1353 



e. Recommend activities to further U.S. foreign policy objectives in the field of 

 science and technology. 



f. Provide guidance to the science attaches developed in collaboration with other 

 Department elements, particularly the regional bureaus. 



g. Serve as the point of coordination within the Department and between the 

 Department and other organizations, governmental and non-governmental, on 

 matters concerned with science and technology, including the non-military uses of 

 atomic energy and outer space. 



h. Represent the Department on appropriate interdepartmental committees. 



ISA [later changed to SCI] will be staffed to enable the Director to carry out the 

 above functions, and to provide professional staff support to other bureaus and 

 offices of the Department on all scientific and technological matters. 



According to one Washington observer, the Kennedy Administra- 

 tion exerted some pressure to strengthen the State Department's 

 science office by the 1962 reorganization into the "Office of Inter- 

 national Scientific Affairs." However, he went on to note the "incredi- 

 bly uneven" results of injecting scientists into a diplomatic environ- 

 ment for which some were and others were not prepared. Even so, 

 Dr. Rollefson was insistent that the "State Department's science 

 program requires people with thorough scientific training." *^ 



Dr. Rollefson's tenure ran from September 1962 to September 1964. 

 He came to the Department to head a largely "paper" organization; 

 he continued the work of his predecessors in providing a bridge to the 

 scientific communit}'^ but apparently broke no new ground. His 

 deputy, Dr. Edwin M. J. Kretzman, earlier professor of political 

 science at Bro^vn University and a career Foreign Service officer, 

 after Rollefson's departure, served as "acting." He was credited with 

 several innovations during this period: the introduction of a "science 

 course" at the Foreign Service Institute *^ and the organization of a 

 series of "science luncheons" of the Secretary of State. Wlien he 

 retired, in December 1964, he was replaced by another Foreign Service 

 Officer, Herman Pollack, as "acting." The search continued for several 

 3'ears for an "outstanding scientist" to take the post, but even though 

 the "Office" was made a "Bureau" in April 1965, and its Director 

 "equivalent" to an Assistant Secretary, there were no takers. 



Before discussing the development of the new Bureau under Herman 

 Pollack's direction, it is useful to consider why the Office of Science 

 Adviser up to July 1967 had been only marginally effective.*^ 



ASSESSMENT OF EARLY SCI PERFORMANCE 



In September 1966, Prof, Eugene Skolnikoff assessed the effec- 

 tiveness of the State Department's science office as one of "poor 

 performance." There was no question, he said, I ut that the function 

 of "providing scientific inputs in the policy process" was needed. 

 Given stronger leadership it could have performed better. Substitution 

 of an "outside group of consultants" was no answer because they 

 would lack "the close tie to operating needs" and "effective points of 

 contact." (They could, however, be useful in conjunction with a central 



« Daniel S. Greenberg. " Science and Foreign Aflairs: New Effort Under Way to Enlarge Role of Scientists 

 in Policy Planning," Science, October 12, 1962, pp. 122-124. 



** See p. 120 and thereafter. 



*'' The time sequence: Pollack had joined the office in September 1964 as deputy director, became acting 

 director January 1965, and was appointed director in July 1967. His deputy was the late Dr. J. Wallace 

 Joyce, followed by Dr. John Granger. Pollack retired in July 1974, and Granger continued as "acting" until 

 after the reconstitution of the office, October 15, 1974, as the "Bureau of Oceans and International Environ- 

 mental and Scientific Aflairs." 



97-400 O - 77 - 48 



