Leventhal, Paul

The Nuclear Control Institute (NCI), founded in 1981 by Paul Leventhal, was a research and advocacy center for the prevention of nuclear proliferation and nuclear terrorism worldwide. The organization focused its efforts on the elimination of plutonium, highly enriched uranium from nuclear power plants and research reactors, and preventing plutonium and highly enriched uranium from dismantled nuclear weapons from being disposed of in commercial reactors. NCI performed a watchdog role in the politics of nuclear issues and pulled together the government, media, public-interest organizations, and industrial forces, both on a national and international level, to engage in discussion and decision-making sessions that dealt with the issues of nuclear control. Through its twenty-year duration, Paul Leventhal and other NCI employees both organized and attended conferences worldwide to address the prevention of nuclear proliferation and nuclear terrorism. They took on public personas in their efforts to hinder nuclear proliferation and nuclear terrorism, writing articles for the media to spread awareness, conducting interviews, and making televised appearances to publicize particular nuclear issues.

In 1986, NCI established the International Task Force on Prevention of Nuclear Terrorism, which was instrumental in influencing governments worldwide to reconsider advocacy of the production nuclear-weapon material. In 1989, NCI organized a worldwide conference in South America that helped avert an arms race between Argentina and Brazil. During the 1990s, NCI intervened successfully with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to block a proposed effort to export bomb-grade uranium to Belgium. NCI’s founder, Paul Leventhal also wrote five books and edited many other publications that focused on nuclear proliferation and nuclear terrorism. In 2003, NCI went under reorganization to become a web-based program and tirelessly continued its work of spreading awareness of the dangers of plutonium and uranium. In 2007, Leventhal passed away, and with the endowment of Leventhal’s archives and website to the University of Texas, NCI ended its term as one of the most tireless and active organizations to advocate nuclear control.