Dr. A. N. Richards, Chairman of the Committee on Medical Research of the Office of Scientific Research and Development.. Francis G. Blake, dean and Sterling professor of medicine, Yale University School of Medicine____ Dr. John P. Peters, Yale School of Medicine.. Assistant Surgeon General R. E. Dyer, Director, National Insti- tute of Health, United States Public Health Service. Dr. Henry B. Richardson, Physician's Forum; associate professor Selman A. Waksman, microbiologist, New Jersey Agricultural Raymond Zirkle, professor of botany, University of Chicago; Friday, October 26, 1945: Testimony of Howland H. Sargeant, Chief, Division of Patent Administration, Casper W. Ooms, Commissioner, United States Patent Office... A. G. Christie, Johns-Hopkins University, past president of Page 675 696 705 705 705 707 708 Dr. J. H. Rushton, professor of chemical engineering, University 708 708 Robert H. Morris, director, American Institute of Mining and 708 Dr. Frank D. Kern, University of Pennsylvania; president, Myco- 730 Statements submitted by Luther H. Evans, Librarian of Congress___ 656 P. V. Cardon, Administrator, Agricultural Research Adminis- 726 ALPHABETICAL LIST OF WITNESSES Bakhmeteff, Boris A.. Blake, Francis G. Bronk, D. W. Butler, Allan. Cardon, P. V. Christie, A. G.. Compton, Karl T. Rhoads, Cornelius P. Richardson, Henry B. 707 469 558 486 726 708 621 549 517 656 708 489 495 599 705 730 530 HEARINGS ON SCIENCE LEGISLATION S. 1297 and Related Bills MONDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1945 UNITED STATES SENATE, COMMITTEE ON MILITARY AFFAIRS, SUBCOMMITTEE ON WAR MOBILIZATION, Washington, D. C. The subcommittees met at 10:05 a. m., pursuant to adjournment on October 19, 1945, in room 457, Senate Office Building, Senator Guy Cordon, Oregon, presiding. Present: Senator Guy Cordon, Oregon, and Senator C. Wayland Brooks, Illinois. Also present: Dr. Herbert Schimmel, chief investigator; Mr. John H. Teeter, director of hearings for Senator Magnuson. Senator CORDON. The hearing will please come to order. We seem to be a little short on committee attendance this morning due to the fact that many members of the committee have been unavoidably detained on other important business, either in Washington, or outside the city. The first witness this morning, Dr. A. N. Richards, is Chairman of the Committee on Medical Research of the Office of Scientific Research and Development. Dr. Richards, we will be glad to hear from you. TESTIMONY OF DR. A. N. RICHARDS, CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE ON MEDICAL RESEARCH OF THE OFFICE OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT Dr. RICHARDS. Mr. Chairman, I have been the Chairman of the Committee on Medical Research since its establishment as a division of the Office of Scientific Research and Development in July 1941. During the same period I have continued to serve the University of Pennsylvania as its vice president in charge of medical affairs. On the assumption that my statement has been requested because of my knowledge of the activities of the Committee on Medical Research and because the record of the work of that committee may be useful to those who are responsible for the design of legislation, I shall begin with a brief account of the organization of the Committee and its methods of functioning. The Committee consists of seven members: Four civilians who were appointed by President Roosevelt; a representative of the Army Medical Corps appointed by the Secretary of War; a representative of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery appointed by the Secretary of the Navy; and a representative of the United States Public Health Service appointed by the Federal Security Administrator. One of the civilian appointees was and still is Chairman of the Division of Medical Sciences of the National Research Council, a quasi-governmental organization, established in 1916 by the National Academy of Sciences, and perpetuated by Executive order of President Wilson in 1918-an organization which shares with the National Academy of Sciences the duty of giving advice on scientific matters to Government agencies when requested. The CMR was, as has been stated, appointed in July 1941. Its instructions were to assist the Director of the OSRD in his task of mobilizing the scientific and medical personnel of the Nation in the interest of the national defense. But for 15 months previously, the Division of Medical Sciences of the National Research Council had periodically been presented by the Surgeons General of Army and Navy with questions relating to military medicine on which expert civilian medical advice was desired. To answer these questions, the Chairman of that Division appointed committees of experts who came to Washington, sat with representatives of the Services and formulated such replies as could then be made. Those discussions revealed gaps in knowledge which could only be filled by research. Funds in adequate amount with which to finance research were not available. Hence, a situation had developed in which problems, recognized as important for the national defense, were urgently demanding research for their solution; groups of competent advisers were informed of those problems; but no governmental agency existed with power to authorize and finance the necessary investigations. It was to meet those necessities that the CMR was created as a division of the OSRD under the directorship of Dr. Bush. The number and variety of problems awaiting and prepared for study can be inferred from the fact that at the time of the creation of CMR there had been set up in the Military Medicine section of the medical division of the Research Council 7 main committees and 32 subcommittees with a membership of 354 persons. With these considerations in mind, the CMR at its first meeting on July 31, 1941, made four important decisions; Dr. Weed, Chairman of the Division of Medical Sciences of the National Research Council and an appointee of President Roosevelt, was elected vice chairman of the CMR; the chairmen of the main committees of his division were appointed consultants to the CMR; an understanding was reached that the Research Council committees and subcommittees were to act in an advisory capacity to the CMR; and a contract with the National Academy of Sciences was recommended to the Director of the OSRD which would reimburse the Council for the expenses of committee meetings, of the conferences of CMR investigators and of the preparation of reports. Without the help of those organized committees of the National Research Council or of an equivalent organization of advisers which the CMR would have been obliged to set up had the Research Council committees not existed, the responsibilities of the CMR could not have been discharged. Since its establishment 4%1⁄2 years ago, the CMR has held 120 meetings. During that time the advisory Research Council committees have held a total of 665 meetings and 228 conferences of investigators. These committee meetings were regularly attended and participated in by liaison officers of the interested divisions of the services. Through those liaisons and through the service members |