Luther B. Lockhart Jr.

Luther Bynum Lockhart, Jr.

From His Family

Our father began writing his ‘Reminiscences of a Grandfather’ in the early 1990s. He opens it with what would be a ‘typical’ approach to presenting the facts and it will give you an insight into his wry wit and playful personality.

“…I suppose the best way to begin the saga of one's life is to start at the beginning, not with the Big Bang, but with my appearance on the scene, which I entered with a whimper on September 13, 1917 in Atlanta, Georgia. I was born at home at 16 East 13th Street to Louisa Berrien Hamilton and Luther Bynum Lockhart, who had been conveniently and conventionally married a year previously, on September 30, 1916. According to my birth certificate I arrived at 3:45 AM, and, according to folklore, I spent the night in a dresser drawer which had been pulled out part way. I guess I had been wrapped in swaddling clothes, too, whatever they are. Later, until a crib was located, I slept in a makeshift bassinet made by placing a pillow on an arrangement of six dining room chairs. Didn't anyone believe me when I told them I was coming to live with them?...”

In 1920 Dad was joined by twin brothers affectionately know as Red and Ham. He shared many wonderful memories of his family and friends growing up in downtown Atlanta. Some of the stories he recounted from his childhood include ornery roosters raised in their backyard, driving around town in the family’s Model T car, deliveries of ice by horse and wagon, and many adventures around the neighborhood including sneaking over fences to play tennis.

An accomplished student, Luther had a love of literature and excelled in the sciences. He graduated from North Fulton High School in 1934 and went on to receive his undergraduate degree from Emory University, Phi Beta Kappa, in 1938. Tennis, golf, softball and marksmanship were college interests, as well as poker, some of which he continued into his days as a parent and retiree. He went to graduate school at the University of North Carolina – war was declared in his first year—and received his Ph. D. degree in Organic Chemistry in 1942. His father Luther B. Lockhart Sr. was a chemist and his son, Thomas, earned a Ph.D. in chemistry as well (must be in the genes!).

Dad began his professional career in 1943, during the war years at the Naval Research Laboratory. Beginning in 1947 and for the next 15 years, he became deeply involved in the development of methods for the long-range detection and analysis of radioactive debris from nuclear explosions, including the detection of the detonation of an atomic device by the Soviet Union. On the basis of evidence reported by the Air Force and the massive collection of radioactivity reported by NRL, a special review panel confirmed to the President the finding that the Soviet Union had, indeed, carried out its first nuclear explosion, the so-called JOE-1. President Truman announced to the Nation on September 23, 1949 that the Soviets had exploded a nuclear bomb on August 29. We learned later that collection samples included rainwater from the roof of NRL. He received the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award in 1960.

Later in his career, Luther conducted an important project on composite materials research,

funded by the Naval Air Systems Command, and directed toward developing new materials and new technology in support of the AV8B, an advanced vertical take-off and landing aircraft. He received a Navy Department Superior Civilian Service Award in 1979 for his organization and development of the polymeric materials program.

His first paper, "SURVEY OF TWO-COAT REFLECTION-REDUCING FILMS" was published in January 1946. During his career at NRL, he was first author on about 22 publications. His positions at NRL included head of the Physical Chemistry Branch, head of the Polymeric Materials Branch and later Acting Superintendent of the Chemistry Division. He retired from NRL in 1980. He had many friends and fond memories from his long career at NRL. We remember that he took a small commuter boat from Alexandria to NRL before the first Woodrow Wilson Bridge was built in the 1960s. As kids we also remember him going out of town ‘on business’ and we were treated to McDonald’s hamburgers--never realizing that some of what he was doing was classified as secret until the 1970s.

Dad was a loving and devoted husband and father. He married Betty Jane Brodnan on July 7, 1951, and they were married for 60 years. Below is an excerpt from Dad’s memoirs about his beautiful bride:

“When I got up my nerve to ask her to marry me (I popped the question on St. Patrick's Day

Eve, March 16, 1951), I really was not sure what she would say. Fortunately

for me, she said "YES" and we were married in the Chapel (or was it the

priests' locker room?) at St. Matthew's Cathedral in Washington on Saturday,

July 7,1951. Our honeymoon was outstanding, as all honeymoons are! We went to Big Meadows Lodge on Skyline Drive, thence to Daytona Beach for a week, returning to Washington via Atlanta, the Cherokee reservation in North Carolina where we saw "Unto These Hills", Monticello and finally to our new abode in Southeast D.C., and a week later to Fairfax, VA a sleepy community of 100,000.”

Within the next eight years Betty and Luther were the proud parents of four cherubic children. Dad was a playful, humorous, and caring man who was very involved in life as father and husband. He changed diapers, combed tangled hair, dressed the kids when Mom wasn’t available (having produced yet another Lockhart) which was always interesting considering he was colorblind. He was involved in the children’s sports – umpiring little league baseball games, teaching the kids how to play tennis, golf, etc. There were always a number of exciting events going on at home: school, Brownies and Cub Scouts, ballet recitals, piano lessons, trumpet lessons and concerts, graduations, Kent's broken leg, and many more, both major and minor. Then there were SATS to take, colleges to visit, college selections to be made, overseas study, etc.

Dad was also a chronicler of family events and activities and an avid photographer of ballet recitals, trips to Great Falls, and family vacations to Jekyll Island. Those trips at the beach included floating on a large truck inner tube on a long rope way beyond the breakers…a little scary, but we knew Dad wouldn’t let go and send us out into the ocean!

Landscaping and gardening projects were a favorite activity for our father. He loved working in the gardening and constantly battled squirrels who preyed on his vegetables. In his last home he created his long-awaited goldfish pond. The fish would know when he was coming to feed them and would gather around the edge of the pond to be fed. Luther and Betty enjoyed sitting quietly by the pond. Saturday afternoons always included sharing a bite of chocolate together.

Retirement years were spent traveling to foreign lands, welcoming newly produced grandchildren (10 in all), visiting family around the country, and enjoying friends.

Luther is survived by Betty, his loving wife, of 60 years and children Katherine Arendt (Douglas), Thomas Lockhart (Francesca), Jean Lockhart (David Greer), and Kent Lockhart, and by 10 grandchildren.

Luther’s last few years were consumed with fighting progressive supra-nuclear palsy, a disease that he endured with courage and dignity but which unfortunately bested him on May 12, 2012. Donations to the CurePSP organization may be made at give.psp.org.