Conversations: 1950

November 16, 1950

MEMORANDUM FOR THE FILE

SUBJECT: Conversation with Dr. I. I. Rabi

I spent a couple of hours on the afternoon of November 16, with Dr. Rabi, whom I had known previously. He is Professor of Physics at Columbia University and it was in his office there that we met. He is also a member of the General Advisory Committee of the Atomic Energy Commission and won the Nobel Prize in Physics around 1944. During World War II he was in the radiation laboratory at M.I.T. working on micro-wave radar etc.

As to the National Science Foundation, his thought is that Dr. Conant would be the logical Chairman. As to Director, he thought that perhaps Dr. Alan Waterman of ONR, but he hoped for someone of bigger stature. However, he esteems Waterman highly, and in fact all of the Office of Naval Research’s record. Dr. Berkner he regards as too much of a live wire for my concept of the NSF. Actually they are trying to get him for Associated Universities, Inc., (operators of the Brookhaven National Laboratory of the Atomic Energy Commission) with the idea of expanding its functions and activities. The "they" in the previous sentence refers to the Columbia and other eastern university people who are associated in AUI.

As to the OSRD concept he says that sooner or later it will be essential to have a civilian organization of scientists to supplement the work done in research and development by the military. But he believes that this is not yet the time. Don’t disturb the good work being done in universities etc. But, he suggested independently--that is I did not make the suggestion to him first--now would be a good time to set up a Scientific Advisor to the President with an Advisory Board of specialists say 7 to 10 with essentially the functions I have described in other memos. This Advisor would be a nucleus and a planner or an OSRD to be set up at the right time and he would also be an observer etc. I asked him who would be the man and he thought DuBridge would be best. Then he went on to say perhaps Dr. Killian, President of M.I.T., whom he regards as an excellent administrator, but after a little discussion he reverted to DuBridge since he is an outstanding scientist highly esteemed throughout the scientific community and Killian is an administrator rather than a scientist. He has great enthusiasm for DuBridge, particularly as a scientific administrator, and says he would be welcomed by scientists. He said Conant would not be the man for Scientific Advisor to the President because he is not sufficiently well liked. He pointed out that Conant was defeated for the Presidency of the National Academy by a revolution from the floor by the chemists of which he is one, and that Bronk was then nominated and elected by acclaim--a unique event. This had been brought to my attention by others. He has great esteem for Conant but thinks this would not be the job for him. He also said [Karl] Compton [Chairman of the MIT Corporation] would not be the man. He is too old for this purpose. Neither would Bush be the man. He has enemies among scientists as well as among the military. He has respect for his competence in many ways but has questions as to his administrative ability, and points out that he is not a leading scientist as such. When he commented on DuBridge he said he has the kind of ability which makes difficulties melt away and he recalled that someone had said of Conant that red tape flows in his veins. Incidentally he also commented upon Alfred Loomis and on Carroll Wilson [former General Manager of the Atomic Energy Commission] and on Bob Robertson of the WSEG. He has greatest esteem for Robertson. He thought Oppenheimer would definitely not be the man for Scientific Advisor to the President, although he regards him as a most brilliant individual and could not offhand think of anyone whom he would put in a class with Oppenheimer for brilliance. As to Bronk he esteems him very highly as a scientist and as a human being but thinks him not a good organizer and not the man for Scientific Advisor. In this his comment was consistent with that which has been made by quite a number of others. In connection with his comments on Carroll Wilson it is interesting to recall that the latter had told me, in going over many names, that Rabi would not be worth seeing. Hafstad, on the other hand had urged me to see Rabi.

Rabi is going abroad in the near future on some scientific convention or mission and will be back within the first few days of January--in time for the GAC meeting on January 6, or there abouts.

William T. Golden