Helen L. Seaborg
Encyclopedia
Helen L. Seaborg (March 2, 1917 – August 29, 2006) was an American
child welfare advocate and the wife of Nobel Prize chemist Glenn T. Seaborg
.
Born March 2, 1917, in a Florence Crittenden home for unwed mothers in Sioux City, Iowa
, she was adopted by George and Iva Griggs. After her father's death, Helen Griggs and her mother moved to the Santa Ana, California
area.
While working a number of jobs, she earned an A.A. from Santa Ana College
and a B.A. in English from the University of California at Berkeley
in 1939.
Helen became the personal secretary to Ernest O. Lawrence, who was director of what is now the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
and a recipient of the Nobel Prize
in Physics
. While working part-time for Lawrence in 1938, she met Glenn T. Seaborg, a scientist who frequently used Lawrence's cyclotron
s to create new chemical isotopes, including several with applications in nuclear medicine
. Seaborg dictated a telegram to Helen that was to be sent to Physical Review. Prior to the US entry in World War II
, Seaborg led a team that discovered plutonium
. Seaborg was recruited for the Manhattan Project
while he was dating Griggs. He proposed marriage. They were married in Nevada
in 1942 on their way to work in the Chicago "Metallurgical Project" of the Manhattan Project. Helen worked as an administrative assistant to the scientists working in Chicago.
Throughout Glenn's career, she was his traveling companion and provided behind-the-scenes administrative help that enabled Seaborg to pursue many side projects, including extensive publishing efforts. Seaborg credited his ability to compile so many accomplishments to her valuable advice and assistance. As the wife of the chancellor of U.C. Berkeley she took on many formal duties related to protocol and dealing with official university guests. When her husband served as chairman of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission from 1961 to 1971, she fulfilled a number of diplomatic and protocol roles. Most notably, she filled in for First Lady
Jacqueline Kennedy at a White House Dinner in the days following the death of the Kennedys' infant son.
She was an active advocate of child welfare
. She felt indebted to the YWCA
for assistance during her own periods of childhood poverty
. She served on the board of directors of the YWCA in both Berkeley, California
and Washington, D.C.
. She worked as a mediator between the two racially segregated YWCA organizations in Washington to successfully achieve their integration. She also founded and served as a board member of INCAP, an organization that assisted in social assimilation of black and white elementary school students during the period of voluntary bussing to achieve integration.
As an avid hiker, she and her husband spent weekends blazing a trail across the State of California. In 1980, this trail was used as part of the HikaNation project by the American Hiking Society. Later, much of the route became a part of the transcontinental American Discovery Trail
.
She and Glenn had seven children: the late Peter, Paulette, who died in infancy; Lynne, David
, Stephen, Eric, and Dianne. Helen Seaborg died of pneumonia
on August 29, 2006.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
child welfare advocate and the wife of Nobel Prize chemist Glenn T. Seaborg
Glenn T. Seaborg
Glenn Theodore Seaborg was an American scientist who won the 1951 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for "discoveries in the chemistry of the transuranium elements", contributed to the discovery and isolation of ten elements, and developed the actinide concept, which led to the current arrangement of the...
.
Born March 2, 1917, in a Florence Crittenden home for unwed mothers in Sioux City, Iowa
Sioux City, Iowa
Sioux City is a city in Plymouth and Woodbury counties in the western part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 82,684 in the 2010 census, a decline from 85,013 in the 2000 census, which makes it currently the fourth largest city in the state....
, she was adopted by George and Iva Griggs. After her father's death, Helen Griggs and her mother moved to the Santa Ana, California
Santa Ana, California
Santa Ana is the county seat and second most populous city in Orange County, California, and with a population of 324,528 at the 2010 census, Santa Ana is the 57th-most populous city in the United States....
area.
While working a number of jobs, she earned an A.A. from Santa Ana College
Santa Ana College
Santa Ana College is a community college located in Santa Ana, California, USA.-History:In 1915, Santa Ana Junior College opened its doors to 25 students as a department of Santa Ana High School. It was the second community college founded in Orange County, behind Fullerton College, and the fourth...
and a B.A. in English from the University of California at Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
in 1939.
Helen became the personal secretary to Ernest O. Lawrence, who was director of what is now the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory conducting unclassified scientific research. It is located on the grounds of the University of California, Berkeley, in the Berkeley Hills above the central campus...
and a recipient of the Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
in Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
. While working part-time for Lawrence in 1938, she met Glenn T. Seaborg, a scientist who frequently used Lawrence's cyclotron
Cyclotron
In technology, a cyclotron is a type of particle accelerator. In physics, the cyclotron frequency or gyrofrequency is the frequency of a charged particle moving perpendicularly to the direction of a uniform magnetic field, i.e. a magnetic field of constant magnitude and direction...
s to create new chemical isotopes, including several with applications in nuclear medicine
Nuclear medicine
In nuclear medicine procedures, elemental radionuclides are combined with other elements to form chemical compounds, or else combined with existing pharmaceutical compounds, to form radiopharmaceuticals. These radiopharmaceuticals, once administered to the patient, can localize to specific organs...
. Seaborg dictated a telegram to Helen that was to be sent to Physical Review. Prior to the US entry in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Seaborg led a team that discovered plutonium
Plutonium
Plutonium is a transuranic radioactive chemical element with the chemical symbol Pu and atomic number 94. It is an actinide metal of silvery-gray appearance that tarnishes when exposed to air, forming a dull coating when oxidized. The element normally exhibits six allotropes and four oxidation...
. Seaborg was recruited for the Manhattan Project
Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project was a research and development program, led by the United States with participation from the United Kingdom and Canada, that produced the first atomic bomb during World War II. From 1942 to 1946, the project was under the direction of Major General Leslie Groves of the US Army...
while he was dating Griggs. He proposed marriage. They were married in Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
in 1942 on their way to work in the Chicago "Metallurgical Project" of the Manhattan Project. Helen worked as an administrative assistant to the scientists working in Chicago.
Throughout Glenn's career, she was his traveling companion and provided behind-the-scenes administrative help that enabled Seaborg to pursue many side projects, including extensive publishing efforts. Seaborg credited his ability to compile so many accomplishments to her valuable advice and assistance. As the wife of the chancellor of U.C. Berkeley she took on many formal duties related to protocol and dealing with official university guests. When her husband served as chairman of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission from 1961 to 1971, she fulfilled a number of diplomatic and protocol roles. Most notably, she filled in for First Lady
First Lady
First Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime...
Jacqueline Kennedy at a White House Dinner in the days following the death of the Kennedys' infant son.
She was an active advocate of child welfare
Child welfare
Child protection is used to describe a set of usually government-run services designed to protect children and young people who are underage and to encourage family stability...
. She felt indebted to the YWCA
YWCA
The YWCA USA is the United States branch of a women's membership movement that strives to create opportunities for women's growth, leadership and power in order to attain a common vision—to eliminate racism and empower women. The YWCA is a non-profit organization, the first of which was founded in...
for assistance during her own periods of childhood poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
. She served on the board of directors of the YWCA in both Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. She worked as a mediator between the two racially segregated YWCA organizations in Washington to successfully achieve their integration. She also founded and served as a board member of INCAP, an organization that assisted in social assimilation of black and white elementary school students during the period of voluntary bussing to achieve integration.
As an avid hiker, she and her husband spent weekends blazing a trail across the State of California. In 1980, this trail was used as part of the HikaNation project by the American Hiking Society. Later, much of the route became a part of the transcontinental American Discovery Trail
American Discovery Trail
The American Discovery Trail is a coast-to-coast hiking and biking trail across the mid-tier of the United States. It starts on the Delmarva Peninsula on the Atlantic Ocean and ends on the northern California coast on the Pacific Ocean, and is signed on over of trail. This includes the doubled...
.
She and Glenn had seven children: the late Peter, Paulette, who died in infancy; Lynne, David
David Seaborg
David Seaborg is an evolutionary biologist; as well as a peace activist, author and a leader in the environmental movement. He serves as director of the World Rainforest Fund, the Seaborg Open Space Fund, and the Greater Lafayette Open Space Fund .-Life:Seaborg is the son of Helen L...
, Stephen, Eric, and Dianne. Helen Seaborg died of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
on August 29, 2006.