Civilian Life

[At top is the edited version of the interview published by S. L. Sanger in Working on the Bomb: An Oral History of WWII Hanford, Portland State University, 1995. For the full transcript that matches the audio of the interview, please scroll down.] Book Version: Bill: When I came here I was 27 or 28 years […]

[Interviewed by S. L. Sanger, from Working on the Bomb: An Oral History of WWII Hanford, Portland State University, 1995] We went down to dinner the first night at the Transient Quarters and the salad dressing was so wonderful. We pigged out on the salad, and we had diarrhea for days. They were making the salad […]

[At top is the edited version of the interview published by S. L. Sanger in Working on the Bomb: An Oral History of WWII Hanford, Portland State University, 1995. For the full transcript that matches the audio of the interview, please scroll down.] Book version: From the first time I remember, I loved those apple orchards. […]

Theresa Strottman: We are talking with Harold Agnew who has worked here [at Los Alamos] during the Manhattan Project and later was Lab Director. And we thank you very much for coming today. Our first question is if you could briefly tell us when and where you were born and something about your education and […]

Anne McKusick: That’s A-N-N-E, M-C capital K-U-S-I-C-K. Cindy Kelly: Okay Anne, can you tell us where you were born and a little bit about— McKusick: Yes, I was born in Rochester, New York. My father was a physicist and was at Eastman Kodak Company. He had many young men working for him who eventually ended […]

Alexandra Levy: We’re here on December 28, 2012 with Evelyne Litz. Please say your name and spell it. Evelyne Litz: Evelyne Litz, E-V-E-L-Y-N-E, L-I-T-Z. Levy: So where are you from originally? Litz: Chicago. Levy: And how did you become involved in the Manhattan Project? Litz: Well after we were married we had a job in […]

Anna Mae Gillespie: I was born in Oklahoma City, not Oklahoma City but Caldwell County, Oklahoma.  We left Oklahoma when I was about seven years old.  I had thirteen brothers and sisters. Theresa Strottman: That’s a very large family. Gillespie: Uh ha, and we were poor as Job’s turkey but everybody else was so we didn’t think we was […]

[Interviewed by Cynthia Kelly and Tom Zannes.] Tell us your name. Lawrence Denton: I’m Lawrence Denton, later named Larry when I came to Hanford. L-A-R-R-Y, D-E-N-T-O-N. How did you get to work on the Manhattan Project? Denton: I got to Hanford via my father. I was living in northern Idaho and working in a lumber […]

Jay Wechsler: Well, my mother was visiting her folks in New York when she decided that it was time, and I was the first child, and I guess she was a little surprised. So I was born in New York even though we didn’t live there. And as soon as we were able we were […]

[Interviewed by Cynthia Kelly and Tom Zannes.] Tell us your name. Steve Buckingham: Steve. S-T-E-V-E. Buckingham. B-U-C-K-I-N-G-H-A-M. (Question off camera) I thought I’d discuss this a little bit of why this location was chosen as the Hanford location, was chosen for the Manhattan District. DuPont was asked to design and build this facility but DuPont […]