Manson Benedict
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
October 9, 1907 - September 18, 2006
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Scientific Discipline: Engineering Sciences Membership Type:
Emeritus
(elected 1956)
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Manson Benedict was a pioneer in the field of nuclear engineering. Heavily involved with the Manhattan Project, he supervised the development and engineering of the K-25 uranium enrichment plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Benedict also created a method for separating the isotopes of uranium by gaseous diffusion. After World War II he devoted much of his time and influence to the promotion of peaceful uses of atomic energy.
Benedict earned his BS degree in chemistry and his PhD in physical chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 1951 he was appointed the first professor of nuclear engineering within that school’s Department of Chemical Engineering. From 1958 to 1968 he was advisory committee chairman of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission for presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy.
