Gordon Smith was a chemical engineer in the 9812th Technical Service Unit of the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Special Engineer Detacment at the Clinton Engineer Works in Oak Ridge. Initially, Smith worked as a motor-generator operator and later as a shift supervisor of an analytical control laboratory for analysis of materials. He was assigned to the Y-12 Electro-magnetic Separation Plant operated by the Tennessee Eastman Company after attending the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP).