Chapter 4
Part 1. The Prewar Years
World War II: 1939-1946
The 1930s had been a period of great changes on the international scene, in the United States, and at MIT. Military confrontations and invasionsjn the Far East and Europe were warnings
of armed conflicts to come, The Fall of 1939 saw the start of World WarII.
In the United States, the 1930s had produced far-reaching political, social, and economic changes. In 1939 President Roosevelt was in the third year of his second term. Military and technological preparedness as well as materials supplies and industrial production had become major concerns of the federal government. 'The Stockpiling Act of June 7, 1939 was the first legislation for the primary purpose of establishing stockpiles of strategic and critical materials for national defense and also authorizing exploration and development of domestic resources by the Department of the Interior" (Morgan, p. 4649).
In physics and chemistry, fundamental theoretical advances in the 1920s had been paralleled by major experimental discoveries. Neutron bombardment of uranium (Hahn and Strassmann in January 1939) led to the recognition of nuclear fission
in uranium and its potential for enormous energy release (Frisch and Meitner). This development induced Einstein to write to President Roosevelt. The President responded in late 1939 by establishing the Uranium Committee to assess the implications of the discovery. The Committee was soon integrated into the National Defense Research Committee created in June 1940.
A year later all of these efforts came under the aegis of the new Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD) headed by Vannevar Bush.
Metallurgy and solid state science and engineering had progressed in theoretical and applied respects. Hume-Rothery's "Structure of Metals and Alloys" (1936), the "Theory of the Properties of Metals and Alloys" by Matt and Jones (1936), and Seitz's "Modern Theory of Solids" (1940) provided a basis for the understanding of practical applications. The theory of dislocations
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(Orowan in 1934; Polanyi in 1934; Taylor in 1934) provided a conceptual basis of very broad applicability. In experimental investigations, optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction continued to play important roles and were soon joined by electron microscopy.
Among the condensed matter disciplines, physical metallurgy had attained a leading position with its growing understanding of age hardening, especially of aluminum alloys (Merica, Waltenberg, and Scott in 1920; Guinier and Preston in 1939), the transformations involved in the heat treating of steel (Davenport and Bain in 1930), and the mechanisms of the deformation of metals (Schmid and Boas in 1935). In chemical metallurgy, a beginning had been made in the application of physical chemistry to high-temperature processes, especially for steelmaking.
Some of the methods and concepts of physical metallurgy were later applied to ceramic systems and led to the development of physical ceramics. Polymer chemists made major advances in the 1930s-in the understanding of the nature of polymers and in practical applications by the invention of such materials as nylon and synthetic rubber. Materials which assumed great technical importance after World War II, in particular, semiconductors and other materials for electronic applications, were beginning to attract attention (Weiner, p. 28).· - .
Organizational Developments at MIT
In 1939, Karl T. Compton was completing his ninth year as president of MIT. Vannevar Bush went to the Carnegie Institution and Edward L. Moreland succeeded him as Dean of Engineering.
The Department of Metallurgy was in its third year as a separate department. The Department of Mining and Metallurgy had been split into two departments (President's 'Report for 1936- 37, p. 2; Institute Faculty Minutes for April 14, 1937). In a letter, President Compton stated that the decision had been made after careful study by the Executive Committee of the Corporation.
He continued: "This action has been taken to meet the situation which has been created by the rapid development of these arts, particularly in the field of metallurgy. It is no longer possible to consider that a combined training can fit a man professionally for both fields, although it is obvious that there must continue to be some overlapping and much cooperation between them."
The Department of Mining Engineering was to be discontinued as of June 1940 (Institute Faculty Minutes, April 14, 1937). The Department of Metallurgy, after a few years as Course XIX, was to be designated Course III. Mineral engineering was assigned to the Department of Metallurgy and mineral resources was assigned to the Department of Geology. The members of the Mining Engineering faculty in mineral engineering and fire assaying transferred to the Department of Metallurgy .
. Electrochemical Engineering had been independent for some years as Course XIV, but enrollment had been very low. The Visiting Committee of the Department of Metallurgy recommended that "because of the expanding opportunities for the
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4 : World War II: 1939-1946
The Prewar Years
The 1930s had been a period of great changes on the international scene, in the United States, and at MIT. Military confrontations and invasions in the Far East and Europe were warnings of armed conflicts to come, The Fall of 1939 saw the start of World War II.
...