Earle L. Reynolds

Born in Iowa in 1910, Earle L. Reynolds became an anthropologist, educator, author, Quaker, and peace activist. He is especially remembered for research on the growth and development of children exposed to the atomic bomb in Hiroshima after World War II, work that deeply shaped his later public stance against nuclear weapons and war.

Reynolds’s life moved far beyond academia. He and his family became known for long voyages on the Phoenix of Hiroshima, a yacht he designed, and for peace missions that challenged nuclear testing and military restrictions in the Pacific. That unusual blend of scientist, sailor, and activist gives his story a strong sense of purpose and adventure.

He died in 1998. Today, he is often remembered not only for his scientific work, but also for the way he turned what he had learned into committed, visible action.