▁On ▁January ▁ 2 8 , ▁ 1 9 4 6 , ▁he ▁wrote ▁in ▁his ▁journal : ▁ ▁No ▁fair y ▁tale ▁that ▁I ▁read ▁in ▁utter ▁ra pt ure ▁and ▁en chant ment ▁as ▁a ▁child , ▁no ▁sp y ▁mystery , ▁no ▁" hor ror " ▁story , ▁can ▁rem ot ely ▁compare ▁with ▁the ▁scientific ▁rec ital ▁I ▁listened ▁to ▁for ▁six ▁or ▁seven ▁hours ▁today . ▁ ▁... I ▁feel ▁that ▁I ▁have ▁been ▁admitted , ▁through ▁the ▁str ang est ▁accident ▁of ▁fate , ▁behind ▁the ▁scenes ▁in ▁the ▁most ▁awful ▁and ▁insp iring ▁drama ▁since ▁some ▁primitive ▁man ▁looked ▁for ▁the ▁very ▁first ▁time ▁upon ▁fire . Qu oted ▁in ▁Co oke , ▁p . ▁ 4 5 . ▁ ▁Instead , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁established ▁the ▁U . S . ▁At omic ▁Energy ▁Commission ▁( A EC ) ▁to ▁provide ▁civil ian ▁control ▁of ▁this ▁resource . ▁Lil ient hal ▁was ▁appointed ▁as ▁chair ▁of ▁the ▁A EC ▁on ▁October ▁ 2 8 , ▁ 1 9 4 6 ▁and ▁served ▁until ▁February ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 1 9 5 0 , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁pione ers ▁of ▁civil ian ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁atomic ▁energy ▁program . ▁He ▁intended ▁to ▁admin ister ▁a ▁program ▁that ▁would ▁" har ness ▁the ▁atom " ▁for ▁peace ful ▁purposes , ▁princip ally ▁atomic ▁power . ▁▁ ▁Lil ient hal ▁gave ▁high ▁priority ▁to ▁peace ful ▁uses , ▁especially ▁nuclear ▁power ▁plants . ▁ ▁However ▁coal ▁was