Hyman G. Rickover was an American naval officer and engineer who is known as the “Father of the Nuclear Navy” for his role in the development of the world’s first nuclear-powered engines and the first atomic-powered submarine, the USS Nautilus. Rickover’s advocacy for nuclear propulsion exerted an enormous influence on the post-World War II Navy, and his unwavering commitment to quality control ensured that the Navy’s reactor program would set the standard for safety.