Editing National Science Foundation (section)

====1950–59====
In 1950 [[Harry S. Truman]] signed Public Law 507, or 42 U.S.C. 16<ref>[http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/granule/USCODE-2010-title42/USCODE-2010-title42-chap16/content-detail.html 42 U.S.C. 16 – National Science Foundation]. Gpo.gov. Retrieved on February 21, 2014.</ref> creating the National Science Foundation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=13480|title=Harry S. Truman: "Statement by the President Upon Signing Bill Creating the National Science Foundation.," May 10, 1950|author1=Peters, Gerhard|author2=Woolley, John T|work=The American Presidency Project|publisher=University of California |location= Santa Barbara|access-date=November 10, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{USStatute|81|507|64|149|1950|05|10}}</ref> which provided for a [[National Science Board]] of twenty-four part-time members. In 1951 Truman nominated [[Alan T. Waterman]], chief scientist at the [[Office of Naval Research]], to become the first Director.

With the Korean War underway, the agency's initial budget was just $151,000 for 9 months. After moving its administrative offices twice, NSF began its first full year of operations with an appropriation from Congress of $3.5&nbsp;million, far less the almost $33.5&nbsp;million requested with which 28 research grants were awarded.{{cn|date=March 2025}}

After the 1957 Soviet Union orbited [[Sputnik 1]], the first ever human-made satellite, national self-appraisal questioned American education, scientific, technical and industrial strength and Congress increased the NSF appropriation for 1958 to $40&nbsp;million.{{cn|date=March 2025}}

In 1958 the NSF selected [[Kitt Peak]], near [[Tucson, Arizona]], as the site of the first national observatory, that would give any astronomer unprecedented access to state-of-the-art telescopes; previously major research telescopes were privately funded, available only to astronomers who taught at the universities that ran them. The idea expanded to encompass the [[National Optical Astronomy Observatory]], the [[National Radio Astronomy Observatory]], the [[National Solar Observatory]], the [[Gemini Observatory]] and the [[Arecibo Observatory]], all of which are funded in whole or in part by NSF. The NSF's astronomy program forged a close working relationship with [[NASA]], also founded in 1958, in that the NSF provides virtually all the U.S. federal support for ground-based astronomy, while NASA's responsibility is the U.S. effort in space-based astronomy.{{cn|date=March 2025}}

In 1959 the U.S. and other nations concluded the [[Antarctic Treaty System|Antarctic Treaty]] reserving [[Antarctica]] for peaceful and scientific research, and a presidential directive gave the NSF responsibility for virtually all U.S. Antarctic operations and research in form of the [[United States Antarctic Program]].{{cn|date=March 2025}}