Whenever historians take on a project of historical investigation such as this, they stand squarely on the shoulders of earlier investigators and incur a good many intellectual debts. We must acknowledge the assistance of several individuals who aided in the preparation of this study of aerospace research and development projects that have received the Collier Trophy over the years. First, Lee D. Saegesser, NASA Archivist between 1967 and 1997, was instrumental in obtaining documents used in the preparation of the work; Stephen J. Garber, assistant historian in the NASA History Office, critiqued the text; M. Louise Alstork, edited the work and prepared the index; and Nadine J. Andreassen helped with proofreading and compilation. Second, the history representatives at the various NASA Centers provided much needed assistance: Virginia Butler, Kevin Coleman, Deborah G. Douglas, Michael Q. Hooks, J.D. Hunley, Keith Koehler, William A. Larsen, Richard Layman, Elaine Liston, Dan Pappas, Jane Riddle, and Mike Wright. Third, the staffs of the NASA Headquarters Library and the Scientific and Technical Information Program provided assistance in locating materials; and archivists at various presidential libraries, the National Archives and Records Administration, the National Air and Space Museum, and in other research centers aided with research efforts. Fourth, the NASA Headquarters Printing and Design Office developed the layout and handled printing for this volume. Specifically, we wish to acknowledge the work of Janie E. Penn, Lillian Gipson, Patricia Talbert, and Kimberly Jenkins for their editorial and design work. In addition, Michael Crnkovic, Stanley Artis, and Jeffrey Thompson saw, the book through the publication process. Thanks are do them all.

Several individuals read portions of the manuscript or talked with me about the project, in the process helping me more than they could ever know. These include Roger E. Bilstein, Michael L. Ciancone, Tom D. Crouch, Dwavne A. Day, David H. DeVorkin, Deborah G. Douglas, Andrew Dunar, Linda Neumann Ezell, Charles J. Gross, R. Cargill Hall Richard P. Hallion, Gregg Herken, Norriss S. Hetherington, Robin Higham, Francis T. Hoban, Karl Hufbauer, Sylvia K. Kraemer, John Howard E. McCurdy, John E. Naugle, Allan E. Needell, David H. Onkst, Craig B. Waff, Stephen P Waring, and Ray A. Williamson. All of these people would disagree with some of the areas chosen for emphasis, with many of the conclusions, and with a few of the themes, but such is both the boon and the bane of historical inquiry.