The National Production Authority (NPA) was an agency of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

government which developed and promoted the production and supply of materials and facilities necessary for defense

mobilization Mobilization is the act of assembling and readying military troops and supplies for war. The word ''mobilization'' was first used in a military context in the 1850s to describe the preparation of the Prussian Army. Mobilization theories an ...

. It was part of the

Department of Commerce The United States Department of Commerce is an executive department of the U.S. federal government concerned with creating the conditions for economic growth and opportunity. Among its tasks are gathering economic and demographic data for busi ...

. The agency was created by Department Order 123, issued September 11, 1950, under authority of the

Defense Production Act The Defense Production Act of 1950 () is a United States federal law enacted on September 8, 1950 in response to the start of the Korean War.Congressional Research ServiceThe Defense Production Act of 1950: History, Authorities, and Considerati ...

of 1950 and

Executive Order In the United States, an executive order is a directive by the president of the United States that manages operations of the federal government. The legal or constitutional basis for executive orders has multiple sources. Article Two of t ...

10161 (issued September 9, 1950). The organization's function was to ensure the needs of the civilian economy were adequately represented in defense mobilization efforts, and that small businesses were participating in defense contracts. In 1951, after the escalation of the

Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...

, the NPA was placed under the control of the

Defense Production Administration The Defense Production Administration (DPA) was an independent agency of the United States government for oversight and control of the defense production programs of the United States during wartime mobilization in the Korean War era. History and m ...

in the

Office of Defense Mobilization The Office of Defense Mobilization (ODM) was an independent agency of the United States government whose function was to plan, coordinate, direct and control all wartime mobilization activities of the federal government, including manpower, economi ...

. The NPA was abolished by Department Order 152, issued October 1, 1953. Its functions were dispersed among a number of successor agencies, including the

Business and Defense Services Administration Business is the practice of making one's living or making money by producing or buying and selling products (such as goods and services). It is also "any activity or enterprise entered into for profit." Having a business name does not separat ...

(1953–1970); the

Bureau of Domestic Commerce Bureau ( ) may refer to: Agencies and organizations *Government agency *Public administration * News bureau, an office for gathering or distributing news, generally for a given geographical location * Bureau (European Parliament), the administra ...

(1970–1972); the

Domestic and International Business Administration Domestic may refer to: In the home * Anything relating to the human home or family ** A domestic animal, one that has undergone domestication ** A domestic appliance, or home appliance ** A domestic partnership ** Domestic science, sometimes cal ...

(1972–1977); the

Industry and Trade Administration Industry may refer to: Economics * Industry (economics), a generally categorized branch of economic activity * Industry (manufacturing), a specific branch of economic activity, typically in factories with machinery * The wider industrial sector ...

(1977–1980); and the

International Trade Administration : The International Trade Administration (ITA) is an agency in the United States Department of Commerce that promotes United States exports of nonagricultural U.S. services and goods. Duties The ITA's stated goals are to # Provide practical inf ...

(1980–present).

References

*"New Machine." ''Time.'' January 15, 1951 *Pierpaoli Jr., Paul G. ''Truman and Korea: The Political Culture of the Early Cold War.'' Columbia, Mo.: University of Missouri Press, 1999.

External links

Records of the National Production Authority. Record Group 277. 1941-53 (bulk 1950-53). National Archives and Records Administration.
Defunct agencies of the United States government Korean War Military logistics of the United States United States Department of Commerce Government agencies established in 1950 Government agencies disestablished in 1953 1950 establishments in the United States 1953 disestablishments in the United States {{Korea-War-stub