Manson Benedict (October 9, 1907 – September 18, 2006) was an American nuclear engineer and a professor of nuclear engineering at the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...

(MIT). From 1958 to 1968, he was the chairman of the advisory committee to the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission.

Biography

Born in Lake Linden, Michigan to a Jewish family, Benedict received a B.S. from

Cornell University Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...

chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...

, and worked for two years at National Aniline and Chemical Co. before returning to graduate school, earning a Ph.D. from MIT in

physical chemistry Physical chemistry is the study of macroscopic and microscopic phenomena in chemical systems in terms of the principles, practices, and concepts of physics such as motion, energy, force, time, thermodynamics, quantum chemistry, statistical mech ...

. It was at MIT where he met his wife Marjorie, who also received a Ph.D. in chemistry. He then became a research chemist at the M. W. Kellogg Limited, where his contributions included the 1940 publication of the Benedict–Webb–Rubin equation. Benedict was well known for his pioneering role in nuclear engineering. He developed the gaseous diffusion method for separating the isotopes of uranium and supervised the engineering and process development of the K-25 plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where fissionable material for the atomic bomb was produced. He received many awards for his work on the

Manhattan Project The Manhattan Project was a research and development program undertaken during World War II to produce the first nuclear weapons. It was led by the United States in collaboration with the United Kingdom and Canada. From 1942 to 1946, the ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, and for his later career as a scientist, educator, and public servant, which focused on

nuclear power Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions to produce electricity. Nuclear power can be obtained from nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion reactions. Presently, the vast majority of electricity from nuclear power is produced by ...

and other peaceful uses of atomic energy. Among his awards were: the William H. Walker award in 1947, the Perkin Medal in 1966, the Robert E. Wilson Award in 1968, the Enrico Fermi Award in 1972, the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement in 1973, and the

National Medal of Science The National Medal of Science is an honor bestowed by the President of the United States to individuals in science and engineering who have made important contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of behavioral science, behavior ...

from President Gerald Ford in 1975. He was elected a Fellow of the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (The Academy) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and other ...

in 1952, a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 1956, and a member of the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS) is an American scholarly organization and learned society founded in 1743 in Philadelphia that promotes knowledge in the humanities and natural sciences through research, professional meetings, publicat ...

in 1977. From 1958 to 1968, Benedict was a member and chair of the advisory committee of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, appointed by Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy. He established the nuclear engineering department at MIT in 1958 (prior to 1958 it was a program in chemical engineering started by Benedict in 1951), and was head of the department until 1971. He had a role in educating over 500 graduate students. He died at his home in Naples, Florida, aged 98. His wife Marjorie died in 1995 after 59 years of marriage. Two daughters, Marjorie Cohn of

Arlington, Massachusetts Arlington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The town is six miles (10 km) northwest of Boston, Massachusetts, Boston, and its population was 46,308 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. History Europe ...

, and Mary Sauer of

Naperville, Illinois Naperville ( ) is a city in DuPage County, Illinois, DuPage and Will County, Illinois, Will counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is a southwestern suburb of Chicago located west of the city on the DuPage River. As of the 2020 United State ...

and Naples, Florida, three grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren survive him.

References

External links

MIT Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering

{{DEFAULTSORT:Benedict, Manson 1907 births 2006 deaths Jewish American scientists Jewish engineers American nuclear engineers Cornell University alumni Manhattan Project people Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Science alumni MIT School of Engineering faculty National Medal of Science laureates Oak Ridge National Laboratory people People from Houghton County, Michigan Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences Members of the United States National Academy of Engineering American physical chemists Enrico Fermi Award recipients 20th-century American engineers 20th-century American Jews 21st-century American Jews Members of the American Philosophical Society