Chemical engineer Clarence E. Larson (1909-1999) was born in Cloquet, Minnesota. He graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in Chemistry and completed his Ph.D.work in biochemistry at the University of California at Berkeley in 1937. While a graduate student, he experimented with cyclotron-produced isotopes obtained from cyclotron inventor Ernest O. Lawrence. After graduate school Larson became a professor and chair of the Chemistry Department at College of the Pacific, where he continued his work with the cyclotron. In 1942, Larson joined the talented American scientists working on the Manhattan Project during World War II. His responsibility was to solve the chemical problems associated with electromagnetic separation of fissionable uranium-235 from uranium. In 1950 he became director at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where he served until 1955. He was an executive at Union Carbide. from 1955-1969 where he headed up the Nuclear Energy Division. From 1969-1974 Dr. Larson was Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission. Larson was a recipient of the Distinguished Achievement Award of the American Society for the Advancement of Science. He was also a member of the American Nuclear Society, the American Institute of Chemists, the American Chemical Society, and the Cosmos Club.

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For additional information on the Clarence E. Larson Collection, please consult the SC&A staff. The SC&A staff is always willing to assist researchers. SC&A has a reading room, providing a quiet haven for serious research. Most materials may be photocopied, either by the researcher or by staff, depending on the nature of the item. Telephone or mail requests for photocopies and photographs are handled for a fee on a prepaid basis. Tours can be arranged for small groups, and speakers are available upon request.