John Shacter was born in Austria and immigrated to the United States after Hitler came to power in Germany. After receiving a chemical engineering degree from University of Pennsylvania in 1943, he was hired by Union Carbide to work on the Manhattan Project at Columbia University. He then transferred to the K-25 Plant in Oak Ridge, where he was involved in overhauling the plant and greatly reducing the cost of uranium, advancements that helped make the modern nuclear industry possible.
John Shacter
Chemical EngineerOak Ridge, TN
Columbia UniversityK-25 Plant
EngineerEuropean RefugeeManhattan Project Veteran
Listen to John Shacter’s Oral History on Voices of the Manhattan Project
John Shacter’s Timeline
1938 Arrived in the United States from Austria.
1943 Hired to work on the Manhattan Project.
1944 Moved from Oak Ridge to Columbia to continue working on the Manhattan Project.