Science and Engineering Alliance, Inc. (known as SEA) Inspires New R&D Vision
National Science and Engineering Alliance (NSEA)
Relevance of the New NSEA
Over 85 years ago the late President Franklin D. Roosevelt said these words on the steps of the U.S. Capitol:
"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much, it is whether we provide enough for those who have little."
- President Franklin D. Roosevelt, 2nd Inaugural Address, One Third of a Nation, January 20, 1937
In 1990, exactly 53 years after the One Third of a Nation declaration address, three 1890 Land Grant Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and one urban HBCU were brought together to form Science and Engineering Alliance, Inc (SEA). The four HBCU institutions were: (1) Alabama A&M University (Normal, AL); (2) Jackson State University (Jackson, MS); (3) Prairie View A&M University (Prairie View, TX); and (4) Southern University and A&M College (Baton Rouge, LA).
The Alliance mission was to help strengthen the science and engineering infrastructure at the member institutions, help assure an adequate supply of top-quality American scientists and engineers in the next century, while simultaneously meeting the research and development needs of the public and private sectors.
Known as SEA, "A Unique Resource for the Nation®," the Department of Energy's (DOE) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) joined SEA as an Associate Member to support the efforts focused on resolving the nation's technical manpower shortage problem.
The statement by President Roosevelt in 1937 reflected a vision of what was required to move ALL of America forward. HBCUs have NEVER been afforded enough financial resources and continue today to be among those who have TOO LITTLE.
The work of SEA, which operated for almost 25 years headquartered at 1522 K Street NW in Washington, DC, motivated a younger group of advocates to establish the National Science and Engineering Alliance, Inc. (NSEA) to continue and expand upon the legacy of the original organization.
