Dahlgren in Perspective 



177 



William McLean (left) receiving Presidential award for SIDEWINDER Missile. 



One of the stars at Indian Head on the staff in my day was Dr. Atanassoff. He 

 shot off sparks, so to speak, mentally. Not directly on the staff in my day, but 

 during World War H, was Dr. Ellis Johnson who discovered and remedied the 

 fatal defect in our torpedo exploders which made it impossible for them to go 

 off when they hit Japanese ship holds. He later became the Director of the 

 Army's equivalent to the activity at Norfolk — Operational Development Force. 

 Dr. Weller at NOL was a very valuable member of the staff. I mentioned that 

 Dr. Einstein had been a consultant to the Bureau of Ordnance before World 

 War II started. Another very valuable consultant to the Bureau of Ordnance 

 was Dr. John von Neumann, the great mathematician who was very important 

 in the development of the modern computer. 



Rear Admiral Parsons was also a brilliant scientist rather than naval officer, 

 although he had been in uniform throughout his life. He was one of Dr. 

 Oppenheimer's right-hand men at Los Alamos in the Manhattan Project, and 

 was one of the gentlest, ablest, brightest men I've ever known and a great 

 scientist in his own right — a most unusual and useful man. 



I could mention others, but I think these men are representative of some of 

 the finest civilian talent which has ever served the Navy. 



