Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1948 [PAGE 1041]

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1040

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

[March 9

MATTERS PRESENTED BY PRESIDENT STODDARD

The Board considered the agenda for the meeting and took action on the following matters presented by the President of the University.

APPROPRIATIONS FOR PROPERTY PURCHASES AND IMPROVEMENTS (1) The Committee on Special Appropriations and Nonrecurring Expenditures recommends that appropriations be made from the General Reserve Fund for the following purposes: 1. Purchase of the property at 404 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana — $20,000. This is a lot, 59' x 100' with a 19-room frame house which has been used as a student rooming house. T h e property is in the block bounded by Green Street, Goodwin Avenue, Illinois Street, and Mathews Avenue, and is in an area which the University needs to acquire for future campus expansion. T h e University already owns two properties adjoining the one at 404 South Mathews. 2. Purchase of the property at 1106 West Green Street, Urbana — $15,000. This is a vacant lot with a frontage of 76 feet and is 264 feet deep. It is contiguous to University owned land and is in an area which the University will need to acquire for future campus expansion. In the meantime, the property could be used as a parking lot for the occupants of the Student and Staff Apartments to be constructed on the other side of Green Street. 3. Alterations and furnishings for the houses at 402 and 404 South Mathews Avenue and at the rear of 606 South Mathews for office space — $28,000. T h e houses at 402 South Mathews and at the rear of 606 South Mathews, already owned by the University, have been assigned to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences for staff offices. The house at 404 South Mathews will also be used as office quarters but has not yet been assigned.

On motion of Mr. Nickell, these purchases were authorized, and the appropriations were made, by the following vote: Aye, Mr. Davis, Mr. Fornof, Mrs. Holt, Mr. Livingston, Dr. Luken, Mr. McKelvey, Mr. McLaughlin, Mr. Nickell, Mr. Williamson; no, none; absent, Mr. Green, Dr. Meyer.

PATENTABLE DISCOVERIES (2) T h e University Research Board has submitted the following reports and recommendations relating to patentable discoveries by members of the staff: 1. Solvent Extraction of Thorium. In studying the problem of separation of the rare earths by solvents extraction, a means has been found which permits the preferential extraction of thorium. This is the result of research work in the Department of Chemistry under a task order on a contract the University has with the Office of Naval Research. The work was done under the supervision of Professor Ludwig F . Audrieth. Under the terms of the contract with the Navy the University must in any case give the Navy a royalty-free non-exclusive license under any patent that may issue. Aside from this consideration, the new process is almost exclusively of governmental interest. The Research Board therefore recommends full release of patent rights to the United States Government through the Office of Naval Research. Others who have participated in this research are Professor E. W . Comings and Mr. George F . Asselin, a graduate student. 2. Development of a New Polymer. Professor C. S. Marvel of the Department of Chemistry and Paul H . Aldrich, Assistant in Chemistry, have developed a new polymer, made by the addition of hexamethylene dimercaptan to diallyl. This polymer melts too easily to make a suitable synthetic fiber, but on oxidation it is converted to a polysulfone which does melt high enough to be of interest as a fiber. They have not yet been able to cold-draw the polysulfone, but believe this detail can be developed. From a scientific point of view, the discovery is very interesting and may have some patentable features, but there is a great deal of prior art in this field and two previous patents issued will undoubtedly dominate any claims which can be made by Messrs. Marvel and Aldrich. It is the judgment of the University Research Board that the University is not in a