Willard Frank Libby was born in Grand Valley, Colorado back in 1908 to Ora and Eva. When he was five the family moved to Santa Rosa, California where he graduated from Analy High School in 1926. He continued his education at the University of California, Berkeley receiving his B.S. in 1931 and his Ph.D. in 1933.
On December 8, 1941 he volunteered his services to Harold Urey, he travelled to Columbia University to work on the Manhattan Project. After the war he accepted an offer from the University of Chicago to work in the Chemistry Department at the new Institute for Nuclear Studies. In 1972, he started the first Environmental Engineering program at UCLA where he stayed until his retirement in 1976, he died in 1980, he was 71.
What you may not know about Willard is that he is noted for the development of radiocarbon dating which revolutionized archaeology and palaeontology winning him the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
NW Arkansas, come for a visit, stay for a lifetime.
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