About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline

502 Annals Am. Acad. Pol. & Soc. Sci. 9 (1989)

handle is hein.cow/anamacp0502 and id is 1 raw text is: PREFACE

The military and universities: two great institutions of contemporary America; how
are they related? In the past half century, they have both become vastly more
important and powerful in the life of the United States. Because of the densely
technical character of the American economy and life-style, higher education has
become the sine qua non of ready entry and full participation. The requirements of
science and technology include advanced education of scientists and engineers. So
enrollments in universities have increased enormously since World War II. Universi-
ties, with their aggregates of talent and their control of credentials, occupy a crucial
position in this nation.
The military equally has become a major element of the American scene. The
military budget continues to consume a significant proportion of the gross national
product, providing employment to millions as soldiers and sailors, civilian officials
and defense contractors. In the world since 1945, profoundly influenced by the United
States, the strategic role of the American military is obvious. So it is also the case that
the military occupies a crucial position in the life of contemporary America.
It is not a surprise that these two segments of our pluralistic land are interrelated in
important ways. Fundamental in this interrelationship is the military's dependence
upon elaborate and sophisticated technologies to structure its forces and enhance the
relatively tight supply of manpower with vast and effective firepower. Thus scientific
research, technical advance, and system development are central. A large part of the
nation's scientists and research engineers are to be found in the labs, offices, and
classrooms of universities, and the military services have consistently relied upon the
university community to meet its needs. Universities also produce the people-
engineers, scientists, and managers-who fill positions in the services, the Department
of Defense (DoD), and the defense industry.
The military is in part a vast educational institution, training men and women in the
broad range of skills and disciplines appropriate to the complex needs of these times. It
includes an extensive higher-education element. The three service academies educate
as undergraduates the heart of the professional officer corps. They also support a
number of graduate-level institutions as well as specialized advanced training facilities
throughout the country. On civilian campuses, the services sustain the voluntary
Reserve Officers' Training Corps, which teaches undergraduates military science and
produces career officers as well as officers for temporary duty and reserve strength. In
addition, many men and women in military service are placed in universities to pursue
advanced degrees. Educational support is an important benefit for service men and
women and, of course, since World War II, for war veterans.
Clearly, the military values education and the academic establishment. Whatever
the conflicts, this aspect of the university-military relationship persists. In some form,
it is historically stable, finding its basis in the Land-Grant College Act of 1862. It is also
linked to the other important aspect, scientific research. The combination of research
and graduate education that is characteristic of American universities means that
9

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Contact us for annual subscription options:

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

profiles profiles most