Friday, 13 October 2017 — 12:00 noon — WAG 316
John Lisle, UT
“Scientists or Spies: The Origins of America’s Science Attaché Program”
In 1949, the U.S. Department of State tasked physicist Lloyd Berkner with evaluating its strategic policies pertaining to science. The resulting report, Science and Foreign Relations, established the “science attaché” program with the ostensibly primary aim of facilitating travel and communication among scientists. Henceforth, the Department of State would send scientists as envoys to embassies in foreign countries. However, years prior to Berkner’s report, the CIA proposed sending science attachés under the guise of State Department foreign service officers to collect information on foreign countries’ atomic energy programs. What was the true purpose of America’s science attachés?
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John Lisle is a graduate student in the History Department at the University of Texas. He is currently conducting research for his dissertation, which is on the history of America’s science attaché program.