Admiral Rickover

National Museum Of The U.S. Navy, Washington, District Of Columbia
Admiral Rickover-52343
Creator: Dina Lee Steiner
Content Description: Hyman George Rickover, the father of the nuclear navy and a colorful, controversial man; served the United States Navy for 64 years. During World War II, he served in the Bureau of Ships in Washington D.C., as head of the electrical section. After the war, Rickover pushed for nuclear propulsion in submarines. Using his influence with Secretary of the Navy John L. Sullivan, he helped create a Nuclear Power Division within the Bureau of Ships. Rickover lobbied hard for the first nuclear-powered sub-marine, Nautilus. In control of naval nuclear power, he personally selected his subordinates and controlled the contractors. Rickover received the Presidential Medal of Honor for his accomplishments in nuclear propulsion in the Navy. Today all U.S. Navy submarines are nuclear powered.
Identifier: 2011.021.0006