CHAPTER III 



OFFICE OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND 

 DEVELOPMENT 



w„ 



HILE NDRC was doing an excellent job in its field, big 

 gaps remained in the program of preparation for the scientific aspects of 

 modern war. A step toward closing those gaps was taken with the issu- 

 ance of Executive Order No. 8807 of June 28, 1941, which established the 

 Office of Scientific Research and Development. Bush was a leader in urg- 

 ing the issuance of the order, the need for which had become apparent on 

 at least three counts. 



In the first place, the program of the National Defense Research Com- 

 mittee was one designed to stress research on instruments of warfare. 

 Between the completion of research and the initiation of a procurement 

 program there was a substantial gap which the armed services were slow 

 to fill. It was becoming increasingly apparent that for the research spon- 

 sored by NDRC to become most effective, it was essential that the re- 

 search group carry its projects through the intermediate phase represented 

 by engineering development. It is significant that while the original NDRC 

 carried only research in its title, the new office covered both research and 

 development. 



In the second place, there was but little machinery for the correlation 

 of research carried on by NDRC with that carried directly by the Serv- 

 ices or by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. The Ad- 

 visory Council provided for in the order creating the OSRD helped fill a 

 need by providing a place where men conversant with the research pro- 

 grams of the Army, Navy, NDRC and NACA might discuss their various 

 programs and their relation to each other. 



In the third place, no satisfactory provision had been made for the stimu- 

 lation of research in the field of military medicine. The need for such 

 research had been apparent for some time but it had been impossible to 

 get agreement on a program satisfactory to the various groups involved. 

 The success of NDRC in the field of weapons suggested to President Roose- 

 velt the desirability of a comparable committee in military medicine, and 

 led to the creation of OSRD with parallel committees on weapons and 

 medicine. 



