Western Support Office

Administrative History

The Western Coordination Office (WCO) was established to act as the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) liaison with western aircraft companies and aeronautics research units of western colleges and universities. The WCO reported directly to the Director of the NACA.

Soon after the NACA was absorbed into the newly-established National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA) on October 1, 1958, the WCO was abolished by General Management Instruction (GMI) 2-2-16, NASA, August 25, 1959 and its functions transferred to the Western Operations Office (WOO), which was created by the same GMI. The WOO continued to work as a liaison with aerospace companies and research facilities. Their duties were expanded to include public affairs and administrative and management support of NASA activities west of Denver, Colorado.

The WOO reported to the Associate Administrator of NASA at NASA headquarters. The WOO gained responsibility for management of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) contract by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) through GMI 2-2-16, NASA, March 7, 1962. The WOO’s contract management and procurement responsibilities were transferred to the NASA Resident Office-JPL (NRO-JPL) on May 8, 1966 in a memorandum from the Associate Administrator to the Associate Administrator for Space Science and Applications, dated October 19, 1965, subject: Prime Contracting Arrangements for Voyager. The NRO-JPL was abolished by NASA Management Instruction (NMI) 1136.27, June 15, 1966. Its remaining functions were transferred to the Western Support Office (WSO) which reported to the Office of Industry Affairs at NASA headquarters.

The NRO-JPL was redesignated as the NASA Pasadena Office (NAPO) by NMI 1138.9, August 17, 1966. These records can be found in a collection titled “NASA Pasadena Office” and also housed at NARA Laguna Niguel as part of its Record Group 255.

From the guide to the NASA Western Support Office Papers, 1939-1969, (National Archives and Records Administration, Pacific Region.)