SEA GRANT COLLEGES 165 



basis and then see where it would go on a more permanent basis. The 

 arginnent being made that in the National Science Foundation there 

 might be a greater emphasis on pure research and also much more on 

 individual grant assistance, and some of the people in the field think 

 there should be more program assistance, institutional assistance, and 

 also more practical use of the knowledge. This is open for discussion. 



Mr. Rogers. Well, I think that has a great merit. I think the 

 Smithsonian could well do this job. And although I think we should 

 have some reconnnendations in about 18 months, that is why I said I 

 thought the National Science Foundation could do this for that pe- 

 riod of time. However, I can see nothing that would be objectionable. 

 It might be worthy of consideration in letting the Smithsonian do this. 



Senator Pell. To consider it basically on a very temporaiy basis. 



Mr. Rogers. Yes. 



Senator Pell. From the testimony of the Department of Interior 

 witnesses, I can see a certain avariciousness on the part of the Gov- 

 ernment agencies in handling a program that looks to have the 

 potential for growth that this has. I think we m.ust make a very 

 sound decision in the beginning. 



Mr. Rogers. Yes. That is why I think it is very important for 

 us to enact legislation this year to get tliis study going so we can 

 kind of get everybody' together rather than going off on tangents which 

 we have done so often. I am afraid. 



Senator Pell. Right. I can't tell you how glad I am. Congress- 

 man Rogers, that you take such an interest in the field and work with 

 it as well. It was verj- nice of you to come over liere this morning. 



I\Ir. Rogers. Tliank you very much. We commend your leadership 

 in this area. 



(The prepared statement of Mr. Rogers follows :) 



Prepared Statement of Hon. Paul Rogers, a Representative in Congress From 



THE State of Florida 



Mr. Rogers. Mr. Chairman and distinguished members of the subcommittee, 

 I am pleased to have this opportunity to appear here this morning to testify to 

 the pressing need for sea grant colleges. The entire subcommittee, and par- 

 ticularly its distinguished chairman, Senator Pell, who represents one of the 

 Nation's foremost oceanographic States, Rhode Island, are to be commended 

 for initiating movement within the Congress toward establishing a program of 

 sea grant colleges. 



The question "What is a sea grant college?" can be raised. The answer can 

 be given that sea grant colleges will be to ocean technology what the land grant 

 colleges of 100 years ago have been to not only America's agriculture, but her 

 entire system of higher education. 



Similar to the successful concept of land grant colleges which has contributed 

 so much to this Nation's progress, sea grant colleges, nurtured by the program 

 set forth through the National Science Foundation, are vitally needed to enable 

 the United States to enter the "wet space age." 



We are in a race to conquer the earth's "wet space." There is no question 

 about it. Our principal competitor is Russia, just as Russia is our principal 

 competitor in the race to conquer outer space. 



And right now Russia is in many resix^cts winning the wet space race. It is 

 a matter of national survival that the United States be the first to comjiletely 

 master the oceans. Nearly three-fourths of the earth's surface is water. This 

 fact alone makes U.S. mastery of the seas imperative. Considering the mass of 

 the earth's inner space which the oceans occupy, America's need to penetrate 

 and occupy the greatest depths becomes even more critical. 



The primary objective of a national sea grant college program concerns the 

 development of marine manpower. Today the Soviet Union has between 8,000 



