Harvey Brooks
Harvard University
August 5, 1915 - May 28, 2004
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Scientific Discipline: Applied Physical Sciences Membership Type:
Member
(elected 1962)
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Harvey Brooks contributed to the fields of solid-state physics, nuclear engineering, applied mathematics, and underwater acoustics. While working at the Harvard Underwater Sound Laboratory as a research assistant, Brooks was heavily involved with the development of the first acoustic homing torpedo, Fido, used by the United States military in World War II. Brooks then went to work at General Electric as an associate laboratory head at the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory, where he aided in the development of a liquid-sodium-cooled nuclear reactor.
Brooks is also recognized as a pioneer in the use of science in public policy. He became directly involved with science-related government policies by serving on the President’s Science Advisory Committee (PSAC) during the Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson administrations. Developed as a reaction to the Sputnik crisis, PSAC advised presidential administrations by lending counsel on the development of the space program and the use of science to further national security interests.
Brooks graduated from Yale University in 1937 and pursued his doctorate at Cambridge University, ultimately earning his PhD from Harvard University in 1940. After working for the Harvard Underwater Sound Laboratory and General Electric in research capacities, Brooks returned to Harvard, eventually becoming the dean of engineering and applied sciences in 1957. After retiring from that position in 1975, he founded the Science, Technology and Public Policy program at Harvard’s Kennedy School. Additionally, Brooks chaired numerous Academy and National Research Council committees.
