Collection search - McCalla, A.G. - Interview

Record information – Brief

1

McCalla, A.G. - Interview

Item number (ISN):

438715

Series title:

[National Research Council Oral History Project]

Hierarchical level:

Item (Accession level)

Date:

1975-02-27

Item number (ISN):

438715

Link to related resource:

Type of material:

Sound recordings

Found in:

Archives / Film, Video and Sound

Link to this record

Add to My Research

Link to this record

This link identifies the web page describing this particular record. Unlike the temporary link in your browser, this link will allow you to access, and reference, this page in the future. To link to this descriptive record, copy and paste the URL where ever needed (wiki, blog, document).

Sign in

Sign in to start saving records using My Research

Sign in
Record information – Details

Fonds/collection:

NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL OF CANADA / CONSEIL NATIONAL DE RECHERCHES DU CANADA

Accession:

1975-0011

Media:

Sound

Part:

1 of 1

Production date:

1975-02-27

Release date:

1975-02-27

Production company:

National Research Council

Production credit:

interviewer, Don Phillipson

Description:

Show detail Hide detail

Interview of Dr. A.G. McCalla by Don Phillipson. Subjects discussed include: written history of Grain Research Committee and scientific activities; as an undergrad in 1927, began cereal chemistry under Robert Newton; frost hardiness research in the Western labs which led to his M.A. thesis on quality vis-à-vis maturity; personal acquaintaince and shared objective unified all 3 aspects of wheat research; research results from cereal chemistry included: Cook - gluten protein analysis continued at the University of Alberta after 1932, and milling and baking tests - differences in the percentage of hard wheat in Canada and the U.K., Marquis wheat chosen by the chewing test, and then british buyers' needs where hard; wheat protein was more elastic which is why we have the design of the Canadian baking tests between 1930 and 1940; later at the University of Alberta, Reward wheat was agronomically limited; rust-resistance in the Reward strain meant depressed quality; McCalla worked as GRC grantee from 1932 to 1940 under the auspices of University of Alberta; wheat averages fund; GRC was final arbiter of quality for all cereals; GRC's role endured beyond 1960 even without formal authority; protest by barley breeder - GRC insensitive to farmers' needs; Carl Fraser; GRC members were convinced of market value of quality; Larmour; first GRC task was to appraise quality of current varieties - leading to radical change of priorities; different atmosphere of NRC and CDA when they were convenors of agricultural research committees; change began in 1962 due to reliability of tests that had been standardized and due to the challenges to legal authority of Association Committees; GRC decisions required assent by CDA; nutrition vis-à-vis agriculture - McCalla hostile toward nutrition faddists since wheat varieties vary little except for protein; one low-protein wheat shipment can spoil a market; milling method more important than vitamin content; in 1958, McCalla and Hylinka asked by Japanese for #5 wheat; Cook's 1930s paper on low-grade wheat exports; at all times, high and low grades must be visibly distinguishable; Dr. E.W.R. Steacie as President of NRC, built up both central labs and university research; international scholarly recognition - 1955 visit to Sweden and Japan; McCalla in Sweden in 1939-1940 primarily for access to ultracentrifuge (Uppsala) to pursue protein research; McCalla arrived in Sweden one day after the war began; he had to operate his own equipment since the technicians were called for army duty; he challenged Svedberg's scientific assumptions; Dr. J.B. Collip; Cook's ultracentrifuge interest began postwar; McCalla's family escape from Sweden after the fall of Norway was organized by the U.K. consul from Oslo via Siberian railway; NRC provided funds and he flew to Moscow, rode a train to Vladivostole and a ship across the Pacific; McCalla's family; in 1932, Biology staff moved to NRC in Ottawa and Robert Newton was not replaced as head of plant science until 1941; after 1932, McCalla was only GRC grantee still at work at University of Alberta; construction of the West Laboratory in 1927 for plant breeding, plant pathology and some chemistry, funded by Alberta Government; Alberta hail project; Dr. J.W. Hopkins' unique talent for statistics - career moulded by Robert Newton after two years of routine chemical analysis; University of Alberta suffered after Newton's group moved to Ottawa; Newton did no personal research after 1932 due to promotion; Cook's career limited by constraints of prewar applied work, wartime work and postwar administrative responsibilities; McCalla's appointment as Dean at University of Alberta; Dr. B.G. Ballard; McCalla first heard of PCSIR when he became NRC member. <2h 2mn>

Language:

English

Notes:

Show detail Hide detail

1. Poor quality recording.~2. Subject description taken from partial transcript in binder, National Research Council Oral History Project Index M-Q.~3. Parts of Track 1 and 2 of PAC tape 519.
Ordering and viewing options

Conditions of access:

Open

GENCAT identity number:

GAD 0FD645

Restrictions on consultation:

open

Copyright status:

under copyright.

Reproduction access:

With written permission of copyright owner : No donor restrictions. Copyright belongs to the Crown. Credit Library and Archives Canada.

You can order materials in advance to be ready for you when you visit. You will need a user card to do this.

Cannot visit us on site? You can purchase a copy to be sent to you. Some restrictions may apply.

Report a problem on this page

Date modified:: 2024-06-27