Admiral Hyman George Rickover, often referred to as the “Father of the Nuclear Navy,” was a pivotal figure in the development of nuclear propulsion and significantly influenced both military and civilian applications of nuclear power. His visionary leadership and technical expertise were instrumental in transforming the U.S. Navy and advancing nuclear technology worldwide.

Early Career and World War II Contributions (1922–1945): After graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1922, Rickover embarked on a distinguished naval career, marked by a relentless pursuit of technical excellence. His early assignments were typical for a young officer, but his talents became evident when he was selected for Engineering Duty Only (EDO) in 1937. During World War II, Rickover was assigned to the Bureau of Ships, where he played a crucial role in improving the electrical systems of naval vessels. These systems were vital during combat, particularly in the Pacific Theater, where Rickover’s innovations ensured that ships' electrical equipment could withstand the severe shocks and fires encountered in battle​.

Pioneering Nuclear Propulsion (1946–1955): In 1946, Rickover’s career took a decisive turn when he recognized the potential of nuclear energy for naval propulsion. Initially overlooked for a project at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Rickover’s persistence and vision eventually secured him a place on the team working on nuclear reactors. By 1947, he had convinced senior Navy officials and the newly formed Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) to pursue the development of a nuclear-powered submarine.

Rickover’s leadership led to the official launch of the nuclear submarine program in 1948. As head of the Naval Reactors Branch of the AEC, Rickover spearheaded the development of the USS Nautilus, the world’s first nuclear-powered submarine. The Nautilus was launched on January 17, 1955, marking a historic moment in naval history with the signal “Underway on nuclear power.” This achievement was a testament to Rickover’s determination and technical prowess​​.

Expansion of the Nuclear Navy and Civilian Applications (1955–1970): Following the success of the Nautilus, Rickover expanded the Navy’s nuclear program, overseeing the development of additional nuclear-powered submarines and surface ships. The USS Seawolf, the second nuclear-powered submarine, and the USS Enterprise, the world’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, were both developed under his guidance. These vessels demonstrated the strategic advantages of nuclear propulsion, such as the ability to operate at high speeds for extended periods without refueling.

Rickover also played a critical role in civilian nuclear power development. In the early 1950s, he championed the construction of the Shippingport Atomic Power Station, the first commercial nuclear power plant in the United States. Shippingport, which became operational in 1957, pioneered technologies that would later be widely adopted in civilian nuclear reactors, helping to lay the groundwork for the broader adoption of nuclear power​​.

Contributions to UK Nuclear Submarine Efforts: Rickover’s influence extended beyond the United States. He played a crucial role in assisting the United Kingdom with its own nuclear submarine program. In the 1950s, as the UK sought to develop its nuclear-powered submarines, Rickover provided invaluable technical assistance and guidance. His support helped the UK establish its own fleet of nuclear submarines, starting with HMS Dreadnought, which was launched in 1960 using a U.S.-supplied nuclear reactor. This collaboration was a significant milestone in the development of the UK’s naval capabilities and solidified Rickover’s reputation as a leading figure in global nuclear propulsion efforts​.

Technical Challenges and Innovations: Throughout his career, Rickover faced numerous technical challenges. The development of nuclear reactors required solving complex problems related to reactor physics, metallurgy, and materials science. Rickover was instrumental in the development of new materials, such as zirconium and hafnium, which were essential for the construction of safe and efficient reactors. His insistence on rigorous testing, quality control, and safety ensured that the Navy's nuclear reactors were among the most reliable in the world.

Rickover’s approach to nuclear propulsion was characterized by a focus on practicality and reliability. In his 1954 speech titled “Administering Large Projects,” Rickover highlighted the difference between academic and practical reactors, emphasizing the importance of addressing real-world challenges rather than indulging in theoretical simplicity. This speech became influential in shaping the philosophy of nuclear engineering, stressing the importance of experience, responsibility, and attention to detail in managing large-scale projects​.

Later Career and Legacy (1970–1986): Rickover continued to lead the Naval Reactors program until his retirement in 1982. By then, the Navy’s nuclear fleet had grown to include more than 150 nuclear-powered vessels, making the U.S. Navy the most advanced and powerful naval force in the world. Rickover’s leadership ensured that these vessels were not only technologically superior but also operated with the highest standards of safety and reliability.

Beyond his technical contributions, Rickover was a passionate advocate for education, particularly in science and engineering. His testimony before Congress in 1979 on the philosophy of safety in nuclear power highlighted his unwavering commitment to quality, safety, and the reduction of radiation exposure. This testimony had a lasting impact on nuclear policy and operations, reinforcing the importance of maintaining the highest standards in the industry​.

Publications and Speeches: Rickover was also a prolific author and public speaker, using these platforms to advocate for his views on leadership, education, and engineering. His books include “Education and Freedom” (1959), which argued for the importance of rigorous education in maintaining a free society, and “How the Battleship Maine Was Destroyed" (1955), which demonstrated that the Maine was not destroyed by the Spanish. These publications, along with his numerous speeches, such as his 1954 address on administering large projects, are considered essential reading for those involved in critical thinking, nuclear technology and large-scale engineering projects​.

Awards and Honors: Throughout his career, Rickover received numerous awards and honors, reflecting his profound impact on both the military and civilian sectors. Among the most notable were the Egleston Medal from Columbia University in 1955, the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1980), the Congressional Gold Medal (1959), and the Enrico Fermi Award (1965). He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1967, solidifying his legacy as one of the most influential engineers and leaders of the 20th century​.

Admiral Hyman G. Rickover’s legacy is one of innovation, dedication, and an uncompromising commitment to excellence. His work not only revolutionized naval warfare but also laid the foundation for the peaceful use of nuclear energy, making him one of the most significant figures in the history of technology and defense.

Enduring Wisdom: On his office wall at Naval Reactors was the following Shakespeare quote from "Measure to Measure":

"Our doubts are traitors,

And make us lose the good we oft might win,

By fearing to attempt"

Biographical Chronology of Hyman G. Rickover

Source: Hyman G. Rickover Papers, MS 561 Special Collections & Archives Department

Nimitz Library United States Naval Academy

1900

• On January 27, is born in Makow, Russian Poland.

1906

• Arrives in New York on March 26.

1914

• Graduates from Victor F. Lawson Grammar School in Chicago.

1918

• Graduates from John Marshall High School in February.

• Enters and quickly drops out of the Naval Academy Preparatory School in Annapolis, Maryland in March.

• Takes the Naval Academy academic examination at the Chicago Customs house between April 16 and 19.

• Reports to the Naval Academy on June 29, where he changes his middle name from Godalia to George.

1922

• Graduates 107 out of 540 midshipmen of the Naval Academy Class of 1922 on June 2.

• Reports to Commander, Destroyer Squadrons in San Diego on August 13, and receives orders to destroyer La Vallette as assistant torpedo officer, commissary, supply and watch officer.

1924

• Suffering from a kidney infection and chronic appendicitis, Rickover is transferred to Mare Island Naval Hospital on July 11.

• Rickover is detached from destroyer La Vallette while still in hospital on December 3.

1925

• Reports to the destroyer Nevada, 3rd Battleship Division, United States Battle Fleet at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, with duty in the Fire Control Division of the Gunnery Department on January 21.

• Transferred to the hospital ship Relief on May 20 with abdomen hernia; later sent to hospital, Pearl Harbor; Sent to hospital at Mare Island for surgical operation and discharged near end of June 1925.

• Promoted to lieutenant junior grade on June 3.

• Returns to the Nevada on October 7, where he assumes duties as engineer watch officer and head, Electrical Division, where he completely overhauls the ships fire control system.

1927

• Reports to Navy Postgraduate School at Annapolis on July 1.

1928

• Promoted to full lieutenant on June 3.

• Completes first full year of graduate school on June 26.

1929

• Completes second year of postgraduate education at Columbia University’s school of engineering, while rooming at the International House on riverside Drive.

• Meets Ruth D. Masters, a graduate student majoring in international law, at Columbia.

• Graduates from Columbia with distinction and a master’s degree in engineering in May.

• Reports for duty aboard S-9 at New London on October 12.

1930

• Reports for duty as engineer and electrical officer aboard S-48 stationed at New London on June 21.

1931

• Promoted to executive officer and navigator of S-48 on July 6.

• Qualifies for submarine command on August 4.

• Marries Ruth D. Masters on October 8 in Litchfield, Connecticut.

1933

• Detached from S-48 on June 5.

• Reports to inspector of naval material at Philadelphia on July 5, where Rickover assumes duty as assistant inspector of naval material pertaining to submarines.

1934

• Publishes letter entitled “Quarterly Marks and the Promotion of Enlisted Personnel” in the “Discussions” section of the March 1934 issue of U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings.

1935

• Detached from the office of inspector of naval material on March 23.

• Reported as assistant engineer aboard the battleship New Mexico off San Pedro, California, on April 13. New Mexico wins the battleship engineering competition two years in a row.

• Authored article “International Law and the Submarine” in the September 1935 issue of Proceedings.

1937

• Detached from the New Mexico on June 2.

• June 5, sails with Ruth and Ruth’s mother for Shanghai aboard passenger liner President Monroe. They stop in Japan on the way to China.

• Promoted to lieutenant commander on July 1.

• Takes command of the minesweeper USS Finch, then at Tsingtao, China on July 17.

• The Finch anchors in the Whangpoo River on August 20 to protect American interests after a Japanese naval force landed in Shanghai in response to fighting instigated by the killing of two Japanese marines at a local airfield on August 8.

• Rickover renews his request for the engineering duty officer designation on September 4, and receives the rating effective October 5.

• Reports as assistant to the production officer for engineering at the Cavite Navy Yard, near Manila Philippines on October 30. The new assignment charged Rickover with carrying out repairs and maintenance.

1939

• While on duty in Manila, Ruth and Rickover travel throughout the Dutch East Asia. After receiving orders to report to Washington on August 15, 1939, Rickover and Ruth travel along the east coast of China and Vietnam, along the Burma Road to Lashio, Myanmar. He then crossed India by rail, and flew across the Middle East and landed in Athens, and thereupon made an aerial trip to London, before sailing to the United States.

• Rickover reports to the Bureau of Engineering on August 15.

1940

• Receives assignment as assistant chief in the electrical section of the new Bureau of Ships in June.

• Ruth Masters Rickover gives birth to their son, Robert Rickover on October 11.

• In December, Rickover is promoted to chief of the Electrical Section of the Bureau of Ships.

1942

• Promoted to commander on January 1.

1945

• On July 20, Rickover reports as industrial manager, Naval Operating Base, Okinawa, commanding the Naval Repair Base on Nakagusuku Wan, the only large fleet anchorage between Kyushu and Formosa, with orders to establish operational repair docks by November 1945.

• On November 27, Rickover leaves Okinawa with orders to report to Washington, D.C.

• On December 16, Rickover leaves Washington D.C. with orders to report for temporary duty to Rear Admiral Walter E. Kilpatrick, deputy commander, Western Sea Frontier, in charge of the nineteenth fleet, then decommissioning and mothballing ships. Kilpatrick assigns Rickover the job of inspector general.

1946

• In June, Rickover is assigned to the Atomic Energy Facility at Oak Ridge, Tennessee. One of five officers selected by the Bureau of Ships to join a select group designed in March 1946 to develop an experimental power reactor proposed by Farrington Daniels, leading chemist of the Manhattan Project.

• On August 1, President Truman signs the law creating the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), which assumed authority on January 1, 1947. While at the Bethesda Naval Hospital for a hernia operation, in November 1946 Rickover authors the Manhattan Engineer District’s report summarizing the organization’s various programs, including a nuclear propulsion section entitled “Nuclear Energy Propulsion for Naval Vessels,” for the commission’s preparations.

1947

• On June 4, Rickover authored a memorandum to the chief, Bureau of Ships backing the retention of the Oak Ridge Naval Group cadre of engineer and reactor technology experts together to advocate the navy’s nuclear propulsion interests to the new Atomic Energy Commission.

• In September, the Bureau of Ships assigned Rickover an “assistant for nuclear energy” with an office in Washington, D.C.

• On December 5, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Nimitz signs a letter written by Rickover, with the assistance of Commander Edward L. Beach, advocating for the navy’s requirement of a nuclear-propelled submarine, and pressing need for such a vessel’s prompt development, design and construction. Secretary of the Navy John L. Sullivan signs the letter on December 8 and designated the Bureau of Ships as the navy entity to work with the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC).

1948

• Rickover authored a January 20 letter to the AEC proposing the bureau, on the commission’s behalf, set up an organization to take charge of the nuclear submarine project; the AEC eventually agreed and delegated the task to construct the vessel to the navy.

• On July 16, the Bureau of Ships appoints Rickover head of the joint AEC-Navy program to develop a submarine nuclear reactor.

• On August 4, the Bureau of Ships established a Nuclear Power Branch under Rickover’s oversight in the Research Division.

1949

• On February 15, Rickover reports for duty with the division Reactor Development in the AEC and to the chief, Bureau of Ships for additional duty. Rickover’s colloquially-termed “Naval Reactors” office set up in T-3, a temporary building built during World War II located on the Washington Monument Grounds near Main Navy.

1952

• On February 9, Rickover briefs President Truman at the White House on the navy’s nuclear submarine development program.

• On June 14, Rickover, with President Truman in attendance with other dignitaries, views the keel-laying ceremony for the Nautilus at the south yard of General Dynamic’s Electric Boat Division in Groton, Connecticut.

1953

• In March the navy secretary convened a board that recommended the retention of Rickover and five other engineering captains for one additional year, and a second board in July 1953 to select an engineering duty captain qualified in nuclear propulsion for promotion to rear admiral.

• The navy announced the names, including Rickover’s, of captains selected to the grade of rear admiral on July 24.

• On October 22, the Atomic Energy Commission appoints Rickover head of a project to develop a civilian pressurized water nuclear reactor.

1954

• Mamie Eisenhower christens the USS Nautilus, the first nuclear-powered submarine, on January 21.

• On September 6, President Eisenhower presided via television over the groundbreaking ceremony at Shippingport, Pennsylvania, the Atomic Energy Commission’s site to develop the first civilian pressurized water nuclear reactor.

1958

• Between January 27 and February 1, Rickover and I. Harry Mandil travel to England to consult with the British, including First Sea Lord Louis Mountbatten on ways to assist their nuclear submarine program in a post-Sputnik cooperation effort.

• Promoted to vice admiral on October 24.

1959

• In March, Rickover publishes his first book "Education and Freedom", composed of a number of his speeches and the studies he and his wife were making of education.

• April 15, Rickover receives the Congressional Gold Medal in a ceremony at Washington, D.C.

• On July 22, Rickover and Vice President Richard Nixon embark on a non-diplomatic trip to Russia. On the way back to the United States, the delegation stops in Warsaw, Poland on August 2.

1961

• On July 25, Rickover suffers a heart attack on his way to his office in the Washington, D. C’s N-building behind Main Navy, and he is sent to Bethesda Naval Hospital. While an in-patient, Rickover first meets nurse Lieutenant Eleonore A. Bednowicz.

1963

• With his January 1964 retirement deadline approaching, Rickover meets with secretary of the navy Fred Korth on February 14 1963. On June 21, Secretary of the Navy Korth announced he would recall Rickover to active duty immediately on his retirement in February 1964 for “so long as he is willing and able to contribute,” subject to annual reappointment by the secretary of the navy.

1964

• On January 27, Rickover is retired as a vice admiral, and then immediately reappointed by the secretary of the navy to a recurring two-year term on active duty.

1968

• Rickover’s mother, Rachel Rickover dies on March 10.

1972

• Rickover’s wife, Ruth Masters Rickover dies on May 25.

• Rickover suffers and recovers from a heart attack in Washington, D.C. on November 16.

1973

• Promoted to full admiral on December 3.

1974

• Marries Eleonore A. Bednowicz on January 19.

1977

• Rickover provides a tour of the USS Los Angeles (SSN-688) to President Jimmy Carter on May 27.

• On October 1, the newly created Department of Energy assumes the previous functions of the Atomic Energy Commission. In the resulting consolidation, Rickover retains his position as director of the Office of Naval Reactors and deputy commander for nuclear propulsion Naval Sea Systems Command.

• December 2, Rickover presides in a ceremony at the White House to celebrate operating a light water breeder reactor at full power at the Shippinpport facility.

1981

• Rickover receives the news through a leak from White House sources that he would not receive another reappointment in the navy on November 9.

1982

• On January 9, Rickover meets with President Reagan at the White House, where he refuses an offer to serve as special scientific advisor to the president on nuclear matters.

• Rickover retires from the navy on January 31.

1986

• Rickover dies in Arlington, Virginia on July 8.