The National Plutonium Registry: Initial Staff

W. Daggett Norwood  – The founding director of the National Plutonium Registry and a physician whose undergraduate education was in electrical engineering and who had figured prominently in the establishment of the medical program at the Hanford site.

Carlos E. Newton, Jr. – A Battelle-Northwest staff member who was a board certified health physicist.  Newton directed the health physics aspects of the National Plutonium Registry.

Dorothy Potter – Served as the secretary and general administrative assistant for the National Plutonium Registry.

Administrative Changes (1970s)

1970: Carlos Newton Jr. is given the title of Associate Director.  Newton was a health physicist who provided half-time scientific support to the USTR.  This appointment could be seen as recognition of the health physics aspects of the program.

1972: John A. Norcross becomes the USTR director following the founding director’s, W.D. Norwood, retirement.  Norcross was a retired U.S. Army physician.

1973:  W.D. Norwood fills in as interim director after Norcross became ill and gave up the directorship.

1976: Bryce D. Breitenstein Jr. becomes the USTR director on a half-time basis.  Breitenstein was an internist with considerable experience in private practice and a master’s degree in public health.

1978: Robert H. Moore is appointed as half-time director for the newly established USUR.

More Administrative Changes (1980s)

1980: Margery Swint assumes responsibility for medical support to the USTR and was named Associate Director.

1980: Kenneth R. Heid, a Battelle health physicist, is also named Associate Director as Newton retires.

1982: Margery Swint becomes the USTR director

1983: Ronald L. Kathren, a board certified health physicist from Battelle was added as a consultant and within a few months he replaces Heid as scientific support.

1989: Margery Swint assumes directorship of both the USTR and the USUR as the USUR's founding director, Robert H. Moore, retires. Swint directs the USTR and USUR for only a short time before accepting a promotion at Hanford Environmental Health Foundation.

1989: Ronald L. Katheren becomes the first person who was not a physician to head the programs.

1990: Ronald E. Filipy, a radiobiologist with specific expertise in animal studies with plutonium, is added to the staff.

1999: Ronald E. Filipy becomes director when Ronald Katheren retires.

2005: Anthony C. James takes over as director of the Registries when Ronald Filipy retires.  James had previously worked with the USTUR in 1994-1995 as a faculty member but moved on to start a consulting firm. He had also been serving as an Adjunct USTUR faculty member since 2001.