NATIONAL PROFESSIONS FOUNDATION

Very early in the UCLA 1955-1968 Study, accumulating information sharply contradicted U.S. conventional wisdom of that time and, indeed, today. The data consistently predicted an ever-eroding U.S. industrial base and recognized the legislative, structural and institutional deficiencies that have ensured the over 50-year continuing decline of America’s economic, financial, trade, technological and manufacturing leadership.

In a May, 1970 memo, “THE UNIVERSITY AS AN AGENT OF CHANGE,” Professor Rosenstein sought to explore the temper of the times and quoted among others, University of California’s President Hitch’s Inaugural Address in which he stated:

“I urge our universities to reexamine their social obligations and responsibilities . . . universities must demonstrate more clearly than in the recent past their relevance to the problems that beset the world beyond their doors.”

Professor William Arrowsmith, Chairman Classics Department, University of Texas, wrote:

“The crucial task of the time is to create a new breed of professional as well as new institutional forms.”

The UCLA study confirmed that the nation’s most pressing problems were multi-disciplinary, and with few exceptions, multi-professions – requiring the world’s latest technology for resolution. However, of the three principle university intellectual foci, Science and the Arts/Humanities enjoy the support of their respective national foundations. Only the Professions lack a common foundation for addressing the important national environmental issues of Health, Education, Housing, Transportation, Civil liberties, Water, Air, Social Security, etc.

In the November, 1970 issue of “Engineering Education,” Dr. Rosenstein had proposed a “National Professions Foundation.” The response was gratifying. Senator Hubert Humphrey called the proposal, “imaginative and far reaching.” The December 15, 1971 Congressional Record printed Humphrey’s, recommendations and the article. Warm support was generated from a wide spectrum of professional organizations, such as law, Engineering, Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Theology, Social Welfare, Business, etc. A Professions Foundation, counterpart to the Science Foundation and the Arts/Humanities Foundation, was needed.

Congressman George E. Brown, Jr., wrote to Professor Rosenstein, in December, 1969: “the National Professions Foundation was excellent and he offered to “review proposed legislation.” Brown’s generous offer developed a long-term collaboration. Congressman George E. Brown, Jr. and Professor Allen B. Rosenstein joined to draft Legislation that Congressman Brown introduced before the House. From the National Professions Foundation Act of 1973, HR 9208, eight bills were drafted and introduced in the next decade and-a-half. The first five dealt with the National Professions Foundation.

July, 1973	–	HR 9208,	93rd Congress,	1st Session
March, 1975	–	HR 10701,	94th Congress,	1st Session
March, 1979	–	HR 3331,	96th Congress,	1st Session
June 19,1980	–	HR 6910,	96th Congress,	2nd Session National Technology Foundation Act
June, 1981	–	HR 3817,	97th Congress,	1st Session

*Hearings on HR 6910 “National Technology Foundation Act of 1980,” by Subcommittee on Science, Research and Technology, Witness: Allen B. Rosenstein, September, 1980.

*Hearings on HR 3839 “to establish a U.S. Design Council within the Department of Commerce” by Subcommittee on Science, Research and Technology, Witness: Allen B. Rosenstein, “Testimonyon National Policy, January 1982.”

America is entering the 21 st Century with legislative institutions (Federal policy making) designed largely for an agrarian country. The toll upon the competence and competitiveness of U.S. industry is described along with the need for a modern national policy mechanism.

*Copies of Hearing available upon request

The 1982 Hearings on HR 3839, brought the fundamental Policy and Governance problem into focus. The U.S. tipping point came in the early 1980’s: Concerned citizens, including John Kemeny, Richard Reich, Leon Panetta, Pat Choate and Allen Rosenstein, recognized the obsolescence of America’s 200-year old Federal decision-making process. Kemeny wrote:

“The present system does not work . . . The only way to save America democracy is to change the fundamental decision-making process at the federal level so it can come to grips with the enormous and complex issues that face the nation.” Emphasis added.

Unable after WW II to modernize its federal decision-making legislative process, America’s leadership has steadily eroded in practically all categories. As just one serious example, between 1983 and 1985, the U.S. current account trade balance that had been positive for decades now became a negative $112 billion – continuing out of control today. America, the world’s largest creditor, is presently the greatest debtor in history.

To eliminate the insurmountable legislative handicap, Congressman Brown and Dr. Rosenstein drafted a series of three National Policy and Technology Foundation Acts: ( The NPTF includes all of the National Profession Foundation’s functions)

THE NATIONAL POLICY AND TECHNOLOGY FOUNDATION ACT:

Ensures

• Policy – Vision of comprehensive, coherent future life-quality goals and delivery systems.
• Technology – Competent, competitive world-class technology delivery system built upon close cooperation of industry, labor, government, academia and professions – a modern industrial version of the U.S. Land Grant and Agriculture Extension System.

The timing was right. NPTF co-sponsorship doubled with each new bill. U.S. loss of competitiveness and resultant economic decline generated bipartisan House leadership for HR 2165.

October, 1983	–	HR 4245, 98 th Congress,	1 st Session	–	13 co-sponsors
December, 1985	–	HR 3997, 99 th Congress,	1 st Session	–	27 co-sponsors
April, 1987	–	HR 2165, 100 th Congress,	1 st Session	–	54 co-sponsors

SPONSORSHIP

The case for the NPTF was eloquently and comprehensively addressed by the “Dear Colleague” letter of Representative Claudine Schneider (R) George E. Brown, Jr. (D) and Richard A. Gephardt (D). House members were invited to join in introducing . . . “a bipartisan bill to create the National Policy and Technology Foundation Act.” Appended

The Response, HR 2165 by the 100 th Congress, was gratifying.

54 Co-sponsors: – 8 Republicans, – 46 Democrats (partial list)

Nancy Pelosi Bill Nelson George E. Brown, Jr. Gus Hawkins Henry Waxman John Conyers, Jr. Richard Gephardt Mo Udall Charles B. Rangel Edolphus Towns Norman Mineta David Bonior Howard Berman Marcy Kaptur Anthony Coelho William Clinger Jerry Lewis Claudine Schneider

Support by House Leaders was widespread, and included:

The House Majority Whip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		Tony Coelho
The House Chief Deputy Majority Whip . . . . . . . . . .		Dave Bonier
The House Deputy Majority Whip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		Norm Mineta
Chair Democratic Caucus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .		Dick Gephardt
Chair House Republican Research Committee . .		Jerry Lewis
~
7 of 22 House Committee Chairs
24 House Subcommittee Chairs
6 of 10 House Competitiveness Caucus Chairs
14 of 20 Most Effective California Congressmen

Three Congressional hearings gave industry, labor, government, academia and professions, approval.

*Hearings on HR 4245, “National Professions and Technology Act,” Federal Organization for Technological Innovation, bySubcommittee on Science Research and Technology, Witness: Allen B. Rosenstein, June, 1984

*Hearings on HR 3997 “National Policy and Technology Foundation Act,” by Subcommittee on Science Research and Technology, June 1986, Reference: Ezra Vogel “Pax Nipponica,” Foreign Affairs, Spring 1986, Pp 753-767,

Advocates:

Pat Choate, Director of Policy Analysis, TRW,
George C. Lodge, Harvard Professor, Business Administration,
Howard D. Samuel, President AFL-CIO,
Congressman Vic Fazio,
Myron Tribus, Director NSPE’s Center for Advanced Engineering,
Allen B. Rosenstein, Board Chair Pioneer Magnetics, UCLA Professor of Engineering,

*Hearings on HR 2165, “The Role of Science and Technology in Competitiveness,” Sub-committee on Science, Space and Technology, April 28-30, 1987

Advocates:

Allen B. Rosenstein, UCLA Professor of Engineering, Board Chair Pioneer Magnetics,
Pat Choate, Director of Policy Analysis, TRW,
Russell C. Drew, President IEEE,
Charles Sporck, Chairman & CEO National Semiconductor Corp.,
Larry Sumney, President Semiconductor Research,
Stanley Winkleman, Management Consultant, Former Chairman of New Detroit