52 HISTORY OF THE COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 



Prof. Richard J. Russell geology Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, La. 



Dr. H. Guy ford Stever aeronautical engineering Massachusetts Institute of 

 Technology, Cambridge, Mass. 



Prof. James A Van Allen nuclear physics, cosmic rays University of Iowa, towa 

 City, Iowa. 



Prof. Fred L. Whipple astronomy director, Astrophysical Observatory, Smith- 

 sonian Institution, Cambridge, Mass. 



Prof. Maurice J. Zucrow -jet propulsion- -professor of engineering, Purdue Uni- 

 versity, Lafayette, Ind. 



Dr. Lee A. DuBridge -physics president, California Institute of Technology, 

 Pasadena, Calif. 



Dr Thomas F. Malone meteorology- director of research, Travelers Insurance 

 Companies, Hartford, Conn 



On March 25, the Panel on Science and Technology held its first 

 meeting in the Whittall Pavilion of the Library of Congress. The main 

 reason for holding the meeting in the Library was to get away from the 

 atmosphere of the committee room which would put the panel members 

 in the position of being witnesses rather than advisers. 



At that meeting, Chairman Brooks sketched in the history of the 

 select committee and the standing committee and their accomplish- 

 ments. He noted that the committee, in examining ways to "increase 

 the effectiveness of the committee commensurate with the challenge of 

 the times," had decided to call on the panel and "set a pattern of 

 cooperation between the scientific and technical community and the 

 people's Representatives in the Congress of the United States." 



In announcing the establishment of the new panel, Brooks stated. 



We shall provide for these men of science a forum in which they can speak out 

 to the world on the problems that face it in basic and applied science, in space tech- 

 nology, and in space exploration. 



It is unfortunately true that too many times scientists with important ideas that 

 would help advance the interests of the United States and mankind in general have 

 been unable to find anyone to listen to them. Theirs have been, on too many occasions, 

 voices in the wilderness. 



Now, through this panel, we shall make available to them a public forum in 

 which they can be heard. 



At the first meeting of the panel, Martin Goland, president of the 

 Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Tex., presented a paper 

 on energy conversion and also prospects for the marginal or secondary 

 recovery of petroleum. Dr. Sverre Petterssen, professor of meteorology 

 at the University of Chicago, delivered a paper on "Expected Develop- 

 ments in Meteorology During the Coming 10- Year Period." Both 

 papers helped sketch in future developments with which the committee 

 later became involved, in the areas of energy research and the develop- 

 ment of weather satellites. 



In his remarks at the first panel meeting, Dr. James A. Van Allen, 

 of the University of Iowa, provided some of the stimulus for committee 



