Born in Ohio, Wakefield Wright had a degree in biological sciences from the University of Louisville. In 1943, he was assigned to a “supersecret project” and sent to Oak Ridge, where he was trained in the separations process to separate plutonium from uranium that had been irradiated in a reactor. In September 1944, he was sent to Hanford, where he supervised “chemical operators” at the T-Plant. He recalls the technical aspect of the separations process, the emphasis on secrecy at Hanford and Oak Ridge, and life in Richland.
Wakefield Wright
ChemistT-Plant/200 Areas
Hanford, WAOak Ridge, TNX-10 Graphite Reactor
Manhattan Project VeteranScientist
Listen to Wakefield Wright’s Oral History on Voices of the Manhattan ProjectWakefield Wright’s Timeline
1944 Sep 1st Came to Hanford