Wendell Weart ’53, a pioneer in nuclear waste management, died on Sept. 26, 2024, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Weart grew up in Brandon, Iowa, and attended Cornell, following several family members, including his mother, Mary Jamieson Weart (1916 graduate of the Cornell Academy), and siblings, Marjorie Weart Stephens ’42 and Richard Weart ’43. He majored in geology and mathematics, graduating as valedictorian and as a Phi Beta Kappa member. He then received his doctorate of philosophy in geophysics from the University of Wisconsin.
While working at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds (1957-1959), Weart was introduced to the Nevada Nuclear Test Site where he worked on measuring the effects of underground nuclear tests. He joined Sandia National Laboratories in 1959 and for 15 years studied the seismic effects of underground nuclear detonations. For 20 years he was also the chairman of the Department of Energy’s Seismic Evaluation Committee, responsible for predicting the effect of nuclear-test-created, seismic waves on structures surrounding the Nevada Test Site.
In 1975 he became manager of the Sandia effort to select a site and direct the design of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, which became the first U.S. geologic repository for the disposal of defense-related transuranic waste. Once it was operational, Weart retired in 2000 with 41 years of service.
Weart is survived by his wife, Leanne, three children (Craig Weart ’83, Brian Weart ’78, and Kathleen Williams), two stepchildren, and multiple grandchildren and great-grandchildren.