Leroy Ingles; First Chief of a Nuclear Submarine

Leroy Ingles, 84, pioneer nuclear sailor as first chief of the U.S. submarine Nautilus, the world’s first nuclear-powered submarine. Born in Rushville, Ill., Ingles joined the Army in 1935 and transferred to the Navy three years later. His first tour of duty was aboard the aircraft carrier Saratoga, and afterward he served in the submarine fleet. He applied for the job as Nautilus chief and was chosen by Adm. Hyman G. Rickover, even though the admiral told him after his interview to “get the hell out” of his office. After his Nautilus duty, Ingles worked aboard one of the Navy’s first nuclear missile submarines, the Theodore Roosevelt. He retired from the Navy in 1965 and later worked in missile assembly for Lockheed Missiles and Space Co. On April 12 in Olympia, Wash.