The CHAIRMAN. You two have made a contribution here today, and we are very grateful to you. We certainly appreciate your very helpful and fine presentation. I might say that this committee has been conducting these hearings over a period of practically 8 weeks. We have had some very fine, outstanding witnesses. We are very grateful for all that has been done to help us in trying to get the facts to give us the best light and guidance to bring out legislation. We thank you again, sir. CONCLUSION OF HEARINGS With this hearing the committee concludes the series of public hearings on Science and Education for National Defense which it has conducted since January 21. I believe the members of the committee will agree with me that these have been among the most interesting, the most stimulating, and the most challenging hearings that have been held before this committee in many years. In the 72 weeks during which testimony has been presented to the committee, we have heard from some 90 different witnesses. Among hese witnesses have been some of the finest minds in the Nation, some of the country's most eminent educators, some of the world's greatest scientists. As one member of the committee, I can state that I have earned many new things in these hearings, and that I have been stimuated again and again to new thinking about our country's educational problems. I think it important to stress how many times we have heard from these fine witnesses during the past 2 months that the rgent needs of national defense make early action on this legislation bsolutely essential. The record of the hearings will be printed as soon as their length and omplexity make it possible. Meanwhile, the committee will proceed o the task of hammering out in final form a bill, to be reported to the Senate, which will, we hope and believe, constitute a great forward tride in strengthening American education. As one of our first witesses Wernher von Braun, the man most responsible for launching America's first satellite-told the committee, this is a matter of naional survival. The committee will now stand adjourned. (Whereupon, at 1:10 p. m., the committee adjourned.) STATEMENTS BY ORGANIZATIONS* Senator LISTER HILL, AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF DENTAL SCHOOLS, Chairman, Committee on Labor and Public Welfare, United States Senate, Washington, D. C.: The American Association of Dental Schools in session, March 26, 1958, urges support of legislation for providing funds for scholarships and loans for education of students in science and other areas and for school construction. Hon. LISTER HILL, Senate Office Building, Washington, D. C. MARION W. MCCREA, CHICAGO AREA CHAPTER AATSP, DEAR SENATOR HILL: The Chicago area chapter of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese appreciates your support for the Senate bills granting help on the part of the Federal Government for the expansion and improvement of foreign language study and teaching which will help strengthen the national defense, advance the cause of peace and insure the intellectual preeminence of the United States. We feel that this can be carried out best by promoting the following specific items: (1) Federal subsidy for the promotion of the foreign language in the elementary school program. (2) The establishment of foreign language institutes for the training of teachers and supervisors on all levels. (3) Establishment of research institutes in new educational mediums, and acquisition and development of materials adapted to these new mediums such as language laboratories, audiovisual aids, and television. (4) Grants for travel and study abroad for teachers of foreign languages. (5) Establishment of centers for the study of such languages which are not readily available at the average institutions of higher learning. (6) Adequate professional representation on any and all advisory councils and advisory committees pertaining to foreign language education. We wish to stress that the bill in its final form should include specific provisions for matters concerning foreign languages with specific allocation of adequate funds to set up and maintain these provisions. Finally we request that this organization's letter of support be put in the record of the testimony. DEAR SENATOR HILL: The committee on relationships of higher education to the Federal Government of the American Council on Education met in Washington on March 18 for the consideration of a number of matters affecting higher education. Among the matters receiving the special attention of the committee was title X of Senate bill S. 3187-research and experimentation in more effective Filed for the record of the hearings on Science and Education for National Defense. |