Dubbed Mr. Atomic Energy by Congressional colleagues and friends
in recognition of his 28 years as a member and 10 years as House
leader of the House-Senate Joint Committee on Atomic Energy (JCAE),
Democratic Congressman Chet Holifield of California's 19th
Congressional District served 32 years in Congress, from 1943
through 1974, and was a powerful figure in atomic energy matters.
This first biography of Holifield, in chronicling the Congressman's
significant role in the development and course of U.S. atomic
energy programs and policies, also serves as a history of the
formative period of this new force in national and international
politics. An early champion of atomic energy, Holifield's efforts
contributed to the establishment of the Atomic Energy Act of 1946
and earned him a place on the JCAE. His 1949 recommendation on the
H-bomb led to the development of this new weapon nine months before
the Russians. An ardent proponent of public power in the 1950s,
Holifield opposed the premature involvement of private industry in
the development of atomic power and urged increased government
participation in that area; many of his recommendations were later
authorized by the Atomic Energy Commission. Holifield supported the
conversion of the Hanford, Washington N-reactor to electricity as
well as plutonium production, criticized U.S. civil defense
strategy as inadequate, and championed both peaceful use of atomic
energy and a nuclear Navy. During the Nixon administration, in
response to environmentalists opposition to further atomic power
development, the Congressman took the unpopular position that
trade-offs between safety concerns and the public's need for
increased amounts of electrical power were necessary. He also
sponsored legislation that divided the AEC into the Research and
Development Administration and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, a
move that affected the course of atomic energy development well
beyond his retirement.
The first chapter is devoted to a biographical sketch of
Holifield's life prior to his congressional career, while the
remaining nine chapters trace his influence and contributions in
atomic energy matters. The in-depth description of the Holifield
Papers as well as the select bibliography will be of great value to
scholars of atomic energy history. Serving as an introduction to
the wide range of atomic energy topics and issues, this biography
would be a significant addition to the reading lists for American
history survey courses as well as being useful for seminars that
have students investigate atomic energy history.
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