Acclaimed scientist, innovator to speak Saturday at Downers Grove Library Foundation fundraiser

There is no shortage of accolades for Dieter Gruen.

The longtime Downers Grove resident worked on the Manhattan Project in in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, from 1944 to 1946 focusing on the electromagnetic separation of uranium isotopes.

The chemist, inventor and innovator as well as former Friends of the Downers Grove Public Library president, will be on hand Saturday afternoon for an in-depth conversation as part of the Downers Grove Public Library Foundation’s fundraising event.

Gruen will discuss his fascinating life that included escaping Nazi Germany by immigrating to the U.S. at 14 years old with his younger brother to go on to earning degrees in chemistry and physics from Northwestern University and the University of Chicago.

After graduating college, Gruen was recruited to work as a member of the Manhattan Project team. From there, Gruen had a more than 60-year career at Argonne National Laboratory, retiring in 2012.

In 2021, Gruen, who holds more than 60 patents, was nominated for the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

“Dr. Gruen is a renowned scientist and fierce advocate for climate action whose contributions over eight decades have transformed American technological development, from nuclear fission and fusion to solar and energy storage. We as a nation are forever in his debt,” said U.S. Rep. Sean Casten, D-Downers Grove, who nominated Gruen for the award.

At 101 years old, Gruen still is working to improve solar technology with the goal of making it more efficient and less expensive.

The ticketed event will be at 2 p.m. Sept. 14, in the auditorium of The Avery Cooney School, 1400 Maple Ave., Downers Grove.

Downers Grove Public Library Foundation director Anne Wick will moderate.

Even with his very busy life that included raising three children, Gruen always was determined to give back to the community, which included serving as president of the Downers Grove Friends of the Library, Wick said.

“This event is our major fundraiser for the year,” Wick said.

Previous financial support from the foundation included additions to the library’s public art collection and contributions to its Anything Emporium, the library’s collection of unusual items such as Kindle eReaders, a portable CD player, virtual reality headsets and Cricut machines.

The foundation also has financially supported Satellite Stacks, a delivery service for seniors, and the ongoing funding for the library’s social work program. Under the program, students from Aurora University provide help for individuals seeking referrals for services such as domestic violence shelters, assistance with housing needs, literacy tutoring, finding food pantries, eligibility for Medicaid and more.