Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-09-07
Admiral Rickover:
Where He Stands
BY FRANCES LEVINE
Associated Press stan Writer


Associated Press stan Writer
II you were searching for a
single phrase to summarize the
latter-day career Of Lyman George
Rickover. it could be this: He
rocked the boat.
Rocking it, the l25-pound. grey
haired, slightly-built rear admiral
acclaimed as the father Of the
atomic-powered submarine-has
had the Navy chagrined and en-
barrassed. Even, some people say,
ready to make him walk the plank.
Many who know Admiral Rick
over trace his troubles TO his
logged determination to get a job
done-no matter what. They say
he doesn't care whose toes he
steps on in his drive for nuclear-
propelled ships for the fleet.
He has defied protocol, blasted
at conformity, pushed projects
through over the heads of superior
officers. Over the years. he has
become a man apart insthe ira
dition-b hound Navy. a lone seawolf
hard to know and, by many ac-
counts, hard to work with.
Admiral Rickover's parents were
Russian Jews, and there have
been whispers that antisemitism
has been a factor in his troubles
with authority. But Senator Jacob
Javits, Republican of New York,
himself Jewish, says no-"Its more
a Billy Mitchell case than a Drey-
fus case"
And Rear Admiral Albert G..
Mumma, chief of the Navy Blu
reau Of Ships under whom Ad-
miral Rickover works, insists
there's no religious prejudice in
volved. The Navy has had other
Jewish admirals, he pointed out.
IT know several and some are
quite good friends of mine"
Forget the Personal Stuff
As for the 58-year-old Admiral
Rickover himself, Forget the per-
sonal stuff" he advised q reporter.
THE real issue is what a man
accomplishes."
He wanted no part in explain
ing why, despite Admiral Rick
overs accomplishments, 1t took
congressional action and the in
tervention of two civilian Sec
retaries Of the Navy to get him
promoted to admiral and keep
him from forced retirement.
Il can't get involved" he said.
1T can hurt my work terrif1cally.
I'm too busy to get involved"
When the worlds first atom
sub, the Nautilus. cruiSed under
the polar ice cap in a pioneering
voyage recently, the White House
marked the event with pomp and
ceremony. Admiral Rickover
wasn't among the Navy brass in
vited, and an cutlery followed.
Admiral Rickover kept silent.
But the incident brought his case
to the fore and Congress voted
him a special gold medal for his
achievements in developing not
only the nuclear sub but also the
first large-Scale nuclear power
reactor at Shippingport, Pa.
He received an official apology
from Secretary of the Navy Gates,
plus assurance that he would be
promoted to vice admiral and stay
in the service. Previously there
had been reports that promotion
was unlikely and he might be
forced to retire in 1860.
Apparently the most important
thing to Admiral Rickover per-
Sonally was continuance in active
service beyond the 1860 date. He
has been offered many lucrative
civilian jobs-Some paying more
than 10 times his Navy salary and
allowances of $1.568 a month
but Admiral Rickover is intent on
doing a job for his country.
Hos Monumental Work
Senator John F. Kennedy, DEM
ocrat of Massachusetts,, says the
admiral told him he had "a mon
umental work" that would take
five years to complete. Senator
Kennedy didn't specify what it
was. But Admiral Rickover'S as
sociates suggest that everything in
the nuclear power field is ION the
brink" including an atomic air
craft carrier.
Throughout his 40-year career
in the Navy-where he trained as
an electrical engineer, served on
subs and surface vessels and won
two Legion of Merit citations-Ad-
miral Rickover has been frequently
and audibly critical.
From his days at Annapolis
(1918-1922) he adopted a solitary
role. Neither he nor his wife joined
in much of the Nays Stratified
social life. Today they live quietly
in an apartment at 4801 Connect
icut avenue NV. Mrs. Rickover
has 4 Pho. in international law
from Columbia. The admiral's sole
hobby is reading.
He chides the younger genera
ton for failing to do likewise
Young men, says he. are becoming
nest builders and bird hatchers"
spending most of their time put
tering around the house and do
ing little to improve themselves
professionally.
"They don't read. They do not
study once they leave school," he
said in one of his recent critiques
of American educational stand
ards. ''The product being turned
out by colleges these days is no
good"
The admiral lives by a rigor-
GUS code. He won't even keep
the pay he gets for a speech or
a book he is writing" Mrs. Rick
over said. HE turns it over to