The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has announced the appointment of a new agency historian, Thomas Wellock. The primary responsibility of the agency historian is to write and publish scholarly histories of the regulation of commercial nuclear energy so the public can have access to an authoritative, credible history of the NRC’s activities.
Wellock, originally trained as a mechanical engineer, previously worked as a nuclear test engineer for General Dynamics and as a systems engineer at the Davis-Besse nuclear power plant. After leaving the nuclear field, he earned a master’s degree in history at the University of Toledo and a Ph.D in history from University of California at Berkeley. Most recently he was a professor of history at Central Washington University, where he won an outstanding teaching award.
He has also authored two books: Critical Masses: Opposition to Nuclear Power in California, 1958-1978; and Preserving the Nation: The Conservation and Environmental Movements, 1870-2000.
“Tom Wellock’s experience, both in the nuclear field and academia, makes him perfectly suited to fill the office held by our distinguished Sam Walker,” said Chairman Gregory B. Jaczko. “We will truly miss Mr. Walker but we welcome Mr. Wellock, and look forward to him continuing the important contributions the historian makes to the agency’s efforts to be open and transparent.”
Wellock takes over from J. Samuel Walker, who has spent the past 31 years as an NRC historian, during which time he wrote five books (one co-authored).
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