ATTACHMENT 3

  A February 12, 1951 Letter from M.C. Leverett, an Official of
     the Aircraft Corporation That Was to Build the Plane to
              Shields Warren, Director of the AEC's
                 Division of Biology and Medicine
NEPA PROJECT


                         February 15, 1951


Dr. Shields Warren
Director of Medicine and Biology
Atomic Energy Commission
1901 Constitution Avenue
Washington 25, D. C.

Dear Dr. Warren:

In connection with our work on Nuclear Powered Flight, we have as
you know called together a group of highly qualified experts in
the general field of radiology and the effects of radiation upon
human beings, in order to assist us in defining the limiting
exposure to which we should plan to subject the crew of a nuclear
powered airplane.  One of the actions taken by this group of
experts was the formulation of a program of recommended research
necessary, in their opinion, for adequate coverage of the
radiobiological aspects of nuclear flight.  Among the recommended
research projects was the highly controversial one of human
experimentation which this group strongly recommended and gave a
position of highest priority.  For almost two years the various
members of this Committee have been making efforts to gain
governmental approval of their recommendation regarding human
experiments.  These efforts have been largely unsuccessful and we
and they have come finally to the conclusion that further efforts
in this direction would be a waste of energy.  We are therefore
discontinuing our efforts to obtain governmental approval for
experiments on humans along the lines recommended by our Advisory
Committee.

I feel that I should call this explicitly to your attention, in
view of the importance which we still believe attaches to the
subject, and in view of the fact that we feel that we have done
everything possible to discharge our responsibility for making
certain that the importance of the problem is made known to the
proper governmental authorities.

I should add that although we have given up attempts to secure
support for the human experimentation work, the other
recommendations of our

			



            FAIRCHILD ENGINE AND AIRPLANE CORPORATION
          NEPA DIVISION, P.O. BOX 415, OAK RIDGE, TENN.

COPIED:  3/3/75
RECORD GROUP:  #341
ENTRY: #44
BOX:  #258
Dr. Shields Warren             - 2 -            February 15, 1951


Advisory Committee are being pushed with as much effort as we can
put on them.  Specifically, we are trying to arrange that the AEC
support, in some laboratory other than our own, a set of
experiments on the effects of radiation on the life span of dogs. 
Another type of work which we are supporting ourselves is that of
the effects of whole body irradiation on the physical fitness of
animals.  There are also six other projects of lessor importance
which we are handling in accordance with a priority system
established by our Advisory Committee.  These tests are all
important and very closely pertinent to our interests but do not,
we feel, give us the conclusive type of information which would
be obtained in human experiments since translation from animals
to humans still must be done.

I am sending a duplicate of this letter to Dr. Richard L.
Meiling.

Attached for your information is a chronological review of the
important events in the history of our efforts to secure support
for the recommendations of our Advisory Committee regarding human
experiments.

                                   Very truly yours,

                                   NEPA DIVISION
                         FAIRCHILD ENGINE AND AIRPLANE
CORPORATION

                                   ORIGINAL SIGNED BY

                                   M. C. Leverett
                                   Technical Director

MCL:dd
enclosure - 1
cc:  Dr. R. S. Anderson  Colonel Ralph L. Russell
     Lt. Colonel N. C. Appold Lt. Colonel John R. Hood
     Major General Harry Armstrong Major W. L. Carns
     Brig. General Otis O. Benson, Jr.  Dr. A. M. Heinberg
     Dr. Simeon T. Cantril    Mr. T. A. Sims - NEPA
     General J. P. Cooney     Dr. M. B. Lewis - NEPA
     Dr. Andrew H. Dowdy Mr. G. S. Knopf - NEPA
     Dr. Robley D. Evans Mr. D. D. Cowen - NEPA
     Mr. C. W. LaPierre
     Major General D. L. Putt
     Dr. W. A. Selle
     Dr. Robert S. Stone
     Colonel John M. Talbot

Notation: Duplicate Original of this letter forwarded to Dr.
          Richard L. Meiling


            FAIRCHILD ENGINE AND AIRPLANE CORPORATION
          NEPA DIVISION, P.O. BOX 415, OAK RIDGE, TENN.