University Involvement in the Manhattan Project

Cindy Kelly: I’m Cindy Kelly, Atomic Heritage Foundation, and I’m in Ithaca, New York. It is Wednesday, June 11, 2014. And I have with me Rose Bethe. And I’m going to start by asking Rose to tell us her name and spell it. Rose Bethe: My name is Rose Bethe. It’s spelled B as in […]

[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 misspellings and other errors.] General Leslie Groves: It was the fact that I had been […]

Stephane Groueff: I want to start from the beginning. My book, I intend to start with the year 1942 because otherwise, there is no limit. A few months before the Manhattan District and decision to go— J. Robert Oppenheimer: The decision was actually made on December 6, to take the thing seriously. Groueff: ’41? Oppenheimer: […]

Stephane Groueff: Dr. Anderson? Herbert Anderson: Yes. Groueff: Now we can talk? Anderson: I guess so. Groueff: Terrific. You see, I have the details of the night of December 1st, and the day of December 2nd, as given by Dr. [Arthur] Compton and Mrs. [Laura] Fermi, etc. I talked to some of their colleagues there. I would like, if possible, […]

Charney: Where shall I start? Groueff: Tell me how you got involved in the whole project and your first meeting with all those people and where you came from. Start from the beginning.  Charney: I had actually just graduated from college and I was prepared to go into the Army or to look for a […]

Stephane Groueff:  Interview with Dr. James Conant. Dr. James Conant, New York, October 11, 1965.  Dr. James Conant:  I don’t remember anything about it, frankly. And I’m amazed at what people are writing about it [referring to “The New World, 1939-1946: A History of the United States Atomic Energy Commission,” Vol. I, by Richard G. […]

Cindy Kelly: I’m Cindy Kelly from the Atomic Heritage Foundation. It is Friday, April 11, 2014, and I have with me William Lanouette who is going to be talking about Leo Szilard. Why don’t you start by actually saying your full name and spelling it?  Bill Lanouette: I’m William Lanouette, L-A-N-O-U-E-T-T-E.  Kelly: Tell us about […]

  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. […]

Cindy Kelly: Okay I am Cindy Kelly, Atomic Heritage Foundation and we are in Mesa, Arizona on June 26, 2013 and with me is Robert or Bob Cantrell. And the first question I have for him is to tell me his name and spell it. Bob Cantrell: My name as I remember it is Robert […]

Cindy Kelly: I am Cindy Kelly, Atomic Heritage Foundation, and today’s date is June 6, 2013. And we’re in Cambridge, Massachusetts with Priscilla McMillan. And I have a very easy question to begin with, which is, could you say your name, and spell it? Priscilla McMillan: My name is Priscilla, P-R-I-S-C-I-L-L-A McMillan, M-C-M-I-L-L-A-N. Kelly: I […]