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The Dembling NASA and Government Procurement Collection

The Dembling NASA and Government Procurement Collection is the gift of Paul G. Dembling, Esq., who in 2001 donated his professional papers to the law library. During his long legal career, Mr. Dembling served the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in several capacities including Deputy Associate Administrator and General Counsel. He drafted the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, and a great part of the Dembling Collection concerns the legal and practical issues surrounding the creation of NASA. He later served as General Counsel of the General Accounting Office, eventually continuing his distinguished legal career as a lawyer in private practice and as a lecturer at the George Washington University Law School.

Paul G. Dembling Online Video Oral History. Recorded in 2001 at the time he donated his papers to the Law Library, Paul Dembling’s oral history is now accessible online.* The oral history runs approximately 1 hour 13 minutes, and covers the events leading to the creation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and includes discussion of the key players involved in the evolution of the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics (NACA) into NASA. A fascinating insider’s look at the legal background of NASA from the principle creator of the 1958 NASA Act, this interview with Mr. Dembling was conducted at the Law Library by Allen Stypeck of Second Story Books, who worked with Mr. Dembling on the collection. Also discussed in the oral history are intellectual property issues relating to NASA contract work and an overview of the coverage of his archives.

*The video is presented in Microsoft's Advanced Streaming Format (.asf), which most often is associated with Microsoft's Windows Media Player. For most users seeking to view the video, clicking on one of the links in the prior paragraph will launch the video in Windows Media Player. If not, Windows Media Player may require an update (look under its "Help" menu) or your computer may have associated .asf files with any of a number of alternative media players.