Wartime Techniques for Cold War Education

The Cosmos Club, located just off of Q Street on Massachusetts Avenue in Washington, was the home away from home for the nation’s scientific elite. Informal business was frequently conducted in the parlors of the club’s mansion over cocktails, and it was there in July 1956 that Jerrold Zacharias pitched his physics curriculum project to Harry Kelly. Zacharias had initially laid out his plans to develop 90-some instructional movies in physics for high school use in a memo to MIT president James Killian earlier that spring—a proposal that languished even after Killian publicized it in a Life Magazine feature article on MIT and the scientific manpower shortage. It was only after Zacharias had shown the memo to NSF director Alan Waterman during a visit to Washington that things began to happen.That same evening Waterman sent Kelly over to the club to work out the details of the proposal.1 “As we talked,” Kelly noted, “most of the members of the Science Advisory Committee joined us. They all were enthusiastic and helpful in convincing Zach that he should take some time off to tackle the problem of a film course in physics.”2 Kelly, perhaps, was the most enthusiastic of all. As Zacharias recalled,Kelly insisted that he undertake the project. “You’ve got to use up all the money we’ve got,” he said.3 Before the night was over, Zacharias walked away with assurances of $200,000 to $300,000 of NSF start-up money for his project.