Executive Order 3721—Interdepartmental Patents Board

Whereas, the Honorable Albert B. Fall, Secretary of the Interior, on July 18, 1921, called a conference of representatives of the various Departments and Bureaus of the Government to consider the subject of inventions and patents pf government employees; and Whereas, growing out of that conference two committees were appointed, one to formulate a governmental policy with respect to handling the patents and inventions of government employees, and the other to propose a plan for dissemination of information among the several departments concerning all government-acquired patents and licenses and rights under patents; and Whereas, the said committees have submitted final reports which have been accepted by the conference, and it has thereby been made manifest that an urgent necessity exists for a permanent governmental agency to operate in establishing and maintaining a definite policy with respect to the handling of inventions and patents evolved in the government service; Now, therefore, I, Warren G. Harding, hereby create and establish an Interdepartmental Patents Board whose duty it shall be to recommend through the Secretary of the Interior, for my approval, suitable regulations establishing the policy to be followed by the Government with respect to handling inventions and patents evolved by government employees and other inventions and patents acquired by the Government, to put in practice such proposed regulations thereto appertaining, approved by me, and to disseminate proper information among the departments and other units of the Government concerning patents, applications for patents, licenses and other rights under patents owned by the Government; and I hereby detail from the government service the following as members of said Interdepartmental Patents Board: Mr. Harry E. Knight, Department of Justice; Dr. R. C. Tolman, Department of Agriculture; Dr. S. W. Stratton, Department of Commerce; Lt. Col. Jos. I. McMullen, War Department; Dr. Andrew Stewart, Department of the Interior. The said board shall choose its chairman and secretary and from time to time shall fill, from the government service, subject to my approval, such vacancies as may occur in its membership. No department or separate governmental unit shall have more than one representative on said board. WARREN G. HARDING THE WHITE HOUSE, August 9, 1922.