News Archive

David J. Allard, CHP, Committee Chair

As many of you may have heard at the recent virtual Health Physics Society (HPS) Business Meeting, President Goldin has asked me to chair the HPS History Committee. Past Chair Jim Willison and others have done a great job in organizing hundreds of photos from past meetings, and Jim has graciously agreed to continue this work with the committee. I have had numerous calls with committee members and HPS leadership over the past few weeks, and I plan to have regular group calls to plan short-term and long-term objectives and work. For example, there are still many photos to be organized and posted, as well as dozens of videos and interviews with senior members to be edited and posted. We would also like to create a "one stop shop" online location with links to historical information.

You have no doubt heard it said many times how important it is to study history, as it is crucial to understanding our past, to inform the present, and prevent us from making the same mistakes in the future. Case in point is the recent tragic ammonium nitrate explosion in Beirut. In April of 1947, a ship in Galveston Bay with similar quantities of ammonium nitrate ignited and caused one of the largest nonnuclear explosions in US history. The scale of death and destruction of both events are of the same order of magnitude. One would hope we've finally learned how to properly transport and store such material.

The field of radiation protection has a rich and varied history. From the discovery of x rays 125 years ago, physics grew from macroscopic-level studies of heat, light, and sound in the late 1800s to a new focus at the microscopic level of the atom and nucleus, with new discoveries ushering in our modern era of physics. From the quick progression of the discoveries of x rays, radioactivity, and radium came applications in medicine, industry, academic research, and some quack medical use. As the early users of sources of ionizing radiation learned (often tragically), standards for protecting workers and the public were needed. Early efforts by international and national committees on x ray and radium protection began to produce safety standards. And from the outgrowth of the Manhattan Project with the first controlled fission in the CP-1 pile in late 1942 to the testing and use of three nuclear weapons just 75 years ago, further work in radiation protection developed. A group of radiation protection professionals met in Ohio in 1955 and agreed to form the Health Physics Society. I found it fascinating to read Ed Tupin's recent article—"What's in a Name"—regarding a 1956 memo from Lauriston Taylor that discussed the names under consideration for our Society.

There are many interesting stories related to x rays and radioactivity, as well as the early pioneers in the related fields of pure and applied science. Equally interesting and important are the beginnings, past, and future of the HPS and its membership. Through the past and current efforts of the History Committee, we plan to capture and communicate to HPS members and the public that rich history. Keep an eye on this "History Corner."