Richard G. Hewlett facts for kids
Richard Greening Hewlett (born February 12, 1923 – died September 1, 2015) was an American historian. He was best known for being the main historian for the United States Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). He wrote important books about how the United States developed and used atomic energy.
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Early Life and Education
Richard Hewlett was born in Toledo, Ohio, in 1923. In 1941, he started college at Dartmouth College. But after the attack on Pearl Harbor, he joined the U.S. Army Air Corps. He worked with meteorology, which is the study of weather. He went to Bowdoin College for a year to study science.
Later, he worked with radar to track weather balloons. The military then sent him to Harvard University to study electronics. In 1945, he went to China. There, he operated a radiosonde, which sends weather information by radio. This information helped U.S. forces plan bombing missions.
After World War II, Hewlett studied history at the University of Chicago. He earned his master's degree in 1948 and his PhD in 1952. His PhD paper was about Lewis Cass, a politician from Michigan.
Working for the Government
While finishing his studies, Hewlett worked for the United States Air Force. He looked at public information about factories in the Soviet Union. He found this job boring.
In 1952, he got a new job at the United States Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). He became a program analyst. In this role, he gathered secret reports from all parts of the AEC for the leaders. Hewlett later said this job helped him understand the AEC very well.
Becoming the AEC's First Historian
In 1957, the AEC wanted someone to write its official history. This was an idea from Commissioner Lewis Strauss. Hewlett tried to find academic historians, but no one was interested. At that time, science and technology history was not a popular subject.
Because of his history background, Hewlett was offered the job himself. He happily accepted and became the AEC's first official historian. He got advice from Kent Roberts Greenfield, the chief historian for the U.S. Army. Greenfield suggested that Hewlett create a group of independent historians. This group would help make sure the history was fair and accurate. It would also protect Hewlett from government officials who might not like certain parts of the story. This group, called the Atomic Energy Commission's Historical Advisory Committee, was approved.
Discovering Important Documents
A big part of Hewlett's job was finding and saving historical AEC records. Many old documents were in danger of being thrown away. He encouraged AEC offices to think about their records as history. He also marked important records to be sent to the National Archives and Records Administration.
Hewlett once told a story about finding an old filing cabinet. It was under a stairwell in an AEC building. When a locksmith opened it, the first paper he pulled out was a letter signed by Franklin D. Roosevelt. The cabinet held important letters from Vannevar Bush and James B. Conant. These documents are now very important for understanding the Manhattan Project, which developed the atomic bomb.
Writing the AEC History Books
After looking through thousands of secret documents, Hewlett wrote his first book. It covered the time from the Manhattan Project to the start of the AEC.
- The New World, 1939-1946 was published in 1962. It was a finalist for the 1963 Pulitzer Prize.
- He then published his second book, Atomic Shield, 1947-1952, in 1969. This book won an award from the Harry S. Truman Library Institute.
- For both books, Hewlett received the AEC's highest award, the Distinguished Employee Award.
Hewlett faced a challenge getting his next book approved. Admiral Hyman G. Rickover of the United States Navy would not allow it to be published. He wanted Hewlett to also write a history of the Nuclear Navy. Even though Hewlett was annoyed, he agreed.
He wrote Nuclear Navy, 1946-1962, which came out in 1974. Hewlett enjoyed this project because Rickover's support gave him full access to all related files.
After the AEC
In 1974, the AEC was closed down. Hewlett became the chief historian for the new organization, the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA). When ERDA was also closed in 1977, his job moved to the United States Department of Energy.
When the Three Mile Island accident happened in 1979, Hewlett was asked to write its history. However, he wanted to retire. Two other historians, Philip L. Cantelon and Robert C. Williams, took on the job.
Later, Hewlett, Cantelon, Williams, and Rodney P. Carlisle started a private company. It was called History Associates Incorporated. This company wrote official histories for government groups and private companies.
Hewlett once tried to get involved in AEC policy. He wrote a history of how the AEC handled nuclear waste. He said this document did not always show the agency in a good light. The Department of Energy did not use the document, and it was put aside.
Hewlett officially retired from government work in 1980. He was still working on his third book about the AEC. It was hard to get the book approved for public release.
- Finally, Atoms for Peace and War, 1953-1961 was published in 1989. This book won the Richard W. Leopold Prize. This award is for the best book about a U.S. federal government agency.
Richard Hewlett passed away on September 1, 2015. He is remembered as one of the most important federal historians in the United States. He also helped start the Society for History in the Federal Government and the National Council on Public History.
Books by Richard G. Hewlett
- Hewlett, Richard G., and Oscar E. Anderson. The New World, 1939-1946. University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 1962.
- Hewlett, Richard G., and Francis Duncan. Atomic Shield, 1947-1952. University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 1969.
- Hewlett, Richard G., and Francis Duncan. Nuclear Navy, 1946-1962. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1974.
- Hewlett, Richard G., and Jack M. Holl. Atoms for Peace and War, 1953-1961: Eisenhower and the Atomic Energy Commission. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1989.
Images for kids
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Richard G. Hewlett, posed with the Bush-Conant file on the development of the atomic bomb.
