William Liscum Borden (1920–1985) was an American lawyer and influential congressional staffer who played a pivotal role in early Cold War nuclear policy. Serving as the executive director of the United States Congress Joint Committee on Atomic Energy from 1949 to 1953, Borden established himself as one of the most prominent advocates for the aggressive development of nuclear weapons within the United States government.\n\nBorden is historically best known for his role in the downfall of physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer. In 1953, Borden drafted and sent a highly controversial letter to the FBI accusing Oppenheimer of acting as an agent of the Soviet Union. This accusation served as the primary catalyst for the Oppenheimer security hearing of 1954, which ultimately led to the revocation of the physicist's security clearance.
