Robert McNees
Robert R. Wilson, first director of Fermilab, famously testified in front of the Congressional Joint Committee on Atomic Energy #OTD in 1969.
In making the case for building Fermilab, Wilson delivered a lovely justification for a national commitment to basic science.
An important argument to revisit, in light of recent bad news about funding for basic science.
Image: Fermilab
Robert McNees
Excerpts from Wilson’s testimony are often edited to make it sound like he was up against an antagonistic Senator who saw no value in science other than national defense.
But that wasn't the case! It was a friendly crowd. Senator John Pastore of Rhode Island strongly supported the project, and his questions for Wilson were mostly for the purpose of building a case the committee could present to members of Congress who weren't yet on board.
Robert McNees
Senator Pastore asked Wilson how he would justify a large-scale pure science project like Fermilab to someone focused on national security.
How would it contribute to the national defense?
Wilson's reply is wonderful.
Robert McNees
There are many economic reasons to fund basic science. Nothing else gets a comparable return on investment.
But a perfectly good and sufficient reason to make this a priority is that the pursuit of science — the drive to understand the natural world — is one of the things that make us who we are.
Robert McNees
How would basic science contribute to national defense?
"Only from a long-range point of view, of a developing technology. Otherwise, it has to do with: Are we good painters, good sculptors, great poets? I mean all the things that we really venerate and honor in our country and are patriotic about.
In that sense, this new knowledge has all to do with honor and country but it has nothing to do directly with defending our country except to help make it worth defending."
— Robert Wilson
Robert McNees
It should be noted that Wilson was himself an accomplished sculptor whose artistic and architectural vision defined the Fermilab campus!
Images: Fermilab
https://history.fnal.gov/historical/art_arch/wilson_sculpture_overview.html
Robert McNees
Like I said, this was a very friendly crowd. Pastore threw a softball, but Wilson still knocked it out of the park with his prepared remarks.
You can read the whole testimony here:
https://history.fnal.gov/historical/people/wilson_testimony.html
smash hit trans sensation
@mcnees angela gonzales, fermilab’s resident artist for 20 years, made some of my favorite art ever: https://history.fnal.gov/gonzales_gallery.html
I have a poster of of #6 in that gallery that i got at a fermilab tour (for free!!)
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