Atomic Heritage Foundation

Cindy Kelly: Give me your name and spell it. Graydon Whitman: My name is Graydon Whitman, G-R-A-Y-D-O-N W-H-I-T-M-A-N. Kelly: Great. Okay, can you tell us a little bit about your background: where you’re from and how you happened to become part of the Manhattan Project? Whitman: I was born in Ohio and had basic training in […]

Lucille Whitman: I am Lucille Whitman, L-U-C-I-L-L-E W-H-I-T-M-A-N. Kelly: Great. And how did you happen to—where are you from and how did you happen to get— Whitman: Well, I’m a native Tennessean. I came from near Morristown and I came here right after school and I worked as a secretary in—for Tennessee Eastman. And I […]

Michel: My name was Mary Lowe, L-O-W-E, and I married John Michel, M-I-C-H-E-L. Kelly: Great. Is it possible that you can look toward me? So tell me, how and when did you come to Oak Ridge? Michel: I came in November of 1944. Kelly: And what had—where had you come from? What brought you here? […]

Robert Ellingson: My name is Robert Ellingson, and it’s spelled E-L-L-I-N-G-S-O-N.  Kelly: Great. Now if you could just tell us where you’re from, and how you happened to end up in the Manhattan Project. Ellingson: I am from a little town in Idaho, and Idaho is west of Wyoming if you’re not familiar with the […]

Evelyn Ellingson: My name is Evelyn Ellingson, E-L-L-I-N-G-S-O-N.   Cynthia Kelly: And can you tell me where you’re from and how you happened to arrive in Oak Ridge during the Manhattan Project? Ellingson: Well, I’m originally from Alabama and, in 1943, I was working in Atlanta, Georgia and a friend of mine from the University […]

Stirling Auchincloss Colgate: I’m Stirling Auchincloss Colgate.  And the first name is spelled with an extra “I,” S-T-I-R-L-I-N-G. My middle name is Auchincloss, A-U-C-H-I-N-C-L-O-S-S. And that last name is Colgate, and when I was around ten or eleven years old or somewheres like that, I changed my name and chose that myself, so I’m happy […]

Cindy Kelly: We’re going to start with your name: could you tell us your name and spell it? Black: My name is Colleen Black, C-O-L-L-E-E-N B-L-A-C-K.  Kelly: Terrific. Good job. Black: [Laughter.] Thank you. Kelly: All right, what we need to do is find out about where you’re from and how you happened to get […]

Cynthia Kelly: So Don, why don’t you tell us your name and spell it? Donald Ames: My name is Donald Ames, D-O-N-A-L-D A-M-E-S. Kelly: Okay, and you should look at me instead of the camera. That’s better. Why don’t you tell us about where you were before the war and how you came to work […]