Founder’s Qualifications for
BASIC ISSUES
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the
issues of life. - Holy
Bible
1931-1935 - Baltimore, MD
Johns Hopkins University, School of Engineering, BS in
Chem.’35 Taught to respect pure unbiased, ethical research,
to be aware of previous investigations and give other
investigators full credit. Lab. assistant under faculty
direction, $15.00/month towards tuition.
1932-1933 – S. S. Merida Salvage
Operation (S.S. Salvor)
Steamship Lane (Atlantic Ocean, 50 miles E .of Virginia
Capes), Weather mostly suitable, June to Sept. Recent report
- Treasure,
Revolution, and the Mysteries of the Merida”,
Michael Alderson, Steamboat
Bill, Summer, 2004, Journal of the Steamship Historical
Society of America, No. 250, Vol.61, No. 2.
Upper left - Captain Harry Bowdoin
examines this platter
which bears the
Ward
Line logo. This
was the first proof that the
wreck deep below us
was indeed S. S. Merida (sunk 1911). An
act of supreme generosity!
He handed
the platter to
Ted, who has treasured it for 76 years."
1935 -
Baltimore, MD
“Catspaw” Rubber Co.
Rubber heels & soles formulations.
1936-1940 -
Brooklyn, NY
Foster D. Snell, Inc. Consulting Chemists - Engineers.
Analysis : Consumer, specialty products, air pollutants in
print shops, food ingredients & products. Account Executive:
“Bureau of Standards” for ten department stores - Survey
Reports Included - “Inspection and Quality Ratings - Forty
North Carolina Furniture Factories; “Mattress Factory
Inspections for Used Fillings”; Textile Fibre
Identifications for Informative Labeling; Bedding
specifications for NY Hospital Bureau of Hospital Standards
(recommended Washington assignment).
1941-1943 - Washington, DC
Office of Price Administration,
Standards Division, Head of Rubber Section
(interfaced with Economics Division, headed by J. K.
Galbraith, in dealing with industry) - developed
specifications & quality ID markings for tires, footwear,
medical supplies, and other items.
1943 - 1946 U. S. Army of the United States,
Airborne Engineers; fractured femur at Geiger Field, WA.
Fort George Wright, WA; army hospital, while on crutches,
volunteered to work in hospital lab. Was assigned to
investigate early model spectrophotometer - developed insert
scales that improved the speed and accuracy of blood
chemistry measurements. The methods were reported to Walter
Reed Hospital.
When ready for active duty, was sent to Carlisle Barracks,
PA - Medical Field Service Training, commissioned 2nd
Lt., and later, 1st Lt, reserves.
1947-1950 - Consulting Chemist - Research & Development
- Office & Residence - Schooner, Scotia Lady.
Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, Solomons, MD -
Utilization Maryland
Marine By-Products..
Kent Packing Co., Rock Hall, MD -
Quality Control and Sanitation - canned vegetables, and
fish under strict USDA inspections, lend-lease export. Rock
Hall Freeze Plant -mold control frozen berries.
"Scotia Lady" A
two-man fishing schooner,
built near
Lunenburg,
Nova Scotia in the 1930's.
Chesapeake Bay dog, "Honey", relaxes
on deck
while
waiting for dinner. Ruff-tuff
Eastern Shore
fishermen called
each other "Honey".
"Chesapeake Bay Bugeyes,
Schooners, Sharpies, and
Scotia Lady, kept this sailmaker occupied."
"Kent Packing Co., Rock Hall,
MD.. There were hundreds of canneries and
other food
processing facilities along the Eastern Shore of
Maryland, and
miles of farm land and fisheries to
keep them busy"
Wallace Fisheries Co. , Morehead City, NC - 8 week survey
menhaden processing and report outlining research
possibilities; Louisiana Menhaden Co., Cameron, LA,
outfitted and operated a a field lab., entire 1949 menhaden
fishing season.
950-1969 - Research Director, Wallace Menhaden Products,
Inc. & Marine
Chemurgics Laboratory -
(Worked forty years, directly, and later as “Senior
Scientist” for Wallace interests.. Marine Chemurgics was
a private enterprise because of competitive industry
requirements , incl.use of antioxidants, salmonella
surveys, quality control while processing; fish oil
inventory measurements, barge loading surveys, scrubbing
tower designs, BOD measurements; evaporators for fish
solubles, Salmonella Test kits (our design) and surveys;
high capacity pasteurization equipment.
Ted was appointed Chairman of newly organized Technical
Committee, National Fish Meal and Oil Association -
represented fishing industry at Feed Manufacturers
Association ’” Nutrition Council” meetings,
Medical Conferences, suggested research grants for
universities, met with government people regarding joint
industry-government projects.
Marine Chemurgics, worked with Eastman Chemical Co
.chemists - the first use of antioxidants in the fishing
industry, and was appointed their sole representative in
the sale of BHT to the fish meal and oil industry.
This process eliminated long storage, increased yields and
nutritional value. It also led to years of laboratory
research regarding the complex chemical reactions, the
oxidation of fish lipids, the damaging effects of elevated
temperatures, the toxic substances that are generated.
At the request of Dr. Ahrens, Rockefeller Institute of
Medical Research, Marine Chemurgics produced five gallons
of menhaden body oil, suitable for clinical research (a
landmark experiment) since their program included
development of virtually unknown of gas chromatography
lipid determination methods.
Dr. John Lovern, Director, Torry Research Station,
Aberdeen, Scotland , one of the first “fish oil chemists”
was another mentor met at that time. There were critical
decisions to be made about the application of chemical
preservatives to the huge industrial fish landings. This led
to projects aboard fishing vessels (in cooperation with
American Cyanamid Co., Lederle Laboratory), that included
trials with antibiotics! Nitrite assisted fish preservation
in Norway, produced toxic feeds, and led to the discovery of
carcinogenic nitrosamines.
Marine Chemurgics investigated the unknown animal
protein factor (APF) that greatly improved the
performance of animal and poultry rations. A few years
later, this substance was identified and named “Vitamin
B-12".
A Norwegian fish oil, offered for human consumption, was
almost tasteless. It was produced by a “heating process”.
Our tests quickly revealed growth-inhibiting properties,
part of our increasing awareness that damaged fats reduce
bio-availability, and produce damaging physiological
effects. We observed brain damage in animals fed oxidized
fats (Encephalomalacia), and lysine
deficiencies when protein meals were overheated, causing
“bareback”.
In the early 60's, as member of Scientific Committee,
International Fish Meal and Oil Association, attended
meetings in Aberdeen, London, Vienna, Rome, and visited
plants, or investigated equipment in the UK, Germany,
Netherlands, Norway. Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and
in Poland inspected and photographed a factory ship in
G’Dansk harbor (policed by Russian guards)Visited Moscow to
meet fisheries scientists. Purchased Russian canned sea
foods, later evaluated by American Canners Association.
Economic Development Administration & Carteret County, NC
supported the
Carteret County Seafood Processing Project ,
details recorded in Marine Chemurgics reports,dated March,
1966, February, 1968 and April,1969. The project received
full cooperation from the county fishermen and dealers.
It developed improved preservation, handling, dressing and
marketing information, and plans for a cooperative
processing plant. New products were developed in the pilot
plant including oxygen-resistant fillet packaging, meals in
boil-in bags, fish sausages and a host of other imaginative
products. The project was selected by EDA as a success story
for demonstration in the U .S .Capital ,Speaker’s Dining
Room, Washington, DC, March 18, 1965, well attended between
sessions of the Senate and House of Representatives.
Dr. Frank B. Thomas, Extension Professor, N. C. State
University, served as our project advisor. He had conceived
the need for a coastal seafood laboratory, and arranged to
rent the Marine Chemurgics pilot plant to house the start
of N .C. S. U. Seafood Laboratory, . until it could be moved
to the North CarolinaCommercial Fisheries Building, Morehead
City. When the new facility was ready, Ted was appointed
Food Science Seafood Specialist and Resident Director under
Dr. Thomas (Extension) and Dr. Neil Webb (Research). His
appointment did not allow operation of Marine Chemurgics
during the five year period. Half time was devoted to Sea
Grant research projects, which included “Technical
Operations Manuel for the Blue Crab Industry”Oct. 1, 1974,
by Miller, Webb and Thomas; Advisories concerning
super-chilling for fish preservation, “Don’t Waste that
Fish - Take Care of Your Catch”. Formation of a Committee of
Outstanding Home Extension Cooks (still in operation) -
women who met at the laboratory monthly to work on new
product recipes as suggested by the Director.
Trips aboard 80' NC research trawler MV Dan Moore
- How to Keep Lobsters Alive when caught at 300 fathoms in
1 de C water (Continental Shelf) and brought aboard at
summer temps.; taste panel evaluations; Grey Trout landed
from trawlers, three trips. Offshore species landed by the
research trawler for future utilization; By-Catch of summer
shrimp fisheries-utilization. Weekly extension visits and
services for all NC Seafood processing facilities, and
rendered new product development assistance..
At age 55, Ted resumed operation of Marine Chemurgics
Laboratory, mostly involved in Industry/Government peer
reviewed projects:
Prototype Cookers for Investigating Aqueous Cooking Dressed
or Whole Finfish”, 03/81
Conversion of Blue Crab Raw Materials into New, Improved
Marketable Products 03/82
Fatty Fish & Human Nutrition
Resource Notebook (A book length compilation) 05/84
“Grand Cooking” - A Grand Way to a Long Happy Life” -
Cooking for elders
(1986)
Fish Purees from Underutilized Species Southeast Region
04-87
Good for Man and Beast
-Surimi, minced fish, fish puree
and computer assisted shadow pricing for animal and poultry
rations
Slush-ice Experiments aboard Menhaden Vessels to Produce
Food Grade Menhaden. (1988)
Food Grade Gulf Menhaden for Foods and Feeds 03/89
Menhaden can Make It Better - Food Applications 03/90
It is more informative to mention important research
resources - (1) USDA Regional Research Lab.,New Orleans :
Gas-chromatography used to demonstrate the enormous number
of substances generated when polyunsaturated fats are
oxidized (oxidation fingerprints) and their identification
by mass-spectrophotometry. (2) Department of Food Science,
Clemson University, Clemson, SC: Contractual arrangements
permitted computer evaluations and amino acid profiles of
ingredients and foods being research at Marine Chemurgics,
and (3) U. S. Commercial Fisheries Bureau, Technological
Laboratory, Charleston, SC - Almost daily contact with
staff, pilot plant projects in their laboratory, fatty acid
profiles of fats and oilsbeing investigated by Marine
Chemurgics, and as part of a government contract - a visit
to. Canadian engineering firm to have menhaden oil subjected
to their fats and oils refining process. In addition, many
contacts with technical personnel of major corporations, as
result of joint investigations, including Ralston Purina,
Quaker Oats, Cargill, ADM, Monsanto.
1991 - 2000 -
Marine Chemurgics Laboratory closed its doors and the
Director embarked on travels and adventures recorded in the
Ebook - WILDEGEEST! - A Search for Last Places, and
in the sequel published by Xlibris - Wildegeest! A Search
for Last Places - He found Newfoundland. This sequel
was the precursor of -Wildegeest
Foundation.