Richard L. Garwin, a designer of the first hydrogen bomb, dies at 97
A prominent scientist who advised several U.S. presidents, Garwin made contributions in nuclear weapons, physics, and in military technology, among many other areas. He published more than 500 papers and was granted 47 U.S. patents, according to The Garwin Archive maintained by the Federation of American Scientists.
He was just 23 years old when he designed the first working hydrogen bomb, according to a profile written in IEEE Spectrum magazine. It was detonated in a test codenamed Ivy Mike at Enewetak Atoll in November 1952, yielding 10.4 megatons of TNT, the measurement that quantifies the force of nuclear weapons.
Garwin's role had been largely unknown outside of a small circle of physicists, mathematicians, and engineers at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, who were involved with the project until 2001, the profile said.
U.S. President Barack Obama presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to physicist Richard Garwin during an East Room ceremony at the White House November 22, 2016 in Washington, DC. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest honor for civilians in the United States of America.
Alex Wong / Getty Images
In 2016, former President Obama awarded Garwin the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his scientific work. In the citation, Mr. Obama said Garwin,"made pioneering contributions to U.S. defense and intelligence technologies."
Garwin was honored with the National Medal of Science in 2002 and was awarded the Vannevar Bush Award in 2023, which honors exceptional lifelong leaders in science and technology.
"Richard Garwin is truly remarkable," Dario Gil, Chair of the Board's External Engagement Committee, said in a statement. "His continuing contributions to society, both as a scientific researcher and presidential advisor, help bolster national security and improve international collaboration."
Garwin was born in Cleveland in 1928 and lived in Scarsdale, New York. His wife, Lois, of 70 years, predeceased him. The couple had three children.
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