August 16, 1945 The first nuclear Chain-reacting unit in history was established on an experimental scale at the University of Chicago Deoember 2, 1942, On that day the devastating atomic bomb that was to descend on Japan less than three years later becams a definite possibility. For one of the bombs planned for use against Japan was to oontain a new element not found in nature, one which could only be obtained in the quantity necessary by making use of the conditions prevailing inside a nu- culear chain-reacting unit operated at high power. This is element No. 94 called plutonium, which is two units higher in the periodic table than uranium, the heav- iest element previously known. Because of the difference in chemical properties of the two elements, the problem of separating plutonium from uranium was one of ~ developing a suitable chemical method of isolation. The initial objectives of Clinton Laboratories were to produce experimen- tal quantities of plutonium for use in research work essential to the development of this atomic bomb, to develop the technical information necessary to assure the successful operation of 8 large scale production plant built at Hanford, Washington for the purpose of supplying the new element in the quantities needed for bomb manu- facture and to train some of the key men needed to operate the production Plant. The objectives were aucomplished successfully in the one year which elapsed between the start of operations at Clinton Laboratories in September 1943 and the start-up of the Hanford plant. The successful solution of the innumerable complex scientific and tech- nioal problems involved in this venture was due to the combined efforts of the grea- test scientific-technical-engineering team ever to work together on a single objec- tive. The combination consisted of large numbers of top-flight physioists and chem- ists working at the University of Chicago and at CIinton Laboratories in close COO operation with the vast teohnical and engineering staff of the E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company. Directing the whole project from a soientific angle was Dro A. B. Compton, Nobel Prize physicist of the University of Chicage, p 3 The Clinton kboratoriee plant, located at Oak Hidge, Tennessee, was mtl- .C atructed by the du-Pont Company and operated the University of Chicago until 2 by . July 1, 1945, at which time the operations and a large fraction of the staff were taken over by the Monsanto Chemical Company, and is being continued under the @no era1 supervision of Dr. Charles Allen Thomas, Vice President of Monsanko. $)is staffconsisted Partly of men supplied by the Metallurgical Laboratory at the UniL versi* of Chicago, Partly of loaned employees from the du Pont Company and partly Of teohnically trained Army PerSoKUlel. Construction started in February 1943 and laboratory activities began seven months later. *he heart of Clinton laboratories operations is n uranium-graphite power unit SO constructed that the nuclear chain reaction based on the fission of ~235 proceeds in an OrCbrlY and eontrolled mmer with the release of large mounts of and the formation of the new element plutonium. t 0983-12 BEST COPY AVAILABLE Role of C.L. 8- 16.45 -2.. Kay men in -;he zescxoh and dev3lcpmcn t crzsnj z,tj on in?'udsri the :'cj low- ing: Dr. L. V7. Nor2hcjn, dlres%:>rof t.hz ?hysIcs Di-Jision, i-; crr loaoe c-? ~bseno~ *os. Uuke University. Headilg the Chemistry Div~.sionis Dr. Verren C. J3hrSor, professor of chf-miatry on iznve fiorn the Universi+;y 02 Chic.-goo The Techr-icsl div- ision 2s =der the directior, o? Ir. E. C. Iievarekf, chmicial enginser on le.^v= r?om the B1mble Oil and hfining Cornpny. Thk semi JTorks s,?d Ckemical Luvc.loprier-t s%ud- ies carried out in connection with thc ~?.utor_i-mIsolatl.on ppocess wero uidcA- the i direction of &jor 0. Ha Grs?,pr, 2u Font cnzmis$ on spccial ussigmer.t fromthz 1 Manhattan DLatrict c;f thc U. S, EcRinaer Corps, 3Sologlczl rescarh is in chur.ze s of Dr. €I.J. Curtis, on 1sae frcr,i Colm3:~TJniversity. I The vdrious highly spocializad research zctit-itios fhzt were necessary to solve the msny scientific ana tecmlccl problzx associ2tei with the pcduction and isolation of plutoniwn were carriod 371 with kirzlsss energy b:r a hcs'; of physicists, ch.;mist,s aad engineers both at Clinton hborat,crizs and rt the 3nivijrsizjr 02 Chicago. Key men msocisted with his wcrk a-; Clinton dr.boratcries ?.I-< as fcll-ows: 3r. C* L- Coryell, physical shemist on lc:.ve frclm the stnfr' of lT.C.L,.6.; Dr. G. 6. boyd, phys- iczl chemist. on leava fro3 the University of Chicnko; Dr. I. ?erlman, Gr. S.5- 5rigliSh and Dr. Re IT. Stoughton, linlvsrsity ef Cr-1iforni-i chemists; Dr. 3. 77. k~rson,Dr. physicists from the University of Chicap; Dr> 2, S. Johns Hopkins University; Dr. vt* K. Kame, physicist Institute of Tcchnolcgy; Cr. J. B. Sutton, Cr. M. F. i. Role of C.L. -3- 8-16-45 Dr. M. D. Peterson, all du Pont chemists; Dr. Norman Elliott, chemist on leave from Pomons College; Dr. T. H. Davies, chemist on leave fromthe Lederle Labor-tories; Dr. De Ne Hue, analytical chemist on leave from University of knsas; Dr. R. E. Zirkle and Dr. J. R. Raper, biologists from Indisna University; Dr. W. E. Cchn, biological chemist from krvard uedical School; Dr. K. Z. Morgan, physicist on leave from Lenoir Fthym College, Hickory, N, C.; Dr. L. A. Pardue, physicist on leave from University of Kentucky; Dr. H. A. Lovy, chemist from California Institute of Technology; Dr. P. C. Henshaw, biologist on leave from the National Cancer Insti- tute . .