ABSTRACT
The National Bureau of Standards (NBS) had studied properties of building materials in order to meet the construction industry's recognized need for specific technical information. It was not until 1921, however, when Herbert Hoover became Secretary of Commerce, that these activities were brought together under a Division of Building and Housing and grew into a significant and effective program. The impact of this effort was noted with the publication of the Building and Housing Series, and perhaps the most important document in the series was the very first publication, Recommended Minimum Requirements for Small Dwelling Construction. Herbert Hoover's new division of building and housing set its sights on revising an infrastructure consisting of poor housing designs, costly materials and labor, outdated building and zoning regulations that were barriers to development, and a shortage of mortgage funds.
