Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory opened at this site on September 2, 1952, initially as a branch of the University of California Radiation Laboratory. Before the Laboratory opened, this 630-acre parcel had been the site of Livermore Naval Air Station, a World War II pilot training facility. Founded by Ernest O. Lawrence and Edward Teller, the Atomic Energy Commission opened the Laboratory to help maintain America's superiority in nuclear deterrence and ensure national security. Throughout its history, the Lab fulfilled its national security mission and established itself as a hallmark of cutting-edge science in the name of national security. For 50 years, LLNL was managed by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration and its predecessor organizations.