Alumni Hall of Fame Award Winners - 1972

Dr. Roger E. Batzel
A native of Idaho, Roger E. Batzel received his bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Idaho in 1947. In 1951, he received his doctorate degree in nuclear chemistry under Dr. Glenn T. Seaborg's supervision at the University of California at Berkeley. For the following two years, Batzel was a senior chemist with the California Research and Development Corporation.

Batzel joined the Lawrence Laboratory at Livermore, Calif., in 1953 as an assistant division leader for the Chemistry Department, and became head of the department in 1959. From 1960 to 1964, he acted as the scientific adviser to the Office of Weapons Test Operations for the USAEC Albuquerque Operations Office.

In 1961, Batzel was appointed associate director for chemistry at Livermore. Because of his extensive background in the field of test operations, he also acted as the laboratory's associate director for nuclear testing from 1961 to 1964. Beginning in 1966, he managed the space power reactor program at Livermore until the project was terminated in 1968. Since 1969, Batzel has directed the Bio-Medical Research program at Livermore, in addition to his other duties.

Batzel was a member of the United States delegation at meetings in Europe and the USSR where discussions were held with Soviet scientists on Plowshare-the program for peaceful uses of nuclear explosives. He is recognized internationally for his work with the development of peaceful uses of atomic energy.

On Dec. 1, 1971, Batzel was appointed director of the E.O. Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. Within the laboratory, he heads the committee that oversees education programs and the thesis research by Livermore employees undertaking graduate study advanced degrees.

W. Mark Felt
Graduating from the University of Idaho in 1935, Mark Felt served as an administrative assistant to then U.S. Senator D. Worth Clark. While working for Senator Clark, Felt obtained a law degree from George Washington University. Upon being admitted to the District of Columbia Bar in 1941, he secured employment as an attorney for the Federal Trade Commission.

In January 1942, Felt entered duty as a special agent with the FBI, a career that has spanned more than thirty years. He has served in a supervisory capacity at FBI Headquarters on two different occasions. In December 1954, Felt assumed the duties of assistant special agent in charge at the New Orleans office. He also served in the same capacity at the Los Angeles office. Felt later served as special agent in charge at the Salt Lake City and Kansas City offices.

In September 1962, he returned to FBI Headquarters and was appointed inspector in charge of the Inspection Division. In March 1965, he was appointed assistant director of this division and in July 1971, he was named deputy associate director.

Felt, the father of two children, married Audrey Isabelle Robinson, who graduated from the University of Idaho in 1937.