Laboratory Overview Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory was founded in 1952 as a nuclear weapons laboratory.
National security continues to be Livermore's defining mission.
The Laboratory has been administered since its inception by the University of California, first for the Atomic Energy Commission and now for the U.S. Department of Energy. Through its long association with the University of California, the Laboratory has been able to recruit a world-class workforce and to establish an atmosphere of intellectual freedom and innovation, both of which are essential to sustained scientific and technical excellence. As a Department of Energy laboratory, Livermore has an essential and compelling core mission and the capabilities to solve important, difficult, real-world problems. At Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, we are ensuring national security and applying science and technology to the important problems of our time.