Conversations: 1950

November 29, 1950

MEMORANDUM FOR THE FILE

SUBJECT: Conversation with Dr. Alan T. Waterman, Deputy Director and Chief Scientist, Office of Naval Research

We talked principally about the National Science Foundation, including its relationship to the Office of Naval Research, and about the concept of an OSRD and its relationship to the RDB.

As to the National Science Foundation, he feels that it should, by policy, not engage in any military work, but inevitably, eventually anyway, there are bound to be certain areas of overlap or of dual interest; but he does not see that this need be a problem and hopes it will not be. We talked further about the NSF, essentially along lines similar to other conversations.

With reference to ONR's relationship to the National Science Foundation, in reply to my question he told me that it was felt that the ONR budget should not be reduced. There would be a few projects which ONR might turn over to the NSF but these would probably be less than 10% of its total and it would want to take on other projects in their stead. There are however many projects which ONR regards as very worthwhile but which it does not have funds to finance and these it would suggest the NSF underwrite. His remarks were remarkably similar to those expressed by Ken Pitzer, of the AEC, Director of Research, when I asked him essentially the same question.

With respect to the OSRD concept he presented to me what he described as a radical idea and one which he said he had not previously mentioned. In essence it provides for making the Research and Development Board an operating agency with complete top responsibility for the conduct of all research and development work in the Army, Navy and Air Force. Further, he would add outstanding civilian scientists (of the Bush, Compton, etc., type) to the RDB, making it completely civilian, with the officer members subordinate to the civilians rather than voting member as now. He said the selection of officers of course would be important and he had in mind people like Lt. General Hull of the WSEG, for example. I asked him whether, assuming his plan to be impractical, he thought well of the idea of creating a Scientific Adviser to the President or a Scientific Adviser reporting to the Chairman of the NSRB and he expressed himself as being generally favorable.

William T. Golden