KENNETH D. MCKELLAR

The Senator was one of the few Americans who knew that we were trying to develop and atomic weapon. One of the political problems was spending the huge sums of money that were necessary without the purpose becoming public. In a private meeting, President Roosevelt asked the Senator if he would help the administration hide $2 billion from public view. And that was the origin of the huge federal atomic laboratories at Oak Ridge, TN. This may have been the biggest piece of pork in American History and yet the Senator could never tell anyone that he had obtained it for his state.

His opponent was Al Gore Sr. whose wife came up with the idea of placing signs underneath the McKeller signs saying, “Think Some More and Vote For Gore!”

Stimpson had told him that “We are on the verge of splitting the atom.” The Senator thought that was frivolous technology. When the Senator later finally realized the implication of the Secretary’s statement, he was actually instrumental in helping fund the Manhattan Project. See {586360}.

During World War II the President convened a top secret meeting of the congressional leadership to ask for their help in the development of an atomic bomb and the building of laboratory facilities to that end. The Oak Ridge facility was born.

His opponent was Al Gore Sr. whose wife came up with the idea of placing signs underneath the McKeller signs saying, “Think Some More and Vote For Gore!”

Stimpson had told him that “We are on the verge of splitting the atom.” The Senator thought that was frivolous technology. When the Senator later finally realized the implication of the Secretary’s statement, he was actually instrumental in helping fund the Manhattan Project. See {586360}.

The Senator was one of the few Americans who knew that we were trying to develop and atomic weapon. One of the political problems was spending the huge sums of money that were necessary without the purpose becoming public. In a private meeting, President Roosevelt asked the Senator if he would help the administration hide $2 billion from public view. And that was the origin of the huge federal atomic laboratories at Oak Ridge, TN. This may have been the biggest piece of pork in American History and yet the Senator could never tell anyone that he had obtained it for his state.

During World War II the President convened a top secret meeting of the congressional leadership to ask for their help in the development of an atomic bomb and the building of laboratory facilities to that end. The Oak Ridge facility was born.