Nuclear Museum Logo
Nuclear Museum Logo

National Museum of Nuclear Science & History

Iral B. Johns (1902-1987) was an American chemist.

An associate professor of chemistry at Iowa State University, Iral B. Johns joined the Manhattan Project in 1942 as a director of the plutonium proejct at the Ames, Iowa laboratory. Johns was immediately transferred to Los Alamos in 1943 to continue working on the Manhattan Project. He investigated methods of removing fission products from uranium. Eventually, he became the group leader of a chemistry group working with polonium. Johns was one of the official observers at the Trinity test site. 

Iral B. Johns’s Timeline
1902 Born.

1930 Graduated from Knox College magna cum laude.

1942 Became director of the plutonium project at the Ames laboratory.

1943 Moved to Los Alamos.

1987 Died.

Related Profiles

P.R. Nelson

T-Plant/200 Areas

Nelson worked at the 200 West Area at Hanford during the Manhattan Project.

Robert W. Dawson

Tinian Island

Robert W. Dawson served in both the Special Engineering Detachment and Project Alberta.

H. S. Strandholm

Tinian Island

H. S. Strandholm served in the 390th Air Service Group.

Thomas H. Trevena

K-25 Plant

Thomas Trevena worked for the Kellex Corporation at the K-25 Plant.