Manhattan Project (U.S.)
Dates
- Existence: 1942 - 1946
Historical Information
United States government research project that produced the first atomic bombs. American scientists, many of them refugees from fascist regimes in Europe, took steps in 1939 to organize a project to exploit the newly recognized fission process for military purposes. The first contact with the government was made by G.B. Pegram of Columbia University, who arranged a conference between Enrico Fermi and the Navy Department in March 1939. In the summer of 1939, Albert Einstein was persuaded by his fellow scientists to use his influence and present the military potential of an uncontrolled fission chain reaction to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. On December 6, 1941, the project was put under the direction of the Office of Scientific Research and Development. In June 1942 the Corps of Engineers' Manhattan District was assigned management of the construction work. "Manhattan Project" became the code name for research work that would extend across the country.
Citation:
Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Accessed January 15, 2014.Found in 1 Collection or Record:
Herschel Hunt papers
The Herschel Hunt papers consist of publications Hunt wrote while a Purdue Chemistry professor, including the book, Physical Chemistry, in which Hunt made notations. Also included is a certificate Professor Hunt received from Sigma Delta Chi for "best teacher award" in 1942. There is an "A Bomb" pin, and a certificate from the United States Office of Scientific Research and Development, for Hunt's scientific research contributions during World War II.