US particle accelerators: an historical perspective

The history of the development of particle accelerators, especially in the US, is reviewed. The development is traced from the earliest efforts of Cockroft and Walton through the early cyclotrons, e.g., that of E.O. Lawrence, to the modern high energy machines such as those at Fermilab and CERN. Linear accelerators and meson factories are also described. Sociological factors, funding and the role of national laboratories are discussed. The outlook for higher energy accelerators in the future is briefly considered