NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM— 1969 



TUESDAY, APRIL 29, 1969 



House of Repkesentatives, 

 Subcommittee on Oceanogkaphy of the 

 Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, 



Washington^ D.G. 



The subcommittee met at 10 :10 a.m., pursuant to call, in room 1334, 

 Longwortli House Office Building, Hon, Alton Lennon (chairman of 

 the subcommittee) presiding. 



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



It is customary in the beginning of the convening of a hearing such 

 as we contemplate here for the presiding officer of the committee or 

 subcommittee to make a statement. I am pleased to do so now. 



We are meeting todaj^ to initiate a series of comprehensive hearings 

 on the report of the Commission on Marine Science, Engineering, and 

 Resources, which was sent to the President and to the Congress on 

 January 9, 1969, in accordance with the requirements of the Marine 

 Resources and Engineering Development Act of 1966. 



Most of you are familiar with the act and its background but for 

 the record let me repeat : 



The Marine Resources and Engineering Development Act of 1966 

 was enacted on June 17, 1966, after some 7 years of intensive and com- 

 prehensive work by the Congress to develop an effective statutory 

 base for a comprehensive long-range and coordinated national pro- 

 gram in marine science. 



The act set forth a declaration of national policy and objectives for 

 a national oceanographic program. It created, as you will recall, the 

 National Council on Marine Resources and Engineering Development 

 to serve as an ongoing coordinating body of all governmental activi- 

 ties in the fields of marine sciences. 



As you will recall also, it created a Commission on Marine Science, 

 Engineering, and Resources to review existing programs and come up 

 with recommendations for a long-range national program consistent 

 with the declared statement of policy, including an organizational 

 structure for future administration, oversight, and implementation of 

 such a long-range program. 



This Commission, under the distinguished and outstanding chair- 

 manship of Dr. Julius A. Stratton, former president of the Massa- 

 chusetts Institute of Technology, was composed of 15 members, 11 from 

 the public sector, and three from the Government — all able and ex- 

 ceptionally highly qualified individuals. 



The monumental report covering all major areas of marine science 

 and marine affairs affecting the national interest is the subject of our 



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