Irwin P. Sharpe’s Interview
Irwin P. Sharpe was recruited for the Manhattan Project by his employer, General Electric, after he graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in engineering. His work took place in the Woolworth Building in Manhattan, where he played a key role in developing special vacuum pumps and seals to handle fluorine and uranium hexafluoride. He and his team encountered several challenges to create the proper equipment and maintain the standard of cleanliness and tightness. He recalls his interactions with his fellow engineers, as they raced to solve the problems presented to them by the physicists and chemists. He made trips to Oak Ridge to test the products that they developed in Manhattan. Sharpe came in contact with several key figures of the Manhattan Project, including General Groves and key physicists and engineers. In this interview, he describes the security and secrecy surrounding the project and addresses the debate over the bomb that still exists today.