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National Museum of Nuclear Science & History

Dr. Alexander Langsdorf (1912-1996) was an American physicist who worked under Enrico Fermi at the University of Chicago.

He helped design the nuclear reactor Chicago Pile-2, following the success of Chicago Pile-1. He signed the Szilard Petition, which attempted to avert the use of the atomic bomb against Japan. After the war, Langsdorf become an outspoken opponent of the proliferation of nuclear weapons and helped found the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. His wife, Martyl, designed the Bulletin‘s iconic “Doomsday Clock.” He and Martyl had two daughters, Alexandra and Suzanne.

Alexander Langsdorf’s Timeline
1912 May 30th Born in St. Louis, MO.

1932 Graduated from Washington University in St. Louis.

1937 Received his Ph.D. in physics from MIT.

1938 Became a research fellow at the University of California at Berkeley.

19391942 Worked as a physics instructor at Washington University in St. Louis.

19431945 Worked on the Manhattan Project in Chicago.

19451977 Worked at Argonne National Laboratory until retirement.

1996 May 24th Died in Chicago, IL.

Alexander Langsdorf

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