Despite being praised for its speedy and vivid clarification of the cosmos, the name of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope may leave a blemished legacy due to controversy.
While stationed a million miles away from Earth for only a brief period, the telescope has captured breathtaking depictions of galaxies teeming with black holes, brilliant stars, and dynamic nebulae that speak volumes about our past.
At the same time, NASA has been facing significant criticism regarding the James Webb Space Telescope’s name, which is named after James Webb, who served as head of the space agency from 1961 to 1968 and is accused of supporting anti-LGBTQ policies during his time in office. As a result, when the JWST was preparing to launch into space last year, investigations into these allegations were quickly initiated due to protests from scientists, activists, and the public pushing for the pioneering telescope to be renamed.
NASA recently published a report of their investigation regarding the Webb telescope and concluded that they will not be renaming the JWST after finding no evidence to support it. According to the 89-page report released on Friday, “the agency does not plan to change the name of the James Webb Space Telescope.”
After reviewing over 50,000 pages of documents from archival collections at various locations including the Truman Presidential Library and NASA headquarters, a conclusion was reached by a historian from NASA.
The inquiry primarily centered on Webb and his involvement in two incidents that occurred during the Lavender Scare.
Starting in the late 1940s and extending into the 1960s, the Lavender Scare was a dark period in American history, where numerous gay workers were discharged or compelled to quit their jobs solely due to their sexual orientation.
Bill Nelson, the current head of the space agency, stated that federal policies not only tolerated but shamefully promoted discrimination against LGBTQI+ federal employees for decades. He highlighted the Lavender Scare that occurred after World War II, which is a painful chapter in America’s history and the LGBTQI+ rights movement.
The James Webb Space Telescope is depicted in an illustration by C. Carreau/ESA.
According to the report, one of the meetings investigated occurred in June 1950. During this meeting, then Deputy Undersecretary of State, Webb, met with US President Harry Truman to establish, in Truman’s words, “an appropriate foundation for collaboration” with a congressional investigation into State Department personnel. At the time, the US Senate had committed to carrying out an inquiry in an effort to eliminate “the purported employment of homosexuals and other immoral deviants” within government departments and agencies.
During the same month, Webb attended another meeting which included Truman’s administrative assistant, a White House counsel, and Senator Clyde Hoey who was heading the Senate group conducting the investigation. NASA’s investigation revealed that Webb’s primary role in this meeting was to “restrict the Congressional access to the Department of State’s personnel records.”
NASA confirms that Webb provided Hoey with some information regarding homosexuality, which had been prepared by a State Department official. However, there is no evidence to suggest that Webb was involved in any subsequent actions related to this discussion. Additionally, Webb did not follow up on this matter through any memoranda or correspondence after the meeting on June 28th.
Every eight years, Wolf-Rayet 140’s two stars generate dust shells that resemble rings, as depicted in this image obtained from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. The inquiry additionally examined whether the previous director was aware of the dismissal of Clifford J. Norton, a NASA budget analyst who was terminated in 1963 for allegedly making a “homosexual advance.”
As per the report, since it was an accepted policy throughout the government, the termination was highly probable, albeit regrettably, deemed ordinary. It cannot be confirmed if Webb was aware of the 1969 Norton v. Macy lawsuit, as there is no evidence indicating so.
Nelson mentioned that NASA’s investigation didn’t discover any concrete evidence linking Webb to dismissals. Nelson stated, “After thoroughly scanning the archives of the U.S. government and Truman library, NASA’s historical investigation concluded that there is currently no available proof that directly associates Webb with any actions or repercussions regarding the firing of employees based on their sexual orientation.”
NASA’s report offers optimistic thoughts on using past mistakes as a means to create a better future. The report acknowledges, “The research and conclusions presented demonstrate that the Lavender Scare was a distressing moment in our country’s history.” It emphasizes that every attempt has been made to conduct detailed research and impartial analysis. We must strive to learn from history’s lessons, promoting the essential principles of diversity, equality, accessibility, and inclusivity across not just NASA, but the entire federal government.
“Only in this way can we guarantee that the Lavender Scare and similar dark periods are relegated to the pages of history rather than becoming a part of our future.”
However, the decision of the space agency not to rename the JWST was met with some opposition shortly after it was announced.
“As per the statement published on Friday by the same group of scientists who initiated the petition for renaming the telescope, NASA’s press release employs the selective reading technique, presuming that James Webb didn’t know about a certain matter simply because there is no known document stating his knowledge explicitly.”
According to the statement, it is hypocritical to praise Webb for impressive accomplishments that occurred while he was in charge but not hold him accountable for discrimination that also took place during that same period. The statement expresses deep concern regarding the suggestion that managers are exempt from responsibility for acts of homophobia or any other discriminatory behavior that takes place under their supervision.
