Chicago Pile-1

Cindy Kelly: Okay. I’m Cindy Kelly, Atomic Heritage Foundation, and I’m in Orland Park, Illinois. It is Tuesday, March 13, 2018, and I have with me Theodore Petry. My first question for him is to say his full name and to spell it. Ted Petry: Theodore Frank Petry, Jr. The name Theodore is T-h-e-o-d-o-r-e, and […]

Cindy Kelly:  I’m Cindy Kelly, Atomic Heritage Foundation, and it’s Tuesday, March 13, 2018. I’m in Orland Park, Illinois, and I have with me William Nicholson. I’d first like to ask him to say his full name and spell it. William Nicholson: Oh, my name is William J., Joseph Nicholson. W-i-l-l-i-a-m, J, Joseph, J-o-s-e-p-h, Nicholson, […]

Cindy Kelly: I’m Cindy Kelly, November 17, 2016, Chicago, Illinois. I have with me Henry Frisch. My first question for him is to say your name and spell it, please. Henry Frisch: Okay. It’s Henry Frisch, F-r-i-s-c-h. Kelly:  Why don’t you tell us who you are? Frisch: I’m a professor of physics here at the […]

[Many thanks to Thomas Scanlan for recording and donating this interview to the Atomic Heritage Foundation.] Thomas Scanlan: —Is part of an interview, which I held with Professor Marvin Wilkening at his home on Socorro, New Mexico on July 15, 1995.  Now, I was reading that you had worked at four different places associated with the […]

Dan Robinson: I’m Dan Robinson recording this oral history for the Atomic Heritage Foundation on April 1st, 2016, here in Levittown, Pennsylvania. Roslyn: My name is Roslyn Robinson. At times I use the initial “D,” because at one time there was another Roslyn Robinson and the mail was being mixed up. So, I’m either Roslyn […]

Stephane Groueff: [Enrico] Fermi was not considered as a foreigner? William Sturm: Oh, no. Groueff: There was no jealousy by the American top scientists? Sturm: No, no, no, no. Science at this level is absolutely international. There is an international aspect. Groueff: Did he speak good English? Sturm: No, a heavy accent. Groueff: Heavy accent but— […]

Stephane Groueff: Recording Dr. Rudolph. Dave Rudolph: As far as the organizational structure was concerned, when I reported to work, I reported to a man who had the administrative responsibilities for purchasing for the project and warehousing. You might say purchasing and supply functions – warehousing the stores, shipping to a small extent. No sooner […]

[Thanks to Ronald K. Smeltzer for donating the record “To Fermi with Love” to the Atomic Heritage Foundation.] Narrator: Finally, the decision was made: build the pile in the west stands. The facilities under Stagg Field included the usual locker room, showers, and four handball or racquets courts. The heavy graphite material began to roll in […]

[Thanks to Ronald K. Smeltzer for donating the record “To Fermi with Love” to the Atomic Heritage Foundation.] Narrator: It was a major emotional decision for Mrs. Fermi, causing her great pain. She had been born in Rome, always lived there. Her relatives and friends were there. She felt she belonged to Rome, but in May […]

Stephane Groueff: You remember this visit now? Norman Hilberry: Oh, boy. Groueff: Could you tell me about that part? Hilberry: This was one of the reasons why the pile got built under the West Stands. The Manhattan District had been building a building out in the Argonne Forrest out in the Park District to build […]