Description:

Atomic Bomb



Manhattan Project's Kellex Corporation Archive from Last Days of WWII on Hiroshima, V-J Day, and the "most miraculous scientific development of this age"



Spectacular archive relating to the Kellex Corporation, a firm which developed nuclear weapons as part of the Manhattan Project. The archive is comprised of 7 documents ranging from August 5, 1945 to January 9, 1946.  The letters are either typed documents or photocopies of original documents, and two are signed. Overall the collection is in very good condition. Condition issues include paper folds, light toning, a few closed tears and chipped edges, and some paper clip ghost impressions. Each document measures approximately 8.5" x 11."


The documents give us a glimpse into the waning days of World War II. They explicitly mention the Manhattan Project, Hiroshima, and V-J Day. Two themes are consistent throughout: the on-going importance of discretion and secrecy, even after the Japanese surrender; and the overwhelming sense of pride and accomplishment felt by project participants. Kellex Corporation's nuclear bomb technology was viewed as nothing short of miraculous. Nuclear technology was perceived as a bloodless weapon that saved thousands of American lives.



The Manhattan Project was financed by the United States, with partners United Kingdom and Canada, between 1942-1946 for the study of uranium and plutonium as components of nuclear weapons. Kellex Corporation was established in 1942 as the private arm of M.W. Kellogg Company, a New York-based technology and engineering concern. Kellex Corporation developed the process of isolating enriched uranium through gaseous diffusion, and after perfecting this, they then oversaw the construction and management of 4 bombmaking facilities throughout the country. 



The employee whose name appears throughout these letters was John J. Ciuzio, who was employed by Kellex between July 9, 1943 to December 31, 1945, probably at either its New York City or Jersey City locations. A Bridgewater, New Jersey newspaper recorded that Ciuzio had received his license as a professional engineer in October 1942. After the war, Ciuzio continued working in his field. A 1956 directory of Industrial Research Laboratories in the United States lists Ciuzio as the President and Director of Research at his own chemical research company in North Bergen, New Jersey.

 



The archive contains the following letters:



1. August 5, 1945.



The day before American pilots detonated a Little Boy atomic bomb over Hiroshima, Japan, Kellex Corporation Project Manager Albert L. Baker drafted a memo to company employees on "The Kellex Corporation" letterhead. Baker triumphantly called atomic weaponry "the biggest secret of the war," a secret that would be revealed the following day.



"Part of the biggest secret of the war is now known. You kept your part well. Official releases have been made of the purpose and scope of the Manhattan District of which you are an important part. Security of information not released continues to be of vital importance … We know we can count on your continued cooperation."



2. August 10, 1945.



The day after the second nuclear attack on Nagasaki, Japan, Kellex Corporation Security Agent T.A. Krieg released a memo to company employees on "The Kellex Corporation" letterhead with "V-J Day" in its subject line. Japanese surrender may have been imminent, but company officials insisted on the same security protocols: "'There will be no relaxation of existing security regulations with the advent of V-J Day…'"



V-J Day occurred less than a week letter, on August 14/15, 1945.



3. August 13, 1945.



Kellex Corporation engineer John J. Ciuzio received a copy of the letter sent from Corps of Engineers Colonel K.D. Nichols on "Army Service Forces, United States Engineer Office, Manhattan District, Oak Ridge, Tennessee" letterhead offering his congratulations to Kellex Corporation employees.



"I know that you shared with me the thrill of accomplishment which came with the announcement that the first atomic bomb had been dropped on Hiroshima. Kellex is certainly entitled to feel a great deal of pride in this accomplishment, for without the engineering genius of your organization to so quickly and efficiently translate the scientific discoveries of the scientists into a workable process, we could have accomplished our mission on time…".



4. August 17, 1945.



Two days after Japan surrendered, Kellex Corporation Project Manager Albert L. Baker addressed a memo to company employees on "The Kellex Corporation" letterhead stressing the continued need to safeguard atomic secrets.



"Official declaration of cessation of hostilities with Japan does not in any way alter security limitations on release of information on the atomic bomb project…Loose talk and idle speculation by persons connected with the project jeopardize the security of the nation…"



5. September 4, 1945.



Kellex Corporation Vice President Percival C. "Dobie" Keith (1901-1976) received a congratulatory message from General Henry H. Arnold that he later shared with company employees:



"I wish to extend my congratulations on the epochal achievement of your organization. Through long years of anonymity you and your loyal and devoted associates brought to fruition what well may prove the most miraculous scientific development of this age at precisely the perfect moment to end the bitter and costly struggle in sudden and spectacular victory…"



6. November 15, 1945.



Now that the Kellex Corporation had developed its nuclear bomb technology and the war was over, its scientists needed new employment. Project Engineer A.J. Fruit wrote this recommendation letter for John J. Ciuzio on "The Kellex Corporation, Woolworth Building, 233 Broadway, New York 7, N.Y." letterhead: "Mr. J.J. Ciuzio has been employed…for the last two years on engineering design work connected with the Atomic Bomb Project…"



7. January 9, 1946.



Albert L. Baker, now promoted to Kellex Corporation General Manager, wrote a form letter on "The Kellex Corporation, Woolworth Building, 233 Broadway, New York 7, N.Y." letterhead praising the company's former employees, and making a direct claim that nuclear warfare shortened the war.

 



"All of us in Kellex should feel that our efforts in developing the vital materials for the atomic bomb were a direct contribution to stopping the war and thus helping to avoid thousands of casualties which would have resulted had it continued for six months to a year beyond August 14, 1945…"

 



Overall, the documents provide us with a fascinating look at American high-security nuclear weapons development  in the days immediately preceding and following Hiroshima. The archive also records -- in sometimes disturbingly glowing terms -- how the American military and private sector viewed their new weapons technology.



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