40 YEARS OF AERONAUTICAL RESEARCH — HUNSAKER 247 



trained staff. (3) The construction and use of dirigibles and aeroplanes, having 

 regard mainly to their employment in war. 



The Advisory Committee are to deal with the first section, and also to deter- 

 mine the prohlenis which the experimental branch should attack, and discuss their 

 solutions and their application to practical questions. The second section repre- 

 sents the work referred to the laboratory (the National Physical Laboratory), 

 while the duties concerned with the third section remain with the Admiralty 

 and the War Office. 



On April 2, 1915, President Woodrow Wilson appointed to the new 

 Committee: Prof. Joseph S. Ames, of the Physics Department of 

 Johns Hopkins University ; Capt. Mark L, Bristol, USN, Director of 

 Naval Aeronautics, Navy Department; Prof. William F. Diirand, of 

 the Engineering Department of Leland Stanford University; Prof. 

 John F. Hayford of the Engineering Department of Northwestern 

 University; Dr. Charles F. Marvin, Chief of the U. S. Weather 

 Bureau; Hon. Byron R. Newton, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury ; 

 Prof. Michael I. Pupin of the Physics Department of Columbia Uni- 

 versity; Lt. Col. Samuel Reber, USA, Officer-in- Charge, Aviation 

 Section of the Signal Corps, War Department; Naval Constructor 

 Holden C. Richardson, USN, Department of Construction and Repair, 

 Washington Navy Yard ; Brig. Gen. George P. Scriven, USA, Chief 

 Signal Officer, War Department ; Dr. Samuel W. Stratton, Director, 

 National Bureau of Standards ; and Dr. Charles D. Walcott, Secretary, 

 Smithsonian Institution. 



Of the initial 12 members, 6 were members of the National Academy 

 of Sciences (within the period of their NACA membership). It is 

 of interest to note that for 40 years all chairmen of the NACA ex- 

 cept the first, General Scriven, have been members of the National 

 Academy. In 1955, there are 5 Academy members out of 17 members 

 of the NACA. This statistic is of significance in view of the increas- 

 ing impact on aeronautics of advances in many fields of science: for 

 example, physiology and psychology of pilots, chemistry of combus- 

 tion, physics of metals, physics of the atmosphere, acoustics, commmii- 

 cations, electronics. The Committee is strengthened by the special 

 knowledge of its individual members. 



By direction of the President, the Secretary of War called the first 

 meeting. The date was April 23, 1915; the place, his office. Con- 

 forming with the designation in the call for the first meeting, the 

 word "National" was prefixed to the title "Advisory Committee for 

 Aeronautics." General Scriven was elected temporary chairman, and 

 Naval Constructor Richardson temporary secretary. With formu- 

 lation of rules and regulations, subsequently approved by the Presi- 

 dent, the temporary chairman and secretary were elected for one year. 



Perhaps the most important regulation adopted was for an execu- 

 tive conmiittee, composed of 7 of the 12 members of the Advisory 



370930—56 17 



