List of Hyman Rickover Quotes

Knowing More About The Public Effects His Work Will Have, The Engineer Ought To Consider Himself An "officer Of The Court" And Keep The General Interest Always In Mind.

How The Hell Are You Supposed To Know What God Wants You To Do With Your Life, Eh?

Thoughts Arising From Practical Experience May Be A Bridle Or A Spur.

The Devil Is In The Details, And Everything We Do In The Military Is A Detail.

As A Guide To Engineering Ethics, I Should Like To Commend To You A Liberal Adaptation Of The Injunction Contained In The Oath Of Hippocrates That The Professional Man Do Nothing That Will Harm His Client.

Those Involved With Practical Reactors, Humbled By Their Experiences, Speak Less And Worry More.

All Men Are By Nature Conservative But Conservatism In The Military Profession Is A Source Of Danger To The Country. One Must Be Ready To Change His Line Sharply And Suddenly, With No Concern For The Prejudices And Memories Of What Was Yesterday. To Rest Upon Formula Is A Slumber That, Prolonged, Means Death.

I Do Not Have Regrets. I Believe I Helped Preserve The Peace For This Country. Why Should I Regret That? What I Accomplished Was Approved By Congress -- Which Represents Our People. All Of You Live In Safety From Domestic Enemies Because Of Security From The Police. Likewise, You Live In Safety From Foreign Enemies Because Our Military Keeps Them From Attacking Us.

I Have A Son. I Love My Son. I Want Everything That I Do To Be So Safe That I Would Be Happy To Have My Son Operating It. That's My Fundamental Rule.

The Tools Of The Academic Designer Are A Piece Of Paper And A Pencil With An Eraser. If A Mistake Is Made, It Can Always Be Erased And Changed. If The Practical-reactor Designer Errs, He Wears The Mistake Around His Neck; It Cannot Be Erased. Everyone Sees It.

If You Are Going To Sin, Sin Against God, Not The Bureaucracy. God Will Forgive You But The Bureaucracy Won't.

Act As If You Are Going To Live For Ever And Cast Your Plans Way Ahead. You Must Feel Responsible Without Time Limitations, And The Consideration Of Whether You May Or May Not Be Around To See The Results Should Never Enter Your Thoughts.