John McGregor Hill facts for kids

Sir John McGregor Hill (born February 21, 1921 – died January 14, 2008) was an important British scientist. He was a nuclear physicist. This means he studied the tiny parts inside atoms. He led the UK Atomic Energy Authority for 14 years. This was a big organization that worked with nuclear energy in Britain.

Early Life and Education

John Hill was born in Chester, England. He went to school at Richmond County Grammar School from 1930 to 1939. Later, he studied Physics at King's College London. He earned a science degree there.

During the Second World War (1941–1945), he served in the Royal Air Force. He worked with radar, which uses radio waves to detect objects. After the war, he did research at the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge. He studied how long very short-lived radioactive particles last. For this work, he earned his Ph.D. In 1948, he became a physics teacher at the University of London.

Working with Nuclear Energy

In 1950, John Hill joined the Department of Atomic Energy. This department was part of the Ministry of Supply. He started working at the Windscale plant in Cumbria. He wanted to build a career in nuclear energy.

He helped start up Britain's first nuclear reactors. These were called the Windscale Piles. Their main job was to make plutonium for military use. Later, the focus changed to making nuclear power for electricity. John Hill became a manager for the Production Group. This group moved to Risley, Cheshire.

He oversaw several important nuclear sites:

• The uranium plant at Capenhurst.
• The fuel factory at Springfields, near Preston.
• The reprocessing plant at Windscale.
• The power-generating reactors at Calder Hall and Chapelcross.

Leading the UK Atomic Energy Authority

In 1964, John Hill joined the main board of the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA). He quickly moved up in the organization. In 1967, he became the chairman, taking over from Lord Penney. He held this important position until 1981.

He also became the chairman of British Nuclear Fuels Ltd (BNFL) in 1971. This company used to be the Production Group of UKAEA. In 1975, he also became chairman of The Radiochemical Centre Ltd. This company later became known as Amersham International plc. He retired from BNFL in 1983 and from Amersham International plc in 1988.

Awards and Recognition

John Hill was recognized for his important work. He was knighted in 1969. This means he was given the title "Sir." In 1975, he received the Melchett Medal from the Energy Institute. He was also chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1981. This is a very high honor for scientists. In 1982, he became a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Family Life

John Hill married Nora Hellett in 1947. They had two sons and one daughter. Sir John McGregor Hill passed away in Richmond, Surrey, in 2008.