At the Archives
I had a few outstanding questions. Had I selected the correct files to review? Would I really be able to find my grandfather by reviewing just over one-quarter of the available materials? I was looking for a needle in a haystack, but as they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
I arrived at the National Archives Atlanta early Monday afternoon, signed all the appropriate paperwork, and began my review. By closing time at 4 pm, I had reviewed a total of three boxes, a bit below my daily goal even for a half-day.
The good news is that in the second box, I found my grandfather’s name on a Stone and Webster list of all their employees working on the Manhattan Project, also known as Project X, for the week ending July 3, 1943. He is the resident inspector at Chapman Valve Company in Indian Orchard, Massachusetts. I had successfully found my grandfather in the records, and I was looking in the right place.
Back at the hotel, I reviewed the finding aid for any files related to Chapman Valve Company and emailed a request to pull an additional five boxes. On Tuesday morning, I learned that due to vacation schedules, the additional boxes would be pulled on Thursday morning. My box review total for Tuesday was 8, and for Wednesday it was 12. While Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s searches did not yield anything specific about my grandfather, I learned that the initial order of Chapman Valve Co. vacuum valves was scheduled for delivery in September 1943. This information appears to coincide with my grandfather’s move to a desk job and the turning in of his “C” gas card, as noted in the letters.
Chapman Valve Company
On Thursday, I reviewed 12 boxes, and while I found nothing directly related to Mac, I did learn that Chapman Valve Co. contracts were classified as top secret in the contract rating documents. On Thursday evening, I reviewed and identified the order in which I wanted to review the remaining 16 or so boxes I had waiting for me on Friday. I was beginning to think that my fantastic find on Monday might not be repeated, but it would be nice to find something else.
Friday was a beautiful, clear day, and there were five of us in the research room. I decided to work straight through until about 3:15 pm, when I would leave to catch a flight home. After reviewing a few boxes without success, I re-reviewed my plan of action and decided to look at one of the 1943 visitor’s pass files for the Boston office. At the back of the 1943 folder, I found my grandfather visiting Metal Hydrides in Beverly, Massachusetts, daily for 3 weeks in late March and early April of 1943. Visitor permits were issued daily and summarized in a weekly report.
Metal Hydrides
Metal Hydrides, Inc., “… was a part of the Manhattan Project until about 1947. During this time, MHI worked with natural uranium-238 to produce metal powder. This powder was then molded into ingots and sent to other nuclear facilities in Chicago, Hanford, and Oakridge (now known as Oak Ridge). These facilities used the ingots for fuel experimentation.“ (https://primaryresearch.org/a-study-of-the-metal-hydrides-companys-involvement-in-the-development-of-the-atom-bomb/)
Access Permission
Once I found my grandfather visiting Metal Hydrides, I decided to quickly scan the remainder of that folder. I came across a teletype dated August 24, 1944, granting my grandfather access to the Eastman Supervisor in Boston, backdated to July 1, 1943. The order was signed by Colonel K. D. Nichols, the District Engineer “. . . of the Manhattan Engineer District at Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and led both the uranium production facility at the Clinton Engineer Works at Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and the plutonium production facility at Hanford Engineer Works in Washington state.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Nichols)
A. E. Macdonald's Writing Life 
4 responses to “Researching Family Secrets: The Manhattan Project Connection”
This has been amazing to read. My grandfather was an engineer at Chapman Valve and one of the employees tasked with top secret MP work. My understanding is he worked on valve designs and production. But he was also gone for a very long trip. My mom recalls her dad arriving at their home in a vehicle stripped of the exterior front body (open air driving) and a large lead box welded to the back trunk area. With the uranium work that Chapman Valve also completed along with valve work (rod production is my understanding from the USGov health settlements) a large lead box makes sense. He was home just to say good-bye with an awareness of the possibility he may not return. He was gone for quite a long time as my mom would recall. As I dig through family files, I hope to find out more information. I do have my grandfather’s Manhattan Project certificate, but I do not think we still have his atomic pin. I recall him using it as a fishing weight which is a story for another day.
Thank you for reading and for your comments. That is an amazing story to tell about the lead box and not seeing your grandfather being away with the possibility of never returning. I like how he used the A-Pin as a fishing weight too. These men did a lot and, in the end, the pin wasn’t something you could wear around the house but had many other uses.
William Bill Shackleford, received a certificate from the United States of America. Of when he helped design the Trigger mechanism of the atomic bomb. I was told that me and my siblings could received Royalties from our grandfather how do i get a copy of that certificate
Hi Cathy,
Thanks for reaching out. My research was conducted by searching through records at the National Archives. I’m not sure how you would access that certificate today. Have you reached out to the Department of Energy?
Best,
Anne