Biography:David L. Hill
David L. Hill | |
|---|---|
 Hill c. 1960s | |
| Born | David Lawrence Hill November 11, 1919 Booneville, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Died | December 14, 2008 (aged 89) Brighton, Monroe County, New York, U.S. |
| Education | |
| Known for |
|
| Spouse(s) | Mary Shadow (m. 1950; died 1992) |
| Partner(s) | Sharon Vincent[1] |
| Children | 7 |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Nuclear physics |
| Institutions |
|
| Thesis | Dynamical analysis of nuclear fission (1951) |
| Doctoral advisor | John Archibald Wheeler |
David Lawrence Hill (November 11, 1919 – December 14, 2008) was an American nuclear physicist who worked on the Manhattan Project in World War II and was head of the Federation of American Scientists. He is best known for his 1959 testimony against the nomination of Lewis Strauss as United States Secretary of Commerce.
Early life
Hill was born in Booneville, Mississippi.[2]
World War II
After graduating from the California Institute of Technology in 1942, he joined Enrico Fermi's team at the Metallurgical Laboratory in Chicago, where he remained for the duration of the war. He was one of the team of scientists who built the Chicago Pile, the world's first artificial nuclear reactor. In 1945 he was one of 70 scientists to sign the Szilárd petition asking President Truman to warn the Japanese before the usage of the atomic bomb.[3][4]
Post-war career
After the war, he received his Ph.D. in nuclear physics from Princeton University in 1951. His doctoral advisor was John Archibald Wheeler.[5] He was an assistant professor at Vanderbilt University and then from 1954 to 1958 worked as a theoretical physicist at the Los Alamos National Laboratory.[5][3]
In 1953, Hill, now a chairman of the Federation of American Scientists, criticized a speech by Lewis Strauss that defended his opposition to the shipping of radioisotopes to Norway in 1949. In 1959, he testified before the Commerce Committee of the United States Senate to oppose President Eisenhower's nomination of Lewis Strauss as Secretary of Commerce, saying that "most of the scientists in this country would prefer to see Mr. Strauss completely out of the Government".[6] Hill accused Strauss of a lack of integrity, an obsessive quest for personal approval, persistent arrogance, and personal vindictiveness.[7] Among issues cited were Strauss's aforementioned opposition to the shipping of radioisotopes in 1949 and his role in the security hearing that removed Robert Oppenheimer's security clearance.[7] The Senate voted against Strauss's nomination.[8]
Later years
Hill spent the later part of his career working in the private sector, founding research and development companies including Nanosecond Systems Inc., a manufacturer of high-precision measuring equipment, and serving as president of Harbor Research Corp., a patent enforcement and investment company.[9][5]
Personal life
Hill married Mary Shadow on December 31, 1950, with whom he had seven children.[10][11] He died on December 14, 2008, at the age of 89 in Brighton, New York. He had a private funeral.[12]
In media
Hill was portrayed by Rami Malek in the 2023[13] Christopher Nolan film Oppenheimer.[14]
References
- ↑ "Hill, David Lawrence". Democrat and Chronicle: pp. 14. 2008-12-18. https://www.newspapers.com/image/137685538/.
- ↑ Glenn T. Seaborg (1994). The Plutonium Story: The Journals of Professor Glenn T. Seaborg, 1939–1946. Columbus, Ohio: Battelle. p. 152, note 58. ISBN 9780935470758. https://archive.org/details/plutoniumstoryjo0000seab.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "David L. Hill". Atomic Heritage Foundation. 1942-12-02. https://ahf.nuclearmuseum.org/ahf/profile/david-l-hill/.
- ↑ Hill, David L.; Rabinowitch, Eugene; Simpson Jr., John A. (1945-10-29). "The Atomic Scientists Speak Up: Nuclear Physicists Say There Is No Secrecy In Atomic Bomb and No Defence Against It" (in en). Life (Time Inc.) 19 (18): 45–48. ISSN 0024-3019. https://books.google.com/books?id=tEsEAAAAMBAJ&dq=david+l+hill+physicist&pg=PA45.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 David Hill *51. Princeton University. 2010-03-17. https://paw.princeton.edu/memorial/david-hill-51. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
- ↑ Nomination of Lewis L. Strauss: Hearings, Eighty-sixth Congress, First Session, on the Nomination of Lewis L. Strauss to be Secretary of Commerce. March 17-18, April 21, 23, 28-30, May 1, 4-8, 11, 13-14, 1959. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1959. p. 430. https://books.google.com/books?id=n0a7jG7KlN8C&pg=PA430. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Nomination of Lewis L. Strauss: Hearings, Eighty-sixth Congress, First Session, on the Nomination of Lewis L. Strauss to be Secretary of Commerce. March 17-18, April 21, 23, 28-30, May 1, 4-8, 11, 13-14, 1959. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1959. pp. 733–737. https://books.google.com/books?id=n0a7jG7KlN8C&pg=PA733. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
- ↑ "The Congress: Sharp Image". Time. June 29, 1959. http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,864639,00.html.
- ↑ "Miss Mary Shadow Engage to Marry; Tennessee Educator, Member of State Legislature, Affianced to Prof. David L. Hill" (in en-US). The New York Times: pp. 101. 1950-12-10. ISSN 0362-4331. https://www.nytimes.com/1950/12/10/archives/miss-mary-shadow-engaged-to-marry-tennessee-educator-member-of.html.
- ↑ Cornwell 1989, p. 426.
- ↑ "Wins Way To UC". Chattanooga Daily Times: p. 10. May 13, 1943. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120137100/chattanooga-daily-times/.
- ↑ "Obituary of David Hill" (in en-US). https://falvofuneralhome.com/tribute/details/1323/David-Hill/obituary.html.
- ↑ "Fans point out a historical mistake in 'Oppenheimer'". July 23, 2023. https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/fans-point-out-historical-mistake-in-christopher-nolan-movie-oppenheimer/.
- ↑ "The Cast of 'Oppenheimer' and the Real People They Play". Vanity Fair. July 20, 2023. https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/photos/2023/07/oppenheimer-cast-actors-vs-real-people.
Works cited
- Cornwell, Ilene (1989). Biographical Directory of the Tennessee General Assembly Volume IV: 1931-1951. Tennessee Historical Commission. ISBN 0874020085.
 |  |
