145 



cultural research, freed from political hindrances; (3) the need to 

 give the social sciences additional prestige; and (4) to improve com- 

 munication between American and foreign social scientists. In its first 

 report, issued to the Department of State in 1967, recommendations 

 were contained regarding improvement of UNESCO's social science 

 activities. 



IV. Congressional Response 



Fascell hills — Toward a national social science 'policy 



On June 6, 1966, 6 months after release of the subcommittee report, 

 Chairman Fascell introduced 3 bills based on its recommendations. 

 The major purpose of the bills, he said, was to initiate a dialog between 

 the Government and academia on the topic of social science research. 



I hope that interested individuals — ^the Congress, in the executive branch of 

 our Government, and in the private sector — ^will take up these bills, study them, 

 and offer us their views and comments."^ 



The three bills reflected Fascell's concern not only with foreign area 

 research, but also the need for Congress and academia to concern 

 themselves with assessment of the problems of the relationship of 

 the social sciences to the Government, The first, H.R. 15457, would 

 establish a committee to plan for a White House Conference on the 

 Social and Behavioral Sciences. The second, H.R. 15458, would estab- 

 lish an Office of Social Sciences in the Executive Office of the President, 

 whose staff would be taken from and modeled after the Office of Science 

 and Technology' and whose purpose was to "* * * develop * * * a 

 national policy for the promotion of basic research and education in 

 the social and behavioral sciences"; to evaluate Federal social and 

 behavioral sciences research programs ; and to advise the President on 

 coordination of Federal social and behavioral sciences research. The 

 third bill, H.R. 15459, would establish a National Social Science Foun- 

 dation, whose purposes would be to initiate and support basic re- 

 search in the social and behavioral sciences ; provide financial support 

 to behavioral scientists; serve as an information exchange between 

 American and foreign social scientists; evaluate the status and needs 

 of social sciences ; undertake a registry of social and behavioral scien- 

 tists ; and report to the President on priorities of Federal funding in 

 social and behavioral sciences. 



National Science Foundation 



Congressman Fascell's bills gave the social sciences greater visibility, 

 and stimulated discussion both inside and outside of the Go^^ernment 

 on the social science relationship with the Federal Government. 

 Mr. Fascell had proposed the creation of a new agency — a National 

 Social Science Foundation — both to solve the problems of military 

 sponsorship of foreign area research, and also to improve Federal 

 funding and utilization of the social sciences. An alternative proposal, 

 not specifically designed to treat the foreign area research problem, 

 but to treat Federal funding and recognition of the social sciences, was 

 being examined by the Congress when Rep. Fascell's proposals were 

 introduced. This alternative was amendment of the National Science 

 Foundation. 



6^ Dante B. Fascell. Behavioral Sciences and the National Security. Remarks upon intro- 

 duction of H.R. 15457. H.R. 15459. Congressional Record (June 6, 1966), p. 11687. 



99-044 — 69 11 



