Barton W. Shackelford, 86; head of PG&E; when it built nuclear plant
Barton W. Shackelford, 86, a former president of Pacific Gas and Electric Co., died July 7 of a stroke at his home in Kentfield, Calif.
Shackelford served as president of the utility from 1979 to 1985. He retired at 65 after spending 39 years with the company; he started in 1946 as an engineer.
During his tenure as president, the firm built the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant near San Luis Obispo. PG&E; was criticized for overspending and mismanagement of the project.
A native of San Francisco, Shackelford graduated with a degree in civil engineering from UC Berkeley in 1941. He served in the Navy as a radio technician on an aircraft carrier during World War II.
After his discharge, he joined PG&E; as an assistant engineer. He was named chief planning engineer in 1963 and chief civil engineer in 1966.
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