BIOGRAPHICAL MEMORANDA 



so that on many an occasion great ingenuity was required to achieve 

 good results with the primitive equipment. Although the limited sub- 

 sidy was sometimes a source of annoyance, it nevertheless affected the 

 general atmosphere but little; for deep down in his heart Kluyver 

 found it rather sporting to reach a satisfactory solution with the avail- 

 able funds. With almost fatherly pride he could show visitors what his 

 collaborators had been able to construct with the simplest components. 



The division of labour between the members of the staff, now aug- 

 mented by a second assistant, had not been changed after the first year. 

 Problems of organization, as well as the care of the culture collection, 

 were the primary responsibility of the 'conservator', or associate, who 

 also assisted Kluyver in supervising the work of the students in the 

 laboratory. The assistants were principally charged with the extensive 

 preparatory work that was needed to provide the abundant demon- 

 stration material displayed in the lecture courses, and with the prep- 

 arations for the laboratory course that Beijerinck had originated and 

 that had been greatly expanded by Kluyver. This course was intended 

 to initiate those future chemical technologists who were interested in 

 microbiology in the fundamentals of that science during a few after- 

 noons and evenings per week over a six week period. Candidates for 

 the doctor's degree and special guest workers, some of them from 

 abroad, were of course guided by Kluyver himself. It should be men- 

 tioned, however, that this system was not rigorously adhered to; and 

 mutual exchange of ideas and experiences was always warmly en- 

 couraged. 



Besides the above-mentioned activities, the conservator and the as- 

 sistants were expected to undertake a scientific investigation that 

 would be suitable for a doctor's thesis. Moreover, the discussions in 

 connexion with the subjects treated in the lecture courses frequently 

 occasioned the projection of special experiments that had to be con- 

 ducted in addition to the other work. 



It was not always easy for the staff members to divide their attention 

 properly over the various activities. Kluyver, too, found the combi- 

 nation of research work, instruction, and organizational chores any- 

 thing but ideal for his staff. As he sometimes remarked, he hardly 

 dared ask one of his collaborators to have 'his name included among 

 the janitors in the university roster'. 



In Kluyver's opinion the administrative and technical personnel 



26 



