On February 28, 1967, Robert R. Wilson became the director of the National Accelerator Laboratory.
Valerie Higgins
Valerie Higgins is the Fermilab archivist.
As we enter the second month of Fermilab’s 50th year, we look back on Robert Wilson assuming the lab’s first directorship and revisit the lab’s first experiment, along with other memorable milestones.
Fermilab’s beginnings can be traced to a 1963 report by a panel of U.S. scientists led by Norman Ramsey. In the 50 years since, Fermilab has grown to a laboratory of 1,800 employees, and scientists from 44 countries come to Fermilab to participate in its forefront particle physics programs.
As part of our year-long recognition of Fermilab’s 50th anniversary, we will feature a few important milestones in the laboratory’s history every month.
Fifty years ago, on Dec. 16, 1966, the Atomic Energy Commission announced the selection of Weston, Illinois, as the site for Fermilab, then called the National Accelerator Laboratory.