Joseph William Kennedy | |
|---|---|
 Joseph William Kennedy | |
| Born | May 30, 1916 |
| Died | May 5, 1957 (aged 40) |
| Alma mater | University of California, Berkeley University of Kansas Stephen F. Austin State University |
| Known for | First Isolation of Plutonium |
| Awards | Medal for Merit (1946) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Chemistry |
| Institutions | Los Alamos National Laboratory Washington University in St. Louis |
| Thesis | Studies of nuclear isomerism in tellurium, element 43, and zinc (1939) |
| Doctoral advisor | George Ernest Gibson |
Joseph William Kennedy (May 30, 1916 – May 5, 1957) was an American chemist who co-discovered plutonium, along with Glenn T. Seaborg, Edwin McMillan, and Arthur Wahl. During World War II, he led the CM (Chemistry and Metallurgy) Division at the Manhattan Project's Los Alamos Laboratory, where he oversaw research onto the chemistry and metallurgy of uranium and plutonium. After the war, he was recruited as a professor at Washington University in St. Louis, where he is credited with transforming a university primarily concerned with undergraduate teaching into one that also boasts strong graduate and research programs.