Oral Histories - Nuclear Museum

Michele Gerber’s Interview

In this interview, historian Michele Gerber discusses the significance of the Manhattan Project in the twenty-first century, focusing on the Hanford site and its legacy. Gerber talks about why Hanford and DuPont were selected for the Manhattan Project, as well as setbacks from material shortages. She discusses the atmosphere of safety, how most Hanford workers had no idea what they were working on, and the environmental legacy of the Manhattan Project and the Cold War. She also explains the role of women at Hanford, the demographics, and why the area around Hanford suffered from termination winds.

Ralph Gates’s Interview

In this interview, Ralph Gates discusses how he volunteered to join the Army on his 18th birthday, how was he was recruited into the SED, and how he came to Los Alamos. Gates discusses studying electrical engineering in New York, so that he would be prepared for work at Los Alamos. He talks about his work casting shape charges and the social life at Los Alamos. Gates largely enjoyed his time at Los Alamos, but often regretted that he could not take a more direct part in the war. He also delves into his feelings about the Second World War and the decision to drop the bomb.

General Kenneth Nichols’s Interview – Part 1

General Kenneth David Nichols was a US Army Engineer who served as Manhattan District Engineer in the Manhattan Project, overseeing the uranium and plutonium production at Oak Ridge and Hanford. He worked underneath and alongside General Groves, and collaborated with a number of well-known scientists. He discusses what it was like to work with scientists like Eugene Wigner, Leo Szilard, Arthur Compton, and others, and explains some of the project’s conflicts among scientists. He discusses the complex administration of the Manhattan Project, and why he get along better with scientists than General Leslie Groves did. Nichols was also in charge of ore procurement.

Click here for part 2