264 ORGANIZING SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH FOR WAR 



might afiford a means of helping OSRD meet its scientific manpower 

 problems, but the Corps had very little impact upon OSRD and gave no 

 relief for its manpower problems. 



Reserved List of Scientific Personnel 



The next attempt to meet the scientific manpower situation on more 

 than a piecemeal basis was more successful. After consulting with the 

 Advisory Council as to ways of holding essential research personnel, Bush 

 addressed a memorandum to the War Manpower Commission on Octo- 

 ber 16, 1942, suggesting the establishment of a Reserved List of Scientific 

 Personnel. He pointed out that comparatively few additional young men 

 could be trained so that they would be effective in research during the 

 progress of the war and that therefore the country must depend upon those 

 individuals who already had the ability, training and professional experi- 

 ence to qualify them for scientific research. Men qualified for research in 

 crucial fields should not enter any other service but should concentrate 

 upon the work which, if not done by them, could not be done at all. The 

 decisions as to where these men should be employed should be made by a 

 board which could take a broad view of the whole situation, so that men 

 who could be of the greatest use in scientific research would be directed to 

 and kept at work in the particular field in which they could contribute 

 most to the national war effort. The concrete suggestion made by Bush 

 was the creation of a board on scientific personnel to include representatives 

 of OSRD, Army, Navy, NACA, and the National Roster of Scientific and 

 Specialized Personnel. The specific function of the board would be: 



(i) Prepare a list of reserved scientific and technical research workers of profes- 

 sional grade engaged on research or development of instruments of war or 

 on medical problems important to the war effort and in the employ of 

 OSRD, Army, Navy, and NACA or of firms and institutions working under 

 contract with those organizations. 



(2) Determine the places in which these individuals could most effectively serve 

 the war effort and implement its determinations by suitable recommendations 

 to the agencies concerned. 



(3) Inform individuals whose names appeared on the list that changes in their 

 connections should not be made without prior reference to the board. 



(4) Maintain a continuing study of the need for scientific personnel in the armed 

 services and in civilian agencies to the end that its recommendations might 

 reflect the soundest judgment possible as to what would best serve the war 

 effort 



(5) Maintain continual contact with the personnel sections of Army, Navy, 

 OSRD, and NACA in order that it might be able to meet their needs to the 

 fullest possible extent. 



