author
Neal O. Hines
A journalist and University of Washington public-information leader, he wrote with a reporter’s eye and a historian’s patience. His books often explored the Pacific Northwest, science, and the human side of major public projects.
1 Audiobook
Atoms, Nature, and Man: Man-made Radioactivity in the Environment
by Neal O. Hines
About the author
Neal O. Hines was an American writer, journalist, and university administrator whose work ranged from local history to science writing. Records from the University of Washington describe him as Neal Oldfield Hines (1908–1993), a former director of the university’s Office of Public Information and the author of several books.
He studied at Indiana University and later earned a master’s degree in journalism at Northwestern University. Before and during his years in academic communications, he taught journalism, worked in newspaper reporting, and became known for clear, accessible nonfiction. One of his best-known books is Denny's Knoll, a history of the University of Washington’s Metropolitan Tract in Seattle.
Hines also wrote about the environmental aftermath of nuclear testing. Atoms, Nature, and Man drew on his experience with Pacific radiobiological survey work connected to Bikini Atoll, giving his science writing an unusual firsthand perspective. Across his career, he seems to have been especially drawn to subjects where public history, research, and everyday life meet.