Three Historical Appraisals: Pioneering 5 



under this banner that he was able to recruit for his Research 

 Division the scientists and engineers that have ably carried on 

 this tradition. 



A unique and highly significant contribution of the ONR 

 was to be the initiation and development of its contract 

 research program, especially in basic research. At first this 

 program aroused some consternation in academic and govern- 

 ment circles. Federal support would mean Federal control, 

 especially from a military agency. Besides, how could one estab- 

 lish, on the one hand, by this means a sufficient degree of 

 justifiable relevance to naval problems, and, on the other, 

 would not this policy result in backing only applied research, 

 a consequence not relished by academic institutions? The clear- 

 est expression of the ONR answer to this dilemma was given 

 by the Basic Research Group of the Research and Development 

 Board in the Department of Defense, as stated by its Chairman, 

 Dr. Warren Weaver, then also Chairman of NRAC, in the 

 following key paragraphs: 



It is most strikingly and emphatically true that basic 

 research is not impractical research. The whole history 

 of science constitutes a most impressive proof of this 

 statement. 



There are two aspects of basic research: One, that of 

 the researcher himself who is motivated by curiosity and 

 interest in science rather than applicability; the other 

 that of an experienced science administrator in an 

 agency with a practical mission. The latter can make 

 reasonable judgments regarding the applicability of basic 

 research to the practical problems of his agency. In this 

 way selected mission-related basic research may be sup- 

 ported by such an agency to its advantage without con- 

 trolling or disturbing the aim of the investigator or the 

 course of the research. 



Time does not permit more than mention of the other re- 

 search support offices that emerged at about the same time or 

 slightly after the passage of the ONR Act, viz.: the National 

 Institutes of Health, the Atomic Energy Commission, followed 



