An Unsinkable Navy

Abstract

Naval Engineers JournalVolume 102, Issue 1 p. 20-23 An Unsinkable Navy DR. EDWARD TELLER, DR. EDWARD TELLER Dr. Edward Teller: is best know for his work on the development of nuclear explosives and for his advocacy of a strong defense for America. He is also a noted physicist with more than 100 technical publications, several books, some patents, and numerous articles in the popular media. Born in Budapest in 1908, Dr. Teller worked at the University of Leipzig as a graduate student under Werner Heisenberg and received his Ph.D. in physics in 1930. From 1931 to 1933, he worked at the University of Goettingen with James Frank. With the rise of the Nazis, he left Germany, worked in London and in Copenhagen at the Niels Bohr Institute. In 1935, Dr. Teller was appointed professor of physics at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. He became a citizen of the United States in 1941. Prior to 1939, and the announcement to the scientific community of the discovery of fission, Dr. Teller was engaged as a theoretical physicist working in the fields of quantum physics, molecular physics and nuclear physics. The possibilities of fission, together with the menace of Nazi Germany, led him to work on the Manhattan Project. At an early stage, the possibilities of releasing energy via nuclear fusion became apparent and much of his attention was subsequently devoted to this development. After World War II, Dr. Teller became professor of physics at the University of Chicago, where he remained until the threat of Soviet technological developments motivated him to return as assistant director to Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory. In 1952, at the time of the first test of the hydrogen bomb, Dr. Teller joined the University of California at Berkeley and started work at the newly-founded Lawrence Livermore Laboratory; in 1954, he was associate director and from 1958 to 1960, director. In 1960, he became university professor of physics at the University of California while retaining the position of associate director at Livermore. He retired from these positions in 1975, and has held the positions of associate director emeritus at Livermore and senior research fellow at the Hoover Institution since then. Dr. Teller has served our nation in many capacities, some of which are: as a member of the General Advisory Committee of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, as chairman of the first Nuclear Reactor Safeguard Committee, as a member of the USAF Scientific Advisory Board, on the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, and as a board member of the Defense Intelligence School. In 1982, he was appointed a member of the White House Science Council. Dr. Teller has received many honors and medals for his work and contributions to scientific developments, and to the defense of western democracy. Some of these honors are: the Enrico Fermi Medal (for contributions to chemical and nuclear physics and for leadership in thermonuclear research), The Albert Einstein Award (for discoveries in Atomic, Nuclear, and Solid State Physics), the Joseph Priestly Award, the Harvey Prize, and the National Medal of Science. His books include The Legacy of Hiroshima, The Reluctant Revolutionary, Energy from Heaven and Earth, Pursuit of Simplicity, and Better A Shield Than A Sword.Search for more papers by this author DR. EDWARD TELLER, DR. EDWARD TELLER Dr. Edward Teller: is best know for his work on the development of nuclear explosives and for his advocacy of a strong defense for America. He is also a noted physicist with more than 100 technical publications, several books, some patents, and numerous articles in the popular media. Born in Budapest in 1908, Dr. Teller worked at the University of Leipzig as a graduate student under Werner Heisenberg and received his Ph.D. in physics in 1930. From 1931 to 1933, he worked at the University of Goettingen with James Frank. With the rise of the Nazis, he left Germany, worked in London and in Copenhagen at the Niels Bohr Institute. In 1935, Dr. Teller was appointed professor of physics at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. He became a citizen of the United States in 1941. Prior to 1939, and the announcement to the scientific community of the discovery of fission, Dr. Teller was engaged as a theoretical physicist working in the fields of quantum physics, molecular physics and nuclear physics. The possibilities of fission, together with the menace of Nazi Germany, led him to work on the Manhattan Project. At an early stage, the possibilities of releasing energy via nuclear fusion became apparent and much of his attention was subsequently devoted to this development. After World War II, Dr. Teller became professor of physics at the University of Chicago, where he remained until the threat of Soviet technological developments motivated him to return as assistant director to Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory. In 1952, at the time of the first test of the hydrogen bomb, Dr. Teller joined the University of California at Berkeley and started work at the newly-founded Lawrence Livermore Laboratory; in 1954, he was associate director and from 1958 to 1960, director. In 1960, he became university professor of physics at the University of California while retaining the position of associate director at Livermore. He retired from these positions in 1975, and has held the positions of associate director emeritus at Livermore and senior research fellow at the Hoover Institution since then. Dr. Teller has served our nation in many capacities, some of which are: as a member of the General Advisory Committee of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, as chairman of the first Nuclear Reactor Safeguard Committee, as a member of the USAF Scientific Advisory Board, on the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, and as a board member of the Defense Intelligence School. In 1982, he was appointed a member of the White House Science Council. Dr. Teller has received many honors and medals for his work and contributions to scientific developments, and to the defense of western democracy. Some of these honors are: the Enrico Fermi Medal (for contributions to chemical and nuclear physics and for leadership in thermonuclear research), The Albert Einstein Award (for discoveries in Atomic, Nuclear, and Solid State Physics), the Joseph Priestly Award, the Harvey Prize, and the National Medal of Science. His books include The Legacy of Hiroshima, The Reluctant Revolutionary, Energy from Heaven and Earth, Pursuit of Simplicity, and Better A Shield Than A Sword.Search for more papers by this author First published: January 1990 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-3584.1990.tb02534.xCitations: 1 AboutPDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Citing Literature Volume102, Issue1January 1990Pages 20-23 RelatedInformation