COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND ASTRONAUTICS OVERTON BROOKS, Louisiana, Chairman JOHN W. MCCORMACK, Massachusetts ERWIN MITCHELL, Georgia DAVID S. KING, Utah J. EDWARD ROUSH, Indiana JOSEPH W. MARTIN, JR., Massachusetts CHARLES F. DUCANDER, Executive Director and Chief Counsel PHILIP B. YEAGER, Special Consultant Bronk, Dr. Detlev W., President, National Academy of Sciences; Chairman, National Science Board. Horner, Richard, Associate Administrator accompanied by Robert G. Nunn, Jr., Assistant Counsel, National Aeronautics and Space Robbins, Paul H., executive director, National Society of Professional Waterman, Dr. Alan T., Director, National Science Foundation; ac- 6 III NATIONAL MEDAL OF SCIENCE JULY 30, 1959 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND ASTRONAUTICS, Washington, D.C. The committee met, pursuant to call, at 10 a.m., Hon. Overton Brooks (chairman of the committee) presiding. The CHAIRMAN. The committee will come to order. We have two bills set down this morning for hearing. One of them is H.R. 6288, by Mr. Anfuso, to establish a National Order of Science, and for other purposes, and the other one is H.R. 7981, by me, to amend the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended, to provide for an immediate study of the need for, the proper composition of, and the most efficient means of obtaining a continuous up-to-date national record of scientific and technical personnel throughout the United States. (The bills referred to are as follows:) [H.R. 6288, 86th Cong., 1st sess.] A BILL To establish a National Order of Science to provide recognition for individuals who make outstanding contributions in science and engineering Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That (a) there is hereby established the National Order of Science (hereinafter referred to as the "Order"), which shall consist at any given time of all individuals then living who have been appointed as provided in section 2 of this Act. (b) Each individual appointed to the Order shall at the time of appointment receive an award consisting of (1) a gold medal, to be known as the National Medal of Science, of such design and bearing such inscriptions as the President, on the basis of recommendations submitted by the National Science Foundation, may prescribe, and (2) a lump-sum payment of such amount, not to exceed $10,000, as the President may prescribe in the case of each individual nominated for appointment to the Order. SEC. 2. (a) The President shall from time to time nominate for appointment to the Order, on the basis of recommendations received from Government agencies and public or private organizations and other persons whose activities involve or are related to science and engineering or on the basis of such other information and evidence as he deems appropriate, living individuals who in his judgment are deserving of special recognition by reason of their outstanding contributions in the field of science and engineering to the security of the United States or the progress of mankind. (b) Not more than twenty individuals may be nominated for appointment to the Order in any one calendar year. (c) An individual may not be nominated for appointment to the Order unless at the time such nomination is made he (1) is a citizen of the United States; or (2) is an alien lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence who (A) has filed an application for petition for naturalization in the manner prescribed by section 334 (b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act and (B) is not permanently ineligible to become a citizen of the United States. (d) Each nomination made by the President under this section shall be transmitted to the Committee on Science and Astronautics of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences of the Senate; and each such committee, after such hearings and investigations as it deems appropriate, shall either approve (by the affirmative vote of a majority of its total membership) or reject the nomination as so transmitted. Notice of the approval of any nomination as provided in the preceding sentence shell be furnished the President by each such committee without delay, and upon receipt of such notice from both such committees the President shall appoint the nominee to the Order (and confer the award described in subsection (b of the first section of this Act) in such manner and with such ceremonies as he may deem appropriate. SEC. 3. As used in this Act, the term "science" means the physical sciences and mathematics. SEC. 4. Notwithstanding any other law of the United States, or any law of a State, Territory, Commonwealth, or possession of the United States, no part of the sum referred to in clause (2) of subsection (b) of the first section this Act, or of the sum referred to in section 5, shall be assignable, or be subject to any tax or to garnishment, attachment, or other legal process, under any circumstances whatsoever, nor shall the payment thereof be anticipated. SEC. 5. As a special award and an incentive to the development of space travel, there shall be paid to the first living human being who travels in space at orbital velocity (and who at the time of such travel satisfies paragraph (1 or (2) of section 2(c) of this Act), the sum of $100,000. If two or more indviduals qualify for the special award described in the preceding sentence, sui sum shall be equally divided among them; and if any individual qualifies for such award but dies before he can receive payment, such sum or his share thereof shall be paid to his next of kin as determined in accordance with the laws of the place where he was domiciled at the time of his death. The Admir istrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shall determine the individual or individuals entitled to receive the special award described in the first sentence of this section and shall without delay transmit such determination to the President, who shall confer the award upon such individual individuals in such manner and with such ceremonies as he may deez appropriate. SEC. 6. There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this Act. [H.R. 7981, 86th Cong., 1st sess.] A BILL To amend the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended, to provide for an immediate study of the need for, the proper composition of, and the most efficit means of obtaining a continuous up-to-date national record of scientific and technici personnel throughout the United States Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United Stat¬ of America in Congress assembled, That the National Science Act of 1950, -: amended, is further amended by adding a new section 3(d) as follows: "(d) That there is hereby established a Committee on Scientific and Technici Personnel (hereinafter referred to as 'Committee'), to be composed of a Chairman appointed by the Director of the National Science Foundation and ere member selected by the President from the Federal Council for Science at Technology and one member (to be selected by the head of his respective agetCT from each of the following: The National Science Foundation, the Bureau the Census, the Civil Service Commission, the Department of Defense, the Department of Labor, the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Central Intelliget Agency." SEC. 2. (a) It shall be the duty of the Committee (1) to make an intensive study of the need, both governmental and ner governmental, for a permanent, comprehensive, and continually currer record of scientific and technical personnel throughout the United States which will provide appropriate information on both the formal training such personnel and their subsequent experience; (2) to determine the type and kind of information which such a recr could most advantageously supply and should be expected to provide; (3) to determine in what manner and through what means such a record may best be maintained; and |