OCEANOGRAPHY IN THE UNITED STATES 213 



successful in pressing the Congress personally to start authorization 

 for construction of an experimental model basin down at the Wash- 

 ingtx^n Navy Yard. 



This was a great step forward in fundamental research in this 

 country. The Congi-ess showed the wisdom of this course in authoriz- 

 ing this establishment at that time to do not only work for the Gov- 

 ernment, not only work for the Navy, but also work for any activity, 

 any person, subject only to the priorities existent on the military work, 

 upon the reimbursement to the Government for the cost of the work so 

 that it has also served as a springboard from which research in science 

 has penetrated into industry, not only shipbuilding but the industry 

 of the whole country. 



This was the Government's first real scientific laboratory in 1898, so 

 that, with the results that started to stem from that laboratory, it was 

 not surprising in 1913, when iVdmiral Taylor became extremely 

 interested in the then infant aviation industry which at that time 

 consisted of nothing but a few wooden crates flying around the coun- 

 try, that he interested himself and built the first real research wind 

 tumiel in the country at the old model basin site. At that wind 

 tunnel grew up a group of people then called the Advisory Committee 

 for Aeronautics and which then became the National Advisory Com- 

 mittee for Aeronautics when the Congress recognized the official stat- 

 ure of that group and formed this research institution. 



It stemmed from the experimental model basin and Taylor was one 

 of the first and charter members of this organization. 



Then following those early years in aviation, of course, came rapidly 

 things like the first flying of the Atlantic by the NC-4. The model 

 was tested down in that basin. The wings of the plane were tested 

 in that wind tunnel and you find this sort of nascent state of develop- 

 ment of research and experimentation in this very complicated field, 

 aerodynamics and hydrodynamics going along together. 



This is true today in this establishment. You have the aerodynamics 

 in this laboratory and the hydrodynamics in the other laboratories 

 and the structural mechanics and the techniques have been added to 

 form a scientific whole that is just testimony to the vision of a man 

 like David Watson Taylor, 



Of course, I know you, Mr. Chairman, are also a member of the new 

 Space Committee, 



Mr, !MiLLER. Mr, Van Pelt is also a member. 



Admiral Mumma. We find that this again is an outgrowth of the 

 work that was done by the NxlCA that has now become the National 

 Aeronautics and Space Administration, so that we have in this field 

 gone all the way from fundamental hydrodynamics into space with 

 a very directly traceable line of research interest and expansion of 

 knowledge with great vision. The Congress has played a very im- 

 portant part in this, and I think it is well that some of us who have 

 to do with the research side of the business occasionally pause and 

 pay tribute to the Congress in their wisdom in setting up these 

 advanced thinking activities so that we can move ahead in these great 

 fields. 



Mr. Chairman, with those preliminary remarks which I wanted to 

 get into the record before leaving, I would like to proceed to the sub- 

 ject at hand with your permission, sir. 



