During WWII, Dr. Arthur Sucsy worked as a chemist on the Y-12 Plant at Oak Ridge, TN. Dr. Sucsy worked with a team of scientists responsible for examining the physical and chemical properties of uranium. At the Y-12 Plant, Dr. Sucsy engaged in uranium isotope separation. The goal of the research team discover and perfect techniques to make the uranium undergo fission, through which a lot of energy would be released. In 1945, the chemists’ work on uranium was tested at a site in New Mexico. Dr. Sucsy’s work, and the work of his team, contributed greatly to the successful creation of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Early Life
Dr. Sucsy was born in Brooklyn, NY, in 1921 and grew up fascinated by chemistry. In 1942, Dr. Sucsy graduated Cum Laude from Grove City College and received his Bachelor’s of Science in Chemistry, as well as a minor in Metallurgy. Dr. Sucsy was accepted as a Graduate Assistant in Analytical Chemistry and a Master’s candidate for the Fall Term, 1942, at Cornell University. In June, 1944, Dr. Sucsy, now no longer qualified to maintain his draft-deferment status, was drafted into the United States Army and transferred to a training camp in Texas. Based on his knowledge of chemistry, Dr. Sucsy was transferred to the Oak Ridge Facility in Knoxville, TN, late in the summer of 1944.
After the War
In 1946, Dr. Sucsy married Jean Lawson, whom he met during his time at Oak Ridge. They had three children and Dr. Sucsy’s career in chemistry led the family to live in various parts of the world.
The above information came from Dr. Sucsy’s autobiography, “This is the Life”, which was published in 1999.