The threat of war called TVA to action in the late 1930s and early 1940s, as it sought to assist with national defense by increasing its scope of activities. Already a major contributor to electric power in the Tennessee Valley region, TVA expanded these capabilities with the construction of three dams — Cherokee, Douglas, and Fontana — specifically for the increased production requirements of war industries in the region. Not satisfied with limiting its role to electric power, the Authority offered its services to other agencies in agriculture, manpower, and munitions manufacture, to name a few. Sometimes, however, this eagerness to insert itself into various war-related activities sparked controversy with private industry. The agency's hiring practices were also called into question, like those of many employers during the war years, as African American workers in the region struggled to find equal employment opportunities, even with assistance from the Committee on Fair Employment Practices (FEPC). In spite of this, TVA's contributions to the war effort played a decisive role in the outcome of World War II.