SESSION |
2)
When I returned to NBS the radiation standards requirements had
expanded considerably. Radiation shic!ding requirements also became a more important economic force, Both uf these areas occupied my interest for the next few years, From here it was natural
to drift into the area of shielding design and thus into committee activities dealing with this area. Many of the persons involved in this
activity were also interested in the biclogical boxes fur radiation
harards, Close contact with them aroused my interest inthe subject,
My transfer to the Armed Forces Radiobrolosy Research Inatitute
about a year ago was a result of this interest.
DUNHAM: [am Chuck Dunham. [haven't practiced for eighteen
years, I was at the University of Chicago, but (had nothing to do
with the Manhattan Engineer District, though peuple often assume
that idid. [ was in Los Angeles and Hawai while these things were
going on, inthe Army, doing regular Medicai Corps duty, C joined
the Atomic Energy Commission in 194%, a Johnny-come-lately hke
Dr. Taylor, and within a couple of yeara [ met half of the peopie in
thie room who are the real old hands at this game, and I’ve been
learning from them ever since,
I eventually became Director of the Division of Biology and Medicine of the AEC, and my principal function was to serve as go- between
between these distinguished gentlemen and the Commission, the Bureau of the Budget and the Congress in trying to see that they were
supported in the style to which they had nut only become accustomed,
but to which they were entitled.
{I don't consider myself an expert in any of these matters. [did
have the privilege cf being out at Eniwetok for a month at the time cf
Operation Greenhouse and [ was with the medical team at Kuajalein
following Bravo shot.
Ur. Conard, of course,
was there.
So I've
had some contact with these things, but mainly I've been in administration.
Recently [have retired from the Commission and have taken up a
job aa Chairman of the Division of Medical Sciences of the National
Research Council, and [bring you perhaps a different perspective
{frorn that standpoint,
fam looking forward with a great dea! of anticipation to this conference and I'm particularly delighted that the theme of it is not strictly scientific because it's been one of my pet hobbies that the basic