Nuclear Museum Logo
Nuclear Museum Logo

National Museum of Nuclear Science & History

Mary Brennan lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She and her husband, Curtiss, moved next door to Dorothy McKibbin, the “Gatekeeper to Los Alamos.”

Brennan has fond memories of Dorothy, who ran the Santa Fe office at 109 East Palace for the Los Alamos National Laboratory. McKibbin hosted many project workers at her house for various social events, including thirty weddings.

The Brennans are the current owners of McKibbin’s house and still reside next door. 

Related Profiles

Ronald Mickens

Ronald Mickens is a physicist who currently teaches at Clark Atlanta University. He is a prominent voice in the African American scientific community, and has written several works documenting the feats of previous black physicists, including The African American Presence in Physics, and Edward Bouchet: The First African-American Doctorate.

Julian N. Bernacchi

Julian N. Bernacchi had three main assignments in the Manhattan Project. The most significant was as the Security Officer of Dr.

William H. Zachariasen

Chicago, IL

William “Willie” H. Zachariasen was a physicist and consultant at the University of Chicago’s Metallurgical Lab (“Met Lab”) during the Manhattan Project.

Ray Smith

Trinity Site

Ray Smith is the historian at the Y-12 National Security Complex. His specific focus is the history of Oak Ridge, and he is intimately acquainted with the uranium enrichment processes undertaken at the Y-12, K-25, and S-50 plants during the Manhattan Project, and how the Fat Man and Little Boy bombs worked.