Helen Edwards and the Success of the Tevatron

Helen Edwards was one of the leading accelerator scientists in the history of the field. She had a central role in the design, construction, commissioning, and operation of the Tevatron, the highest-energy collider in the world from 1992 to 2008. She brought to this effort a formidable command of accelerator science and technology and a deep understanding of accelerator operations. In addition, she was able to communicate to the entire team her sense of urgency and her conviction that all problems could be solved. The discovery of the top quark was the most profound of the many scientific achievements made using the Tevatron. In a perfect world, she would have won the Nobel prize in Physics. The citation for the Robert R. Wilson Prize she won in 2003 captured the depth and breadth of her contributions to science: "For her pivotal achievement and critical contribution as the leader in the design, construction, commissioning and operation of the Tevatron and for her continued contributions to the development of high gradient superconducting linear accelerators as well as bright and intense electron sources."