National Defense Research Committee facts for kids
| NDRC | |
 President Harry S. Truman with members of the National Defense Research Committee. Seated are Dr. James B. Conant, President Truman and Dr. Alfred N. Richards. Standing are Dr. Karl T. Compton, Dr. Lewis H. Weed, Dr. Vannevar Bush, Dr. Frank B. Jewett, Dr. J. C. Hunsaker, Dr. Roger Adams, Dr. A. Baird Hastings and Dr. A. R. Dochez |
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| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | June 27, 1940 |
| Preceding |
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| Dissolved | June 28, 1941 (reduced to advisory body) January 20, 1947 (formally dissolved) |
| Superseding agency | |
| Jurisdiction | United States Government |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. |
| Agency executives |
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| Parent agency | Council of National Defense, a suspended World War I agency briefly revived for World War II |
| Child agencies |
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The National Defense Research Committee (NDRC) was a special group in the United States. It was created on June 27, 1940. Its main job was to organize and lead scientific research. This research focused on creating new tools and devices for war.
The NDRC worked in great secrecy. It started important research that led to key technologies for World War II. These included radar and the atomic bomb. In 1941, the NDRC was replaced by the Office of Scientific Research and Development. It then became an advisory group. The NDRC officially ended in 1947.
Contents
What Was the NDRC and Why Was It Formed?
The NDRC was part of the Council of National Defense. This council was first set up in 1916. Its goal was to get industries and resources ready for national security. President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the NDRC on June 27, 1940.
Who Started the NDRC?
Vannevar Bush, who led the Carnegie Institution, pushed for the NDRC. He had seen problems during World War I. Back then, civilian scientists and the military didn't work well together. Bush met with President Roosevelt on June 12, 1940. He brought a simple paper describing his idea. Roosevelt approved it in just ten minutes.
Some government officials worried Bush was trying to get too much power. Bush later admitted this was true. He said the NDRC was "a grab by which a small company of scientists and engineers... got hold of the authority and money for the program of developing new weapons."
What Was the NDRC's Mission?
President Roosevelt appointed Bush to lead the committee. He explained that the NDRC would not replace existing military research. Instead, it would add to it. The NDRC would bring in more scientists. It would help develop important new devices faster. It would also find new areas where scientific effort could be useful.
How Was the NDRC Organized?
The NDRC was run by eight members. One member was the chairman. Two members were automatically included because of their jobs. These were the President of the National Academy of Sciences and the Commissioner of Patents.
One member was chosen by the United States Secretary of War. Another was chosen by the United States Secretary of the Navy. The other four members were chosen without linking them to other offices.
Who Were the First Members?
The first eight members of the NDRC were:
- Vannevar Bush (Chairman)
- Rear Admiral Harold G. Bowen, Sr.
- Conway P. Coe (Commissioner of Patents)
- Karl Compton (President of MIT)
- James B. Conant (President of Harvard University)
- Frank B. Jewett (President of the National Academy of Sciences and Bell Telephone Laboratories)
- Brigadier General George V. Strong
- Richard C. Tolman (Professor at California Institute of Technology)
General Strong was later replaced by Brigadier General R.C. Moore. At their first meeting, Tolman became Vice-Chairman. Irvin Stewart was appointed Secretary. The NDRC members met regularly throughout the war.
What Research Did the NDRC Do?
Under Vannevar Bush, the NDRC created new laboratories. One was the Radiation Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This lab helped develop radar. Another was the Underwater Sound Laboratory in Connecticut. This lab worked on sonar. The Radiation Laboratory became the NDRC's biggest project.
In its first year, the NDRC received about $6.5 million for research.
How Did the NDRC Help with the Atomic Bomb?
The NDRC's most important project became the Manhattan Project. This was the huge effort to build nuclear weapons. An earlier group, the Advisory Committee on Uranium, had started in 1939. It was looking into building an atomic bomb. But it hadn't made much progress.
President Roosevelt told the Uranium Committee to report to the NDRC. This put Bush in charge of the atomic bomb research. In June 1940, Bush changed the Uranium Committee. He made it a scientific group and removed military members. This gave the NDRC more freedom to fund nuclear research. However, the project didn't speed up until British scientists shared their findings in 1941.
How Did the OSRD Take Over the NDRC?
As World War II grew, there was a need for a new organization. This new group would take over from the NDRC. It would fix some problems the NDRC faced. For example, it would help turn scientific research into usable military technology faster. It would also improve communication between military and civilian research.
At Bush's urging, President Roosevelt created the Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD). This happened on June 28, 1941. The NDRC still existed, but its power was reduced. It could no longer fund research directly. It became an advisory group to the OSRD. The NDRC officially closed on January 20, 1947.
After the OSRD was created, the NDRC's structure changed. Its members included Conant (Chairman), Tolman (Vice-Chairman), Adams, Compton, and Jewett. The Commissioner of Patents and military representatives were also part of it. The Uranium Committee became the S-1 Section. It was no longer under the NDRC after December 1941.
What Were Some Key NDRC Projects?
The NDRC funded hundreds of projects. These took place at many universities and companies. Some of the most famous projects include:
- Atomic bomb research (which became the Manhattan Project)
- DUKW – an amphibious vehicle that could travel on land and water
- Project Pigeon – a unique idea to guide bombs using pigeons
- Proximity fuze – a special fuse that makes a bomb explode when it gets close to its target
- Radar development at the Radiation Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
How Was NDRC Research Organized?
The NDRC's research setup changed often. In early June 1941, just before the OSRD took over, it had several divisions:
- Division A (Armor and Ordnance)
- Division B (Bombs, Fuels, Gases, Chemical Problems)
- Division C (Communication and Transportation)
- Division D (Detection, Controls, Instruments)
- Division E (Patents and Invention)
The Committee on Uranium reported directly to the NDRC Chairman.
After a reorganization in December 1942, the NDRC had many new divisions. These included divisions for Ballistics Research, Explosives, Chemistry, Radar, and Optics. There were also panels for Applied Mathematics and Applied Psychology.
Images for kids
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President Harry S. Truman with members of the National Defense Research Committee.
See also
In Spanish: National Defense Research Committee para niños
