The Hoover Archives has acquired the William Offutt Doub papers, 1970–74, which include correspondence, memoranda, and printed matter. Doub was a member of the US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) from 1971 to 1974. His papers relate to nuclear energy issues in the United States, including licensing nuclear power plants and nuclear safety issues.
During his tenure at the AEC, the commission reorganized and restructured the agency’s regulatory program. He directed an agency report, "Federal Energy Regulation: An Organizational Study," that recommended a number of practical changes designed to increase the agency’s ability to respond more quickly to changes in technology and economic conditions.
In addition to the Doub papers, the Hoover Archives has other collections associated with the nuclear issue, including those of Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Le Baron; AEC chairman Dixy Lee Ray (who held that post during Doub’s membership on the commission); AEC director of research Arthur Edward Ruark; Nuclear Regulatory Commission members Victor Gilinsky, Richard Kennedy, James K. Asselstine, and Hoover fellow Edward Teller. The Doub papers also complement the work of Hoover’s Shultz-Stephenson Task Force on Energy Policy.
Doub was a Republican Party candidate for statewide office in his native Maryland. He held a number of appointed positions there (including chairman of the Maryland Public Service Commission) before assuming his role at the AEC.
