Federal Civil Defense Administration
United States government agency
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Federal Civil Defense Administration (FCDA) was organized by President Harry S. Truman on December 1, 1950, through Executive Order 10186,[1] and became an official government agency via the Federal Civil Defense Act of 1950 on 12 January 1951.[2] In 1958 the FCDA was superseded by the Office of Civil and Defense Mobilization when President Dwight D. Eisenhower merged the FCDA with the Office of Defense Mobilization.[3]
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| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | November 1, 1950 |
Preceding agency | |
| Dissolved | 1958 |
Superseding agency | |
| Jurisdiction | Federal government of the United States |
| Headquarters | |
Key document | |
In its early years, the agency focused on evacuation as a strategy.[2][3] The FCDA also sponsored or co-produced short social guidance films about civil defense, including Survival Under Atomic Attack, Our Cities Must Fight, and Duck and Cover.[4]
The FCDA was first headed by Millard Caldwell under Truman,[2] then Val Peterson under Eisenhower.[5]
Background
The predecessor to the FCDA, the Office of Civilian Defense was abolished in June 1945 with the end of World War II. In the period between the end of the World War and 1949, when the Soviet Union detonated their first atomic weapon, little was given to the topic of civil defense. After the Soviets demonstration of their first atomic weapon there was a feeling of the need to do something throughout both the American public and government.[6] This led to, among many actions, the creation of the Federal Civil Defense Administration by President Harry S. Truman in 1950.[7][8]
Administrators
Denotes acting capacity. |
| Name | Start | End | President | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Millard Caldwell | December 1, 1950 | November 15, 1952 | Harry S. Truman (1945–1953) | |
| Jerry Wadsworth Acting |
November 15, 1952 | February 19, 1953 | ||
| Val Peterson | February 20, 1953 | March 4, 1953 | Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953–1961) | |
| March 4, 1953 | June 14, 1957 | |||
| Lewis Berry Acting |
June 14, 1957 | July 19, 1957 | ||
| Leo Hoegh | July 19, 1957 | July 1, 1958 | ||
See also
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