William “Bill” J. Knox was a research associate at the University of Chicago’s Metallurgical Laboratory (“Met Lab”) during the Manhattan Project.
At the Met Lab, he performed extraction research. One of his specific jobs was to perform and study oxidation-reduction cycles on the Wet Fluoride Process. This process was used to determine factors for decontamination from fission products.
On August 14, 1943, Knox was transferred to Clinton Laboratories in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. In discussing the organization of the chemistry section at Clinton Labs, Glenn T. Seaborg proposed that Knox should work in the Bismuth Phosphate and Wet Fluoride Group under English. This group would “work on process development and perform troubleshooting for the extraction plant and semiworks plant” (Seaborg, Vol. 2, p. 164).
For more information about Bill Knox and other Met Lab personnel, please see the following reference: