ABSTRACT
Science and technology became part of people's American expectations for social and economic and political progress only about a third of a century ago. Nevertheless, the displacement of the White House Office of Science and Technology in the early 1970s was a signal for more pervasive change than has been assimilated. This was, however, recognized when Dr. Simon Ramo and the writer were assigned by President Ford the task of reviewing and reforming appropriate science and technology activities at 1600 and 1700 Pennsylvania Avenue. Clearly, no coherent position of the national scientific or technical population can be expected from the White House on such complex and diverse matters. More importantly, the federal priorities assigned to them come through political rather than technical considerations. The role of the White House Science Office should move even further toward these positions, so as not to centralize the assessments and needs of all science and technology of public import.
