Letter to G W Beadle, Subject: Formation of an Advisory Committeefor Biology and Medicine

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Kerckhoff Biological Laboratory California Institute of Technology Pasadena, Cali for n iq One of the most important steps to be taken by the Atomic Energy Commission is the formation of a n Advisory Committe e for Biology and Medicine t o advise and recommend directly to the Commission general policies in the field of medical and biological research and health. time and thought - both by t h e Capgnission and many Informal advisors - has gone into the selection of the seven men of broad experience, wisdom and judgement, representative of the medical and biological sciences, whom w e are asking to serve on such an Advisory Committee. will consent to act as a member of this group. We have asked Dr. Alan Gregg to s ene as Chairman. and E. C. Stakman t o seme as the other members. Drs. Gregg, Goodpasture, HastLngs and Bfonk, who served on t h e temporary Medical Board of Review which m e t during t h e week of June 16 to make a preliminary study and report on the Commission's policies and programs in the field of medical research, have all accepted our invitation to seme on the Advisory Committee. You may be familiar with the report of the Medical Board of Review, since the entire report was released to the press. The report expresses in clear terms the problems which confront the Commission and which must be solved if w e are t o be successful of the report,I am enclosing one for your review. enclosing for your general information a copy of the Atomic Energy A c t of 1946 under which the Commission operates. A great deal of We earnestly hope that you I n case you have not seen a complete copy You will note from the report that the Board of Review recomnends the formation of an Advisory Committee for Biology and Medicine, the principal functions of which would be t o recommend directly to the Cocradidon general policies in the

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field of research and health. The report further recommends the appointment of a Medical Director by the Commission i n consultation with the Advisory Committee for Biology and Medicine. In the importance of this we heartily concur. Even before assuming control of the atomic energy project the Commission recognized the need of strong medical and biological research advice. I know of no phase of the Commission's work i n which sound policy direction is more urgently required or holds more promise for the peaceful applications of atomic energy. The Comision felt, however, that before calling upon the time and public devotion of the men who would form a permanent Advisory Cornittee, t h e Conrmission should first explore carefully existing policies and programs in the field of medical and biological research and formulate, a t least ina preliminary way , the direction which the Commission's activities In this field should take. I n order t h a t you may become acquainted somewhat with the Commission's thinking in this matter, Is hall describe briefly in this letter some of the background leading up tothe appointment of a permanent It was evident very early in the program of our predecessor, the Manhattan District,that many novel and difficult problems of safety and health would be encountered. These problems arose both from the intense radiations associated with the fission process and from the very poisonous character of a number of the substances produced and used i n the project. A Medical Advisory group was organized and a number of research contracts w e r e made with various medical schools and universities for study of these problems, and a safety and health physics group was attached t o each major laboratory where work with reactors, weapons, or special materials was done. Necessarily, most of this work was hlghly claasified and this inevitably meant that the medical group working on this project was set apart from the rest of their colleagues. A large amout of work was done and much was learned about the tolerance levels and safety precautions t o be taken in relation to atomic energy studies. Huch additional information was obtained from a study of the effects of radioactive materials as a result of the use of the atomic bomb i n Japan and a t Bikini. intensively bya number of very able investigators, it i s recognized that our knowledge of this subject is still very limited. Although this work was carried forward In carrying out the health and safety aspects of the Manhatta n Districts work, it became increasingly apparent that discoveries and developments i n the field of atomic energy would have enormously valuable applltcations t o fundamental biological and medical research and t o the treatment of disease. Medical and biological work was begun ina number of.research centers throughout the country and has been gre az t ly accelerated in the past year by the distribution of numerous radioisotopes from Oak Ridge to qualified

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Soon after the Comission assumed resp on sibi l ty for the operation of the projects previously carried on by the Manhattan District, an Interim Medical Advisory Committee, composed of men who had earlier advised the Manhattan District, was called together and asked t o prepare a report describing the current programs and t o make recommendations concerning the programs which the Commission might support during the coming year. A comprehensive report was prepared by the Interim Medical Advisory Committee and w a s discussed with Dr. Stafford Warren, the Chairman of the Interim Medical Advisory Committee, early this year. The Commission found that it could not evaluate the programs recommended by the Interim Medical Advisory Committee until it had explored the problem of dividing the areas of research i n the field of medical and biological sciences between those for which the Conrmission must assume exclusive responsibility and the very %ch wider areas of research i n these fields in which the Commission would naturally be interested by t which should be supported by many groups. The Commission also felt that it would be desirable in exploring this problem to obtain the fresh approach and advice of a group not previously associated with the project. The Medical Board of Review undertook this review. The Commission considers their constructive report to be an outstanding contribution to the solution of the problem. In order that the Commission can implement and go forward with their recommendations, the next step must be t o have the Advisory. LL and Medicine become operative. W e propose that provided i n the Atomic Energy Act of cs. comparable t o our General Advisory 1946 and appointed by the President from civilian life) and that it will function i n much the same way. The General Advisory Committee functions as a largely hdependent body and, in addition to reviewing Commission programs, makes policy recommendations on its own working sub-cormnittees and the scheduling of its meetings are determined by the Committee itself. The Commission, of course, furnished necessary services and facilities, and reimburses Committee members for expenses and p e r diem allowance while engaged i n Committee The organization of the General Advisory Committee into We also consider extremely urgent the early appointment of a Director of Biology and Medicine, operating on a level with the Directors of Research, Production, Engineering and Military Application, whose positions are established by the Atomic Energy Act, and hope to consult with the Advisory Committee on this subject a t an early date.

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The Conunission - indeed the entire country - will benefit I hope that we mayhear favorably from you a t an early from your services on the Advisory Committee for Biology and