NATIONAL DEFENSE RESEARCH COMMITTEE 25 



take a substantial expansion which was almost inevitable if the research 

 program should prove successful. The investigation by the Microwave 

 Section led it to conclude that the only available institution at which the 

 work could be done with the desired speed was the Massachusetts Insti- 

 tute of Technology. Although Compton was President of Massachusetts 

 Institute of Technology, he informed the Committee that he had taken 

 no part in the discussions leading to the recommendation of the Micro- 

 wave Section; and following the practice uniformly observed by the Com- 

 mittee, he took no part in the decision to locate the laboratory at the 

 institution which he headed. 



Fiscal Considerations 



A considerable portion of the first meeting of the Committee was de- 

 voted to a discussion of the amount of money which it should request be 

 allocated to it. One method of approach was that of estimating the number 

 of scientists who could effectively be employed on new research on instru- 

 ments of warfare without disrupting other academic or industrial research 

 to an unwarranted extent, together with an average total cost of maintain- 

 ing a scientist effectively employed with proper aid and materials. An- 

 other approach was that of estimating the number of problems before the 

 Committee members as a result of preliminary studies and the probable 

 extension of that number. Comparisons were made with the total research 

 budgets of academic institutions, industries and Government. The Com- 

 mittee endeavored to arrive at an amount which would be sufficient to 

 permit an adequate attack on the problems facing it and yet would be no 

 greater than probably could be expended effectively under its direction. 

 After extended discussion, it was agreed that $10,000,000 would be the 

 proper amount and the Chairman was authorized to request the allocation 

 of that sum by the Bureau of the Budget and the President. 



In retrospect, the requested amount appears low in view of the fact that 

 in their five most active years the NDRC and OSRD contracted for the 

 expenditure of over $500,000,000. Much of this amount, however, went for 

 purposes not contemplated by the Committee at its first meeting; expendi- 

 tures mounted rapidly when the emphasis was changed from research to 

 development following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Although the Commit- 

 tee received only approximately $6,500,000 of the requested $10,000,000 

 for its first year's operation, its activities were not hampered by lack of 

 funds; and it is unlikely that the cost of its operations would have been 

 much different had the allocated amount been two or three times as great 

 as it was. 



The order establishing the Committee contemplated that use would be 

 made of existing Government laboratories and that funds would be trans- 



