NATIONAL DEFENSE RESEARCH COMMITTEE 



James B. Conant, Chairman 



Richard C. Tolman, Vice Chairman 



Roger Adams Army Representative 1 



Frank B. Jewett Navy Representative 2 



Karl T. Compton Commissioner of Patents 3 



Irvin Stewart, Executive Secretary 



l Army Representatives in order of service: 

 Maj. Gen. G. V. Strong Col. L. A. Denson 



Maj. Gen. R. C. Moore Col. P.Jrl. Faymonville 



Maj. Gen. C. C. Williams Brig. Gen. E. A. Regnier 



Brig. Gen. W. A. Wood, Jr. Col. M. M. Irvine 



Col. E. A. Routheau 



2 Navy Representatives in order of service: 



Rear Adm. H. G. Bowen Rear Adm. J. A. Furer 



Capt. Lybrand P. Smith Rear Adm. A. H. Van Keuren 



Commodore H. A. Schade 



^Commissioners of Patents in order of service: 



Conway P. Coe Casper W. Ooms 



NOTES ON THE ORGANIZATION OF NDRC 



The duties of the National Defense Research Committee 

 were (1) to recommend to the Director of OSRD suitable 

 projects and research programs on the instrumentalities of 

 warfare, together with contract facilities for carrying out 

 these projects and programs, and (2) to administer the tech- 

 nical and scientific work of the contracts. More specifically, 

 NDRC functioned by initiating research projects on requests 

 from the Army or the Navy, or on requests from an allied 

 government transmitted through the Liaison Office of OSRD, 

 or on its own considered initiative as a result of the experi- 

 ence of its members. Proposals prepared by the Division, 

 Panel, or Committee for research contracts for performance 

 of the work involved in such projects were first reviewed by 

 NDRC, and if approved, recommended to the Director of 

 OSRD. Upon approval of a proposal by the Director, a con- 

 tract permitting maximum flexibility of scientific effort was 

 arranged. The business aspects of the contract, including 

 such matters as materials, clearances, vouchers, patents, 

 priorities, legal matters, and administration of patent matters 

 were handled by the Executive Secretary of OSRD. 



Originally NDRC administered its work through five 

 divisions, each headed by one of the NDRC members. 

 These were : 



Division A — Armor and Ordanee 



Division B— Bombs, Fuels, Gases, & Chemical Problems 

 Division C — Communication and Transportation 

 Division D — Detection, Controls, and Instruments 

 Division E — Patents and Inventions 



In a reorganization in the fall of 1942, twenty-three ad- 

 ministrative divisions, panels, or committees were created, 

 each with a chief selected on the basis of his outstanding 

 work in the particular field. The NDRC members then be- 

 came a reviewing and advisory group to the Director of 

 OSRD. The final organization was as follows: 



Division 1 — Ballistic Research 



Division 2— Effects of Impact and Explosion 



Division 3 — Rocket Ordinance 



Division 4 — Ordnance Accessories 



Division 5 — New Missiles 



Division 6— Sub-Surface Warfare 



Division 7— Fire Control 



Division 8 — Explosives 



Division 9 — Chemistry 



Division 10 — Absorbents and Aerosols 



Division 11— Chemical Engineering 



Division 12 — Transportation 



Division 13 — Electrical Communication 



Division 14 — Radar 



Division 15 — Radio Coordination 



Division 16 — Optics and Camouflage 



Division 17— Physics 



Division 18— War Metallurgy 



Division 19— Miscellaneous 



Applied Mathematics Panel 



Applied Psychology Panel 



Committee on Propagation 



Tropical Deterioration Administrative Committee 



IV 



