Working Conditions

Intro to Recording: Narrator: Today is the 15th of May, 2012. This recording is of Victor Kumin, and it is being made at his home in Warner, New Hampshire. Early Years at Harvard and Woods Hole: Victor Kumin: My career at Los Alamos really did begin with my career at Harvard, as a major in […]

Victor Kumin was a young scientist when he was drafted to the U.S. Army in 1944. In September of that year, he was transferred to Los Alamos. Here he was part of the Special Engineer Detachment (SED). 

Peter Malmgren: Okay. My name is Peter Malmgren. It’s spelled M-a-l-m-g-r-e-n. My Spanish neighbors find it impossible to pronounce, but that in fact is my Norwegian family name. Nate Weisenberg: Where did you grow up? Malmgren: Newark, New Jersey. Weisenberg: When you were growing up, did you have a particular interest in oral history? Malmgren: […]

Cindy Kelly: I am Cindy Kelly, Atomic Heritage Foundation. It is December 7, 2017, in Las Cruces, New Mexico. I am with Jim Eckles. I would like to start by asking him to say his full name and spelling it. Jim Eckles: Jim Eckles, E-C-K-L-E-S. Kelly: Terrific. Jim, why don’t you just tell us a little […]

Cindy Kelly: Tell us about your work and what you’ve learned about the African Americans who worked here in Oak Ridge during the Manhattan Project. Valeria Steele Roberson: I became interested in this project when I was a little girl. My grandmother used to tell us stories about the ‘40s, how they came here and […]

Cindy Kelly: I’m Cindy Kelly, Atomic Heritage Foundation, and it is October 12, 2017. I’m in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and I have with me John Ruminer. I’d like him to say his name and spell it. John Ruminer: You got it just right. It’s John Ruminer – R-U-M-I-N-E-R. Kelly: Terrific. John, why don’t you […]

Cindy Kelly: I’m Cindy Kelly. It’s October 12th, 2017. I’m in Santa Fe, New Mexico. With me is Jennet Conant. My first question for Jennet is to tell me your name and spell it. Jennet Conant: My name is Jennet Conant, J-E-N-N-E-T C-O-N-A-N-T. Kelly: Perfect. Now, we’re here in what used to be Dorothy McKibbin’s […]

Willie Atencio: The first thing we need to know is, where were you born? Dick Money: In Chicago. Atencio: Okay, you were born in Chicago. What part of Chicago? Money: South Side. Atencio: South Side. Tell us a little bit about your parents. Money: My father was a civil engineer. He had a company that […]

Lauren Attanas: My name is Lauren Attanas, that’s A-T-T-A-N-A-S. I am the granddaughter of John Attanas, who we are interviewing for the Atomic Heritage Foundation today. Can you say your name and spell it for the camera? John Attanas: John George Attanas. Lauren: Tell us the story of your origins. Where did your family come […]

[Thanks to David Schiferl and Willie Atencio for recording this interview and providing a copy to the Atomic Heritage Foundation.] Willie Atencio: Mr. John Wickersham, we’re trying to interview you and get information from you, because you were at Los Alamos. You were there while the bomb was being developed.  John Wickersham: Oh, yeah. But […]