Editing Jimmy Doolittle (section)

===U.S. space program===
Doolittle became acquainted with the field of [[space science]] in its infancy. He wrote in his autobiography, "I became interested in [[rocket]] development in the 1930s when I met [[Robert H. Goddard]], who laid the foundation [in the US]. ... While with Shell [Oil] I worked with him on the development of a type of [rocket] fuel. ... "<ref name="Doolittle">{{cite book |last1=Doolittle|first1=James H.|last2=Glines|first2=Carroll V.|title=I Could Never Be So Lucky Again: An Autobiography|date=1991|publisher=Bantam Books|isbn=978-0553078077|page=515}}</ref> [[Harry Guggenheim]], whose foundation sponsored Goddard's work, and [[Charles Lindbergh]], who encouraged Goddard's efforts, arranged for (then Major) Doolittle to discuss with Goddard a special blend of gasoline. Doolittle piloted himself to Roswell, New Mexico in October 1938 and was given a tour of Goddard's workshop and a "short course" in rocketry and space travel. He then wrote a memo, including a rather detailed description of Goddard's rocket. In closing he said, "interplanetary transportation is probably a dream of the very distant future, but with the moon only a quarter of a million miles away—who knows!"<ref name="Papers">{{cite book|last1=Goddard|first1=Esther and G. Edward Pendray|title=The Papers of Robert H. Goddard, 3 vols.|date=1970|publisher=McGraw-Hill Book Co.|location=New York|pages=1208–1216}}</ref> In July 1941 he wrote Goddard that he was still interested in rocket propulsion research. The Army, however, was interested only in [[JATO]] at this point. Doolittle was concerned about the state of rocketry in the US and remained in touch with Goddard.<ref name="Papers"/>{{rp|1443}}

Shortly after World War II, Doolittle spoke to an [[American Rocket Society]] conference at which a large number interested in rocketry attended. The topic was Robert Goddard's work. He later stated that at that time "... we [the aeronautics field in the US] had not given much credence to the tremendous potential of rocketry.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.airspacemag.com/space/i-was-there-the-tremendous-potential-of-rocketry-18946468/?page=1|last1=Putnam|first1=William D.|first2=Eugene M.|last2=Emme |author-link2=Eugene M. Emme |title=I Was There: 'The Tremendous Potential of Rocketry' |newspaper=Smithsonian Magazine|publisher=Smithsonian Institution|date=September 2012|access-date=16 December 2015}}</ref>

In 1956, Doolittle was appointed chairman of the [[National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics]] (NACA) because the previous chairman, [[Jerome C. Hunsaker]], thought Doolittle to be more sympathetic to the rocket, which was increasing in importance as a scientific tool as well as a weapon.<ref name="Doolittle"/>{{rp|516}} The NACA Special Committee on Space Technology was organized in January 1958 and chaired by [[Guy Stever]] to determine the requirements of a national space program and what additions were needed to NACA technology. Doolittle, Dr. [[Hugh Dryden]] and Stever selected committee members including Dr. [[Wernher von Braun]] from the [[Army Ballistic Missile Agency]], Sam Hoffman of [[Rocketdyne]], Abe Hyatt of the [[Office of Naval Research]] and Colonel Norman Appold from the USAF missile program, considering their potential contributions to US space programs and ability to educate NACA people in space science.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Bilstein|first1=Roger E.|title=Stages to Saturn|date=1980|publisher=University Press of Florida|location=Gainesville|page=34}}</ref>