december february nuclear physicist director worked world war supervised construction chicago world nuclear went critical december university_of_chicago designed built new including experimental nuclear produce electric power went live december early life born berlin ontario december son worked tire factory older brother albert factory worker entered queen university earned bachelor_of_arts degree mathematics master arts degree entered columbia_university studied physics writing doctor philosophy thesis crystal study structure width absorption limits subsequently published support taught columbia instructor queen met fellow student married sons united_states citizen manhattan_project columbia worked center intensive research properties nuclear recently discovered columbia investigated slow believed contended pure available chose work natural particularly interested nuclear chain reaction initiated require emitted average order chain reaction going march established emitted average delay absorbing occurring key controlling chain reaction point began working constructing experimental slow requires water choice tended absorb slow july suggested carbon form critical radius spherical calculated formula order self sustaining nuclear chain reaction occur needed practical configuration needed percent august initial experiments indicated disappointing value pinned hopes better result improved configuration early united_states embroiled world war concentrated manhattan_project teams working university_of_chicago athletes build increasingly large experimental configurations stands disused field july measured raised hopes pure yield suitable value december anderson new configuration ready field feet long feet wide feet high contained long tons long tons metal experiment carried afternoon december known chicago reached incident radiation shield run maximum power power light ran months shut february army want risk accident near densely populated downtown chicago army leased acres known site manhattan_project country club scientists guards worked placed charge site chicago rebuilt time radiation shield known chicago operational march months began designing new known chicago different type smaller feet diameter feet high power metal rods gallons imp gal heavy water charge construction commenced new year day chicago went critical commenced operation june power departed sole authority september received urgent director shut shortly reaching power come life hours later suspected poison responsible half life hours half life close detected tennessee quickly brought chicago power hours series measurements confirmed results following months technical personnel transferred reduced skeleton staff closure july laboratory officially director characterized model director emerging national laboratories sensitive aspirations contractor fund provider confident prevail necessary problems confronting accommodation federal government promised restore site war despite intervention secretary war agree continue occupy portion lease new site found rejected alternate sites outside chicago area army found new site laboratory permanent home miles away illinois known site adopted slightly progressive hiring practices contemporary institutions african american women seven men worked manhattan_project employed research time african american scientists appointed women positions authority section leader theoretical physics division director technical information division replaced manhattan_project january january announced focused chiefly problems development seek additional responsibility realised divert laboratory away research divert responsibilities designing fast obtained written assurance general manager willing collaborate allow remain involved design nonetheless research accounted half laboratory budget percent research classified captain navy director naval nonetheless assisted development nuclear marine propulsion eventually producing land based prototype mark propulsion submarine thermal water designed powered nuclear powered submarine uss basis nearly installed warships branch development closer heart fast time believed scarce resource wise best use breeders designed create material consumed convinced build large experimental near chicago acquired land idaho outpost experimental known pile cooled liquid metal produce electricity proved concept chairman described major milestone nuclear history series destructive tests boiling water conducted idaho test conducted supervision control rods removed demonstrate shut trouble immediately blew loud bang tall column dark smoke turn events anticipated shouted control rods pointed flying air later testify experiment later life leaving moved florida founded consulting firm headquarters florida company involved design construction water acquired vice president head nuclear division stepped position remained board member served member president member successor years received multiple awards work including special peace award elected president wife jean died married acquired warren died florida february suffering stroke survived wife mary sons john robert warren robert professor astronomy yale_university annually presented recognize individual notable sustained contribution nuclear power industry widely recognized
Walter Zinn