David Lilienthal
David Lilienthal might not be a household name now, but the 1916 graduate of Michigan Cityâs Elston High School was head of two powerful federal agencies the 1930s and 1940s.
Lilienthal was born July 8, 1899, in Morton, Illinois. He was principally raised in Michigan City and Valparaiso.
After serving as a member of the Wisconsin Public Service Commission, he was appointed to the three-person board overseeing the Tennessee Valley Authority. The TVA was established during the Great Depression so the federal government could distribute hydroelectric power to rural areas not served by private utilities.
In 1946, U.S. Under Secretary of State Dean Acheson asked Lilienthal to chair a five-member group that would advise President Harry Truman and Secretary of State James Byrns on the dangers of nuclear weapons.