Penney , William George , 1909-1991 , Baron Penney of East Hendred , nuclear scientist

Born, 1909; educated at Technical School, Sheerness; Royal College of Science, Imperial College (BSc); University of Wisconsin (MA), 1931-1933; Senior Student of 1851 Exhibition, Trinity College Cambridge, 1933-1936; PhD (Cambridge), DSc (London), 1935; Stokes Student of Pembroke College, 1936; Assistant Professor of Mathematics, Imperial College, 1936-1945; scientific work for Ministry of Home Security and Admiralty, 1940-1944; Principal Scientific Officer, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, at Los Alamos Laboratory, New Mexico, 1944-1945; Chief Superintendent, Armament Research, Ministry of Supply, 1946-1952; Fellow of the Royal Society, 1946; OBE, 1946; Knighted, 1952; Director, Atomic Weapons Research Establishment, Aldermaston, 1953-1959; Member for Weapons R&D, United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, 1954-1959; Treasurer, Royal Society, 1956-1960, Vice-President, 1957-1960; Member for Research, United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, 1959-1961, Deputy Chairman, 1961-1964, Chairman, 1964-1967; Rumford Medal, Royal Society, 1966; created Baron Penney of East Hendred, Berkshire, 1967; Rector, Imperial College, 1967-1973; Director: Tube Investments, 1968-1979, Standard Telephones and Cables, 1971-1983; Glazebrook Medal and Prize, 1969; Kelvin Gold Medal, 1971; died, 1991.
Publications: include: The Quantum Theory of Valency (London, 1935); Accident at Windscale No 1 Pile on 10th October, 1957 [Report of the Committee of Inquiry. Chairman, Sir William Penney] (London, 1957); articles in scientific journals on theory of molecular structure.