President Nixon converted former biological warfare facilities research activities on the causes, treatment, and prevention of cancer
On Dec. 23, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon converted the Army’s former biological warfare facilities at Ft. Detrick, Maryland, to house research activities on the causes, treatment, and prevention of cancer.
As part of this national effort, in October 1971, the Army’s Fort Detrick, Maryland, biological warfare facility was converted to a cancer research center, eventually becoming the Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center, an internationally recognized center for cancer and AIDS research.
On December 23, 1971, President Nixon followed through on his promise as he signed the National Cancer Act into law, declaring, “I hope in the years ahead we will look back on this action today as the most significant action taken during my Administration.”1
The National Cancer Act (P.L. 92–218), “The War on Cancer,” gave the NCI unique autonomy at NIH with special budgetary authority.
The Cancer Chemotherapy National Service Center (CCNSC) increased its efforts to acquire new compounds for testing with the awarding of an acquisition and inventory contract responsible for the collection and documentation of test agents.
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Source: National Cancer Institute
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