THE BEGINNINGS 5 



of such investigations was to be borne from appropriations which might be 

 made for the purpose, but the Academy was to receive no compensation for 

 itself for any services to the Government. Between the time of its creation 

 and World War I, the Academy undertook many noteworthy investigations 

 in fields of science for the Government. At the time of World War I, the 

 fields of science and the problems in them vital to national defense had 

 grown to such proportions that President Wilson requested the Academy 

 to expand its facilities for service by creating a National Research Council 

 as its agent for the better handling of its governmental and other obUgations. 



A more definite status was given the Council by Executive Order No. 

 2859 of May II, 19 1 8, which empowered the Academy to estabUsh the 

 Council as a permanent body. That order also provided that on nomination 

 of the Academy the President would designate representatives of the Gov- 

 ernment to be members of the Council and further provided that the heads 

 of Government departments would co-operate with the work of the Council 

 in every way that it required. For the most part, the Council operated 

 through divisions in the following fields: foreign relations, educational rela- 

 tions, physical sciences, engineering and industrial research, chemistry and 

 chemical technology, geology and geography, medical sciences, biology and 

 agriculture, anthropology and psychology. . 



In general, the membership of the divisions was made up of official repre- 

 sentatives of all the principal national societies or organizations in the fields 

 covered by the divisions, of representatives of Government, and of distin- 

 guished members at large. The active work of the divisions was carried on 

 by committees, either permanent or special, composed of men specially 

 qualified for the specific undertakings. Many of the committees were joint 

 committees with the Academy. In the spring of 1940, more than 11 00 men 

 were actively engaged on National Research Council work as members of 

 the Council, its divisions or committees, and the Council was handling a 

 large number of research problems and studies for the Army, Navy and 

 other departments of Government. 



Useful though the Academy had been in the Civil War and the Research 

 Council in World War I, the situation in the spring of 1940 appeared to 

 demand a new approach. The number of men in the armed services capable 

 of knowing what was needed was small. They, with all other ofl&cers, would 

 obviously be swamped with the gigantic task of building an army and navy 

 of the size which would be needed if the United States were to be ade- 

 quately prepared. The Academy and the Research Council were instruments 

 of undoubted usefulness, but the basic statute incorporating the Academy 

 was predicated upon the theory that the Academy would act when called 

 upon by the Services. Moreover, it was primarily an advisory rather than 

 an operating body. The Academy was fortunate in having a man like 

 Jewett as its President during the war years, for his industrial background 



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