Special Collections Department
403 Parks Library
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011-2140

RS 13/25/12
John B. Balinsky
Papers, 1976-1983


Descriptive summary

creator:

Balinsky, John B.

title:

Papers

dates:

1976-1983

extent:

0.21 linear ft (1 half-document box )

collection number:

RS 13/25/12

repository:

University Archives, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University.

 

Administrative information

access:

Open for research

publication rights:

Consult Head, Special Collections Department

preferred citation:

John B. Balinsky Papers, RS 13/25/12, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University Library.

 

Biographical note

John Balinsky was born Ivan Boris Balinsky July 4, 1934 in Kiev, Ukraine to Boris and Katya (Syngayevskaya) Balinsky. Boris, a renowned embryologist, and his family survived the Stalinist purges of 1937, however they were displaced by the destruction of World War II. Katya died peritonitis in 1943 and soon after Boris, John, and Vania (Boris's mother) left the Soviet Union. After several moves and the end of the war, Boris accepted a position as Professor (1945-1947) of Histology in the temporary university established in Munich by the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration for displaced persons. After the temporary university was closed, he obtained a position (1947-1949) at the Institute of Animal Genetics at the University of Edinburgh. In 1949, Boris then went to the University of Witwaterstand Johannesburg, South Africa as a lecturer and was soon promoted to Chair (1954-1973) of the Zoology Department. Boris died in 1997.

Further information regarding Boris Balinsky can be found at the University of Illinois Archives Web site, which has his memoir that has been made available as a PDF file <http://web.library.uiuc.edu/ahx/ead/ua/1535057/1535057f.html>.

John Balinsky received his matriculation certificate (1951) from St. John's College in Johannesburg, South Africa; a B.Sc. (1955) In Zoology and Chemistry with honors from the University of Witwaterstand Johannesburg, South Africa; and a Ph.D. (1959) in biochemistry from the University of London, England.

Dr. Balinsky served on the faculty of the University Witwatersrand where he was an assistant professor (1960-1964), associate professor (1965-68), reader (1969-1974) and professor (1974-1976). He was also a visiting professor (1975-1976) at Columbia University in New York. He came to Iowa State University as the chairman (1976-1983) of the Department of Zoology where he served until his death.

Dr. Balinsky's main area of research included regulation of cell adaptation to environment and in development. He authored 47 publications including a chapter in a book on "Comparative Biochemistry of Nitrogen Metabolism". He received numerous awards which include the Witwatersrand Council of Education Overseas Scholarship (1956), the Nuffield Foundation Dominion Traveling Fellowship (1962), the Carnegie Corporation Travel Grant (1967), the U. S. National Institutes of Health International Fellowship (1968), the South African Council for the scientific and Industrial Research Senior Bursary (1975), and the Ernest Oppenheimer Memorial Trust University Traveling Fellowship (1975).

Dr. Balinsky belonged to several professional organizations including the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Biochemical Society, United Kingdom, Royal Society of South Africa; Physiological Society of Southern Africa; and the Society for Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes of Southern Africa. He was the vice chairman (1974- 1975) for the South African Biochemical Society and the chairman (1973-1974) of the Society for Experimental Biology, Transvaal.

John Boris Balinsky passed away on October 1, 1983.

 

Collection description

This collection (1976-1983) contains Dr. John B. Balinsky's correspondence, biographical information, published articles, and zoological department seminars. The published works include Dr. Balinsky's research relating to metabolism, regeneration, enzyme and hormonal research in amphibians and rats.

 

Organization

This collection is arranged alphabetically.

 

Container list

Box

Folder

Title

Dates

1

1

Biographical File

1976-1983

1

2

Correspondence

1976-1981

1

3

Papers and articles "Amino Acid Metabolism in Amphibia"

1970

1

4

Papers and articles "The effects of thyroxine and hypertonic environment on the enzymes of the Urea Cycle in Xenopus Laevis"

1971

1

5

Papers and articles "A comparative study of enzymes of Urea and Uric Acid metabolism in different species of amphibian and the adaptation to the environment of the tree frog chiromantis Xerampelina Peters"

1975

 

1

6

Papers and articles "Adaptations of Nitrogen Metabolism to Hyperosmotic Environment In Amphibia"

1981

1

7

Papers and articles "Control of Urea cycle Enzymes in Rat liver by Glucagon"

1981

1

8

Papers and articles "Dietary and Hormonal Regulations of Urea Cycle Enzymes in Rat Liver"

1981

1

9

Papers and articles "Regulation of Urea Cycle enzymes in transplantable Hepatomas and the Livers of Tumor bearing rats and Humans."

1981

1

10

Papers and articles "Changes in activities of Urea Cycle enzymes in Early Stages of Liver Regeneration after Partial Hepatectomy in Rats"

1982

1

11

Papers and articles "Kinetic Properties of Arginase from Xenopus Laevis"

1982

1

12

Papers and articles "Purification and Physical Properties of Arginase from Xenopus Laevis"

1982

1

13

Papers and articles "Urea Cycle Enzymes and Glutamate Dehydrogenase in Xenopus Laevis and Bufo viridis adapted to High Salinity"

1982

1

14

Papers and articles "An Organ Culture of Postnatal Rat Liver Slices"

1983

1

15

Papers and articles "Hormonal Effects of Liver Glutamate Dehydrogenase in Adrenalectomized and Thyroidectomized Rats"

1984

1

16

Papers and articles "Hormonal Effects on Liver Glutamate Dehydrogenase in Newly Prepuberatal Rats"

1984

1

17

Seminars

1978-1981