SPA< E S( [EN( I. APPLICATIONS, AND ADVANCED RESEARCH, 1963-69 223 



But, by and large, I think most projects are placed where it will be in the na- 

 tional interest, even though some of us like to think that we have something to do 

 with getting them 



Dr. Weaver. What made the Boston area more desirable to NASA in contrast 

 to Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, or some others? 



Dr. Kelley. I think you realize we were looking for electronic research com- 

 petence, and we were 'ooking for a "hothouse environment" tor our little "orchid" 

 we were trying to grow. There are many factors that one considers: transportation; 

 available residential communities; civil engineering; criteria such as water, heat, 

 and power which you might find in most metropolitan communities. But the princi- 

 pal reason was the industrial and university electronic research complex in the 

 area * * *. Perhaps we wouldn't try to grow an orchid in the desert for we might 

 have to build a hothouse to go along with it 



Mr. Karth. Other areas in the country, I think are not quite as destitute as the 

 orchid in the desert. I hesitate to let this implication be in the record. I know this is 

 not a fact. 



Representative Thomas N. Downing (Democrat of Virginia), who 

 represented the area including the Langley Research Center, pressed 

 Dr. Kelley very hard as to why the new Center was not simply located 

 at Langley. Chairman Miller, who up to that point had been joking 

 facetiously about locating the facility in California, interrupted Down- 

 ing and abruptly said: "This I would like to say off the record." Red- 

 faced and angry, he proceeded to berate Downing for pressing the issue. 

 Although Miller's remarks do not appear in the official hearing record, 

 The New York Times reported the following day that Miller had 

 commented: "Frankly, we're making this thing right now a question 

 of where we are going to put it because it's going to be a plum." 

 Miller added: "We'd all like this in our States. But do you want to 

 make a WPA project out of this or are we interested in the space 

 program?" 



On May 1, Karth 's subcommittee once again assembled to renew 

 the attack on the Electronics Research Center. Colonel Gould established 

 that very little, if any, facility planning had been accomplished, and 

 a master plan simply did not exist. Karth persisted with some more 

 embarrassing questions: 



Mr. Karth. No official study was made of this, in other words? 



Dr Kelley. I am not sure what you mean by "official study." There was a con- 

 tinuing review of this problem by our group in NASA. 



Mr. Karth. Who decided we needed an electronics research laboratory? 



Dr. Kelley. The Administrator decided it. We went through 



Mr. Karth. Then there must have been a number of people that had suggestions 

 or discussion about it. Who were they? 



Dr. Kelley. All NASA 



Mr. Karth. You just didn't decide this, did you, Doctor? 



Dr. Kelley. No, sir. 



Mr. Karth. Jim Webb ]ust didn't decide it? 



Dr. Kelley. No, sir. 



