Hyman Rickover

Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, 1955.

Hyman Rickover: Father of the Nuclear Navy

Hyman G. Rickover, born on January 27, 1900, in Maków Mazowiecki, Poland, immigrated to the United States with his family at a young age. His journey from an immigrant to a distinguished naval officer and engineer is a testament to his remarkable determination, intellect, and unwavering commitment to excellence.

As an admiral in the United States Navy, Rickover's most significant accomplishment was his pivotal role in pioneering the development of nuclear-powered submarines. Recognizing the potential of nuclear energy for propulsion, he spearheaded the creation of the world's first nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Nautilus, which was launched in 1954. This groundbreaking achievement revolutionized naval warfare, providing unparalleled speed, endurance, and strategic capability to the U.S. Navy's submarine fleet.

Rickover's approach to education and management was characterized by his relentless pursuit of excellence and his uncompromising standards of performance. He was known for his meticulous attention to detail, rigorous training programs, and insistence on meritocracy. Rickover firmly believed in the importance of education and intellectual rigor, and he demanded nothing less than the highest standards from his subordinates and colleagues.

However, Rickover's management style often clashed with others in the military hierarchy. He was known for his abrasive personality, sharp tongue, and willingness to challenge conventional wisdom - a disposition that earned him both admirers and detractors within the Navy. Despite facing opposition and bureaucratic resistance, Rickover remained steadfast in his convictions, refusing to compromise his principles or vision for the nuclear navy.



Rickover's highly distinguished and influential career spanned over six decades. However, because his long tenure and the extensive power he wielded within the Navy led to both admiration and controversy, by the late 1970s and early 1980s, some senior military officials and politicians felt that it was time for new leadership and fresh perspectives within the Navy's nuclear program. President Ronald Reagan played a significant role in Rickover's retirement.

Despite Rickover's considerable achievements, Reagan decided not to extend his tenure further. There was also pressure from within the Navy and the Department of Defense, where some believed that Rickover's management style and approach to nuclear policy were becoming increasingly rigid and outdated. Thus, a combination of political decisions, internal Navy dynamics, and the desire for new leadership led to Rickover's retirement at the age of 82 on January 31, 1982. His retirement marked the end of a remarkable and transformative era in naval history. He passed away at the age of 86 on July 8, 1986.



Rickover's legacy is defined not only by his technical achievements but also by his unwavering commitment to integrity, honesty, and ethical conduct. He was a man of principle who valued competence, diligence, and hard work above all else. While he may have rubbed some people the wrong way, Rickover is remembered for his steadfast dedication to his values and his tireless efforts to advance the capabilities of the U.S. Navy.

In conclusion, Hyman Rickover's life and career epitomize the American Dream - a story of perseverance, innovation, and leadership. His contributions to the development of nuclear-powered submarines transformed the landscape of naval warfare and cemented his legacy as one of the most influential figures in U.S. military history. Despite his personality clashes and detractors, Rickover's unwavering commitment to excellence and his pioneering spirit continue to inspire generations of naval officers and engineers.

From Hyman Rickover's 1982 speech delivered at Columbia University, "Doing a job," which sheds light on his overall management and leadership philosophy, found at: https://govleaders.org/rickover.htm

"One must create the ability in his staff to generate clear, forceful arguments for opposing viewpoints as well as for their own. Open discussions and disagreements must be encouraged, so that all sides of an issue will be fully explored. Further, important issues should be presented in writing. Nothing so sharpens the thought process as writing down one’s arguments. Weaknesses overlooked in oral discussion become painfully obvious on the written page."

"I am not against business education. A knowledge of accounting, finance, business law, and the like can be of value in a business environment. What I do believe is harmful is the impression often created by those who teach management that one will be able to manage any job by applying certain management techniques together with some simple academic rules of how to manage people and situations."

"A manager must instill in his people an attitude of personal responsibility for seeing a job properly accomplished. Unfortunately, this seems to be declining, particularly in large organizations where responsibility is broadly distributed. To complaints of a job poorly done, one often hears the excuse, “I am not responsible.” I believe that is literally correct. The man who takes such a stand in fact is not responsible; he is irresponsible. While he may not be legally liable, or the work may not have been specifically assigned to him, no one involved in a job can divest himself of responsibility for its successful completion."

"Unless the individual truly responsible can be identified when something goes wrong, no one has really been responsible. With the advent of modern management theories it is becoming common for organizations to deal with problems in a collective manner, by dividing programs into subprograms, with no one left responsible for the entire effort. There is also the tendency to establish more and more levels of management, on the theory that this gives better control. These are but different forms of shared responsibility, which easily lead to no one being responsible - a problem that often inheres in large corporations as well as in the Defense Department."

"Attention to detail does not require a manager to do everything himself. No one can work more than twenty-four hours each day. Therefore to multiply his efforts, he must create an environment where his subordinates can work to their maximum ability. Some management experts advocate strict limits to the number of people reporting to a common superior - generally five to seven. But if one has capable people who require but a few moments of his time during the day, there is no reason to set such arbitrary constraints. Some forty key people report frequently and directly to me. This enables me to keep up with what is going on and makes it possible for them to get fast action. The latter aspect is particularly important. Capable people will not work for long where they cannot get prompt decisions and actions from their superior."