York, Herbert F. (Herbert Frank).
Oral history interview with Herbert F. York, 1980 September 24.
Effect of Sputnik on Navy research and development, position as Chief Scientist of the Advanced Research Projects Agency, and selection to be the first Director for Defense Research and Engineering (DDR&E). Origins of DDR&E, its relationship with the services, and the uniformed Navy's success in keeping R&D projects under control. DDR&E's contacts with high level government officials, major trends and problems encountered as DDR&E, management style. Defense Secretary Robert McNamara's effect on centralization of the armed forces, DDR&E and the general growth of bureaucracy, reasons for leaving DDR&E. Effect of increased R&D on the escalation of the arms race and trends in technology.
A physicist by profession, York (b. 1921) worked on the Manhattan Project, directed the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, and served as nuclear arms advisor to Presidents Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Carter. After helping to found the new campus of the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) at La Jolla and serving as its first chancellor, he remained at UCSD as a professor of physics, dean of graduate studies, and from 1983 as director of the Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation. He has achieved international prominence for his active role in arms control negotiations.
McNamara, Robert S., 1916-2009
York, Herbert F. (Herbert Frank).
United States. Advanced Research Projects Agency.
United States. Department of Defense
United States. Navy
Arms control
Arms race.
Military research -- United States.
Oral histories. aat
Interviews. aat
Transcripts. aat
Christman, Albert B. interviewer.
AIP-ICOS
American Institute of Physics. Niels Bohr Library & Archives. One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA