Academic Physicists as National Security Advisers

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When the United States entered World War I, the National Research Council, the operating arm of the National Academy of Sciences, was established to provide the government with advice concerning technical matters bearing on the War effort. Scientists played only a marginal role, however, in this First World War. It was only with the Second War that scientists, most especially physicists, made significant contributions to the winning effort. These physicists came away from the War convinced that they now had a critical role to play in defence policies. Needless to say, the U.S. government agreed with this conclusion. Dr. Aaserud has been studying the role of these physicists, concentrating on a specific historical investigation of the first 15 years of the "JASON" group of scientists. JASON was established around the start of 1960 as a means to involve a new generation of eminent scientists in national security advice for the U. S. government. Since the initiative came from a group of older physicists who had been advisers during the Second World War, the large majority of JASON would consist of physicists. As such, the group provides an eminent example of the close relationship between the physics and defense communities after the Second World War. However, the JASON members, or "JASONs," were not just physicists turned government advisers. Doing their advising, mostly during summers, they remained in their scientific positions and continued to make important contributions to physics. Indeed, since most JASONs had academic positions and worked in the prestigious field of theoretical high-energy physics, JASON membership was one of the highest signs of honor within the physics community itself. A historical study of JASON thus promises to shed light not only on the influence of physicists in government advising, but also on how such activities feed back on the theory and practice of physics.