RACING FOR THE MOON 



75 



job ro retired Gen. James M. Gavin, who had headed Army research 

 and development. Johnson persuaded the President that it would be 

 a serious mistake to put a military man at the head of NASA in 

 light of the strong feeling expressed by Congress in the Space Act, 

 committing the United States to develop the use of space for peaceful 

 goals. 



Senator Kerr was a key factor in the eventual selection of James E. 

 Webb. After a long delay during which Kerr attempted to obtain for 

 Webb appointment as Secretary of the Treasury, the pieces began to 

 fall into place. Johnson felt strongly that the appointment should not 

 be determined by scientific knowledge as much as administrative 

 ability, and he also resisted the pressure of the powerful groups lobby- 

 ing to turn the space program over to the Air Force. Kerr knew Webb 

 intimately, not only as a fellow Oklahoman but as a director and 

 officer of Ken-McGee Oil Industries, Inc. Far more important, every- 

 one concerned appreciated that Webb had precisely the qualities 

 necessary to lead, inspire and manage a massively expanding organiza- 

 tion like NASA. 



From a congressional standpoint, Webb was a perfect choice. He 

 had actually served on the Hill as Administrative Assistant to the 

 Chairman of the House Committee on Rules, Representative Edward 

 Pou (Democrat of North Carolina), in the early Roosevelt years. As 

 Director of the Bureau of the Budget and Under Secretary of State, he 

 had cultivated excellent congressional relations both institutionally 

 and personally. A lawyer, Marine aviator in World War II, associated 

 with several nonprofit educational foundations, Webb had the breadth 

 of experience to handle problems and issues across the board. He also 

 had many scientific ties and a good personal friendship with Wiesner, 

 even though the latter did not at the time consider Webb to be his first 

 choice. 



"Senator Kerr originally called me in Oklahoma City toward the 

 latter part of January, and said that Mr. Johnson would be calling me, 

 or the White House would be calling me to ask me to come to Wash- 

 ington to talk about the job. He hoped very much that I would take 

 it, and he knew then that he was going to be chairman of the Senate 

 Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences," Webb recalls. As it 

 turns out, Webb was called from the dais to take a Washington call 

 from Wiesner, while attending a luncheon in Oklahoma City honoring 

 Senator Kerr. At President Kennedy's direction, Wiesner phoned Webb 

 and asked him to come to Washington on January 30 to discuss the job. 



Webb, after lunching with NASA Deputy Administrator Dr. Hugh 

 Dryden, called at the White House. President Kennedy told Webb he 

 wanted as NASA Administrator not a scientist but, "someone who 



