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Secret City Pocket Guide unveiled in anticipation of the 75th anniversary of Oak Ridge, DOE

Posted at 3:13 am December 21, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

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The Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association has unveiled a new guide to the historic sites of the “Secret City” of Oak Ridge. The Manhattan Project, Secret City Pocket Guide was prepared by the Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association in cooperation with the National Park Service and the Oak Ridge Schools.

The 44-page guide measures only 4 inches by 7 inches in size, so it easily fits in your pocket, a press release said. It tells the story of the Manhattan Project’s first major nuclear site, Oak Ridge—created less than a year after the Pearl Harbor attack. The guide is priced at $5.

The new guide is packed with historic photos, an introduction to the new national historical park, a driving map of Oak Ridge’s heritage sites, and fascinating factoids on the people who built one of the most amazing technical achievements in history, the press release said.

The guide’s author, Martin McBride, is a member of the Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association Board and a retired nuclear safety division director from the U.S. Department of Energy. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Community, Federal, Front Page News, Government, Nonprofits, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: Army Corps of Engineers, atomic bomb, DOE, Franklin Roosevelt, Leslie R. Groves, Manhattan Engineer District, Manhattan Project, Martin McBride, National Park Service, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association, Oak Ridge Schools, Pearl Harbor Attack, Secret City, Secret City Pocket Guide, U.S. Department of Energy, World War II

Coors, the beer brewer, honored for Manhattan Project work on Y-12 ceramic insulators

Posted at 11:26 am December 14, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

bill-coors-manhattan-project-recognition

From left to right standing are Colin Colverson, Oak Ridge Site Representative and Office of General Counsel; Padraic Benson, historian, Office of Legacy Management; Tracy Atkins, Principal Representative Manhattan Project National Historical Park, Office of Legacy Management; and Thomas Pauling, Acting Director, Office of Legacy Management. Seated in front is Bill Coors. (Photo courtesy DOE Office of Legacy Management)

 

William Kistler “Bill” Coors is best known for the beer brewed in the Rocky Mountains, but he was honored by federal officials this month for his historic work building ceramic insulators that were used in Oak Ridge to help build the world’s first atomic bombs.

On December 2, Coors received the Energy Secretary’s Appreciation Award in Golden, Colorado, which is west of Denver and at the base of the Rocky Mountains.

The award was presented by U.S. Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management Acting Director Thomas Pauling. It recognizes Coors’ historic role in providing critical insulators to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Manhattan Engineer District, also known as the Manhattan Project, during World War II, a press release said. The Manhattan Project was a top-secret federal program to build the world’s first atomic weapons during the war—before Germany could.

The ceramic insulators were used in uranium enrichment operations at the Y-12 Plant in Oak Ridge, which was built as part of the Manhattan Project. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Federal, Government, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy, Y-12 National Security Complex Tagged With: atomic bombs, atomic weapons, Berkeley Lawrence Radiation Laboratory, calutrons, ceramic insulators, Coors Porcelain Company, Energy Secretary's Appreciation Award, Fat Man, Hiroshima, Japan, Leslie Groves, Little Boy, Los Alamos, Manhattan Engineer District, Manhattan Project, Nagasaki, Richard Condit, Thomas Pauling, U.S. Armed Forces, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management, uranium enrichment, uranium-235, William Kistler "Bill" Coors, World War II, Y-12 Plant

See student art at Oak Ridge library this month

Posted at 5:58 pm September 15, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

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The art display at Oak Ridge Public Library for September 2016 is a collection of illustrations created by art students of Jim Dodson from Jefferson Middle School. (Submitted photo)

 

The art display at Oak Ridge Public Library for September is a collection of illustrations created by art students of Jim Dodson from Jefferson Middle School.

These 19 tempera paintings were inspired by Ed Westcott’s photographs of early Oak Ridge. Some of the paintings were submitted as entries for the 2015 Congressional Medal of Honor Student Art Exhibit held at the Tennessee Valley Fair.

Painted in black, white, and gray tones, the images reflect the black and white photographs of Westcott, the famed Manhattan Engineer District’s photographer. Although the pictures depict the somber time period of World War II, youthful energy and movement can be seen in the artwork. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Arts, Education, Entertainment, Government, K-12, Oak Ridge Tagged With: Congressional Medal of Honor Student Art Exhibit, Ed Westcott, Jefferson Middle School, Jim Dodson, Manhattan Engineer District, Oak Ridge Public Library, student art, Tennessee Valley Fair, World War II

Ed Westcott: Chief photographer in Oak Ridge during WWII, Muddy Boot winner today

Posted at 1:47 pm December 31, 2013
By John Huotari 3 Comments

Ray Smith Presents Muddy Boot Award to Ed Westcott

Ray Smith, left, Y-12 National Security Complex historian, presents a Muddy Boot Award to Ed Westcott, chief photographer in the “Secret City” during the Manhattan Project in World War II. (Photo by East Tennessee Economic Council)

He was one of the first workers hired in Oak Ridge as part of the top-secret race to build the world’s first atomic bombs during World War II.

At only 20 years old, he became the chief photographer for what was then the Manhattan Engineer District, Clinton Engineer Works. He was the only person authorized to take pictures in the “Secret City” during the Manhattan Project, and he captured some classic moments, including the jubilation of Oak Ridge residents the day they learned World War II had ended.

Now 91, Ed Westcott was honored for his historic photography in a surprise ceremony this month. He was given the Muddy Boot Award by the East Tennessee Economic Council. The awards, which have been given out since 1973, pay tribute to people who have made East Tennessee a stronger region through their work and community activities.

“Ed’s photographs are so broadly used that they literally express our history and visually tell the unique story of Oak Ridge and its impact on East Tennessee, the Southeast, the nation, and even the world,” said Ray Smith, Y-12 National Security Complex historian. “So, he definitely qualifies for Muddy Boot consideration. Without Ed’s thousands of wonderful images, we would not be nearly as able to present our history.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: AEC, atomic bombs, Atomic Energy Commission, Calutron Girls, Clinton Engineer Works, Denise Kiernan, DOE, East Tennessee Economic Council, Ed Westcott, Energy Research and Development Administration, Hiroshima, K-25, Manhattan Engineer District, Manhattan Project, Muddy Boot, Muddy Boot Award, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge Journal, photography, photos, Ray Smith, Secret City, U.S. Department of Energy, War Ends, Westcott Center, World War II, X-10, Y-12, Y-12 National Security Complex

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Classifieds

Public Notice: Comment period extended for Draft EA for Lithium Processing Facility at Y-12

EXTENSION OF THE COMMENT PERIOD FOR THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE LITHIUM PROCESSING … [Read More...]

Public Notice: Draft Environmental Assessment Available for Lithium Production Facility at Y-12

AVAILABILITY OF THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE LITHIUM PROCESSING FACILITY AT THE Y-12 … [Read More...]

Availability of the Final Environmental Assessment for the Oak Ridge Enhanced Technology and Training Center (ORETTC) (DOE/EA-2144), Finding of No Significant Impact, and Wetland Statement of Findings

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announces the … [Read More...]

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