William Cabot Gough ’52 *55

Bill died June 29, 2024, at the age of 93. A resident of Los Altos, Calif., he was born in Jersey City, N.J.

At Princeton, Bill majored in electrical engineering and received his M.S. in engineering in 1955. He served three years as a Navy officer.

Bill began his career in the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission’s controlled-fusion research program, where, in 1968, he co-invented the fusion torch concept as a sustainable energy alternative. This work is documented at FusionTorch.com. Later, he managed the fusion power program at the Electric Power Research Institute and served as the U.S. Department of Energy site manager for high-energy physics and synchrotron radiation at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center.

In 1980, Bill co-founded the Foundation for Mind-Being Research, a nonprofit organization dedicated to consciousness research. His contributions reflected his lifelong passion for exploring the connection between science, technology, and the human spirit.

Bill is survived by his wife, Marion; his daughter, Barbara; his son, Bill; and five grandchildren.