direction.
At Harvard University, under Dr. Leroy Johnson, an attempt will be made to find some of the answers to the problems of tooth decay. Dr. Ancel Keyes, at the University of Minnesota, is studying the Vitamin B requirements of the human system. At the University of Texas, under Dr. Leake, attempts are being made to develop
sterile invert sugar for medical use. Dr. Richter, at Johns Hopkins Medical School, is studying the nutritive value of soft and brown sugar.
At
Ohio State University, under Dr. Wolfrom, research is in progress on the composition of molasses. Dr. Peterson, at the University of Wisconsin, is exploring the properties of molasses for growth of micro-organisms. At the laboratory at M.r.T., in addition to the training of advanced students in the fundamental concepts and special techniques of carbohydrates, we are engaged in both fundamental and applied research in carbo-hydrates. These seven projects are typical of the broad scope of our work. Other grants are in preparation and will be announced soon.The sugar areas represented by our membership provide about one quarter of the production of the world, which in latter peacetime years reached a peak of ap-proximately 35,000,000 tons per annum. The potentialities for its extension are almost unlimited. These possibilities are strikingly illustrated by tho fact that in the year 1850 the world's sugar production was only 1,500,000 tons. In the last one hundred year·s, therefore, the increase in world sugar production has been 2300 per cent. As long as the sun shines, sugar cane and sugar beets can provide a carbp-hydrate in abundance both for the human diet and as a source of energy and organic material for industry. The present industrial uses for sugar are numerous but its undisclosed utility must be boundless.
The Foundation prizes announced tonight are supplementary to our direct provisions for fundamental research work in university laboratories. They are in-tended to stimulate the curiosity of scientists everywhere in their search for the facts as to sugar, whether as a food or as an organic compound. In so doing we are in no wa;y limiting the freedom of the scientist in the selection of his objectives.
As a war measure it has been necessary for our government to mobilize our resources and a substantial part of our research. In the days ahead, private indus-try must again assume its full share·of this responsibility and leadership. The sugar industry, as a part of the American system, pledges itself to support the search for new knowledge through fundamental research and to cooperate in the use of such knowledge to the end that the future ma;y provide a more abundant life for all.
3
-It gives me great pleasure to deliver to you, Dr. Jewett, as President of the National Academy of Sciences, our check for $5o,ooo·to carry out the
finan-cial end of the awards. With the passing of this check we step out of the picture
and the Academy and your Committee of Award take over the task of selecting the
prize committee, of interpreting the rules and conditions, and answering any other
questions which might arise. Our interest and enthusiasm, however, will continue.
We of the Foundation deeply appreciate the gracious cooperation you and your
asso-ciates in the Academy and in the National Science Fund have extended to us in
ac-cepting these responsibilities.
It is our hope· that out of the research which will be. stimulated by these
awards, many discoveries will be made which will be of real aid to human welfare,
and that the developments, which are sure to come, in the years ahead in the field
of sugar, may in some degree be attributable to the curiosity of scientists which
has been aroused by this effort.
