Land, Wood, Water, and Space: Senator Robert S. Kerr, Congress, and Selling the Space Race to the American Public

Abstract

ObjectiveWe examine the contribution Sen. Robert S. Kerr (D‐OK) made in promoting NASA and space exploration to Oklahoma and the general public while serving as chair of the Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences.MethodsUsing newspaper articles as well as speeches and press releases from the archival papers of Robert S. Kerr, we estimate a topic model to uncover the dimensions of debate concerning space. We also use the communications from Kerr's office to provide substantiation and context to the way the senator promoted space in Oklahoma and elsewhere.ResultsWe find that contrary to the conventional wisdom, Cold War concerns about national security and primacy were not all that fueled arguments for pursuing space technology. We demonstrate here that particularized benefits, state‐level leadership, economic development, and technological advancements were all used to “sell space” during NASA's infancy.ConclusionWhile it is easy to give credit to the executive for achieving national goals, it is almost impossible to get to the desired outcomes without buy‐in from the legislature. In turn, this means members of Congress need to sell the policy to constituents back home.