Hyman George Rickover

Admiral Hyman G. Rickover (1900-1986), known as the "Father of the Nuclear Navy," served for 63 years before retiring in January 1982. As director of the Naval Reactors Branch, he developed the world's first nuclear powered submarine, USS Nautilus (SSN 571), which went to sea in 1955. In the years that followed, he directed all aspects of building and operating the nuclear fleet.