NATIONAL MARINE SCIENCES PROGRAM 



THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1967 



House of Representatives, 

 Subcommittee on Oceanography of the 

 Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, 



Washington^ D.G. 



The subcommittee met at 10 :15 a.m., pursuant to recess, in room 

 1334, Longwortli House Office Building, Hon. Alton Lennon (chair- 

 man of the subcommittee) presiding. 



Mr. Lennon. The meeting will please come to order. 



The Marine Resources and Engineering Development Act of 1966 

 was signed by the President on June 17 of last year. It was the culmi- 

 nation of more than 7 years of work by the Congress. In addition to 

 its carefully considered and worded declaration of policy and ob- 

 jectives, and delineation of executive responsibilities, it established in 

 the Executive Office of the President, the National Council on Marine 

 Resources and Engineering Development, a Cabinet-level body mider 

 the chairmanship of the Vice President. 



Last month, on August 17, we were privileged to hear a report on 

 the work of the Council from Dr. Edward Wenk, Jr., the able Execu- 

 tive Secretary of the Council. 



One of the most important features of the 1966 act was the provi- 

 sion establishing a Commission on" Marine Science, Engineering, and 

 Resources, to be composed of 15 members appointed by the President, 

 including individuals drawn from Federal and State governments, 

 industry, universities, laboratories, and other institutions engaged in 

 marine scientific or technological pursuits. 



Provision was also made for the appointment by the President of 

 four advisory members from among the Members of the Senate and 

 House of Representatives. 



The Commission's responsibility is to iuA^estigate and study all as- 

 pects of marine science in order to recommend an overall plan for an 

 adequate national oceanographic program that will meet the present 

 and future national needs. 



The functions of the Commission are at the very core of the act. 



On June 21, after the marine sciences bill had become law, I wrote 

 to President Johnson expressing my gratification upon its enactment. 

 I expressed my personal confidence, and that of my colleagues, that he 

 would select as Commission members people of wide experience and 

 specialized knowledge, able to spare the time to make a real contribu- 

 tion toward the objective for which the Commission Avas provided. 



I commented that the conclusions and recommendation of the men 

 who comprise the Commission would contribute greatly to the effec- 

 tiveness of the broad national purposes contemplated by the act. 



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