August 19, 1982 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 22503 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS AMERICA'S SPACE PROGRAM school science students from each geration to say that our accustomed preemi­ SPURS EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS State-to continue their study in sci­ nence in science and technology-on which TO TRAIN MORE SCIENTISTS, ence and space, and to turn their a large part of our security and economic ENGINEERS dreams into reality. power depends-is so fragile that it is seri­ Mr. President, I submit for the ously endangered. A few statistics help tell the st.ory. The HON. JENNINGS RANDOLPH RECORD the addresses of Dr. Beggs and United States is turning out some u0,000 en­ OF WEST VIRGINIA Mr. Pownall, both of whom focus on gineering graduates a year. This is far fewer IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES the question of America's future in sci­ than some of our most powerful rivals in ence, and whose remarks will provide many high-technology fields. For example, Thursday, August 19, 1982 enlightened insights for my colleagues the Soviet Union graduates 300,000 engi­ e Mr. RANDOLPH. Mr. President, and many others. neers annually, five times the number of Americans pride themselves in our sci­ The material follows: the United States. And Japan, with less entific advances, in the acquisition of than half our population, graduates 75,000 REMARKS BY JAMES M. BEGGS engineers a year. high technology which produces ev­ I am delighted to be here and extremely erything from wristwatch television to Moreover, for more than a decade, second­ pleased to be introduced for the second time ary school curriculum requirements and Space Shuttles. A quarter-century ago, in 2 days by my good friend, Senator Jen­ achievement in this country have fallen jarred by the launching of the Soviet's nings Randolph, your host. Yesterday, I was sharply in science and mathematics, while Sputnik, America entered the space privileged to receive an honorary degree there has been an opposite trend in most race through our academic and scien­ from Salem College, the Senator's alma other developed countries. The result has tific community. Scholarships pro­ mater. So I feel it is a special privilege to been a shortage in the United States of well­ have been invited to speak to you today and trained scientists and engineers that affects duced today's achievers in technology. look forward to your questions following But in recent years, the public inter­ adversely our scientific and industrial pro­ this brief talk. ductivity. est in space exploration has lagged; First, let me congratulate you all on The flights of Space Shuttles become having been chosen by your respective This is a serious problem. It is serious be­ States to attend this 20th Annual National cause a vigorous scientific research and "routine," the planned November 11 high-technology base are the key to a na­ launch of the Columbia's first oper­ Youth Science Camp. You are a star-stud­ tion's productivity, economic growth, na­ ational mission will provide temporary ded group and your leadership and scholas­ tic achievements are overwhelmingly im­ tional security and high standard of living public distraction operation from ev­ pressive. Having read your biographies, I am for its people. Over the past few decades we eryday problems. reminded of President Kennedy's remarks led the world in high technology. And This attitude presents a danger to back in 1972 at a White House dinner hon­ during this period Americans enjoyed the space operation and to every facet of oring nobel laureates. He said: "I think this highest standard of living ever known. We our scientific endeavors. Educators is the most extraordinary collection of provided higher real income by raising pro­ today are concerned that the apparent talent, of human knowledge, that has ever ductivity, and did that, to a large extent, been gathered together at the White House, through technological innovation. lack of public interest in science re­ We certainly are not the kind of people to flects the feeling of many young with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone." sit idly by and let the rest of the world over­ people who choose not to study engi­ No doubt some of you may well be White take us and leave us behind. We are a pio­ neering and the hard sciences. House guests at some future dinner for neer people, whose restless urge to explore Dr. James M. Beggs, Administrator nobel laureates. But as we look to the the unknown and to excel built this Nation. of the National Air and Space Admin­ future, I think we need to remind ourselves Our last quarter century in space has been istration, pinpointed this concern re­ that past achievements are no guarantee of magnificient. cently by comparing our educational future performance. Indeed, in government, We have sent 12 Americans to walk on the in industry and in the cases of individuals, it Moon. We have explored most of the solar effort with other nations. He said: system, and, we hope, by the decade will The United States is turning out 60,000 is clear that what we can do tomorrow de­ pends on how we replenish our working cap­ have explored all of the planets except engineering graduates a year. This is far Pluto and Neptune. We have built a new re­ fewer than some of our most powerful rivals ital today. Our Nation's working capital rests in the usable space transportation system-the in many high-technology fields. For exam­ potential of young people like yourselves. Space Shuttle-which will go into routine ple, the Soviet Union graduates 300,000 en­ operation in October, opening unlimited op­ gineers annually, five times the number of You are the high achievers of today and will be the leading scientists and engineers of to­ portunities in space for science, commerce the United States. And Japan, with less morrow. And there is no question that the and our national defense through the 1980's than half our population, graduates 75,000 United States needs your talents and skills and beyond. So you are arriving on the engineers a year. if we are to maintain our technological edge scene at Just the right time. Mr. President, last month my alma in the world. And the next 25 years hold the promise of mater, Salem College, awarded honor­ Twenty years ago, when the youth science so much more. Next year we will be flying ary degrees to Dr. Beggs and Thomas camp program began, the United States was the Space Lab, a gift from our European G. Pownall, president and chief execu­ the leading technological power in the Space Agency friends, which will provide a tive officer of Martin-Marietta Corp. world. We had come from behind the Rus­ shirt-sleeves environment for scientists and sians and were leading in space. We were engineers to pursue their experiments in Mr. Pownall, a native West Virginian, first in aeronautical and other high-technol­ space. In 1985, we will fly the large Space was the principal speaker at our ogy development projects and we led the Telescope, probably the most scientific in­ second annual Festival of Flight. We world in scientific achievements. But today, strument we have ever put into orbit. And also honored aviation and space pio­ although we still lead in many areas of high in the future, we will be living and working neers Senator HARRISON H. SCHMITT, technology, our supremacy is being increas­ in space on a permanent basis, building new Michael Collins, Arthur Hyde, another ingly challenged by foreign competitors. structures for communications, Earth obser­ West Virginian, and ABC Science We are feeling the pinch in every major vations and many other purposes only limit­ Editor Jules Bergman. industry, as the competition in Japan and ed by our imaginations. Europe, using our methods and the technol­ Because any great civilization depends not The following day, Dr. Beggs ad­ ogy we developed, is beating us at our own on any particular knowldge, but on the con­ dressed the annual luncheon of the game. Whereas, just 10 years ago, the U.S. tinuing disposition to crave knowledge and National Youth Science Camp on Cap­ would capture all nobel prizes in the hard know the unknown, we will continue to ex­ itol Hill. He urged the NYSC dele­ sciences, this is no longer so. Indeed, the plore the vastness of space-simply because gates-two of the outstanding high signs of strain are such that it is no exag- it is there. e This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by the Member on the floor. 22504 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS August 19, 1982 Theodore Roosevelt once said that "The To watch in person the triumphant return In such a setting as this, dominated by best prize life has to offer is the chance to from space of the Shuttle vehicle Columbia. academic thought and respect for knowl­ work at work worth doing." You have I daresay most of the untold millions of edge and learning, it is quite appropriate to chosen to pursue that prize in science and others who looked in by television on that remind ourselves that sweeping societal ben­ technology and if our past experience is any event shared vicariously in the emotion of efits most often have not been evident until judge, you will be well rewarded. the moment. It is not too much, I think, to many years after a scientific discovery or a All of us at NASA, I believe, have won place high value on the sense of national technological breakthrough.