PREFACE 



The Ethnogeographic Board was established in June 1942 by the 

 National Research Council, the American Council of Learned Socie- 

 ties, the Social Science Research Council, and the Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution. A printed brochure stated the primary purpose: "to make 

 readily accessible to Washington military and war agencies such spe- 

 cific regional information and evaluated personnel data as may be 

 available to the sponsoring institutions and the numerous other govern- 

 mental and outside scientific organizations with which they are affili- 

 ated or in contact." The Board consists of a policy and advisory body, 

 the members of which are selected by the four sponsoring institutions, 

 and a Director and stafif with offices in the Smithsonian Institution, 

 Washington, D. C. 



The Ethnogeographic Board is now entering its fourth year of ac- 

 tivity and will continue as long as its services are needed in the war 

 emergency. The Sponsors have requested that the Board prepare, 

 while still in operation, a historical account of the work, an appraisal 

 of the experience, and constructive suggestions for the consideration 

 of the Sponsors as to the most efifective ways of organizing the schol- 

 arly and scientific resources, which they represent, for public service. 



Such an assignment presents its difficulties in spite of the short 

 time span and relative simplicity of the organization. Obviously, the 

 history is not intended as an apology. In fact, the preparation of the 

 pocket booklet "Survival on Land and Sea," of which almost one mil- 

 lion copies were distributed to the armed forces, would in itself justify 

 the Ethnogeographic Board's existence. Furthermore, neither the 

 Sponsors nor the Board members consider the organization one of 

 unique importance since they are well aware that it was but one of 

 many efforts to make the country's scholarly and scientific resources 

 available for emergency use. However, in this lies the importance of a 

 historical analysis, since the Board can be considered, in a very real 

 sense, a sample of broader activities. 



The Ethnogeographic Board is an example of a service organization, 

 a clearinghouse for Government needs and academic knowledge. Ser- 

 vice was the keynote, both by mandate and by practice, and conse- 

 quently, the major emphasis in this analysis will be placed on that 

 aspect. Before a proper evaluation of this service can be made, it is 

 necessary to review the setting, the intellectual and physical environ- 

 ment, in which the Board operated. Washington in wartime was in 

 itself a factor of major importance. 



