Theodore rockwell biography

1923-2013

by HPS staff

Theodore Rockwell, 90, died in his sleep at his home on 31 March 2013 as a result of a brief illness.

Rockwell was directly involved in nuclear power for over 60 years, starting in 1943 in an elite Process Improvement Task Force at the war-time atomic bomb project at Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

After the war, he transferred to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and became head of the Radiation Shielding Engineering Group. In 1949 then-Captain H.G. Rickover hired him to work in the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program.

In 1954 he became technical director, responsible to Admiral Rickover for helping to develop criteria, procedures, and facilities for safe operation of nuclear-powered naval vessels and the world's first commercial central station nuclear power plant. In 1960 he was awarded an honorary ScD degree for his contributions toward the development of atomic power. In 1964 he left with two colleagues to set up the res Theodore rockwell biography pdf!