Bennett Lewis

Wilfrid Bennett Lewis (June 24, 1908 – January 10, 1987) was a Canadian nuclear scientist and was involved in the development of the CANDU reactor.

Born in Castle Carrock, Cumberland, England, he earned a doctorate at Cavendish Laboratory in 1934 and continued his research in nuclear physics there until 1939. From 1939 until 1946 he was with the Air Ministry becoming Chief Superintendent of the Telecommunications Research Establishment. In 1946 he moved to Canada to become director of the division of Atomic Energy Research at the National Research Council of Canada in Chalk River, Ontario. From 1952 until 1963 he was Vice President, Research and Development of the Atomic Energy of Canada Limited and was Senior Vice President, Science from 1963 until 1973. From 1973 until his death in 1987, he was a Distinguished Professor of Science at Queen's University.

From 1955 until 1987 he was the Canadian Representative on the United Nations Scientific Advisory Committee.

In 1994 a biography of Lewis entitled Nuclear Pursuits was put out by Ruth Fawcett.

[edit] Honours

In 1945 he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of London.
In 1946 he was made a Commander of the British Empire
In 1964 he received an honorary Doctor of Science from the University of Saskatchewan.
In 1966 he was the first recipient Outstanding Achievement Award of the Public Service of Canada.
In 1967 he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada.
In 1967 he received the United States Atoms for Peace Award
In 1972 he won the Royal Medal of the Royal Society of London
In 1981 he received the United States Department of Energy Enrico Fermi Award