preventing rickets. At that time there was no synthetic vitamin D, but the dehydrocholesterol in milk can be converted to vitamin D by radiation with ultraviolet light. The carbon arcs developed at Perrysburg were an ideal source of ultraviolet, but for proper irradiation, the milk had to be in a very thin film. ... A film of high enough flow volume for commercial application was produced, and vitamin D-fortified milk became widespread." War and peace: 1940 - 1953 "By the end of 1940, The Institute of Optics was already involved with optical problems for government agencies; by the end of the academic year 1941-42, it was becoming more and more deeply involved." At the time the Institute was dealing with a spike in number of students and attempted to tailor the curriculum for military usefulness. O' Brien's right-hand man was R.E. Hopkins, a young instructor with a B.S. from MIT who had just received his MS from the Institute of Optics, helping with lens design and geometrical optics. The National Defense Research council became involved with the Institute December 1942 and continued the relationship until January 1946. They were looking for someone to make infrared sensitive phosphors. Franz Urbach, an escaped Viennese expert, was working in the physics department and was quietly transferred to the Institute of Optics to help develop the "metascopes" for night vision. It was in relation to this work, in 1948, that Albert Noyes and O'Brien were awarded The Medal of Merit by President Harry S. Truman, the highest civilian award given by government. In a report sent to President Valentine, O' Brien estimated that the Institute had "spent" about one million dollars for the war effort "including overhead allowances to the University." There was also a marked increase in undergraduate students during this time period. Recognizing his own personal research involvement O' Brien decided to no longer accept graduate students. The Institute emerged from the war a little brighter and a little less worse for wear. However the school still had a very small faculty, "only one full-time professor and a few junior faculty." Despite this limitation "five master's degrees and two Ph.D.s were awarded to students already enrolled." In his '47 report, O'Brien pointed out the number of government and industry requests made for the Institute to conduct research. He enjoyed the projects, but recognized the research would get in the way of "quality