Death Notice for Walmer “Jerry” Strope of Mount Holly Virginia
“Jerry” passed quietly on August 15, 2010 in Richmond Virginia at MCV Hospital. A long time resident of Glebe Harbor, Westmoreland County, VA, Jerry was actively engaged in research and writing on radiological issues throughout the last decades of his life. A full scholarship graduate of the leading naval architecture and engineering college in the US, the WEBB INSTITUTE in New York City, Jerry received his degree at the outbreak of WWII and was immediately employed by the Department of the Navy as a civilian naval Architect and engineer, Jerry during WWII held various responsible positions in the Department of the Navy and eventually became the head of Radiological Defense research for the US Navy. After leaving the Department of the Navy, Jerry was further employed by the Department of Defense as head of research for the Office of Civil and Defense Mobilization, and independent agency housed in the Department of Defense, Jerry led efforts to conduct research and defenses for the civilian population of the United States for those organizations. Thus, Jerry’s efforts led to the adoption not only of many specific civil defense policies but his research as an individual and as an administrator led to many breakthroughs in the knowledge of mankind on radiological and health physics impacts on humans and specific approaches to limiting the impacts should a nuclear strategic exchange have occurred. Is specific knowledge, innovations in research, research design and administration helped to protect the national security of the United States throughout the Cold War.
Jerry was also a respected technical advisor to many Congressional Committees throughout his life and the Committee On the President Danger headed and established by the Honorable Paul Nitze, and remained influential throughout his life for his technical knowledge. After leaving the federal government in the late 1960’s he became a principal in the Center For Planning and Research, Inc. of Palo Alto California and Fairfax Virginia. That organization acted as the Federally Funded Research and Development Center for the federal civil defense program which existed from 1950 to 1994 pursuant to Public Law 920 of the 81st Congress.
Throughout the decades of the 1980’s, and 90’s Jerry wrote a newsletter and was President of the American Strategic Defense Association which was an influential voice in both nuclear strategic policy and defense and constantly made its readers aware of emerging threats.
The impact of “Jerry” Walmer Strope on the radiological defense and National Security of the United States cannot be overemphasized. He was close personal friends with the giants of the development of the atomic age, including Jerome Wigner and Edward Teller.
