Science Advisor to the President

The Science Advisor to the President is an individual charged with providing advisory opinions and analysis on science and technology matters to the President of the United States. The first Science Advisor, Vannevar Bush, chairman of the Office of Scientific Research and Development, served Presidents Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman from 1941 to 1951. President Truman created the President's Science Advisory Committee in 1951, establishing the chairman of this committee as the President's Science Advisor. This committee continued under Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Richard M. Nixon until 1973. Nixon terminated the committee rather than appointing a replacement for his advisor who had resigned. The US Congress established the Office of Science and Technology Policy in 1976, re-establishing Presidential Science Advisors to the present day.

In July 2018, President Donald Trump nominated meteorologist Kelvin Droegemeier for the position.[1] Droegemeier was confirmed by the Senate on January 2, 2019, the final day of the 115th United States Congress.[2][3] He was sworn in by Vice President Mike Pence on February 11, 2019.[4]

President Joe Biden has elevated the position to Cabinet-level during his administration.[5][6]

History

World War II
Main article: Office of Scientific Research and Development

The OSTP evolved out of the Office of Scientific Research and Development created in 1941 during World War II by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Vannevar Bush chaired this office through Roosevelt's death in 1945, and continued under Roosevelt's successor Harry S. Truman until 1951.

PSAC
Main article: President's Science Advisory Committee

After the war, President Harry S. Truman replaced the OSRD with the Science Advisory Committee in 1951. The office was moved to the White House on November 21, 1957, by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to provide advice and recommendation in response to the Space Race started by the USSR's launch of the first artificial Earth satellite, Sputnik 1.

OSTP
Main article: Office of Science and Technology Policy

President Richard M. Nixon eliminated the PSAC in 1973, rather than appointing a replacement for his second Science Advisor, Edward E. David Jr., who resigned. The United States Congress established the OSTP in 1976 with a broad mandate to advise the President and others within the Executive Office of the President on the effects of science and technology on domestic and international affairs. The 1976 Act also authorizes OSTP to lead inter-agency efforts to develop and to implement sound science and technology policies and budgets and to work with the private sector, state and local governments, the science and higher education communities, and other nations toward this end.

Science Advisors
Name Agency President Term
Vannevar Bush OSRD Franklin D. Roosevelt June 28, 1941 – December 31, 1947
Harry S. Truman
Oliver Buckley PSAC April 20, 1951 – June 15, 1952
Lee DuBridge 1952–1956
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Isidor Rabi 1956–1957
James Killian November 7, 1957 – July 1959
George Kistiakowsky July 1959 – January 20, 1961
Jerome Wiesner OST John F. Kennedy January 20, 1961 – January 24, 1964
Lyndon B. Johnson
Donald Hornig January 24, 1964 – January 20, 1969
Lee DuBridge Richard Nixon January 20, 1969 – August 31, 1970
Ed David August 31, 1970 – January 26, 1973
Guyford Stever OSTP Gerald Ford August 9, 1976 – January 20, 1977
Frank Press Jimmy Carter January 20, 1977 – February 1981
Benjamin Huberman (acting) Ronald Reagan February 1981 – August 1981
Jay Keyworth August 1981 – December 1985
John McTague (acting) January 1986 – May 23, 1986
Richard Johnson (acting) May 24, 1986 – October 1, 1986
William Graham October 2, 1986 – June 1989
Thomas Rona (acting) June 1989 – August 1989
William Wells (acting) George H. W. Bush August 1989
Allan Bromley August 1989 – January 20, 1993
Jack Gibbons Bill Clinton January 20, 1993 – April 3, 1998
Kerri-Ann Jones (acting) April 4, 1998 – August 3, 1998
Neal Lane August 4, 1998 – October 11, 2001
Rosina Bierbaum (acting) George W. Bush January 21, 2001 – September 30, 2001
Clifford Gabriel (acting) October 1, 2001 – October 28, 2001
Jack Marburger October 29, 2001 – January 20, 2009
Ted Wackler (acting) Barack Obama January 20, 2009 – March 19, 2009
John Holdren March 19, 2009 – January 20, 2017
Ted Wackler (acting) Donald Trump January 20, 2017 – January 11, 2019
Kelvin Droegemeier January 11, 2019 – January 15, 2021
Eric Lander (nominee) Joe Biden 2021

References
  1. Reardon, Sara; Witze, Alexandra (31 July 2018). "The wait is over: Trump taps meteorologist as White House science adviser". Nature.
  2. Wingerter, Justin (January 2, 2019). "OU meteorologist Kelvin Droegemeier approved to be Trump's science adviser". NewsOK.com. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  3. Morello, Lauren (January 3, 2019). "Donald Trump finally has a White House science adviser". Nature. doi:10.1038/d41586-019-00015-1. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  4. Smith, Marcia (February 11, 2019). "Droegemeier officially sworn in as OSTP director". Space Policy. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  5. Biden-Harris Transition (15 January 2021). "President-elect Biden Announces Key Members of his White House Science Team". Build Back Better. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  6. Carl Zimmer (15 January 2021). "Biden to Elevate Science Adviser to His Cabinet". The New York TImes.
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