George Gore, 81; Northrop Co-Founder, Lawyer

George Gore, a co-founder of the Northrop Aircraft Co., forerunner of the defense and aerospace conglomerate Northrop Corp., has died in Carmel. He was 81.

Gore, who helped found Los Angeles-based Northrop in 1939, died Tuesday of cancer at Community Hospital of Monterey Peninsula.

He spent most of his career with Northrop and retired in 1975 as chief counsel and vice president.

During his tenure, Gore helped develop laws to deal with the new era of nuclear energy.

“It is a wonderful time to be a lawyer,” he told the American Bar Assn. in 1958. “Perhaps never before in the history of the law has so much study and research preceded the establishment of the law itself, and I am sure that the law of atomic hazards will be created in such a way that progress will be encouraged. . . .”

Born in Chile as the son of a mining engineer, Gore was educated at Harvard University and Harvard Law School. As an attorney, he worked with the Los Angeles law firm of O’Melveny & Myers until Northrop was founded.

Gore is survived by his wife of 55 years, Virginia Laist Gore, a sister, three children, four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

The family has asked that any memorial contributions be made to the Community Hospital of Monterey Peninsula.