Chapter 6 - Donning the mantle of world leadership 1945–1952

Abstract

This chapter considers an eventful 7-year period following World War II during which US science and technology policy coalesced and began to assume a form more familiar to today’s observers of government policy in this area. Vannevar Bush, at that time director of the Office of Scientific Research and Development in Washington, was close to President Roosevelt and had tremendous influence over his decisions regarding government’s role in science and technology. The chapter contains the text of a letter from Roosevelt to Bush in late 1944 officially requesting his views on government science policies in peace time. Bush responded with a detailed report to the President titled Science: The Endless Frontier, which became a very influential document in the annals of national science and technology policy, providing compelling rationales for basic research, the benefits of science and technology in American life, and the importance of federal support of the science and technology enterprise. Extensive excerpts of this document are contained in the chapter. The remainder of the chapter covers the tortuous political maneuverings and intrigues related to science policy that followed Roosevelt’s death and Harry Truman’s assumption of the mantle of leadership, ultimately leading to the birth of the National Science Foundation. The final pages of this chapter cover the background of the formation of the Atomic Energy Commission. In addition, the chapter covers the emergence and growth of the national laboratory system.