Edward C. Welsh

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Edward C. Welsh (March 20, 1909 – March 25, 1990) was an American administrator and economist who led the National Aeronautics and Space Council as Executive Secretary during John F. Kennedy’s presidency. He served in that role from 1961 and left before Lyndon B. Johnson took office in 1964. Born in Long Valley, New Jersey, Welsh studied at Lafayette College, Tufts University, and Ohio State University. Before joining Kennedy’s space team, he advised Senator Stuart Symington on space issues. Kennedy and his advisers used Welsh’s space and defense work to shape a more civilian, Moon-focused space program and to address concerns about a “Missile Gap” with the Soviets. Welsh helped draft a 1961 Space Act amendment that made the Vice President the chair of the National Space Council, and Kennedy asked him to flag any nuclear-powered space projects for presidential review. After leaving, Johnson moved to appoint NASA leadership and pushed for a lunar landing program. In 1967 Welsh delivered the Charles P. Steinmetz Memorial Lecture at Union College.