Hyman G. Rickover Quotes

Hyman George Rickover was born in Maków Mazowiecki, Poland. He was an American Navy admiral who directed the original development of naval nuclear propulsion and controlled its operations for three decades as director of Naval Reactors. In addition, he oversaw the development of the Shippingport Atomic Power Station, the world's first commercial pressurized water reactor used for generating electricity. Known as the "Father of the Nuclear Navy", Rickover's profound effects on the Navy and its most powerful warships were of such scope that he "may well go down in history as one of the Navy's most important officers." A naval officer who served in a flag rank for nearly 30 years – from 1953 to 1982 – Rickover was promoted to four-star admiral after 51 years of commissioned service. He earned a BS degree from US Naval Academy, Annapolis in 1922. He earned an MS degree in Electrical Engineering from Columbia University in 1929. He is the only person who has ever been awarded two Congressional Gold Medals(1958, 1982). The Los Angeles-class submarine USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN-709) was named for him. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter presented Admiral Rickover with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest non-military honor, for his contributions to world peace. He wrote several books include: Education and Freedom, Swiss Schools and Ours, American Education: A National Failure, and How the Battleship Maine was Destroyed.