Representative Carl A. Elliott of Alabama, who grew up in poverty and worked his way through college and law school, was committed to extending educational opportunities to all Americans.
Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress
Portrait of Carl A. Elliott, photograph, ca. 1962
The National Defense Education Act
The Soviet Union’s successful 1957 launch of Sputnik, the first artificial satellite, spurred Congress to pass the National Defense Education Act (NDEA) of 1958. Perceiving an urgent need to train Americans in science, technology, languages, and other essential skills for Cold War defense, Congress committed the federal government to an active role in education by providing seed money to states for curriculum development and student loans. The NDEA included a mandatory loyalty oath that evoked widespread protest; Congress renewed the act without the oath in 1964.
Representative Carl A. Elliott of Alabama, who grew up in poverty and worked his way through college and law school, was committed to extending educational opportunities to all Americans.
Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress
