Nuclear Museum Logo
Nuclear Museum Logo

National Museum of Nuclear Science & History

August “Gus” Knuth

MillwrightChicago, IL

Manhattan Project VeteranProject Worker/Staff
Listen to August “Gus” Knuth’s Oral History on Voices of the Manhattan Project

August “Gus” Knuth was a millwright and carpenter who helped construct Chicago Pile-1. He was present on December 2, 1942 when the pile went critical in the first self-sustaining chain reaction in history.

Related Profiles

Frederick A. Zenz

K-25 Plant

Frederick A. Zenz was a chemical engineer, and received a B.A. in Chemistry from Queens College. He then earned his M.

C. L. Wheadon

Research & Development/300 Area

Wheadon worked at the 300 Area at Hanford during the Manhattan Project. 

Charles E. Wilson

Los Alamos, NM

Justin H. Allen

Oak Ridge, TN

Allen worked in the United States Engineer District Office.