ML21264A174
| ML21264A174 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 09/21/2021 |
| From: | Thomas Wellock Office of Public Affairs, NRC/SECY |
| To: | |
| References | |
| Download: ML21264A174 (1) | |
Text
The M y stery of the Atomic Energ y Commission Trowel P art I
I s it r a dioa c t ive ? T ha t s not a t ypic a l que s t ion your s pous e a s ks w he n you c ome home w it h your w inning s fr om a s ilent a uc t ion. B ut J oe B a ll, of Wes t C a ldwell, N e w J e r s e y, w a s n t holding a s et of s t ea k knives or a res ervation for a time-s ha r e in R e no. T he innoc uous looking ma s on s t r ow e l he w on ha d links ba c k t o t he ve r y be g inning of t he a t omic a g e.
While a t t e nding his c la s s-of-1972 r e union for t he now de func t E is e nhow e r C olle g e in Se ne c a Falls, New York, old it ems from t he colleg e were s old t o t he a lumni a t a s ile nt a uc t ion. B a ll s t r ow e l s a t ins ide a w e ll-c ons t r uc t e d Ple x ig la s dis pla y c a s e a ppoint e d w it h fine ve lve t a nd a ha nds ome w oode n box. A pla que c la ime d t ha t t he t r ow e l w a s one of t hr ee copies ma de for D w ig ht E is e nhow e r t o us e on N ove mbe r 8, 1957, t o la y t he c or ne r s t one for t he ne w At omic E ne r g y C ommis s ion building in G e r ma nt ow n, Maryland.
T he t r ow e l s pa r t s w e r e full of s ymbolis m, t he pla que r e por t e d. T he bla de w a s ma de fr om ur a nium ta ke n fr om t he C P-1 r e a c t or, w hic h, unde r Fe r mi, a c hie ve d t he w or ld s fir s t s us t a ine d c ha in r e a c t ion a t t he U nive r s it y of C hic a g o on D e c e mbe r 2, 1 9 4 2.
T he ha ndle w a s c r a ft e d fr om w ood t a ke n fr om C hic a g o s St a g g Fie ld unde r w hic h t he r e a c t or w a s built.
T he z ir c onium fe r r ule a nd s t e m c a me fr om t he fir s t fue l a s s e mbly of t he N a vy s r e volut iona r y nuc le a r pow e r e d a t t a c k s ubma r ine, t he N a ut ilus.
At s ome uns pe c ifie d da t e, t he AE C a nd Ar g onne N a t iona l L a bor a t or y dona t e d t he t r ow e l t o E is e nhow e r C olleg e, where it ma de it s wa y t o B a ll - w ho w on it w it h a $10 bid.
M a ny of his fe llow a lums w e r e w a r y t he t r ow e l mig ht be r a dioa c t ive or doubt e d it w a s r e a l. One quippe d it w ould be ha r d t o g e t t he c a s e t hr oug h a ir por t s e c ur it y. B a ll e ve nt ua lly c a lle d t he N R C s Offic e of Public Affa ir s t o c he c k out it s s a fe t y a nd a ut he nt ic it y. H e w a s pa r t ic ula r ly c onc e r ne d a bout mys t e r ious bla c k s ha ving s s c a t t e r e d a bout ins ide t he dis pla y c a s e. OPA kne w I d be int e r e s t e d in t he his t or ic ba c kg r ound of t he t r ow e l, a nd s o I g ot involve d. Fir s t, I direct ed him t o t he New J ers ey D epa rt ment of E nvir onme nt a l Pr ot e c t ion t o ha ve t he c a s e a nd s ha ving s s ur ve ye d. T he y found t he s ha ving s w e r e ur a nium, but de t e c t e d no r a dia t ion c oming fr om t he dis pla y c a s e.
I w a s int r ig ue d. G ive n t he t r ow e l s us e a nd c ompos ition, t his w a s a n e x t r a or dina r y, mus e um-w or t hy find. I dr ove up t o J oe s home, t ook phot os, a nd w e nt t o w or k r e s e a r c hing t he t r ow e l s his t or y. I loc a t e d one of t he ot he r t r ow e ls on dis pla y a t Ar g onne L a b s s ma ll mus e um. I t s pla que w a s vir t ua lly ide nt ic a l t o B a ll s, e x c e pt t ha t it c la ime d t he r e w e r e only t w o c opie s. T he E is e nhow e r L ibr a r y in Ka ns a s, how e ve r,
r e por t e d t ha t it t oo ow ne d a t r ow e l fr om t he de dic a t ion c e r e mony. H a ving t hr e e t r ow e ls ma de s e ns e s inc e E is e nhow e r w a s a s s is t e d in t he c e r e mony by A E C C hairman Lewis Strauss and Congressman Carl D ur ha m of N or t h C a r olina.
B ut not a ll of t he de t a ils a bout t he t r ow e l w e r e s o e a s ily r e c onc ile d. U r a nium me t a l w a s a t a pr e mium in 1942. Why w a s t his ur a nium not r e us e d in la t e r r e a c t or s ? Why did t he de t a ile d ne w s a c c ount s of t he c e r e mony ma ke no me nt ion of t he unique fe a t ur e s of t he t r ow e ls ? E is e nhow e r s it ine r a r y for t he c e r e mony r e por t e d t ha t t he pr e s ide nt w ould us e a s ilve r-plat ed t rowel t o la y t he corners t one. Neit her B a ll s nor A r g onne s t r ow e l w a s pla t e d. Were t hey fa kes ? I f s o, why did t he New J ers ey ra dia t ion office c onfir m t ha t t he s ha ving s w e r e ur a nium? I r e a liz e d t he r e w a s a hidde n s t or y be hind t he one w r it t e n on t he pla que s. C he c k out Pa r t I I for the rest of the story!
B y T hom a s We lloc k, NR C H is t or ia n