HISTORY OF THE HUMAN ENERGY RESEARCH LABORATORY
Part II: Progress: The Quonset Huts 

William W. Heusner, Henry J. Montoye, James M. Pivarnik,
Wayne D. Van Huss, and Janet A. Wessel

The Human Energy Research Laboratory, in its various forms and locations, has been the site of most of the investigations related to exercise physiology conducted under the auspices of MSU during the last half century.  The history of the laboratory provides a nostalgic review of past and present accomplishments.  It is hoped that a series of brief reports featured in upcoming issues of our newsletter will provide readers with a historical perspective of “HERL” and its many contributors.  For a more detailed treatment of the history of the entire department, the reader is directed to 100 Years of Kinesiology: History, Research, Reflections.  To purchase this text please contact the Kinesiology Office at 517.355.4730.

Progress: The Quonset Huts 

About 1956, some Quonset huts, located just south of Jenison Fieldhouse, became available.  These Quonset huts had been used for temporary student housing during the rapid growth of the university following World War II.  However, when additional permanent housing was constructed, the Quonsets no longer were needed and thus were scheduled to be torn down.  Through the help of Mr. Munn, two of the buildings were reserved for use as laboratory space to supplement the two rooms in the fieldhouse.  Although these facilities still were modest, it should be recalled that there were only a few research laboratories in physical education departments throughout the country at that time.

The two Quonset huts that were assigned to the department had not been used for some time and needed renovation, but there were no funds available for the purpose.  Consequently, Dr. Montoye, Dr. Van Huss and a few graduate students became decorators.  They painted the interiors of the huts and attempted to seal the windows.  However, their skill at insulation left something to be desired.  During the winter, the temperature difference between the floor and the ceiling could reach 10 to 15 degrees.

Funds were limited except for those obtained through research grants. Therefore, because some of the studies in progress were related to the area of nutrition, help was sought from the Department of Foods and Nutrition.  Dr. Margaret Ohlson, the chairperson of that department and a respected research scholar, saw the advantages of interdisciplinary investigations.  She thus made funds available to buy, among other things, a motor-driven treadmill.  The A.R. Young Company in Indianapolis, a manufacturer of agricultural conveyer equipment, built the only human treadmills commercially available at that time.  The one purchased by Michigan State University was about the fourth or fifth to be produced; and it served well, in nearly constant use, for over twenty-five years.

The early crossing of disciplinary lines, a policy established by Dr. Montoye, was a fortunate direction to take and one which was encouraged as the university rapidly transformed itself from being primarily an agricultural college into an internationally recognized research institution.  Multidisciplinary studies are common in most universities today; however, the cooperation, which was so prevalent across this campus in the 1950’s and 1960’s, probably could not have been achieved in a more mature university having firmly established departmental boundaries which, at that time, frequently fostered “turf protection.”  To the credit of everyone involved, interdepartmental collaboration has been continued and, indeed, greatly broadened at Michigan State University as time has passed.