BERKELEY: RADIATION LABORATORY
Memorandum to Dr. J. H. Lawrencespg. 2: June 8, 1948
and constructed.
available there,
Some 30 to 40 supported beds plus laboratory facilities will be
Two general approaches will be followed in this Oak Ridge set
up. a) Individual patients or groups of patients will be brought there under the
auspices of staff members of the cooperating group of universities associated with
the Oak Ridge Laboratory. One illustration of this is a plan for the study of
patients with acute leukemia by Dr. Roy Kracke, It is anticipated that many individuals will carry on work in the Oak Ridge set up in this fashion. b) In addition it is planned to have a staff associated with this research unit which will
develop its own cancer research program, This entire effort is to start at Oak
Ridge approximately Jamary 1, 1949 and the estimated cost will be something in
the neighborhood of 500,000 to 600,000 dollars per year. Dr. Warren emphasized
that such a center should stay away from any sort of ordinary cancer diagnostic
end therapeutic service and should instead stick to those things for which the
special facilities of such a center as Oak Ridge would qualify it. The question
was reised concerning the extent to which the Atomic Energy Commission should go
in financing the actual bringing of patients to such a center for study including
transportation and hospitalization, “No answer was given but Dr. Warren States
thet this will be brought up in the form of a proposal at the Advisory Council at
its next meeting. Since the specific direction of Congress is on the subject of
cancer, the attitude of the Commission at present is that no other research of
the clinical type should be supported in a research unit like that plammed for
Oak Ridge.
It is planned thet the Argonne Laboratory will have a cancer research
hospital in cooperation with several of the mid-western universities. It is
expected that Los Alamos end Brookhaven will also initiate such a programin
the near future. The question was raised as to whether this sort of effort
would drain medical schools of necessary talent and it was pointed out that Dr.
Goodpasture of the Advisory Commission feels that this is the case, However, the
plan is to go ahead with this type of program in spite of some objections of this
sort. It is for this reason that Dr. Warren feels strongly that none of the ©
routine type of cancer work should be done at these centers, The question was
also raised by Dr. McLean of Los Alamos as to whether Atomic Energy Commission
support could be givento any other form of clinical research other than cancer
or the radioisotope research,
They are specifically concerned about this program
for members of their hospital staff whose research interests were in other fields.
Dr. Bowers stated that there is no policyestablished on this point but that it”
will be brought up withthe Advisory Commission, Dr. Bowers and Dr. Jensen of the
Commission both felt strongly that Commission supportshouldextend tofields
other than direct applications of atomic energy when promising leads developed,
III.
The Atomic Energy Comission Support of the Office of Naval Research Projects s
‘fhe Atomic Energy Commission pointed out that it is now supporting mumerous
projects that are administered by the Office of Naval Research, There is some —
question at present as to whether this arrengement will continuein the future.”
Some of the Atomic Energy Commission members feel thatit would be preferable for
the Commission to administer these projects as well as provide financial support,
However at the present time the Office of Naval Research is set up to administer
progrems whereas the Commission is not.
Decision on this point is being delayed
pending the determination of the status of the proposed National Beience Founda~
tion if and when this should materialize.