UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON ARCHIVES
ORAL HISTORY PROJECT
     
Interview #229
WOOLSEY, CLINTON N.

WOOLSEY, Clinton N.  (1904-1993)
Professor of Neurophysiology
At UW: 1948-1975

Interviewed: 1982		
Interviewer: Calvin Pierce
Length: 5 hours

Background; Interest in science, medicine and research; Training at Johns Hopkins; Collaboration with Jerzy Rose; Coming to UW; Co-workers; Facilities; Cooperation with Harry Harlow; Post-war research; Funding; Use of computers; Work on NIH committees; Founding of neurophysiology laboratory; Research.

Tape 1/Side 1  

00:00:04	Interest in science: high school; Dr. Cowell's research orientation.

00:06:23	Union College.  Ethologist Johnny Marsh's vivid presentations and consideration of behavioral psychology at Columbia; premed studies.   

00:10:26	Interest in Johns Hopkins, fulfilling language requirements, arrival in Baltimore; Marion Hines; Sarah Tower; brain surgery, cortical localization; Hines' lab; Dennison fellowships; tuberculosis bout; Philip Bard.   

00:18:06	Start of work with Bard, gradual decision to stay in physiology; lessons in motor and sensory areas in brain; pacing and hopping reactions; Hopkins' young faculty; suction apparatus for ablation studies.  
 
00:27:48	Wade Marshall and evoked potential technique and modification by stimulation.     

00:30:40	End of side.

Tape 1/Side 2     

00:30:43	Marshall's effort to record from pituitary, proposal to set up lab of neurology: Jaster and oscilloscope technique; first mapping of monkey cortex with Marshall; other cortical studies of somatosensory system.   

00:36:14	Began studies of motor cortex using stimulation; stimulation methods; Chandler Brooks.  

00:45:06	Aims of comparative studies; differences among species sensory representations.

00:50:45	Marshall and ophthalmology; CW's fellowship at Pennsylvania; Bronk, fellow in orthopedic surgery, neuromuscular system; Walzel and auditory system: cochlear microphonics.     

01:00:38	End of tape.

Tape 2/Side 1     

00:00:01	Interviewer’s introduction. 

00:00:35	Neuromuscular research, cerebellum and sensory input.   

00:08:06	Adrian and second somatosensory area; secondary auditory and visual areas.  
 
00:11:26	Evoked studies of secondary regions.   

00:11:54	Teaching responsibilities; supervision of lab experiments.  

00:16:13	Hopkins' reputation; extent of this research elsewhere.

00:17:46	Arrival of Jerzy Rose. 

00:19:45	Studies with Rose.  

00:27:15	Collaborations with Rose.   

00:30:23	End of first side.

Tape 2/Side 2

00:30:40	Discussion of papers and collaborations; motor cortex studies at Wisconsin.  

00:48:31	February 18 interview begins. Graduate students at Hopkins.

00:54:16	Other research programs; CW's tuberculosis; from surgery to research. 
   
01:01:19	End of tape.

Tape 3/Side 1    

00:00:01	CW's transfer into pure research; deaths among neurosurgeons.  

00:01:51	Hopkins' administrative matters.

00:02:39	Collaboration with Rose; slowness of publication; meetings.

00:05:09	Lecture at Montreal and Penfield's findings; interest in CW's maps.

00:12:15	Recruitment at University; graduate school funding.  

00:17:10	Advantages of UW transfer; lack of contact with medical students.  

00:18:56	Facilities at UW; Medical Sciences Building, 1960.  

00:20:17	Expected Rose to join.  

00:22:07	Move's effect on research; need for equipment.  

00:24:21	Co-workers in early years.  

00:27:01	Harry Harlow and early ties between.  Psychology and neurophysiology; Sherrington Society.  

00:30:16	End of side.

Tape 3/Side 2    

00:30:17	Post-war research; WARF, NIH, UMN committees.  

00:34:15	Dean Bowers.  

00:35:35	Graduate students and post doctorates from foreign countries; NIH support.  

00:39:03	Research groups at UW.  

00:42:17	Technology microelectrodes; computers.  

00:49:25	Joe Hind's statement on digital computers; value of computers.  

00:51:11	Long-term outlook; generations; tissue culture.  

00:53:43	Rose.  

00:54:27	John Lilly's lab; later studies of dolphin.  

00:59:54	Editorial positions.    

01:01:00	End of tape.

Tape 4/Side 1    

00:00:02	Work on NIH committees.  

00:04:08	Exchange to USSR.  

00:11:51	Founding of Neurophysiology lab.  

00:19:13	Graduate students, technicians.  

00:21:50	Grants, funding.  

00:24:34	Research specialization.  

00:25:36	Anatomy and histology.  

00:26:41	Supervision vs. independence of researchers.

00:29:54	Somatosensory research; auditory physiology.    

00:30:54	End of side.

Tape 4/Side 2    

00:30:56	Research areas in 1960's.

00:32:41	Subsequent specialization, lack of discrete sensory systems-multiple input.  Need for group coordination; team research.  

00:35:11	Hopkins and lack of neurological instruction; relation to surgery; scattering of Rose et. al. 

00:41:54	William Snow Miller medical history seminar.   

00:45:13	Election to NAS.   

00:46:30	International activities; foreign researchers at UW.   

01:00:25	Clinical practice among former lab workers.     

01:02:05	End of tape.

Tape 5/Side 1     

00:00:02	New medical center; Waisman Center planning.   

00:06:43	Lab of Neurophysiology; CW's retirement.    

00:13:21	Only department of Neutophysiology in the U.S.   

00:14:09	Neurophysiology group-separate facilities at Waisman Center and University Hospital; clinical and basic research.   

00:15:29	Medical School. More on CW's retirement; neurophysiology lab and its reorganization as department; background events.   

00:19:23	Department since 1975.   

00:21:10	Continuing research tradition.   

00:26:15	Changes in knowledge of brain over 53 year period.  Current prospects for field.   

00:30:55	End of side.  

Tape 5/Side 2     

00:30:58	Areas for further research.   

00:32:38	Neuroscientists; their characteristics.   

00:33:32	Need to relate neural processes to 'mental life'.   

00:34:00	Assessment of own role and opportunities.  
 
00:38:24	Effect on outlook on life, role as physiologist.   

00:40:14	Public understanding of neurophysiology.  
 
00:41:50	Current support for basic neuroscience research; size of profession.   

00:48:03	CW's own plans for future.   

00:50:33	Sense of looking back, looking forward.

00:52:10	End of interview. 

END