9 
Planning Committee with initiating plans for the establishment of the primate 
colony. The Council also recommended that individuals selected by the Planning 
Committee explore the possibility of establishing a colony primarily for 
research in cardiovascular diseases. However, representatives of other fields 
of research would be invited to participate in the planning and use of the 
colony as opportunities arose. The Planning Committee Chairman's grant was 
to provide funds needed for planning. 
At this meeting, a guiding principle was established: that the primate colony 
should be planned initially as a cardiovascular research colony, but would 
allow for expansion to include other research areas. The alternatives of 
"cardiovascular" versus "general" research became a point of issue later among 
those participating in the planning of the colony. 
B. From the development of NHI interest to the initial appropriation by the 
Congress 
At its May 1957 meeting, the Heart Council's Planning Committee asked its 
chairman. Dr. E. Cowles Andrus, to work with staff to set up an ad hoc steer- 
ing committee for planning, which would in turn call together a varied group 
of consultants knowledgeable about primate research. "The steering committee, 
working under the general auspices of the Heart Council's Planning Committee 
and with continuous staff assistance, would be given the task of looking into 
all aspects of the problem and developing a definite plan to establish the 
colony, including estimates of the initial capital maintenance." Dr. Andrus 
reported to the Council-^' that the National Advisory Health Council had 
recommended that funds be made available to the National Research Council 
for a survey on the needs and supply of primates throughout the United States. 
This survey would be helpful to the Heart Council's ad hoc committee in 
looking into the establishment of a primate center for cardiovascular research. 
Dr. Andrus and the NHI staff set up an ad hoc Advisory Committee for the 
Establishment of a Cardiovascular Primate Colony,-^ with Dr. George Burch 
(then a member of the Heart Council) as chairman. O) The first meeting of 
this group was held on September 25, 1957 at the Dupont Plaza Hotel, Washing- 
ton, D. C.-^' 
6/ June 1957 meeting. 
2/ A group the Council had referred to as "Steering Committee." 
8/ Members were provided written information on the "Cayo Santiago Primate 
Colony" in Puerto Rico, "Large Scale Primate Production in a Caged Colony" 
and "Breeding and Care of Monkeys." For documents, the agenda of the meeting, 
and a report of the meeting see (^). It is interesting that on the same day, 
September 25, the NACRMR met in Bethesda to discuss problems of procuring 
rhesus monkeys from India, particularly the problem of avoiding large losses 
during shipment. 
