Lawrence R. Hafstad

Lawrence R. Hafstad
Lawrence R. Hafstad
	Hafstad in 1967
Born	Lawrence Randolph Hafstad; June 18, 1904; Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Died	October 12, 1993 (aged 89); Oldwick, New Jersey, U.S.
Education	University of Minnesota (BSc); Johns Hopkins University (PhD);
Occupations	Nuclear physicist; Electrical engineer;
Employers	Carnegie Institution for Science; Office of Scientific Research and Development; Johns Hopkins University; Atomic Energy Commission; General Motors;
Spouse	Katharine Clarke-Hafstad (m. 1933, div. 1939)
Awards	AAAS Prize

Lawrence Randolph Hafstad (June 18, 1904 – October 12, 1993) was an American electrical engineer and physicist notable for his pioneering work on nuclear reactors and development of proximity fuzes.^[1]^[2] In 1939, he created the first nuclear fission reaction in the United States.^[3]^[4]^[5]

Biography

Hafstad was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was the son of two Norwegian immigrants. He attended the University of Minnesota, graduating in electrical engineering in 1926. He had begun working with the Carnegie Institution for Science from 1928. In 1931, he earned the American Association for the Advancement of Science Prize for his research with Merle A. Tuve and Odd Dahl.^[6]^[7]^[8]

He was awarded his Ph.D. in physics at Johns Hopkins University in 1933. Between 1935 and 1947, he was a frequent participant at the Washington Conferences on Theoretical Physics sponsored by George Washington University and Carnegie Institute of Washington.^[9] Between 1946 and 1954, he was a professor of physics at Johns Hopkins University. From 1947-1949, he was director of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. During that same period, he was executive secretary of the research and development board at the Department of Defense. From 1949 to 1955, he served as director of reactor development with the United States Atomic Energy Commission. In 1955, he became a vice president at the General Motors Corporation and was chief of its research laboratories.^[3] In 1968, Hafstad was elected to the National Academy of Engineering.^[4]^[1]^[10]

Hafstad died on October 12, 1993, at his home in the Oldwick section of Tewksbury Township, New Jersey.^[3]

^ ^a ^b Abelson, Philip H.; Muench, Nils L. (1994). "Lawrence Randolph Hafstad". Physics Today. 47 (8): 73–74. Bibcode:1994PhT....47h..73A. doi:10.1063/1.2808619.
^ Gray, Dwight E. (1952). "The Applied Physics Laboratory Research Center". Physics Today. 5 (2): 20–22. Bibcode:1952PhT.....5b..20G. doi:10.1063/1.3067478.
^ ^a ^b ^c Saxon, Wolfgang. "Lawrence R. Hafstad Dies at 89; Helped to Develop Nuclear Power" (The New York Times: October 22, 1993)
^ ^a ^b John D. Caplan (1994) Memorial Tributes Lawrence R. Hafstad (National Academy of Engineering, Volume 7)
^ Lawrence R. Hafstad Papers;dates: 1939–1975 (Harry S Truman Museum)
^ Tuve, Merle A.; Hafstad, Lawrence R.; Dahl, Odd (September 1948). "Nuclear Physics and High-Voltage Accelerators". The Scientific Monthly. 67 (3): 161. Bibcode:1948SciMo..67..161T.
^ Trygve Holtebekk (2014-09-28). "Odd Dahl, Ingeniør Flyger". Norsk biografisk leksikon. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
^ Magne Guttormsen (2018-01-03). "Lawrence Hafstad". Store norske leksikon. Retrieved January 1, 2016.
^ Oleg Kargaltsev. "Washington Conferences on Theoretical Physics". GW Astrophysics Group. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
^ "Lawrence R. Hafstad". memim.com. 2016. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 1, 2016.
^ Charlotte Jacobson. "Hafstad, Lawrence Randolph". The Norwegian-American Historical Association. Volume 30: Page 311. Retrieved January 1, 2016.

Authority control databases
International	ISNI VIAF FAST WorldCat
National	United States
Academics	zbMATH
Other	IdRef NARA