Owen Hedden was born on August 6, 1930 in Detroit, Michigan. He graduated from Antioch College, where he met his future wife, Betsy.
He was an early proponent of non-destructive testing for nuclear power plants, serving as secretary and chairman of ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Committee. He received ASME’s Fellow Award (1985) and Bernard F. Langer Nuclear Codes and Standards Award (1994).