▁att orney ▁and ▁public ▁administrator , ▁best ▁known ▁for ▁his ▁President ial ▁App oint ment ▁to ▁head ▁Tennessee ▁Valley ▁Author ity ▁and ▁later ▁the ▁At omic ▁Energy ▁Commission ▁( A EC ). ▁He ▁had ▁pract iced ▁public ▁utility ▁law ▁and ▁led ▁the ▁Wisconsin ▁Public ▁Util ities ▁Commission . ▁ ▁Later ▁he ▁was ▁co - author ▁with ▁Dean ▁A ches on ▁( l ater ▁Secretary ▁of ▁State ) ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 6 ▁Report ▁on ▁the ▁International ▁Control ▁of ▁At omic ▁Energy , ▁which ▁out lined ▁possible ▁methods ▁for ▁international ▁control ▁of ▁nuclear ▁weapons . ▁As ▁chair ▁of ▁the ▁A EC , ▁he ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁pione ers ▁in ▁civil ian ▁management ▁of ▁nuclear ▁power ▁resources . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁Born ▁in ▁Mort on , ▁Illinois ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 9 , ▁David ▁Lil ient hal ▁was ▁the ▁oldest ▁son ▁of ▁Jewish ▁imm igr ants ▁from ▁Austria - H ung ary . ▁ ▁His ▁mother ▁Min na ▁Rosen ak ▁( 1 8 7 4 – 1 9 5 6 ) ▁came ▁from ▁Sz om ol ány ▁( now ▁Sm olen ice ) ▁in ▁Slov ak ia , ▁em igr ating ▁to ▁America ▁at ▁age ▁ 1 7 . ▁His ▁father ▁Leo ▁Lil ient hal ▁( 1 8 6 8 – 1 9 5 1 ) ▁was ▁from ▁Hung ary , ▁serving ▁several ▁years ▁in ▁the ▁Hung arian ▁army ▁before ▁em igr ating ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 3 . ▁Min na ▁and ▁Leo ▁were ▁married ▁in