Security & Secrecy

Stephane Groueff: [Enrico] Fermi was not considered as a foreigner? William Sturm: Oh, no. Groueff: There was no jealousy by the American top scientists? Sturm: No, no, no, no. Science at this level is absolutely international. There is an international aspect. Groueff: Did he speak good English? Sturm: No, a heavy accent. Groueff: Heavy accent but— […]

Stephane Groueff: Recording Dr. Rudolph. Dave Rudolph: As far as the organizational structure was concerned, when I reported to work, I reported to a man who had the administrative responsibilities for purchasing for the project and warehousing. You might say purchasing and supply functions – warehousing the stores, shipping to a small extent. No sooner […]

Robert Lamphere: One of the British newspapers speculated about allowing the FBI into see this guy [Klaus Fuchs], because we might actually use the third degree against him – which we thought was funny as hell. But right off the bat, he wasn’t sure he wanted to tell me anything, because of what we filed […]

Ted Taylor: I think Carson Mark is the most valuable resource to talk to about what happened in those days at Los Alamos. At Livermore, [Edward] Teller, certainly. Richard Rhodes: Teller won’t talk to me, I’m afraid. He’s decided I’m the enemy. Taylor: Herb York I think is anxious for the story to be told correctly. […]

Reed Srere: Hi, I am Reed Srere – R-e-e-d S-r-e-r-e. I am recording this oral history for the Atomic Heritage Foundation on June 3 [2015] in Washington, DC. Please state your name. David Fox: I am David Fox. I live in Providence, Rhode Island. My father was a physicist on the Manhattan Project in Manhattan. […]

Robert S. Norris: The first thing we should do is to identify yourself. Andrew Hanson: My name is Andrew J. Hanson, and I’m the son of Alfred O. Hanson, who was at Los Alamos just having finished his PhD, and coming down from Ray Herb’s nuclear physics research group at Wisconsin. He was working for […]

Mary Rockwell: My name is Mary Rockwell. Spell it? M-a-r-y R-o-c-k-w-e-l-l. Cindy Kelly: Very good. What was your maiden name? Rockwell: Compton. Kelly: And how is that spelled? Rockwell: C-o-m-p-t-o-n. Kelly: Okay. Is there a funny story attached with that? Rockwell: Yes. My sister, her husband having been head of the Y-12 Beta process, was […]

[Thanks to Ronald K. Smeltzer for donating the record “To Fermi with Love” to the Atomic Heritage Foundation.] Narrator: It was a major emotional decision for Mrs. Fermi, causing her great pain. She had been born in Rome, always lived there. Her relatives and friends were there. She felt she belonged to Rome, but in May […]

Richard Rhodes: Would you say your name and then spell it to start with? Jane Yantis: It’s Jane Yantis, J-A-N-E, Y-A-N-T-I-S. Rhodes: Good, thank you. Where were you born and when, if you want to tell me? Yantis: I was born in Center, Texas. Rhodes: When? Yantis: In 1920. Rhodes: Good. Yantis: March the 23rd, 1920. […]

Norman Brown: My name is Norman L. Brown. Brown is spelled as Brown is usually spelled, without an E. Cindy Kelly: Great, okay. Why don’t you start by telling us how you became part of the Manhattan Project? Brown: I was a sophomore at MIT. I was talked into enlisting in what was called then […]