Description

The Soviet launch of Sputnik, the first artificial satellite in space, in 1957 raised fears about the technological gap between the U.S. and the USSR. To bolster American technological expertise, Dwight D. Eisenhower tapped MIT President James Killian to serve as Special Assistant for Science and Technology. As science advisor, Killian oversaw the creation of the President's Science Advisory Committee, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the nation's missile programs.

Type

plaque engraving

Text

To Dr. James R. KIllian, Jr./ With Appreciation/ From His Graduate Seminar in/ Scientific Development/ and Government Policy/ January 12, 1981