~~+@Q+@Mm~
OFFICE OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND DEVELOPI:Z,NT
        1530 P Street, N.W.
        Washington 25, D.C.

Nay 31, 1945

Dr. U. 7. Palmer
Dr*  Isaiah Bowman
Dr, Henry Allen Me
Dr. Irvin Stewart

Gentlemen:

        After careful study of the reports of your Committees
I have prepared my report to the President and enclose a copy
for your criticism and suggestion.  The content of my report
is based largely on the very thoughtful and constructive stu-
dies made by your committees.  Although I could not include
all of your conclusions and recommendations,  every effort has
been made to emphasize the basic points which must be accepted
if these recommendations are to be implemented by positive
action.  I am including the reports of your committees as
appendices to my report for it is important that the full
results of these studies be presented.

       A single mechanism for support of scientific research
and scientific education seems essential.  The program is a
unitary one, and to split it among several independent agencies
would, in my opinion, be neither feasible nor wise.  In pro-
posing an overall mechanism I have endeavoured to select the
best suggestions on this subject from among those proposed by
the several committees.  We will have a further opportunity
to consider the mechanism at such time as legislation is
drafted.  In preparing the chapter on "IJeans to the End" I
have had the following points in mind in regard to the
mechanism:

1.  It should adequately represent public interest.

2,  Membership should be  so defined as to avoid
  domination by any small group.

3.  As with the successful private foundations, the top
  board of trustees shoul< be truly representative
  of the public interests and not composed primarily
  of representatives from those groups which will be
  the recipients of support.  At the same time the
  top trustees should be persons of broad interest
  and experience and understanding and appreciation
  of the peculiarities of scienti.fic research and
  education, for without such knowledge they could
  not intelligently formulate the broad policies
  required.


4,









5.

The.subsidiary groups under the main board should
be primarily those having intimate knorrledge of the
fields involved.  They should be broadly represen-
tative of the scientific groups concerned, but
should also contain sufficient representation of
the general public interest to insure against
domination by any faction.

Stability of support is essential, but this should
come about through the sympathetic understanding
and support of Congress and not through devices to
lessen the full responsibility to Congress for the
use of public funds,  \~~hiie shopt-ter:A zains might
be greater through some mechanisx not annuallg
responsible to Congress for its program, the only
long-term assurance of  interested and continuous
support is through the adoption of this activity
by Congress as one of its own and the desire to
see its purposes furthered.  It will require edu-
cation of Congress to understand the nature of
scientific researclh, its long-term character, the
fact that the goal is to promote a vigorous and
healthy flow of new scientific knowledge, and that
immediate and specific re slults on projects should
not be looked for nor e,xpected.  Congress should
learn to look for the results of this program in
the progress which WC: make in the battle against
disease,  the incrcasc in ne87 products and indus-
tries and jobs, and in the flowering of our
scientific talent, for thcsc arc the rewards to
the nation frcm the advanc.c of the frontiers of
knowledge and from t:lc vision and understanding
appreciation of the Congress which supports such
activities.

The summary entitled "The Cist of the Report" is not

included, for this siill be in the form of a press roltaso and
hence subject to revision up until the final date of printing.

      I am sending this draft directly to t?x mci.ibcrs of
each committee and request that criticisms and comxcnts reach
me ilOt later than Idcdncsday,  June 6th.   Our sclxdule now re-
quires that the material bc in the hands of the printir not
later than the morning of June 7th.  Printed copies of the
full report will bc  sent to the mo;&ers of each Committee as
soon as the report is released by tho Prcsidcnt.

      I shall greatly apprcciatt your criticisms and sug-
gestions hnd rigrct that our schedule lcavcs you so little
time for .rcviecl of the enclosed.

Very siilcorcly yours, ,
/
      14  ,&/, ",+ ./'/I/
                  ., ./'