Ames Laboratory Reactor Dedication (1963)

a program will see the cornerstone unveiling ceremony at dr. Glenn Seaborg the chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission ladies and gentlemen the Ames Laboratory of the Tomic Energy Commission welcomes you to this cornerstone ceremony as you all know the Ames Laboratory is a major facility of the Atomic Energy Commission and the votes itself mainly to the basic and pioneering research in the nature into the nature of matter in other words it is concerned with such problems as why do materials possess the properties they do and how can one control condition so it's obtain better materials that would exhibit properties which we wish them to possess when scientists learn to release nuclear energy that made available to mankind the great new source of energy which was bound to greatly influence the course of our civilization while it's early applications were mainly in the field of National Defense and it is these applications that you received the most publicity I am sure most scientists believe that by far its greatest impact will be in the field of human welfare already it is demonstrated that we have available on almost inexhaustible source of power for producing electricity and heat however however I believe in the long term perhaps the greatest contribution which the discovery of controlled nuclear fission will make to mankind will result from the very powerful tools it hasn't made available to the scientists these tools of opened up vast areas for research in the fields of agriculture astronomy biology medicine engineering and the basic sciences investigations in these areas were almost impossible before these new tools became available the reactor which you will see today is a fitting example of such a tool this reactor will be one of the most powerful research tools of this sort in the country and it will be devoted entirely to basic research for the atomic energy in the field of materials on this occasion we wish to acknowledge our gratitude to the people have made it a reality representatives of each of these groups are with us today they include a member of Congress representatives of administration of Iowa State University which operates the laboratory for the commission members of the atomic energy commission members of the State Board of Regents representatives from Bernsen role of the architect amf Atomics the reactor engineers maximum maths construction company the contractor and my fellow scientists at this time I am pleased to introduce dr. james hylton president of the Ohio State University will introduce a member of Congress and members of the State Board of rage Regents chairman sig Berg distinguished guests ladies and gentlemen this is they certainly red-letter day for iowa state Atomic Energy Commission who have cooperated so well in the work of the Ames Laboratory of the Atomic Energy Commission I have heard on good many occasions in more recent weeks or months that Atomic Energy Commission controls the weather I'm inclined to agree with them today now because we're supposed to have showers at this time I understand they've arranged to have a showers come a little later in the afternoon I should at this time like to congratulate the doctor Spedding and all of his associates on the outstanding job they've done in the Ames Laboratory as all of you know it's one of the leading laboratories in the country I should also like to thank the members of the Commission dr. C Berg and his group because they have seen fit to provide this wonderful facility for the research program not only for the Ames Laboratory but for the work of the whole University but my job is to introduce some of the people on the platform and I take great pleasure in introducing two of this group really a person who needs no introduction congressman Neil Smith our congressman fondest district who is always very cooperated with us in helping us to handle some of the problems we naturally have with Congress new Smith would land a heavy now i should like to introduce the members of the Board of Regents who have of course a lot to do in making decisions in connection with some of the program of the ames left first mr. Harry Hegeman chairman of the board from Waverly you'll stand mrs. kenneth evans of Emerson Robert Valentine from Centerville mr. Wilbur see Mollison from Grinnell mr. John see oberhausen of Dubuque mr. Stanley redeker a boon thank you very much stop spitting I would not like to introduce mr. Kenneth Dunbar manages the Chicago operation office of the Tomic Energy Commission who will introduce other guests thank you dr. spatting it said indeed a pleasure for me to participate and to introduce most of the members of the Commission there will be one exception that would be introduced later first of all I would like to introduce dr. Paul W McDaniel director of the division of research Washington headquarters dr. I would like next to introduce dr. Alex our van Dyken the assistant director for chemistry and the division of research headquarters dr. Donald K Stevenson Stephens assistant director for metallurgy and materials innovation would like now to introduce mr. Howard see Brown junior executive assistant to the chairman of the Commission mr. Dwight a Inc assistant general manager of the Commission mr. daniel j kc the director of our division of engineering and construction in the chicago operations officer dr. Baron vice president nuclear and process engineering division burns and ro incorporated mr. OA Scholesy vice president amf Atomics mr. o L deweese manager construction operations the max and construction company thank you very much I would now like to introduce dr. Harley Wilhelm the associate director of the laboratory dr. Wilhelm has been with us since nineteen forty-two and played a very vital role in the development of the laboratory next I would like introduce dr. eat avoid chairman of the reactor advisory committee whose committee devoted much time to the detailed planning of the reactor and finally I'd like to introduce dr. Willard McCorkle reactor division chief who will be in charge of the reactor dr. Morton Smoots the assistant director is not on the platform since he is busy elsewhere but I should acknowledge the great amount of work he and the other members the laboratory had devoted to making this occasion a success now we come to the high point of this occasion it is now my pleasure to introduce dr. Glenn TC Borg chairman of the Tomic Energy Commission dr. Seaborg is one of the most eminent scientists in the world today he was one of the co discovers the plutonium for which he later received the nobel prize in 1951 since then he has discovered a whole series of elements which did not exist naturally in our world which which can be produced by nuclear reactions he has received many honors and it has distinguished himself in administration as witnessed by his being chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission since I will introduce him it is a main address in Great Hall at four o'clock to which you all invited I will not dwell further are these accomplishments here but just say that we are honored he was able to be with us today and to take part in the ceremony it is a great personal pleasure that I call upon dr. Clementi Seaborg thank you Frank dr. Frank's wedding dr. Wilhelm and president Hilton congressman Smith mr. Dunbar members of the Board of Regents of Iowa State University and ladies and gentlemen it's a great privilege for me and indeed on behalf of the Atomic Energy Commission to be allowed to participate in the unveiling of this cornerstone this afternoon I think that this reactor that is being dedicated here today is representative of the new partnership between science and the universities and the government I've had the privilege of watching the growth of the Ames Laboratory since it's very inception in February of 1940 to the Ames Laboratory performed one of the most important functions during the war and the atomic bomb project in producing uranium as you know of the required purity and on the almost impossible time scale that was required at that time the laboratory carried on important further work during the war and then after the war was continued by the Atomic Energy Commission making it possible to carry on the basic research in the intervening years much important work has been carried on during those years perhaps one of the characteristics of the laboratory has been the ability to translate the results of basic research into practical applications and this is perhaps symbolic of the age in which we live we live in what many of us characterized as a scientific age a scientific society and this laboratory and this reactor is symbolic of that age perhaps as never before in the history of mankind we are dependent upon science and the products of science not only for our defense but for our very economic well-being we're dependent as never before upon education and scientific research in order to have economic progress in our society as a matter of fact as it is turning out the areas of our country now that are prospering are those that have strong educational complexes because of the rapid translation of scientific discovery into practical applications and new industries today another important role or a concomitant with the important research i should say being carried on here is the education of graduate students the graduate student education and basic research i believe should go together at every possible level and this university will serve has served and will serve with this new facility as an outstanding example of that I look forward to great things from this reactor and from the Ames Laboratory in the future it gives me an especial pleasure to congratulate my friend dr. Frank's betting on this new facility and on his magnificent leadership of this laboratory since its inception thank you very much and now I think I'll go over and do the unveiling but I believe I'm supposed to jump over this railing in order to do that thank you this concludes our ceremony you are invited to to the reactor at this time and to attend dr. C Borges lecture at 4pm in the Great Hall of Memorial Union thank you you