THE OFFICE OF TECHNICAL-SERVICES - A NEW-DEAL IDEA IN THE COLD-WAR

An emphasis on developing technology for use in World War II produced a body of German and American scientific knowledge that some U.S. poli cymakers believed could stimulate America's postwar economy. New Deale rs, in particular believed that the government should organize, evalua te, and declassify this body of knowledge and facilitate its transfer to American industry, especially to small businesses that had limited resources for research and development. The debate to create a governm ent agency that was to have, as its primary mission, the communication of scientific and technical information to the general public was, ho wever also shaped by cold war politics and this circumstance had signi ficant impact on the later role of that agency.