Innovations

[We would like to thank Robert S. Norris, author of the definitive biography of General Leslie R. Groves, Racing for the Bomb: General Leslie R. Groves, the Manhattan Project’s Indispensable Man, for taking the time to read over these transcripts for mispellings and other errors.] James R. Chapman: When I first heard about the project that […]

[Many thanks to Bill Curtis for recording and donating this interview to the Atomic Heritage Foundation.] Gustave Alfred Essig: My name is Gustave Alfred Essig. Everybody calls me Gus. I started working on this particular project in May of 1946 after being discharged from the Army as a Captain during the World War II. I […]

William Lowe:  I was born in Bartlesville, Oklahoma in the year 1920. Within a few years, my parents had moved to Westfield, New Jersey, where I grew up. But upon reaching 18, I went to college at Purdue University. It was 700 miles from home. By train, it took a day.  I would say that […]

[Interviewed by Cynthia Kelly and Tom Zannes.] K.W. Greager: Name is K.W. Greager, I go by Wally. Greager is spelled G-R-E-A-G-E-R, slightly different than the earlier Greager. Tell us about when you started with Hanford. Greager: I started working at Hanford after college in late 1951 on a rotational training program. I spent four years […]

[Interviewed by Cynthia Kelly and Tom Zannes.] Hank Kosmata: My name is Hank Kosmata, K-O-S-M-A-T-A. I was a chemical engineer student at the University of Utah. In our senior year, at that time the American Society of Chemical Engineers had what they called a “senior problem” that they gave to all the chemical engineering students […]

Cindy Kelly: My name is Cindy Kelly, it is Wednesday, July 31st, 2013, and I’m here with Haskell Sheinberg. And the first question to him is, please tell us your name and spell it. Haskell Sheinberg: My name is Haskell Sheinberg. And the first name is H-A-S-K-E-L-L, last name S-H-E-I-N-B-E-R-G. Kelly: Perfect.  Sheinberg: I haven’t […]

Cindy Kelly: It is January 14, 2014, and we are in St. Louis, Missouri. And I want to ask the first question of you, which is to tell us your name and spell it.  Dunell Cohn: My complete name is Dunell Edlin Cohn, D-U-N-E-L-L. Edlin is E-D-L-I-N. And the last name is Cohn, C-O-H-N. Kelly: […]

Cindy Kelly: Okay, let us get started. Cindy Kelly with Atomic Heritage Foundation, September 6, 2013. I am here with Smith. The first question is please say your name and spell it.  Ray Smith: My name is Smith. That is R-A-Y S-M-I-T-H. I am the historian at the Y-12 National Security Complex. Kelly: That is […]

Cindy Kelly: I am Cindy Kelly, Atomic Heritage Foundation. I am here today with a special Manhattan Project veteran. My first question is for you to say your name and spell it.  Fred Vaslow: Fred, F – R – E – D, Vaslow, V – A – S – L – O – W. Kelly: The […]

  Cindy Kelly: Okay, my name is Cindy Kelly and I am in south Denver, Colorado. It’s June 25th, 2013. And I’m with Fay Cunningham. But the first thing I’m going to do is ask him to tell us his name and spell it. Cunningham: Fay Cunningham, F-A-Y, C-U-N-N-I-N-G-H-A-M; it’s a good old Scottish name. […]