Jimmy Carter was an atomic engineer.

In 1953, after his father’s death, Carter resigned from the Navy to return to Georgia. However, his nuclear expertise was called upon in 1958 when Canada’s Chalk River nuclear research facility suffered a partial reactor meltdown . The incident caused a power surge that damaged the reactor core and flooded the basement with radioactive water.

Carter was sent by the U.S. to lead a cleanup team. He and 22 others worked in teams of three, descending into the reactor for only 90-second intervals to avoid lethal radiation exposure. To plan the operation, they built a full-scale replica of the reactor (without nuclear material) on a nearby tennis court. Carter’s leadership under extreme conditions demonstrated his technical competence and composure.

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