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Symposium on International Science Policy, Washington, DC, January 26, 1971
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4526346
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Symposium on International Science Policy, Washington, DC, January 26, 1971
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Gerald R. Ford Congressional Papers
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The original documents are located in Box D30, folder "Symposium on International
Science Policy, Washington, DC, January 26, 1971" of the Ford Congressional Papers:
Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. The Council donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Remarks/at a symposium on International Science Policy, conducted by the
House Committee on Science and Astronautics, 10 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 26, 1971, in
Room 2318 Rayburn House Office Building.
to
Carl
ok)
reading Copy only made
Office Copy
It is with a sense of awe that I address this gathering. In this room,
at this time, we have perhaps the greatest collection of brains ever assembled
in one place at one time.
I have always been impressed by power--but not so much by political power
as
by brain power. This we have here today in abundance, and so this is.
a most auspicious occasion.
It is because we have all this brain power that I hold hope for the
the works
world--hope that battered as is it will respond to our ministrations
over a period of time. Time we need. I hppe it is not
running out on us.
We can make tremendous progress over time. This committee and the
world scientific community have produced ample evidence of that
in terms
of space exploration, advances in medicine, and great technological achievements.
I myself take pride in the fact that I was a member of the original space
committee-the Select Committee of the House which helped create the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration.
It seems unbelievable it was less than 10 years ago that Yuri Gagarin
completed the first successful space flight. It seems even more remarkable that
it was a little more than five years ago that U.S. Astronaut Ed White walked in
space and that just 18 months ago Neil Armstrong became the first human being
to take a step on the moon.
With these prodigious accomplishments over a short span of time, it is
small wonder that men everywhere--and particularly Americans--began to wonder
whether anything was impossible of achievement.
I like to think that the two
U.S. moon landings were made possible
principally because of a partnership between the National Legislature and the
scientific community.
GERALD
LIBRARY
Digitized from Box D30 of The Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
-2-
We are continuing that partnership now as
we attempt to solve the
problems of our environment and the
other great social problems of our
times.
Ever since the catapulting of Sputnik into space, man has been compelled
to realize that every one of us-even those in the remotest corners of our
earthly
globe--is closely
linked to each other.
With the present awareness of environmental problems, we have come to
know that we wills either all survive together or we will surely all perish.
This is as much true because of the assaults we have made upon our habitat as
our development of
the means of universal nuclear
destruction.
boundaries
We know that environmental problems have no no stopping place.
They cover the earth. The poisons emitted by the industries of one country
can pollute the air and the water of others. Even the oceans are vulnerable.
And so it is most fitting that one of your topics here today is "International
Cooperation in the Environmental Sciences."
We need to ring the talents of the scientific community to bear not
only on air and water pollution but on all of the pressing social problems
of our times. And this,
too, is another of your discussion topics.
With your help I believe great progress can be made in restoring
and preserving our environment and in making our cities livable again.
Let us join hands, we of the Congress and you of the scientific
community, to remake our cities into centers where life can be
a thing of
beauty and pleasure.
I
think we can do that if we all dedicate ourselves to the cause
of
public service--service to all the peoples of the world--so that
life can be worthwhile for the disadvantaged as well as the pr ivileged.
LIBRARY
Welcome to these meetings--and now I leave you to your la bors.
######
SYMPOSIUM ON INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE POLICY,
CONDUCTED BY THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON
SCIENCE AND ASTRONAUTICS, 10 A.M.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 1971, IN ROOM
2318 RAYBURN HOB.
IT IS WITH A SENSE OF AWE THAT
I ADDRESS MOMENT THIS GATHERING. IN THIS ROOM,
AT THIS
WE HAVE PERHAPS THE GREATEST
,
COLLECTION OF BRAINS EVER ASSEMBLED IN ONE
PLACE AT ONE TIME.
I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN IMPRESSED BY
POWER -- BUT NOT SO MUCH BY POLITICAL
POWER AS BY BRAIN POWER. THIS WE HAVE
HERE TODAY IN ABUNDANCE, AND SO THIS IS
A MOST AUSPICIOUS OCCASION.
IT IS BECAUSE WE HAVE ALL THIS
BRAIN POWER THAT I HOLD HOPE FOR THE
WORLD -- HOPE THAT BATTERED AS THE WORLD
IS IT WILL RESPOND TO OUR MINISTRATIONS
OVER A PERIOD OF TIME. TIME WE NEED.
FORD & LIBRARY GERALD
-2-
I HOPE IT IS NOT RUNNING OUT ON US.
WE CAN MAKE TREMENDOUS PROGRESS
OVER TIME. THIS COMMITTEE AND THE WORLD
SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY HAVE PRODUCED AMPLE
EVIDENCE OF THAT -- IN TERMS OF SPACE
EXPLORATION, ADVANCES IN MEDICINE, AND
GREAT TECHNOLOGICAL ACHIEVEMENTS.
I MYSELF TAKE PRIDE IN THE FACT
THAT I WAS A MEMBER OF THE ORIGINAL SPACE
COMMITTEE -- THE SELECT COMMITTEE OF THE
HOUSE WHICH HELPED CREATE THE NATIONAL
AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION.
IT SEEMS UNBELIEVABLE IT WAS LESS
THAN 10 YEARS AGO THAT YURI GAGARIN
COMPLETED THE FIRST SUCCESSFUL SPACE FLIGHT.
IT SEEMS EVEN MORE REMARKABLE THAT IT WAS
A LITTLE MORE THAN FIVE YEARS AGO THAT
U.S. ASTRONAUT ED WHITE WALKED IN SPACE
FORD
AND THAT JUST 18 MONTHS AGO NEIL ARMSTRONG
GER
AND
-3-
BECAME THE FIRST HUMAN BEING TO TAKE A
STEP ON THE MOON.
WITH THESE PRODIGIOUS ACCOMPLISH-
MENTS OVER A SHORT SPAN OF TIME, IT IS
SMALL WONDER THAT MEN EVERYWHERE -- AND
PARTICULARLY AMERICANS -- BEGAN TO WONDER
WHETHER ANYTHING WAS IMPOSSIBLE OF
ACHIEVEMENT.
I LIKE TO THINK THAT THE TWO
U.S. MOON LANDINGS WERE MADE POSSIBLE
PRINCIPALLY BECAUSE OF A PARTNERSHIP
BETWEEN THE NATIONAL LEGISLATURE AND THE
SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY.
WE ARE CONTINUING THAT PARTNERSHIP
NOW AS WE ATTEMPT TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS
OF OUR ENVIRONMENT AND THE OTHER GREAT
SOCIAL PROBLEMS OF OUR TIMES.
EVER SINCE THE CATAPULTING OF
SPUTNIK INTO SPACE, MAN HAS BEEN COMPELLED
LIBRARY
-4-
TO REALIZE THAT EVERY ONE OF US -- EVEN
THOSE IN THE REMOTEST CORNERS OF OUR
EARTHLY GLOBE -- IS CLOSELY LINKED TO
EACH OTHER.
WITH THE PRESENT AWARENESS OF
ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS, WE HAVE COME TO
KNOW THAT WE WILL EITHER ALL SURVIVE TOGETHER
OR WE WILL SURELY ALL PERISH. THIS IS AS
MUCH TRUE BECAUSE OF THE ASSAULTS WE HAVE
MADE UPON OUR HABITAT AS OUR DEVELOPMENT
OF THE MEANS OF UNIVERSAL NUCLEAR
DESTRUCTION.
WE KNOW THAT ENVIRONMENTAL
PROBLEMS HAVE NO BOUNDARIES -- NO STOPPING
PLACE. THEY COVER THE EARTH. THE POISONS
EMITTED BY THE INDUSTRIES OF ONE COUNTRY
CAN POLLUTE THE AIR AND THE WATER OF
OTHERS. EVEN THE OCEANS ARE VULNERABLE.
AND SO IT IS MOST FITTING THAT ONE OF YOUR
-5-
TOPICS HERE TODAY IS "INTERNATIONAL
COOPERATION IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES."
WE NEED TO BRING THE TALENTS OF
THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY TO BEAR NOT ONLY
ON AIR AND WATER POLLUTION BUT ON ALL OF
THE PRESSING SOCIAL PROBLEMS OF OUR TIMES.
AND THIS, TOO, IS ANOTHER OF
YOUR DISCUSSION TOPICS.
WITH YOUR HELP I BELIEVE GREAT
PROGRESS CAN BE MADE IN RESTORING AND
PRESERVING OUR ENVIRONMENT AND IN MAKING
OUR CITIES LIVABLE AGAIN.
LET US JOIN HANDS, WE OF THE
CONGRESS AND YOU OF THE SCIENTIFIC
COMMUNITY, TO REMAKE OUR CITIES INTO
CENTERS WHERE LIFE CAN BE A THING OF BEAUTY
AND PLEASURE.
I THINK WE CAN DO THAT IF WE ALL
FORD
DEDICATE OURSELVES TO THE CAUSE OF PUBLIC
LIBRARY
-6-
SERVICE -- SERVICE TO ALL THE PEOPLES OF
THE WORLD -- SO THAT LIFE CAN BE
ORTH HILE FOR THE DISADVANTAGED AS WELL
AS THE PRIVILEGED.
WELCOME TO THESE MEETINGS -- AND
NOW I LEAVE YOU TO YOUR LABORS.
-- END --
BERALD FORD LIBRARY