Contents
Glenn T. Seaborg
Helping discover transuranium elements and reorganising the periodic table’s actinide series.
Plutonium · Actinide concept
- Born
- 19 April 1912
- Birthplace
- Ishpeming, Michigan, United States
- Died
- 25 February 1999
More people
Glenn T. Seaborg
Glenn Seaborg was an American nuclear chemist who helped identify elements heavier than uranium. His research reshaped the periodic table, while his later public career involved nuclear policy and arms control.
Early life
Michigan to California
Moved with his family to California when he was ten.
Chemical training
Studied at UCLA and earned his doctorate at Berkeley in 1937.
Career
- 1937–1941
Berkeley research
Worked on radioactive isotopes and the discovery of new elements.
- 1942–1946
Manhattan Project
Led research at Chicago on separating plutonium.
- 1958–1961
University leadership
Served as Berkeley’s chancellor.
- 1961–1971
Federal service
Chaired the US Atomic Energy Commission.
Contributions
Plutonium
Co-discovered and identified element 94 with colleagues.
Actinide concept
Placed heavy elements in a separate series below the lanthanides.
Chemistry Nobel
Shared the prize with Edwin McMillan for transuranium research.
Beyond the lab
Arms control
Supported efforts to limit nuclear testing.
An element’s namesake
Element 106 was named seaborgium during his lifetime.
Sources & photo credit
Biography ↗Life and work ↗Photo: Atomic Energy Commission. (1946 - 01/19/1975). Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
