James E. Webb

• 1. A Boy From Tally Ho

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  James Edwin Webb was born on the 7th of October 1906 in a small community called Tally Ho. This place sat within Granville County, North Carolina. His father John Frederick Webb ran the segregated public schools for that county. Sarah Gorham Webb served as his mother. The young James attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education by 1928. He joined the Acacia fraternity during those college years. In 1930 he became a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. He flew as a Marine pilot until 1932. Later he studied law at The George Washington University Law School. He received a J.D. degree in 1936. That same year he gained admission to the Bar of the District of Columbia.

• 2. The Man Behind Pou

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  Webb began his long career in public service in Washington D.C. He served as secretary to U.S. Representative Edward W. Pou from 1932 to 1934. Pou chaired the Rules Committee and held the title of Dean of the House. With Webb's assistance Pou pushed through the first legislation of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal. This happened during the first hundred days of Roosevelt's term. Webb provided physical assistance to the aging and ailing Pou. He next worked as an assistant in the office of Oliver Max Gardner. Gardner was an attorney and former governor of North Carolina. He was also a friend of President Roosevelt. Gardner supported Webb in finishing law school. During the Air Mail scandal of 1934 private airline companies halted carrying mail. A group led by Thomas Morgan hired Gardner's firm to represent them. The resolution resulted in contracts resuming with private airlines. Sperry Gyroscope then hired Webb as personnel director. He became vice president between 1936 and 1944. Sperry expanded from 800 employees to more than 33,000 during that time. It became a major supplier of navigation equipment and airborne radar systems.

• 3. The Cold War Architect

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  Webb returned to Washington after World War II. He served as executive assistant to Gardner who had become Undersecretary of the Treasury. Truman named him director of the Bureau of the Budget in 1949. His appointment surprised Webb since he had not been told of the final decision. The Bureau prepared the President's proposed budget each year for Congress. Truman wanted to balance the budget after large expenditures from the war. Truman nominated Webb to serve as undersecretary of state in January 1949. Secretary Dean Acheson assigned him to reorganize the department. Webb added 12 new presidential appointees and reduced subordinate officer power. He consolidated foreign policy information through the secretariat. Truman signed the bill codifying this reorganization on the 26th of May 1949. This strengthened ties between the department and the President. Paul Nitze wrote a classified memo called NSC 68 arguing for military build-up. Secretary of Defense Louis A. Johnson opposed increasing the Defense budget. Webb got Truman to convince Johnson to support NSC 68 recommendations. On the 25th of June 1950 North Korean Army invaded South Korea. Webb and Acheson devised three recommendations involving the United Nations. They authorized an Air Force strike on Korean tanks. Truman delayed using force by several days. Webb worked with contacts in Congress to replace Johnson. George Marshall came out of retirement to become Secretary of Defense.

• 4. The Moonshot Architect

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  Webb accepted John F. Kennedy's appointment as NASA administrator on the 14th of February 1961. He took reins from interim director Hugh L. Dryden. Webb directed the goal set by Kennedy of landing an American on the Moon before 1970. He lobbied for support in Congress for seven years after Kennedy announced the goal on the 25th of May 1961. He left NASA in October 1968. With backing from Lyndon B. Johnson he produced continued resources for Apollo. During his administration NASA developed from loose research centers into a coordinated organization. He created the Manned Spacecraft Center later known as Johnson Space Center in Houston. Despite pressure to focus only on Apollo Webb ensured planetary exploration programs like Mariner and Pioneer continued. He was an early champion of space telescopes. The telescope that would bear his name emerged from this vision. Webb made racial integration a priority for the agency. NASA publicly supported the Civil Rights Act of 1964. They initiated innovative programs targeting black colleges and schools for recruitment. On one occasion Webb and Wernher von Braun confronted segregationist Alabama Governor George Wallace. This happened in front of the press regarding racial integration. NASA had the worst black representation of any government agency in 1961. By the time Webb stepped down it held the best representation.

• 5. Fire And The Soviet Shadow

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  After the Apollo 1 accident in 1967 Webb told media something specific about tragedy. He said We have always known that something like this was going to happen sooner or later. Who would have thought that the first tragedy would be on the ground? He went to Johnson asking for NASA to handle the investigation directly. This followed procedures established after the Gemini 8 in-flight accident in 1966. He promised truthfulness in assessing blame even to himself and management. The agency discovered details of the tragedy and corrected problems. Webb reported findings to congressional committees and took personal blame at nearly every meeting. He managed to deflect backlash away from both NASA and the Johnson administration. NASA's image remained largely undamaged by popular support standards. CIA sources informed him in 1968 that the Soviet Union developed its own heavy N1 rocket. He directed NASA to prepare Apollo 8 for a possible lunar orbital mission that year. Some people doubted his assertions about Soviet abilities. They dubbed the N-1 rocket Webb's Giant. After the collapse of the Soviet Union revelations supported his conclusion. Webb decided to step down as administrator since Lyndon B. Johnson chose not to run for reelection. He left NASA on the 7th of October 1968 which was his sixty-second birthday.

• 6. Integration And The Wall

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  Webb made racial integration a priority for the agency during his tenure. NASA publicly supported the Civil Rights Act of 1964. They initiated innovative programs aimed at increasing black participation. These included specifically targeting black colleges and schools with recruitment programs. On one occasion Webb and Wernher von Braun famously confronted segregationist Alabama Governor George Wallace. This confrontation happened in front of the press regarding racial integration. NASA had the worst black representation of any government agency in 1961. By the time Webb stepped down it held the best representation. It became considered the model for other government agencies on racial integration. Webb prioritized these initiatives despite political pressures from various quarters. His approach ensured progress toward equality within the space program. This work stood out among federal agencies of that era. The agency achieved what others could not match in diversity efforts.

• 7. Legacy And The Lavender Question

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  After retiring from NASA Webb remained in Washington D.C. He served on several advisory boards including as regent of the Smithsonian Institution. In 1981 he received the Sylvanus Thayer Award from West Point. Webb died from a heart attack at Georgetown University Hospital on the 27th of March 1992. He was age 85 when he passed away. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. In 2002 the Next Generation Space Telescope was renamed the James Webb Space Telescope. It launched on the 25th of December 2021 as successor to Hubble. A commentary in Scientific American urged renaming in March 2021. They accused Webb of complicity in purging homosexuals during the 1940s and 1950s. This period is known as the lavender scare. Scientists pointed to case of Clifford Norton who was fired after arrest. Norton made a homosexual advance according to reports. Webb was head of agency at time of firing but not involved with decision. Personnel matters fell under Deputy Administrator Robert Seamans. No direct evidence showed Webb knew about Norton's firing. Historian David K. Johnson stated no evidence Webb led persecution. On the 30th of September 2021 NASA announced keeping JWST name after investigation. The report examined more than 50,000 documents finding no wrongdoing by Webb.