Dahlgren in Perspective 173 



der, his few military assistants, and a large civilian staff under the technical 

 directors. I am still proud of this statement we generated which remains 

 essentially in effect without any change at all. I think this is the single biggest 

 accomplishment I've achieved on any shore duty assignment. 



I have really cherished the broadening knowledge I gained at NOL in the 

 civilian community, and I've been better for it ever since. You don't work a 

 laboratory by being a commander, believe me. That's really my whole 

 philosophy, and I hope that my present and active successors will hold the same 

 belief. You don't command a laboratory, you persuade it. 



In your 2 years as OIC at White Oak, did you perceive any changes in the Navy Lab 

 concept in which you were involved? 



Prior to World War II, there was little or no contact between the civilian 

 scientific and engineering world and the Navy, except through a few contrac- 

 tors such as Ford Instrument Company, the General Electric Company, and a 

 small number of others. Each side was suspicious and uneasy in the company of 

 the other. It is of interest, however, to know that prior to World War II 

 Professor Einstein, then in residence at Princeton, was a consultant to the 

 Bureau of Ordnance. During the war, the Naval Research Laboratory had 

 already been in existence, but the Office of Naval Research then came into 

 being. This was, and still is, the primary contact between the scientific world and 

 the Navy and was a great help in breaking down the barriers of suspicion. 



There has been a good deal of criticism of the Office of Naval Research 

 through the years for furthering and funding projects to particular professors 

 and particular universities and colleges about such things as the love life of the 

 mouse. There have been very searching questions asked by people like Senator 

 Proxmire about such things. A few silly things are done, but you can never tell 

 what a good scientist is going to come up with in the way of an idea that may be 

 useful. You've simply got to bet on a good man and hope for the best. 



The work done by NDRC* also broke down many barriers. Dr. Tuve, who 

 developed the Navy's influence fuze for rotating projectiles, was one of its most 

 distinguished members. Under NDRC, many others were involved. Some of 

 these, of course, were at NOL, and a few of them were at Dahlgren. One of the 

 most distinguished members at Dahlgren was Dr. Bradbury, who later became 

 Technical Director at Los Alamos in the Manhattan Project. Also, Dr. L. T. E. 

 Thompson spent many years at Dahlgren and later became Technical Director 

 at the Naval Ordnance Test Station in California. 



There were many changes in Naval Laboratory concepts. I was involved 

 more or less directly, being the Officer in Charge at White Oak. The Navy 



♦National Defense Research Council. 



