| Neely Nuclear Research Center | |
| Former Names: | Neely Research Reactor Georgia Tech Research Reactor |
| Location: | Atlanta, Georgia, USA |
| Address: | 900 Atlantic Drive NW |
| Owner: | Georgia Institute of Technology |
| Current Tenants: | Nuclear and Radiological Engineering Program Georgia Tech Research Institute |
| Coordinates: | 33.7796°N -84.3982°W |
| Completion Date: | 1963 |
| Demolition Date: | 2000 |
| Floor Count: | 1 |
The Frank H. Neely Nuclear Research Center, also known as the Neely Research Reactor and the Georgia Tech Research Reactor was a nuclear engineering research center on the Georgia Institute of Technology campus, which housed a 5 megawatt heavy water moderated and cooled research reactor from 1961 until 1995.[1] It was decommissioned in November 1999.[2] The building that housed the reactor was demolished to make way for the Marcus Nanotechnology Research Center.
The center is named for Frank H. Neely, a Georgia Tech graduate and businessman who organized the first Georgia Nuclear Advisory Commission, an essential step in the creation of the reactor and associated facilities.[3]
The center and associated reactor was built after campus president Blake R. Van Leer appointed a Nuclear Science Committee, which included Georgia Tech Research Institute director James E. Boyd.[4] [5]
The committee recommended the creation of a Radioisotopes Laboratory Facility and a large research reactor. The laboratory was built and dedicated on January 7, 1959, and could receive, store, and process radioactive materials.[4] The research reactor would be completed in 1963.
The reactor was shut down in 1988 due to safety concerns,[6] and was defueled due to safety concerns related to the nearby 1996 Summer Olympics events.[4]
The reactor building was torn down after the decommissioning, with the remainder removed as of 2015.