Industrial-Sponsored University Research

JULY is hardly an appropriate month to encourage discussion of highly controversial questions, but we trust our loyal readers who despise high humidity and still higher temperatures will stick with us (no pun intended) and will pardon us for introducing the subject "Industry-Sponsored University Research." The end of June sees a sharp decline in the number of meetings to be reported. More space becomes available for such articles as the two contributed by Archie M. Palmer of the National Research Council and Sam Tour, president of the consulting firm bearing his name, and published together in this issue. The past few years have witnessed a phenomenal increase in the number of educational institutions fostering scientific research sponsored and supported by industry and Government. Today huge sums are flowing; to our colleges and universities from private enterprise and governmental agencies—mainly the Army, Navy, and the Air Force—in payment for a wide variety of research. For many ...