National Defense of Education Act (NDEA)

Melanie GrittersCurrent Perspectives 2013

OverviewThe National Defense of Education Act (NDEA) is a United States Act of Congress, passed in 1958 and signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on September 2, 1958.

“I have today signed into law H.R. 13247, the National Defense of Education Act. This Act, which is an emergency undertaking to be terminated after four years, will in time do much to strengthen our American system of education so that it can meet the broad and increasing demands imposed on it by considerations of national security.

While the congress did not see fit to provide a limited number of national defense scholarships which I recommended as an incentive to our most promising youth, I consider this to be a sound and constructive piece of legislation.

Much remains to be done to bring American education to levels consistent with the needs of society. The federal government, having done its share, the people of the country, working through their local and State governments and through private agencies, must now redouble their efforts toward this end.”

-Dwight D. Eisenhower

“Oh little Sputnik, flying highWith made-in-Moscow beep.You tell the world it’s a Commie skyAnd Uncle Sam’s asleep.

You say on fairway and on roughThe Kremlin knows it all.We hope our golfer knows enoughTo get us on the ball,”

--Governor G. Mennen Williams (Michigan)

While the momentum for this type of comprehensive legislation had been building for at least a decade, Sputnik, which was launched into space on October 4, 1957, was the catalyst. The United States was seen to have lost the space race. Sputnik threatened the status of the United States to remain a superpower.

The year 1957 also coincided with an acute shortage of mathematicians in the United States. The growing computer industry was gobbling up mathematicians, so there were not enough left to teach in the secondary schools and in higher education. At the same time, there was also an explosion on students attending college. This made the shortage of math teachers even more extreme.

STEM (Scientists, Technicians, Engineers & Mathematicians)

STEM is an acronym for Scientists, Technologists, Engineers and Mathematicians. NDEA was signed

into law in the hopes that academically able students would provide a steady stream for the STEM workplace. Funds were also provided to K-12 education to improve math, science and foreign languages at the earliest levels possible. This was the first federal act pertaining to education since 1917 (the Smith-Hughes Vocational Act). The Act consisted of eight Titles, with Title III providing financial assistance for strengthening science, mathematics and modern foreign language instruction for all students.

NDEA DARPA NASANDEA was one of a suite of science initiatives inaugurated by President Eisenhower to increase the sophistication and power of the United States. NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency were the other initiatives begun at the same time.

The two main purposes of the NDEA were to provide the country with specific, defense-oriented personnel and to provide financial assistance to college students through the National Defense Student Loan Program. Ninety percent of capital funds were provided to higher educational institutions for these low interest loans. The driving force behind these goals was to raise the technical literacy of the nation.

Title V focused on guidance, counseling and testing , so that able students would be identified. Aid was also provided for technical education, area studies, geography, English as a Second Language, school libraries and media centers.

“Nothing contained in this Act shall be construed to authorize any department, agency, officer or employer of the United States to exercise any direction, supervision or control over the curriculum, program of instruction, administration or personnel of any educational institution or school system.”

An aspect of the Act that is significant, especially in light of future federal legislation concerning education, occurs in Section 2, where federal control over education is forbidden:

The controversial aspect of the NDEA was an insertion into the Act after McCarthyism scared the nation. This mandate stated that all beneficiaries

must complete an affidavit disclaiming belief in the overthrow of the government.

This loyalty statement stirred concern and protest from the American Association of University Professors and over 153 institutions. President Kennedy repealed this disclaimer affidavit in 1962.

IMPLICATIONSEven though the NDEA was limited to four years, and even though the federal government was forbidden to control curriculum, this Act was the most far-reaching and expensive venture of the US federal government into education that the nation had seen to this point. The funds increased on eight titles from 183 million dollars in 1959 to 222 million in 1960.

This began a tradition of the federal government “targeting” funds where they will “do the most good.” While this is not an out-and-out take over of curriculum, it certainly is influential. The federal role in education accounts for nearly 11% of the funds for education. The remaining 88% comes from state, local and private funds.

After NDEA, special science programs for gifted elementary students and for high school students became more prominent. Also, several standardized tests had been created and administered to nearly all US high school students by the mid-1960’s.

Overall, NDEA impacted the general education landscape with more rigorous science and mathematics courses along with greater opportunity to explore STEM careers. The federal government’s stake and role in public education was definitely increased. The NDEA certainly ensured that “the fullest development of the mental resources and technical skills of it’s young men and women” was reached.