, DEPUTY DIR 

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINiStRATION :~~;e:roo~ WASHINGTON 25. D.C, Assoo DIR-Re

IN REPLY REFER TO: ABC 

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Dr. Abe Silverstein 

Director 

Lewis Research Center 

21000 Brookpark Road 

Cleveland 35, Ohio 

Dear Dr. Silverstein: 

At you are aWare,	 Dr. Dryden has appointed a 

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committee to make a furti8j':ot 

study of potential geographical locations for the proposed Electronidi"';'cllel. 

Research Center. Details relative to the committee's assignment are P , . 

contained in the attached two references: News Release No. 63-233, Att'I':~"14

dated October 21, 1963, and Dr. Seaman's lDelOOra.ndum, dated October9,IH.,'J "ufV 

1963. Proc 

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The committee feels that a knowledge of some of Lewis' experiences with1d :. t 

regard to graduate training, employee activity in local chapters of 1J: '.1 

national professional societies, and support :r.rom local industrial '~~':"W

would be very useful for ~sis of various characteristics of geo~p~ieiIV

areas where the proposed new center might be located.	 Test Ingb F.lJ.C il OpQf. 

With regard to the graduate study program the committee is seeking 3;!r§ 

to the following questions: How many members of the professional s .' DfUI 

have taken graduate courses under the graduate study program and wfth ifta.~n.

universities? How many have participated at each university durin~seaeft~~......

the last fiva years and how many Master's and Doctor's degrees have been 

earned during each of those years? What was the professional sta.f'f' complement 

during each of those years? What percentage- of the total professional staff \j 

has participated in the graduate training program at one time or another? 

What are Lewis' comments regarding the distance :r.rom Lewis to the cooperating/ 

universities? What effect would larger or shorter distances have? 

The committee is also interested in information concerning local professional 

society activity. How many of the sta.f'f' members belong to local chapters 

or sections of the IEEE, the AIAA, other professional societies, or local 

engineering clubs? What are Lewis' comments regarding the importance or 

value to the Lewis' sta.f'f' of partic~~atio~ in the activities of these groups? 

With regard to local industrial firms, we would appreciate the following
 

, iV\ type of information. What is the estimated annual dollar volume of
 

specialized technical support to Lewis by industry within the local area? 

""t'Wha.t are the types of special services such as instrument repair, glass

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blowing" data processing" which are supplied by loca:r/industrial firms? I 

What are your comments regarding the availability or lack of availability 

of such local support in your area and its effects on center staffing 

and operations? 

Please respond to the above with whatever information is most readily 

available and feel free to add any add!tiona! information or comments 

which you feel might be use:f'u1. to the committee. 

Your assistance in this matter will be greatly appreciated. 

Francis B. Smith" Chairman 

Area Survey Committee 

Attachments (2) 

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NEWS RELEAS E 

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 

400 MARYLAND AVENUE, SW, WASHINGTON, D. C. 20546 

TELEPHONES: WORTH 2-4155 -------- WORTH3-6925 

!» PM's MONDAY FOR RELEA E: Oct. 21, 1963 

RELEASE NO: 63-233 

NASA NAMES COMMITTEE rO STUDY 

LOCATION OF ELECTRONICS CENTER 

Appointment of a fact-finding committee to evalua:~2

the advantages and disadvantages of potential geographic 

locations for its proposed Electronics Research Cente~

was announced today by the National Aeronautics and 

Space Administration. 

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Webb ~ointed out that the new center will conduct'
 

sufficient basic and applied research to keep its staff
 

abreast of advanced developments in the electronics field"
 

but will also have as a major responsibility the approval
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of and technical monitoring of university reeearch and
 

production contracts. It will be responsible for fUlly
 

utilizing the research competence and potential of uni­


versities and industries throughout the nation, rather
 

than creating new resources. The importance of this new
 

center is emphasized by the fact that NASA electronic~
 

research and development represents a substantial portion
 

of the investment the nation is making in space research
 

and exploration.
 

, 

In authorizing funds for the center (PL 88-113), Congress 

stipulated that none may be expended until after the NASA 

Administrator transmits to the Congress a report detailing 

the geographic location, need for, and nature of the 

research center. House and Senate committees then will 

have 45 days in which to review the studies and indicate 

any objections. 

Jhe .space agency requested $5 million for the elec­


tronics center in the 1964 fiscal year. Congress autho­ , '. -,

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rized $3.9 million, subject to the < report requirements, 

noting that an additional $1.1 million was available for 

advanced planning. 

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.The current in-house effort is diffused and relative1y 

small and has limited NASA's contractual research efforts in 

electronics. The lack of a group of able, experienced scie~

tists and engineers concentrating on space electronics research and relating contracted research to the overall space 

program has not provided'an adequate technical base for the 

phase of NASA I S program now being entered. SubstantL1, electronics re~earch support will be needed as the prime emtracts 

for boosters and spacecraft are concluded and emphasL:; shifts 

to spacecr~ft gUidance, control and communications, and linkages of these to NASA's world-wide network of ground control 

data acquisition, and deep 3pace communications. 

The basic purpose of the Electronics Research Center iG 

to correct the existing deficiency and to provide NASA with 

the personnel and resources to properly plan, conduct, direct, 

supervise, and utilize electronics research and selected ~d

vanced development. 

As in the past, contracts and grants to industry and universities will be utilized as much as possible in performing 

the required work. More than 90 percent of NASA IS overalJ \-wrIc 

and 70 percent of its research are performed under contract. 

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. The committee will include in its final report to ~.

the Administrator a general evaluation of the economic' 

impact the research would have on the area in which it 

is located. 

At an app~opriate time, NASA will give key public 

officials an opportunity to present such additional or 

supplemental data as they wish to have cons1aered along 

with the committee's report at the'time of the final 

decision. Where practical, this data should be SUbmitted 

in writing to the NASA Admin1st~tor. If oral presentations are considered essential, Assistant Deputy Administrator Dr. George L. Simpson will be responsible 

for scheduling and conducting as appropriate hearing . 

.. END ­
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 

WASHINGTON tsr D.C. 20546 

Of£iceof the Administrator	 OCT - S :~-:;~

TO	 NASA Center Directors 

Headquarters Program Office Directors 

Director, Jet Propulsion Laboratory 

FROM	 Associate Administrator 

SUBJECT:	 Plans for establishment of NASA's proposed 

Electronics Researoh Center 

The NASA FY 1964 Authorization Bill, as recently passed by the Congress, 

gives favorable consideration to our proposal for a new Electronics 

Research Center, but with certain reservations. The Congressional 

authorization provided the full $5 million requested for the C~nter

this year. These funds are reflected in two items of the "Construction 

of Facilities" category of the bill; $3.9 million is included under 

the item of "Various Locations, nand $1.1 million in the "Facility 

Planning and Design" item. . 

The Authorization Bill requires that NASA conduct an additional study 

relative to the national location of, need for, and nature of the 

Center prior to any expenditure of the $3.9 million. Plans are currently being formulated to proceed with the required study. 

The report entitled Electronics Research Center - Requirements, 

Operations. Implementation Plans, reoently forwarded to you, explains 

most of the aspects of the plans for the Center in some detail. This 

report was submitted to the Congress during their review of our proposal for the Electronics Research Center. In addition, I am enclosing, 

for background information, a copy of· 1ettemfrom the Administrator to 

the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences, 

and the Chairman of the House Committee on Science and Astronautics. 

An Electronics Research Task Group (ERTG) was estab1tshed in February 1963, 

under the Director of the Office of Advanoed Research and Technology, to . conduot the preliminary planning require4 in initiating the new Center. The 
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responsibility for the conduct, of the implementation ("nature of") 

and requirements ("need for") phases of the study required by Congress 

has been assigned to the Office of Advanced Research and Technology. 

In implementing the study, small Headquarters study groups, working 

with representatives of the Task Group, are being established to cover 

these study areas. I believe that cognizant personnel from the Centers 

could provide valuable assistance to these study groups in compiling 

the best data in a minimum time period. It is planned to employ the 

Steering Groups for Control~ Guidance and Navigation, and for CommUnications, Instrument~tion and'Data Processing for this purpose. The 

Steering Groups are comprised of the NASA representatives on the 

Research AdvisQry Committees for Control, Guidance and Navigation, ~nd

for Communications, Instrumentation and Data Processing, respeotively, 

and have been functioning effectively as advisors to OART. These . representatives shall be prepared to speak for their respective Centers' 

in assisting the aforementioned study groups. It is expected that they 

will be called upon in the immediate future to ~ttend a few meetings 

in Washington. Members of the Steering Groups will be contacted by 

Mr. Laurence F. Gilchrist, Chairman of the Implementation Study Group. 

In addition to the two study groups, an Area Evaluation Team is being 

established to conduct the national survey requested by Congress. ~n

putting this team together, it may be necessary to prevail upon selected 

Centers for the time and assistance of specific individuals. In these 

instances, the Center Director will be contacted directly. 

I expect that each Center and Program Office will provide its full cooperation in assisting in these planning operations. The contribution 

that you and members of your staff can make during the formative stage. 

of the Center planning will do much to set a pattern for the successful 

operation of the Center, wh~ch is essential to the future of NASA and 

its objectives. 

Dr. Albert J~ Kelley, Manager of the Electronics Research Task Group, 

will be in direct oontact with you relative to any further assistance' 

whioh might be desired. 

Robert C. Seamans, Jr. 

cc:
 

B/Director, Office of Administration
 

Enolosures 2
 
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pg. 60