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an agency that takes it over in toto but to coordinate the effort. I think 
this is the direction in which we ought to be facing. 
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 
Mr. Lennon. Thank you, Mr. Schadeberg. 
Dr. DuBridge, I don’t know if you have ever had the opportunity 
to read the testimony given before this subcommittee back during a 
good part of the calendar year 1965 and at least 414 months of 1966 
when it was considering just in substance what we are considering now. 
Many Members of Congress appeared before the subcommittee, and 
the private sector of the economy interested in the marine sciences, 
our university laboratories, our States, but particularly the Members 
of Congress insisted that the committee, back in 1965 and early 1966, 
should move directly to the question of establishing a government 
structure such as has been recommended by the Stratton Commission, 
and some of them said, “Now we must move and establish what was 
referred to then asa wet NASA.” 
I find your statement which begins on line 1 of page 5 and runs 
through the middle of line 4 on page 6 almost verbatim, almost exactly 
the language that I used in counseling those Members who appeared 
before the committee and who wanted action then. It brings it back 
to me so forcefully that that 1s exactly what I argued with them as the 
chairman of this committee at that time. 
They answered me by saying, “Mr. Chairman, don’t you know that 
two different commissions in the past, even a presidential commission 
as early as 1962 recommended this?” 
I said, “Yes, but the Executive turned down the recommendations 
of its own appointed commission with respect to establishing a govern- 
ment structure.” I said, “Let’s try again.” 
I insisted that we try again. So this committee and subsequently the 
Congress moved on to the enactment of Public Law 89-454, which 
became law on June 17, 1966. I say this because I don’t know how you 
were involved at that time or whether you even knew anything about it. 
Dr. DuBripvcr. I was not involved then. 
Mr. Lennon. That is my understanding. I want to get the record 
clear that you were not, so that you do not have the history of how we 
have been involved with this very question. 
I give it to you because I think you are open minded about this whole 
related matter that we are discussing this morning. We insisted that 
the President find in his selection and appointment to this Commis- 
sion men of the technical background, the knowledge, the skill, the 
experience and particularly the dedication and especially those people 
who could give the time, the consuming time to make a study in depth 
and recommendation, and I might say to you, sir, and the gentleman 
from Ohio has commented on the splendid work done by the national 
council, that the administration resisted the inclusion in Public Law 
89-454 of the establishment of a national council to do what? To coor- 
dinate the various civilian agencies involved in the marine sciences and 
to project programs in the interim until such time as the Congress 
received the Commission’s report. 
If we had capitulated to the administration’s position, we would 
have had no national council, and within 6 months after the law was 
enacted the administration was the first to admit what a grave mistake 
would have been made if we had not insisted upon the establishment 
of the council. 
