COMMITTEE ON INTERSTATE AND FOREIGN COMMERCE CHARLES A. WOLVERTON, New Jersey, Chairman CARL HINSHAW, California EVAN HOWELL, Illinois LEONARD W. HALL, New York JOSEPH P. O'HARA, Minnesota HARRIS ELLSWORTH, Oregon EDWARD J. ELSAESSER, New York CLARENCE F. LEA, California ALFRED L. BULWINKLE, North Carolina ELTON J. LAYTON, Clerk II 15A5 CONTENTS Text of bills: H. R. 942, introduced by Hon. Emanuel Celler, and four identical Celler, Hon. Emanuel, Member of Congress Patterson, Hon. Robert P., Secretary of War.. Bronk, Dr. Deltev W., chairman, National Research Council, Wash- Day, Dr. Edmund E., president, Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y.; MacQuigg, Dr. Charles Ellison, director of the Engineering Experi- Jewett, Dr. Frank, president, National Academy of Sciences. い Folk, George E., special adviser to the National Association of Manu- Wilson, Carroll, general manager of the Atomic Energy Commission_ Foster, Hon. William C., Under Secretary of Commerce.. Major, Dr. Randolph T., director of research and development, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N. J.__. Yerkes, Dr. Robert M., emeritus professor of psychobiology, Yale Saville, Prof. Thorndike, representing the Engineering College Re- search Council of the American Society for Engineering Education. Lee, Admiral P. F., Chief of the Research Division, Navy Depart- Bush, Dr. Vannevar, president of Carnegie Institution of Washington; chairman of the Joint Army-Navy Research Board; and director of the Office of Scientific Research and Development.__. Hines, Lewis G., national legislative representative of the American McDonald, Dr. Ralph, executive secretary, Department of Higher Scates, Dr. Douglas E., professor of education, Duke University, National Engineering Societies, panel of appointees of; Engineers 273 Bakhmeteff, Dr. Boris A., chairman of engineering panel of the 277 Letter from Dr. Frank B. Jewett, president, National Academy of Sciences, to Hon. Charles A. Wolverton, chairman, dated March 11, 1947_ 94 Letter from W. John Kenney, Acting Secretary of the Navy, to Hon. 203 Letter from R. Morton Adams, president, New York Patent Law 224 Letter from Dr. Vannevar Bush, to Hon. Charles A. Wolverton, chair- 237 Letter from James E. Jagger, secretary-treasurer, Engineers Joint Documents and statistical tables submitted: Analysis of National Science Foundation bills, prepared by Kurt Bor- chardt, of the professional staff, House Committee on Interstate Analysis, section by section, of identical bills submitted by Hon. National scientific and educational organizations represented in the Inter-Society Committee on Science Foundation Legislation___ Report of Inter-Society Committee for a National Science Foundation Act of incorporation, National Academy of Sciences, approved March Executive Order No. 2859, issued May 11, 1918. Testimony with respect to patent provisions in National Science Foun- dation bill-hearings before House Interstate and Foreign Com- 272 104 NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 1947 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMITTEE ON INTERSTATE AND FOREIGN COMMERCE, Washington, D. C. The committee met pursuant to call in room 1334, New House Office Building, at 10 a. m., Hon. Charles A. Wolverton (chairman) presiding. The CHAIRMAN. The committee will please come to order. Gentlemen of the committee, I wish to make a few general remarks with respect to the proposed legislation that is the subject of this hearing. The scientific progress of our country as typified by our leadership in the development of atomic power, radar, rockets, penicillin, and streptomycin is so important that legislation to establish a National Science Foundation has been brought before this committee promptly. Science was mobilized during the war under the Office of Scientific Research and Development directed by the able Dr. Vannevar Bush, who will testify before this committee. It was this organization of 5,000 scientists and 10,000 technicians that was responsible for advancing our scientific and technical knowledge 20 years in the 5 years of war. Many of their discoveries in the secret-weapon field are now finding useful applications in industry and medicine. We are now at peace but the maintenance of our scientific leadership plus our industrial know-how and facility is the real secret of our progress as a Nation. The Office of Scientific Research and Development is a wartime agency. The proposed National Science Foundation would create a permanent agency of the Government to conduct basic research and provide a training program for the creation of a reservoir of young scientists. In the closing days of Dr. Bush's organization, he was asked to prepare a report on the future research program of the Nation. Seven months of effort and 50 of the Nation's leading men contributed to this report known as Science, the Endless Frontier. The legislation now before this committee has been drawn to implement this report. The four identical bills, H. R. 1815, introduced by Mr. Case; H. R. 1830, introduced by Mr. Mills; H. R. 1834, introduced by Mr. Priest; H. R. 2027, introduced by Mr. Hays; and H. R. 942, introduced by Mr. Celler, seek to establish a National Science Foundation "to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense; and for other purposes." 1 |