Wangaard, vfas brought into this program. He ill probably mention the 

 durable tropical American woods that are available. Perhaps he will be 

 able to give some indication why some of them are resistant to marine 

 borers-*-. 



The background chronology has been sketched in order to show you how 

 research interest grows and how diverse methods of attack are employed on 

 the problem: direct laboratory work such as at NRL, conferences and 

 scientific meetings such as this, contract projects with outside agencies, 

 and bringing into participation other investigators virho may have been 

 working in other related areas. Before discussion of OMR's current pro- 

 gram and plans, it may be well to mention the organization and method of 

 operation. 



Established on 1 August 19U6 by Act of the Congress, ONR is the immediate 

 successor of the Navy's Office of Research and Invention, and its pre- 

 decessor, the Office of the Navy Coordinator for Research and Development, 

 The pertinent section .of our basic charter hag already herein boon para- 

 phrased. Two units of the Office are involved in the problem of this 

 Conference. It is unnecessary to say much about the Naval Research Lab- 

 oratory. It is a large laboratory with about UOOO people devoted to the 

 conduct of basic and applied research for the Wav;^'- Department. 



The other unit is what is called, by those belonging to it, the Research 

 Group, perhaps because the nearest to an official title is "The Assistant 

 Chief of Naval Research for Research." Its primary mission is to encour- 

 age, support, and coordinate research activity in augmentation of and in 

 conjunction v/ith the research and development conducted by the bureaus 

 and other agencies of the Navy Department - in other words, to operate 

 the contract research program of ONR, 



Operating with research scientists in the universities, nonprofit and 

 industrial laboratories, and other government agencies (including Naval 

 laboratories), the staff of the Research Group is composed chiefly of 

 individuals selected from the scientific disciplines; pliysics, mathema- 

 tics, chemistry, biophysics and biochemistry, and other divisions of 

 biology, including ecology. There is also a staff of specialists (not 

 called engineers) in such fields as electronics, acoustics, power, and 

 materials. In addition, the Navy keeps a group of line and engineering 

 officers on duty in the Research Group as liaison with the problems of 

 the Fleet, 



In operating this broad contract research program the Scientific Officers 

 try to keep abreast of current and anticipated Naval problems and of the 

 research activity and potential of the Nation. They do not originate 

 research ideas, plan projects, or direct research activity. They consult 

 with research scientists, reviexu proposals, administer the scientific 

 aspects of approved projects, and interpret research results for colleagues 



^See Section T 



c - 3 



