Kenneth Nichols and Leslie Groves collaborated closely on the Manhattan Project, ensuring efficiency and teamwork through their rigorous travel schedules.

Oak Ridge: So, Barbara Scollin, the grandniece of Major General Kenneth D. Nichols, is diving into his life story. She’s sharing some fascinating insights about his role in the Manhattan Project.
Basically, Nichols was chosen for his leadership skills and qualifications. He was in charge of overseeing the research and development for producing plutonium-239 and uranium-235. This included building towns like Oak Ridge and Richland.
His job was huge! He managed around 125,000 military and civilian workers. His office in Oak Ridge was the hub for all atomic energy activities during the war, and he also handled security to keep everything under wraps.
In this latest article, Barbara talks about how Nichols and Brigadier General Leslie Groves worked together to boost efficiency and teamwork. They had some pretty intense travel schedules, too!
By September 1943, they had a solid leadership structure in place. Nichols mentioned that both he and Groves liked to break the usual organizational rules. They decentralized the project, giving people on-site a lot of authority while still being available for questions.
They didn’t rely on written directives much. Instead, they’d meet up with the necessary folks, hash out decisions, and expect the local teams to implement them. They made sure to have the best contractors on board, too, which helped everything run smoothly.
Nichols and Groves met weekly, traveling around to cover different parts of the project. Nichols was in Oak Ridge and New York City every week, plus visiting other sites. They kept things informal, which helped them stay flexible.
Throughout the war, Nichols was on the move, checking in on key sites like Clinton Engineer Works and Hanford Engineer Works. He also visited various labs across the country, including major universities.
He even had to go to Los Alamos to coordinate with Oppenheimer on technical specs. They had a lot of ground to cover, and Nichols was racking up miles like crazy!
In fact, he traveled over ten thousand miles a month by train and plane. It wasn’t until April 1945 that he got to use a bomber for quicker trips. They believed in being hands-on and making decisions right where the action was.
For security reasons, Nichols and Groves rarely traveled together. There’s a funny story where Groves got on a plane with Nichols and jokingly scolded him for not getting off when he saw him board!
One of the key things that helped streamline their work was the AAA priority rating that Groves secured. This allowed them to get the materials and staff they needed quickly. Nichols and his wife moved to New York after he became district engineer, but more changes were on the horizon.
Next up, Barbara will cover how they built Oak Ridge from scratch. It’s a fascinating journey!
Big thanks to everyone who helped Barbara with her research. It’s amazing to see how involved Nichols was in such a monumental project.
D. Ray Smith, the city historian, shares these stories weekly in The Oak Ridger.