Contracting in the national interest: Establishing the legal framework for the interaction of science, government, and industry at a nuclear weapons laboratory

Technical Report · Fri Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1988

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6912839· OSTI ID:6912839

Furman, N S

Sandia National Laboratories, the nation's nuclear ordnance laboratory, is operated on a no-profit, no-fee basis by ATandT Technologies, Inc., as a prime contractor for the Department of Energy. This unique arrangement began in 1949 when President Harry Truman personally requested that ATandT assume management of the nuclear weapons laboratory as a service in the national interest. The story of how this unusual relationship came about makes for an interesting chapter in the annals of US legal and institutional history. This report describes the historical background, political negotiations, and prime contract provisos that established the legal framework for the Labs.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 6912839
• Report Number(s): SAND-87-1651; ON: DE88015410
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290500* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research
Development
Demonstration
& Commercialization
CONTRACTS
HISTORICAL ASPECTS
INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS
LEGAL ASPECTS
MANAGEMENT
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
POLITICAL ASPECTS
SANDIA LABORATORIES
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WEAPONS