NOMINATION OF LT. COL. WILLIAM A. ANDERS TO THE POSITION OF EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE COUNCIL

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 1969

U.S. SENATE,

COMMITTEE ON AERONAUTICAL AND SPACE SCIENCES,

Washington, D.C.

The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:35 a.m., in room 235, Old Senate Office Building, Senator Stephen M. Young presiding. Present: Senators Young, Dodd, Cannon, Holland, Smith, Hatfield, Goldwater, and Saxbe.

Also present: James J. Gehrig, staff director; Everard H. Smith, Jr., Dr. Glen P. Wilson, Craig Voorhees, and William Parker, professional staff members; Sam Bouchard, assistant chief clerk, Mary Rita Robbins, Carol L. Wilson and Patricia Robinson, clerical assistants.

OPENING STATEMENT BY THE CHAIRMAN

Senator YOUNG. The committee will come to order.

I am very happy to observe that our friend and our colleague, the senior Senator from California, Mr. Murphy, is here with us this morning and, of course, we all welcome you very cordially.

This hearing has been called to hear Astronaut William A. Anders, lieutenant colonel, U.S. Air Force, who is nominated by the President to be Executive Secretary of the National Aeronautics and Space Council. We are happy to hear Colonel Anders and we welcome you here, Colonel-I should say Colonel, sir. His work as an astronaut and a member of Apollo 8 crew is well known to every one in this Nation and, of course, to all the members of this committee.

A copy of Colonel Anders' biographical sketch is before each member of this committee and if there is no objection, that will be placed in the record at an appropriate point.

(Colonel Anders' biography follows:)

Name: William A. Anders (Lieutenant Colonel), Lunar Module Pilot.

Birthplace and date: Born October 17, 1933, in Hong Kong; his parents, Commander (USN retired) and Mrs. Arthur F. Anders, now reside in La Mesa, California.

Physical description: Brown hair; blue eyes; height: 5 feet 8 inches; weight: 145 pounds.

Education: Received a Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Naval Academy in 1955 and a Master of Science Degree in Nuclear Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, in 1962.

Marital status: Married to the former Valerie E. Hoard of Lemon Grove, California, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry G. Hoard, of Oceanside. California. Children: Alan, February 1957; Glen, July 1958; Gayle, December 1960; Gregory, December 1962; Eric, July 1964.

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Other activities: His hobbies are fishing, flying, camping, and water skiing; and he also enjoys soccer.

Organizations: Member of the American Nuclear Society, Tau Beta Pi, and the Society of Experimental Test Pilots.

Special honors: Awarded the NASA and USAF Distinguished Service Medals, Collier and Arnold flight trophies, National Geographic Society's Hubbard Medal for exploration and several others-Several Doctoral Degrees. Experience: Anders was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Air Force upon graduation from the Naval Academy. After Air Force flight training, he served as a fighter pilot in all-weather interceptor squadrons of the Air Defense Command.

After his graduate training, he served as a nuclear engineer and intructor pilot at the Air Force Weapons Laboratory, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., where he was responsible for technical management of space and nuclear reactor radiation shielding and radiation effects programs.

He has logged more than 3,000 hours of jet A/C and helicopter flying time. Current assignment: Lt. Col. Anders was one of the third group of astronauts selected by NASA in October 1963. He has since served as backup pilot for the Gemini 11 mission. Anders was promoted to lieutenant colonel after the Apollo 8 mission in accordance with a President policy announced in 1965. He presently is the backup Command Modle Pilot for the Apollo 11 flight.

Senator YOUNG. Senator Smith, I believe you have a short statement that you would like to make. After that, we shall hear from Senator Murphy and Colonel Anders.

STATEMENT BY SENATOR SMITH

Senator SMITH. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Colonel Anders, it is an honor for me to join the chairman in welcoming you in your first appearance before this committee. I do not know whether you recall but during your trip to Washington after the Apollo 8 flight, you and your fellow crewmates sent me a most spectacular photograph of the earth taken from the far reaches of the moon. Not only were you kind enough to send it to me but each of the Apollo 8 crew inscribed it with thanks for my support of the program. I was very appreciative of your thoughtfulness and I wrote to you and your crewmates thanking you for the gift. I am sure I indicated in my letter to you that your amazing and daring flight in Apollo 8 will always rank as one of man's greatest achievements. I also wrote, and I repeat it to you now in person, I envy you. The chance to challenge the unknown and to explore new regions, are the very things that keep men and women and nations young and vital.

I have supported our space science and technology efforts because I feel as I am sure you do, that our space efforts have an enormous potential for unlimited good for all.

Upon your appointment to the position of Executive Secretary of the Space Council, I read with pleasure that you intend to strengthen the Executive Secretary position of the Council, that you feel the Space Council should do less in the way of public relations but rather become more deeply involved in the direction of space program policies. I sincerely hope that you were not misquoted as I feel strongly that this is the proper direction in which the Space Council should head.

We are most pleased to welcome you and I am happy to have the distinguished Senator from California coming with you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Senator YOUNG. The Chair recognizes our colleague, the senior Senator from California.

STATEMENT OF HON. GEORGE MURPHY, A U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

Senator MURPHY. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

There are many pleasant things about being a Member of the U.S. Senate, but I can say with all honesty that this is one of the most exciting, one of the most pleasant duties it is my privilege to perform since I have been a Member of this distinguished body.

Mr. Chairman, it is with special pride and great pleasure that I appear before your committee this morning to take the honor to introduce my constituent, Lt. Col. William A. Anders, whom the President of the United States has nominated to be Executive Secretary of the Space Council. As the chairman has said, you have a copy of Colonel Anders' biography and certainly no member of this committee is unaware of his accomplishments in our Nation's space program.

I think one of the most memorable things that ever happened in the space program was the reading from the Bible at Christmastime when those three young men were farther away from the earth than anybody had ever been. I will always remember the comments they made before the joint session when it was remarked that first they carried out the ecumenical spirit by having a Roman Catholic read from the King James version of the Bible, and then when Colonel Bormann looked down and saw the members of the Supreme Court, he said, "Maybe we should not have read it at all."

I think in all my years I have never heard a more spontaneous reaction from a crowded room.

Colonel Anders is to my way of thinking, typical of the dedication of the great majority of our young people today. Unfortunately, we seem to hear about some who are not quite as dedicated to our way of life. Since graduation from high school he has demonstrated intelligence, determination, sense of purpose and courage, and while only 36 years of age, he has achieved more than most people achieve in an entire lifetime, most of which is to the benefit of his country and the people of his country and the people of the entire world.

I am sure that you must be aware that my constituency is extremely proud of Bill Anders. In their behalf I am privileged to introduce this Californian this morning and respectfully recommend his early confirmation by this committee of the Senate.

Colonel Anders, as you know, if he is confirmed and I sincerely hope he will be--he cannot take over his new responsibilities immediately because he is one of the backup astronauts for the Apollo 11 flight, and until that flight is launched, he has to continue his training. But I think that if the committee feels as I do about this nomination, we will be glad to wait until the 11 is launched and back so that he can take up his duties.

So I am very pleased, Mr. Chairman, to have had this privilege extended by your committee today through your kindness and I am very honored to present to you now Col. Bill Anders, who I sincerely hope will be confirmed by this committee in carrying out the President's wishes.

Senator YOUNG. Thank you, Senator Murphy. Now, Colonel Anders, I believe you have a prepared statement. Will you please read that to the committee?

STATEMENT OF LT. COL. WILLIAM A. ANDERS, NOMINEE TO THE POSITION OF EXECUTIVE SECRETARY OF THE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE COUNCIL

Colonel ANDERS. Mr. Chairman, members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today.

With your permission I would like to make a short biographical statement, then I will be happy to try to answer any questions you may have.

My name is William A. Anders. My present residence is Houston, Tex., where I am currently on assignment from the U.S. Air Force as a NASA astronaut, a position held for the past five and a half years. I was fortunate in having been chosen as one of the three members of the Apollo 8 crew. This lunar flight was man's first exploration outside the earth's influence. I am convinced that this was just one of many exciting and significant space achievements if we keep up the tremendous team effort that has been established in the U.S. space exploration and applications program.

By way of background, I was one of the third group of astronauts selected by NASA in October of 1963, and was assigned to the Manned Spacecraft Center at Houston. I served as backup pilot for the Gemini 11 flight before I was assigned to the Apollo 8 mission as lunar module pilot. I am currently command module pilot serving on the backup crew to the Apollo 11 flight.

I came to NASA by way of the U.S. Naval Academy. I graduated with a bachelor of science degree in 1955, and immediately accepted a commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force.

After completion of Air Force flight training, I served as a jet fighter pilot in all-weather fighter interceptor squadrons of the Air Defense Comamnd.

I obtained a master of science degree in nuclear engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology in Dayton, Ohio, in 1962. After this training, I served as a nuclear engineer and instructor pilot at the Air Force Weapons Laboratory, Kirtland Air Force Base, N. Mex., where I was responsible for space and nuclear reactor radiation shielding.

In all, I have logged more than 3,000 hours of jet fighter and helicopter flying time. I am now an Air Force lieutenant colonel. I will resign my commission as provided by law after I have fulfilled my obligation as a member of the backup crew of Apollo 11 and before I am sworn in as executive secretary of the Space Council.

I am a member of the American Nuclear Society and of Tau Beta Pi, a national engineering honorary society. I am also a member of the Air Force Association and the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. I have received the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal and the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, and the Air Force Commendation Medal, as well as several honorary doctor degrees. I have also been awarded the Collier and Arnold flight trophies, the National Geographic Society's Hubbard Medal for exploration and several others.