The Politics Of Science: How it Affects Our Lives

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           In 1952, the National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded its first research funds. In honor of this 50th anniversary, Dr. Milton Rowan will present a seminar entitled, "The Politics of Pure Research: The Origins of the National Science Foundation, 1942-1954" at 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 24, in the Panther’s Den, Franklin Hall. The presentation, which is co-sponsored by the Life Sciences Division and the History, Political Science and the Arts Division, is free and open to the public.

           Rowan, an associate professor of history at Ferrum, wrote his doctoral dissertation on the formation and early development of the NSF. According to his presentation abstract, he will examine “the wartime origins of the movement for a National Science Foundation, the major proposals and their proponents, the debates that preceded the enactment of the NSF Act, and the early years of the NSF’s operations.” From governmental bureaucratic rivalries to the Cold War, politics of the era shaped the foundation, according to Rowan.

           He will also address the “perceived role of science in the postwar period and the relationship between public and private power in the formation of science policy and the administration of scientific research.”

           The NSF states on its web site that its mission is, “to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; and to secure the national defense.” The public-private agency has played a role in some of the most startling and revolutionary scientific discoveries of the 20th century.

           Rita R. Colwell, director of the NSF, says, “Whether or not you are conscious of it, every taxpayer, educator, policymaker, researcher—in fact, every citizen who used a computer or simply shopped at a super-market—played a role in the science and technology revolution that marked the latter half of the 20th century.”

For more NSF information on the web:
National Science Foundation site - www.nsf.gov

           Ferrum College is a four-year, private, co-educational, liberal arts college affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Ferrum offers a choice of nationally recognized bachelor’s degree programs at a cost well below the national average for private colleges. For more information on Ferrum, visit www.ferrum.edu. # # #