272 SEA GRANT COLLEGES 



Ocean Science & Engineering, Inc., 



Washinffton, B.C., May 7, 1966. 

 Senator Claiborne Pell, 

 U.S. Senate, Washinffton, B.C. 



DE.'Ut Senator Pell : This is in answer to your request of April 22 for my views 

 on S. 2439. I am sorry that I have not had time to think through the implica- 

 tions of your bill which may be far reaching and important in the development 

 of ocean science. Therefore, I will discuss only a few points rather than the 

 broad issues. 



Generally it is believed that oceanic work will develop rapidly in the next few- 

 years and it is entirely proper that the Federal Government should support pro- 

 grams intended to develop new knowledge and to train people. I think that 

 no one will disagree with that idea ; although arguments will arise as to exactly 

 how this should be done. On page 3, line 7, it is suggested that the Federal 

 Government, presumably through the National Science Foimdation, "give pref- 

 erence to programs that translate the findings of basic research into practice." 

 In that phrase, you have run head on into the aims and objectives of this com- 

 pany. It is entirely proper that the Federal Government do the basic research 

 and perhaps do some things which might be termed practical research. How- 

 ever, the translation of these into commercial practices and useable tools is a 

 function which can better be performed by companies such as ours. 



I am a little uneasy at the idea that much of this program will be carried 

 out under the National Science Foundation. From Government-organizational 

 point of view, I suppose that is the proper agency to do the job. However, the 

 past record of the National Science Foundation in dealing with engineering at 

 sea and ship operations has not been good and has been notably subject to 

 political pressures. In carrying through with this work, I think it would be well 

 if you and other senior legislators would try to find time to review the actual 

 operations under the law to see that they conform to the objectives which 

 the Congress has in mind. 

 Yours truly, 



Willard Bascom, 



President. 



Oregon State University, 

 School of Agriculture and Agricultural Experiment Station, 



Corvallis, Oreg., April 26, 1966. 

 Hon. Wayne Morse, 

 U.S. Senate, 

 Seriate Office Building, 

 Washington, B.C. 



Dear Senator Morse : In view of your demonstrated interest In Oregon's 

 fisheries, I am providing you with the enclosed statement on the National Sea 

 Grant College and Program Act of 1965 ( S. 2439, 89th Cong. ) . This was prepared 

 by a group of biologists at Oregon State University, who are named on the last 

 page of the statement. 



There is a critical need for financial support for marine biological research. To 

 my mind, this need is brought into sharp relief by the presence of the Russian 

 fleet presently exploiting the fishery resource off the Oregon coast. For, as a 

 consequence of inadequate funds to support basic research on fishes of the sea, we 

 are not prepared to engage in effective discussion wdth foreign powers for the 

 purpose of establishing a sound treaty to conserve our marine fishery. The 

 Russians may know more about some segments of our fishery resource than we 

 know ourselves. 



We are concerned about whether the National Science Foundation is the best 

 choice of agencies for administration of the National Sea Grant College and 

 Program Act of 1965, because it has a well-established policy of nonsupport 

 to research with any visible applied values. This policy would be in direct con- 

 flict with the intent of the proposed sea grant colleges and programs. 



Oregon State University, with its new marine science center, would be well 

 situated for initiating and developing the basic research and extension programs 

 envisioned by the act. 



Respectfully yours, 



Thomas G. Scott, 

 Head, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife. 



