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Frederic de Hoffmann

1924 – 1989

Nuclear physicist

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About Frederic de Hoffmann

Lived 1924 – 1989 (aged 65). Frederic de Hoffmann was an American physicist and nuclear physicist.

Frederic de Hoffmann (July 8, 1924 – October 4, 1989) was an Austrian-born American nuclear physicist who worked on the Manhattan Project. He was born in Vienna, Austria and died in San Diego, California. He came to the United States of America in 1941 and graduated from Harvard University in 1945. He also received a master's in 1947 and a doctorate in 1948. He received his PhD from Julian Schwinger in 1948.

Frederic De Hoffmann moved to the General Dynamics Corporation in 1955. This organization's purpose was to manufacture nuclear reactors for energy production, and sell them on the open market. In the late '50s he organized Project Orion, a plan for a spaceship to be propelled by nuclear bombs.

He helped found the University of California's campus in San Diego, the University of California, San Diego.

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
Harvard University
Employers
General Dynamics, General Atomics, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, Los Alamos National Laboratory
Awards
Great Golden Medal of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Frederic de Hoffmann's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Frederic de Hoffmann?

Nuclear physicist (1924-1989)

When was Frederic de Hoffmann born?

Frederic de Hoffmann was born on 8 July 1924 in Vienna.

When did Frederic de Hoffmann die?

Frederic de Hoffmann died on 4 October 1989 in La Jolla.

What was Frederic de Hoffmann's occupation?

Frederic de Hoffmann was a physicist and nuclear physicist.

What nationality was Frederic de Hoffmann?

Frederic de Hoffmann was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Frederic de Hoffmann

· Wikidata: Q1452761

· DBpedia: Frederic de Hoffmann

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Frederic de Hoffmann. https://biography.guide/frederic-de-hoffmann/

MLA: "Frederic de Hoffmann." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/frederic-de-hoffmann/.

Chicago: "Frederic de Hoffmann." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/frederic-de-hoffmann/.

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