Early Statesman synthesis distilling legal jargon into practical meaning, statutory anchors, and structural constitutional impacts.
This executive order, signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on 1953-05-27, establishes federal administrative policy concerning "Designating the Department of Justice as a Defense Agency for Certain Purposes." It is a direct, concise executive instruction delivering focused administrative or military commands to department leadership.
Constitutional Assessment: Scrutinized through Article II, Section 2, this action exercises the President's constitutional role as Commander in Chief. Early Framers recognized broad executive discretion in commanding military forces during conflict, provided it remains bounded by congressional declarations and respects civilian domestic courts.
Key Directives & Operative Actions
▪In the opinion of the Commissioner, be detrimental to the national security, he shall make the application for patent in which such Invention Is disclosed available for Inspection to the Atomic Energy Commission, the Secretary of Defense, and the chief officer of any other department or agency of the Government designated by the President as a defense agency of the United States.
▪AND WHEREAS it appears that it would be in the interest of the national security to make the designation hereinafter described: NOW, THEREFORE, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the above quoted provision of law, I hereby designate the Department of Justice as a defense agency of the United States for the purposes of the said chapter 17 of title 35 of the United States Code.
Constitutional & Societal Entities Impacted
🏛️ Armed Forces & Military Establishments
🏛️ Executive Departments & Federal Civil Servants
Total Words
238
1,389 characters
Estimated Read Time
1 min
@ 200 words / min
Flesch-Kincaid
27.2
Post-Grad reading level
Constitutional Polarity
+0.02
Framers' Alignment index
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Scholarly & Legal Citations
Exec. Order No. 10457, Dwight D. Eisenhower (May 27, 1953). Available at https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-10457-designating-the-department-justice-defense-agency-for-certain.
Official Document Text
Source: The American Presidency Project (UCSB Archive)
WHEREAS chapter 17 of title 35 of the United States Code provides in part that whenever the publication or disclosure of any invention by the granting of a patent therefor might be detrimental to the national security, the invention may be kept secret and the granting of a patent withheld under the conditions and to the extent set out therein; WHEREAS section 181 of the said chapter 17 provides in part as follows: Whenever the publication or disclosure of an Invention by the granting of a patent, in which the Government does not have a property Interest, might. In the opinion of the Commissioner, be detrimental to the national security, he shall make the application for patent in which such Invention Is disclosed available for Inspection to the Atomic Energy Commission, the Secretary of Defense, and the chief officer of any other department or agency of the Government designated by the President as a defense agency of the United States. AND WHEREAS it appears that it would be in the interest of the national security to make the designation hereinafter described: NOW, THEREFORE, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the above quoted provision of law, I hereby designate the Department of Justice as a defense agency of the United States for the purposes of the said chapter 17 of title 35 of the United States Code. DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER THE WHITE HOUSE, May 27, 1953.
