132 Research and National Purpose 



Navy, primarily exposed to the pressures of immediate require- 

 ments, entertain doubts about what ONR is doing. For related 

 reasons, the academic researcher occasionally forgets that the 

 Office of Naval Research is a part of the Navy. Both attitudes 

 are consequences of the special circumstances with which any 

 research-supporting organization must learn to cope if it is to 

 be an actively contributing intermediary between research and 

 practical need. 



The relationship of government institutions like ONR 

 with the universities, and, in general, with the scientific 

 community, was aptly described by John W. Gardner, now 

 Secretary of the Department of Health, Education, and Wel- 

 fare, in a 1964 report to the Agency for International Develop- 

 ment on the subject "A.I.D. and the Universities." He said: 

 "Such collaboration with non-governmental groups brings to 

 bear on a national problem the full range of talent and institu- 

 tional resources of our pluralistic society. But if collaboration 

 is to be successful, three cautions are in order: (1) The Federal 

 agency involved must have a nucleus of first-class people capa- 

 ble of dealing with outside individuals and institutions on 

 terms of professional equality. The notion that a Federal 

 agency can let its direct-hire staff deteriorate and get all of its 

 talent on contract is a dangerous delusion, (2) The relationship 

 between government and the university must be defined in 

 such a way as to preserve to each party independence of action 

 in those functions that it must perform unimpeded. (3) The 

 relationship must be such that each party not only can perform 

 at its best, but can gain added strength from its participation. 

 Only under such circumstances will the government be able to 

 justify its participation and the universities be able to put their 

 best talent and resources at the disposal of the government." 

 Most recently, the Material Establishment of the Navy has 

 started to undergo a far-reaching reorganization to adapt it 

 more effectively to current and foreseeable needs in coping 

 with the engineering and management complexities that have 

 followed in the wake of modern science. At the same time, the 



