man of the editorial committee which was responsible for the tribute to General Dart.
The body of the issue contained 20 scientific papers, prepared by 34 authors who were, or had been, connected with the Institute. Dr. Smetana assembled these papers, "under the guidance of Doctors Howard T. Karsner and Balduin Lucké."13[1]
General DeCoursey, with the continuing help of Colonel Vorder Bruegge, drove ahead on the final steps toward translating, from sheets of drawing paper to the reality of concrete and steel, the building which had been authorized and for which the appropriation had been made (fig. 90).
Release of the appropriated funds was held up for almost 4 months because of administrative delays, but the time was not entirely lost. The delay afforded an opportunity to submit the preliminary drawings, as revised, to a meeting of the Scientific Advisory Board, held on 31 March 1951. At this meeting, Mr. Slocum Kingsbury, of the architectural firm, outlined the essential features of the bomb-resistant plan, and Colonel Vorder Bruegge, whose part in planning the interior floor plans can hardly be overestimated, used visual aids to demonstrate the arrangements, which became the subject of active and keenly critical review by the Board. Close attention was paid to the facilities for investigative laboratories, which were to be grouped on both sides of a service space in which the pipes, cables, and conduits were to rise, with outlets to each laboratory. The Board recommended that these utilities should include piping for hot and cold water, steam, compressed air and vacuum, and heavy-duty electrical lines. These and other recommendations of the Board were included in the final set of preliminary drawings, completed in April 1951. 14[2]
On 8 May 1951, the Washington District Office of the Corps of Engineers, under whose direction the construction was to proceed, employed the firm of architects which had drawn the preliminary plans to complete the drawings necessary for letting construction contracts — a task which involved making more than 250 sheets of drawings, including more than 50 sheets for the electrical installations alone, and which required more than 6 months to finish. 15 [3]
Breaking Ground
Meanwhile, preparation of the site for the new building was started on 10 July 1951, with the traditional ground-breaking ceremonies. General
