^aad ^ecAftoia^ . . . 



from pots to potentiometers 



By WILLIAM B. ESSELEN* 



POTS, PANS, AND A LONE GAS 

 plate in a basement storage room 

 of Wilder Hall — here in the Summer 

 of 1913 was the meager beginning 

 of a "laboratory" with Professor 

 W. W. Chenoweth of the Pomology 

 Department the pioneer spirit in 

 a project on the preparation of jams, 

 jellies, and canned foods. 



With the enthusiasm stimulated 

 by this preliminary work came more 

 gas plates, more pots, more of the 

 necessary equipment, and even a 

 three-week laboratory course on the 

 conservation of fruits. 



Five years later the "laboratory" 

 was christened "Department of Horti- 

 cultural Manufactures" headed by 

 Professor Chenoweth. By 1929 Chen- 

 oweth Laboratory, the present food 

 technology building, took its place 

 on the University campus. 



One-Man Staff 



The outstanding research program 

 that has since developed in the food 

 laboratory is due to the enthusiastic 

 leadership of Dr. Carl R. Fellers, the 

 original one-man research staff, who 

 came to the University twenty-eight 

 years ago. 



Today, this world-known depart- 

 ment, more appropriately named 

 Department of Food Technology, 

 has harbored scores of graduate stu- 

 dents from many faraway places 

 throughout the world. 



The expansion of the one-man 

 staff to six full-time research men 

 and approximately 30 graduate stu- 



* Research Professor, Food Technology. 



dents has been supported by in- 

 numerable research grants from gov- 

 ernment agencies and private indus- 

 try. 



Wide Variety of Food Problems 



The original research in the de- 

 partment was concerned with the 

 processing and utilization of Mass- 

 achusetts fruits, such as apples and 

 cranberries. This work has been 

 continued throughout the life of the 

 department and is still one of its 

 important activities. 



Research has not been confined to 

 fruit products but has branched out 

 and encompassed a wide variety of 

 problems in the food field. 



During World War H the depart- 

 ment shared in the war effort by 

 conducting work on home-canning 

 and home-dehydration and cooper- 

 ated in a project on safe home-can- 

 ning process times. 



Research Today 



At present a number of research 

 activities, which should be of benefit 

 to agriculture in Massachusetts and 

 the nation, as well as to Mr. and 

 Mrs. Consumer, are being carried on. 

 The use of nonsugar sweetening 

 agents in canned and frozen fruits 

 for diabetics and other persons on a 

 restricted caloric intake is being in- 

 vestigated. 



For the younger generation a major 

 project on glass-packed baby foods 

 is in progress. 



To add spice and zest to our meals, 

 research on the pasteurization and 



