[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 183 (Tuesday, December 10, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6909-S6910]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    REMEMBERING DR. CHARLIE McMILLAN

  Mr. LUJAN. Mr. President, I am here today to commemorate a life of 
public service dedicated to the expansion of human knowledge and the 
greater good.
  On September 6 of this year, New Mexico and the Nation suffered a 
tremendous loss as Dr. Charles McMillan tragically passed away.
  Dr. McMillan, or Charlie as he insisted he be called by all who knew 
him, is perhaps best known for his work as a groundbreaking physicist 
and visionary leader of Los Alamos National Laboratory.
  Fittingly, Charlie's early career focused on developing tools and 
diagnostics for eye surgery. His innovations resulted in several 
patents and benefited countless patients.
  Over nearly 20 years at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 
Charlie was instrumental to maintaining and enhancing our Nation's 
security posture, leading experimental physics, and computing programs 
that were critical to modernizing the nuclear stockpile.
  In 2006, Charlie moved to New Mexico and became the tenth director of 
Los Alamos National Laboratory in 2011. Capturing the Lab's 
achievements under Charlie's leadership would be nearly impossible, but 
one area that shines particularly bright is Charlie's work on 
supercomputing.
  Charlie not only recognized the critical role of these revolutionary 
machines for the advancement of scientific discovery and national 
security, he was able to bring together diverse teams and inspire them 
to execute his ambitious vision: He was instrumental in bringing 
Roadrunner online and acquiring Trinity, two of the fastest 
supercomputers in the world at the time.
  These computers did critical work on nuclear stewardship and 
contributed to scientific advancements in areas ranging from advanced 
battery design to medical drug simulations. The foundations Charlie 
established resonate to this day through the Department of Energy's 
Exascale Program, which continues to host the world's fastest 
supercomputers.
  Charlie retired as director in 2017, but was recently called back to 
the Department to help steward its transition into the next age of 
advanced computing: artificial intelligence. In this capacity, Charlie 
continued to be both

[[Page S6910]]

a visionary leader and a scientist's scientist, serving as the 
connective tissue to unite and inspire the Department during this 
paradigm shift in technology, exactly as he had done so many times in 
the past.
  Charlie's sudden passing came as a devastating shock to the multitude 
of people he touched throughout his life; the Department of Energy and 
the national labs are still reeling from this loss. Charlie dedicated 
his life to his Nation, and always did so with tremendous humility and 
an infectious curiosity.
  But he was so much more than a public servant and scientist; he was a 
dedicated husband, father, and grandfather. He had a passion for the 
outdoors, the night sky, and regularly went backpacking with his family 
to share both. He was also an accomplished musician and shared his 
talents by performing in several local Los Alamos theater productions.
  He is survived by his wife of 47 years Janet Robb McMillan, son Paul 
McMillan and spouse Suzanne Long, daughters Caroline McMillan and 
Katherine McCurry, her spouse Paul McCurry, and their son Oliver 
McCurry.
  Charlie leaves behind an incredible legacy of national service, 
scientific achievement, and deep personal connections. We are proud 
that he chose to make New Mexico his home and grateful for the time he 
spent with us in our community. His significant contributions to the 
world and his generous spirit will be deeply missed by all who knew and 
loved him.

                          ____________________