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Wendell Latimer

ChemistUniversity of California, Berkeley

Washington, DC
Manhattan Project VeteranPostwar Nuclear ProgramProject Worker/StaffScientist

Wendell Latimer (1893-1955) was an American chemist.

A Kansas native, Latimer arrived at the University of California, Berkeley to pursue a Ph.D. in chemistry. Eventually he became both a professor and dean at the school. 

Throughout his life, Latimer was heavily involved in national defense. During World War II he was a member of the National Defense Research Council. Soon after, he became the Director of a Berkeley-based Manhattan Project initiative to study the chemistry of plutonium. After the war he received the Presidential Certificate of Merit for his contributions. He later served on the special weapons panel of the Atomic Energy Commission.

Wendell Latimer's Timeline
1893 Apr 22nd Born in Garnett, KS.
1915 Received a B.A. in chemistry from the University of Kansas.
1919 Received a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley.
19411945 Served as a member fo the National Defense Research Committee.
19431947 Served as the Director of the Manhattan Project research on the chemistry of plutonium.
1948 Received the Presidential Certificate of Merit for his contributions to the war effort.
19491951 Served on the Special Weapons panel of the Atomic Energy Commission.
1955 Jul 6th Died in Oakland, CA.

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