Measures for Progress: A History of the National Bureau of Standards

THE BUREAU TURNS TO WAR RESEARCH 169
destined to remain at the Bureau through the intervening years between
wars.21
The universities and, to a lesser extent, industry were to furnish num-
bers of young scientists needed at the Bureau, but not before the services,
indiscriminately accepting or drafting every male of military age, had made
serious inroads on the staff. Those with Navy appointments were the first
to go, and the cavalry units at nearby Fort Myer carried off a large group,
including most of the textile section, before a halt was called.
Dr. Stratton's long reluctance to hire women to work at the Bureau—
he is reported to have said once that the sight of his scientists in shirtsleeves
might offend them—broke down as the services not only called up many on
the clerical and administrative staff but great numbers of the laboratory
aids, apprentices, and assistants. While Stratton felt it was not "in the
interests of the service to open such positions as assistant or associate
21 Statutory employees in December 1918 numbered 341, those paid from special ap.
propriations 424, those from the President's allotment and military funds 295, the remaining
57 on loan from universities and other Government agencies. Hearings * * *
1920 (Dec. 12, 1918), p. 934.
From the universities in 1917 came Dr. Edward Wichers to work in the chemistry of
platinum metals; Dr. Fred L. Mohier, a spectroscopist assigned to optical pyrometry in
airplane engine research; Dr. Lewis V. Judson, to work on the calibration of military
scales; Dr. Henry T. Wensel, on optical lenses and glasses; Laurens E. Whittemore,
in radio; and Dr. Englehardt A. Eckhardt, to investigate sound-ranging problems.
From industry came Arthur F. Beal (military timepieces), Howard S. Bean (gage
testing), Carl S. Cragoe (methane analysis), and Francis W. Dunmore (radio).
"Drafted" from other Government agencies as Stratton combed the lists for physicists
and chemists were Dr. Lyman J. Briggs, later Director of the Bureau, to work in aviation
physics, and Dr. Gustave E. F. Lundell, to do alloy research and head the standard
samples section.
In 1918 recent university graduates arriving at the Bureau included Archibald T. Mc.
Pherson, assigned to gas chemistry studies of combustion engines; Raleigh Gilchrist,
analytical chemist in platinum metals; and James I. Hoffman, iron and steel chemist.
From industry that year same Ralph E. Gould (timepieces), Enoch Karrer (searchlights),
Roman F. Geller (optical glass refractories), and Alexander I. Krynitsky (experimental
foundry).
Uniforms appeared on the Bureau grounds as the Army and Navy assigned specialists
to work on military assignments, among them Cpl. Frederick A. Curtis, in paper research,
and Herbert N. Eaton, in aeronautical instrument research.
Among university personnel on temporary assignment to the Bureau were Dr. Frederick
W. Grover, who had been there from 1903 to 1912 and returned to work on radio measurements;
Dr. Liewelyn G. Hoxton, who came back to make physical studies on combustion
engines; Prof. Albert A. Michelson, in a lieutenant commander's uniform, to work on
optical problems for the Navy Department; and Dr. William B. Kouwenhoven, electrical
engineer from Johns Hopkins, to make studies in the magnetic testing of rifle barrels.