The Federal Civil Defense Administration (FCDA) was organized by President Harry S. Truman on December 1, 1950, through Executive Order 10186, and became an official government agency via the Federal Civil Defense Act of 1950 on 12 January 1951.Civil Defense: The Truman Administration (Entry 0113)
from ''The Electronic Encyclopaedia of Civil Defense and Emergency Management'' edited by Walter G. Green III In 1958 the FCDA was superseded by the Office of Civil and Defense Mobilization when President Dwight D. Eisenhower merged the FCDA with the Office of Defense Mobilization.Civil Defense: The Eisenhower Administration (Entry 0107)
from ''The Electronic Encyclopaedia of Civil Defense and Emergency Management'' edited by Walter G. Green III In its early years, the agency focused on evacuation as a strategy. The FCDA was first headed by Millard Caldwell under Truman, then Val Peterson under Eisenhower.THE FEDERAL CIVIL DEFENSE AGENCY (FCDA) WOMEN DEFEND THE NATION (1950)
from The Cold War Museum

Background

The predecessor to the FCDA, the Office of Civilian Defense was abolished in June 1945 with the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. In the period between the end of the World War and 1949, when the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

detonated their first atomic weapon, little was given to the topic of civil defense. After the Soviets demonstration of their first atomic weapon there was a feeling of the need to do something throughout both the American public and government. This led to, among many actions, the creation of the Federal Civil Defense Administration by President Harry S. Truman in 1950.

Administrators

References

Defunct agencies of the United States government Government agencies established in 1950 Civil defense in the United States 1950 establishments in the United States {{US-gov-stub

Background

Administrators

See also

References