Professor Sun Kuan-han, known as the "father of Chinese nuclear science," worked with Wu on academic projects, and describes him as serious in his pursuit of scholastic endeavors, practical in his actions, principled, and committed to his beliefs. In particular, he "took exception to the unacceptable," which led him to care deeply for society.
享譽國際而有「中國原子科學之父」之稱的孫觀漢教授曾表示，他曾與吳大猷在學術上共事，深知吳大猷是一位做學問很認真，做事踏實，有原則，堅持理念的一個人，尤其是「見怪仍怪」的個性，使吳大猷成為「社會的良心」。