Background: This Iowa-based company, in business yet today, is a major producer of artillery shells and other ordnance for the Armed Services. Back in the early 1960's, they were producing a variety of artillery shells employing the M509 fuse (which sets off the shell). Naturally, every shell coming off of the production line needed to be tested for proper function. Unfortunately, however, at that time the very act of testing each shell occasionally caused the shell to explode (electrical transients generated during the test measurement, etc.), the powerful blast lifting the roof off of the assembly building (a special non-anchored design for this contingency), and maiming or killing workers. In desperation, the executives of the plant approached Robert A. Edberg, Chief Engineer, to see if MRC could design a far safer testing system, based upon new solid-state technology, assuming that MRC had expertise and capability in what was then a new technology. While Dr. Lindquist was reluctantly supportive of MRC's occasional assistance to U of I projects, such as making printed circuit cards in our MRC North Linn St. facility for professor Van Allen's early satellites that led to the discovery of the (Van Allen) radiation belts, and as another example, manufacturing double-barreled hypodermic needles for the medical college to insert into the skulls of 'happy, smiling laboratory rats' (as Edberg coined the effort), or designing a 100,000 RPM centrifuge drilling bit (less painful!) for the Dental College, Lindquist was adamantly opposed to MRC getting involved with an Armed Services contractor making explosive devices. Yet, Edberg relished this challenge as posed by Mason & Hanger to his MRC staff in attempting the task and providing an effective solution. A compromise was reached, finally, whereby I would take on the project as a 'private consultant' (I was the only engineer on the MRC staff at that time with substantial solid-state experience), with the engineering fee being paid directly to me. I was to do this work on my own time, but was permitted to use MRC laboratory electronic test equipment related to my project. I also solicited the assistance of one of our MRC technicians, Rod Mulder, to do some 'bench testing' of components, again on his own time for which I compensated him accordingly. The JVM Archival folder shows the complete history of this 'moonlighting' project by me, from the first correspondence to Mason & Hanger photos provided me by the contractor, showing the equipment in successful use. No more disastrous explosions at the ordnance plant in Burlington, and I was $500 richer, minus expenses. I suppose in today's dollars this would entail a $50,000 fee for the effort, and I feel this was a rather audacious task I took on as a young person, but it is for the young to do these things - just as the young dot.com'ers of today's generation tread where older folks dare not. Website for MASON & HANGER: http://www.bmpcoe.org/bestpractices/internal/mash/index.html