Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission Glenn T. Seaborg

president kennedy , atomic energy commission chairman, glenn seaborg

while chairman of aec, seaborg participated on negotiating team limited test ban treaty (ltbt), in us, uk, , ussr agreed ban above-ground test detonations of nuclear weapons. seaborg considered contributions achievement of ltbt 1 of greatest accomplishments. despite strict rules soviets photography @ signing ceremony, seaborg snuck tiny camera past soviet guards take close-up photograph of soviet premier nikita khrushchev signed treaty.

seaborg enjoyed close relationship president lyndon johnson , influenced administration pursue nuclear non-proliferation treaty. seaborg called white house in first week of nixon administration in january 1969 advise president richard nixon on first diplomatic crisis involving soviets , nuclear testing. clashed nixon presidential adviser john ehrlichman on treatment of jewish scientist, zalman shapiro, whom nixon administration suspected of leaking nuclear secrets israel.

seaborg published several books , journal articles during tenure @ atomic energy commission. predicted existence of elements beyond on periodic table, transactinide series , superactinide series of undiscovered synthetic elements. while of these theoretical future elements have extremely short half-lives , no expected practical applications, hypothesized existence of stable super-heavy isotopes of elements in island of stability. seaborg served chairman of atomic energy commission until 1971.