John D. Watson

Chief Engineer, Clinton Engineer WorksOak Ridge, TN

Manhattan Project VeteranProject Worker/Staff

John D. Watson was an American civil engineer.

In 1942, he joined the J.A. Jones Construction Company. As Chief Engineer for J.A. Jones at Oak Ridge, he was responsible for placing the foundations of the K-25 Plant on a compacted fill, the first use of a compacted fill as an engineering material for building foundations. He also oversaw the construction of roads, bridges, railroads, the water supply, and sewage at the site.

After the end of World War II, he established his own civil engineering practice in Greensboro, North Carolina.

John D. Watson’s Timeline

1905 May 23rd Born in Greenwood, South Carolina.

1925 Received an A.B. from Furman University.

1928 Received a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of North Carolina.

1932 Received an M.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of North Carolina.

1940 Received an Sc.D. from Harvard University.

1942 Joined the J.A. Jones Construction Company.

19431945 Worked on the Manhattan Project for J.A. Jones at Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

1978 Died of a heart attack in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Related Profiles

Gavin Hadden

Washington, DC

Gavin Hadden was an American civil engineer who served as special assistant to General Leslie R. Groves during the Manhattan Project.

D. W. Latimore

X-10 Graphite Reactor

D. W. Latimore worked for Clinton Laboratories at the X-10 Reactor.

William Stringfellow

Tinian Island

William Stringfellow served in the First Ordnance Squadron.

Robert M. Glaubach

K-25 Plant

Attended Rensselaer Polytechnic University.