Roger Carl Molander was an American government official and activist.
Life
Born in Perham, Minnesota, Molander grew up in Marinette, Wisconsin. He graduated with High Honors from University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Mechanical Engineering with support from a Scott Paper Company scholarship. He received his doctorate in Engineering Science and Nuclear Engineering from University of California, Berkeley in 1967. From 1968–1981, Molander served in numerous government positions in the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, Department of Defense, and the National Security Council staff. He was an aide to Paul Nitze during the first Strategic Arms Limitation Talks and later while on the NSC staff served as Chairman of interagency Strategic Arms Limitation TreatyWorking Group with responsibility for preparing all of the analytic material in support of SALT IIdecision making. He also led studies on strategic nuclear policy and civil defense while at the NSC. In 1981, Molander left government service and formed Ground Zero, a nonpartisan education project on nuclear war geared to the American public and national and local media. Ground Zero organized a major week-long effort in April 1992, including activities in over 800 U.S. communities, Nightline special with worldwide hookups, and specials on the Today Show and Good Morning America. Ground Zero continued its nuclear war education programs for the next 5 years. From 1989–2012, Molander was employed as a Senior Research Scientist/Policy Analyst at the RAND Corporation, where he developed RAND's “Day After...” strategic planning exercise methodology to major national policy and strategy issues and other studies, leading teams focused on the U.S. response to nuclear terrorism and nuclear proliferation problems; homeland security challenges ; the international security impact of the information technology revolution; and the terrorism threat to U.S. government continuity of operations. Molander died in Washington, D.C. in 2012 of complications relating to cholangiocarcinoma, a disease of the ducts in the liver.
Legacy
The Earl and Roger Molander Scholarship Fund is awarded annually to a graduate from a Wisconsin public high school to fund a semester of study in a chemical engineering or engineering program.
