Additionally, throughout the various inquiries, Shapiro never lost his security clearances. “People can engage in all the conjecture they wish,” said Wecht.ĭespite decades of investigations from the CIA, FBI, the United States Atomic Energy Commission, journalists and politicians, nothing was ever found that resulted in charges against Shapiro. However, such references without any proof of criminal activity reflect anti-Semitic and anti-Israel vitriol, maintained Cyril Wecht, a forensic pathologist and longtime friend of Shapiro’s.

Those accusing Shapiro of wrongdoing often cited his affiliation with the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) and fervent support of Israel. While serving as president of Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corporation (NUMEC), a company that he founded in 1957, several hundred pounds of nuclear material disappeared. While Shapiro’s vast knowledge was reflected in his work and the 15 patents that he held - including one for manufacturing synthetic diamonds, which he recorded at the age of 89 - it was his information on nuclear matter that proved most explosive.įor decades, Shapiro was dogged by allegations of providing Israel with highly enriched uranium, material necessary for constructing an atomic bomb. “He was the kind of person that always had information,” said Mandelcorn. Shapiro knew much, even apart from his specific field, said Lyon Mandelcorn, who worked at Westinghouse. Shapiro’s scientific contributions at Bettis, such as developing the reactor that powered the USS Nautilus, the world’s first operational nuclear powered submarine, highlighted America’s atomic age. With reliance upon nuclear propulsion, the vessels no longer needed to resurface for air. Shapiro and the small group developed a process whereby submarines could remain submerged for longer periods of time. “He wanted things yesterday you were already late when you started.” “He was a very tough customer,” said Goldman of Rickover. The work was overseen by Admiral Hyman Rickover of the U.S. Shortly after receiving his doctorate, Shapiro joined Westinghouse Electric Corporation and partnered with its cadre of scientists at Bettis to develop new materials for nuclear reactors. He later attended Johns Hopkins University, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and earned his B.A., M.A. He graduated in 1938 from Passaic High School, his class’ valedictorian.

Though born in Canton, Ohio, Shapiro and his parents, Abraham and Minnie Shapiro, relocated to New Jersey. Shapiro’s intellectual spark radiated from an early age. Get The Jewish Chronicle Weekly Edition by email and never miss our top stories “I think that he was close to genius,” said Ken Goldman, a metallurgist who worked with Shapiro in the 1950s at Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory in West Mifflin, Pa.

2048 - מלחמת אחים by Zalman Shapiro