In August 1939, a group of concerned scientists drafted a letter warning of the potential development of powerful bombs of a type never seen before. They urged the United States to begin acquiring stockpiles of uranium ore and to support Enrico Fermi’s research into nuclear chain reactions. The letter was signed by Albert Einstein and delivered in person to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Roosevelt formed a committee to study the proposal. The committee concurred that uranium was a possible source for “bombs with a destructiveness vastly greater than anything now known.” On this date in 1941, Roosevelt ordered the acceleration of research on nuclear fission with the Manhattan Project.
The movie “Oppenheimer” focuses on Robert Oppenheimer, who served as scientific director of the program. But he couldn’t do it alone. The Manhattan Project relied on a vast network of specialists in a wide variety of subjects. It is estimated that more than 130,000 people worked on the Manhattan Project. And at least one of those people had a North Dakota connection.
Kathleen Maxwell is an example of how physics and chemistry graduates from institutions across the country were recruited to support the top-secret development of the atomic bomb. Her story also demonstrates how the Manhattan Project opened the door for female scientists. A graduate of the University of North Dakota, Maxwell was a physicist with Keller Corporation. She was the only female physicist in her division. She was responsible for maintaining uranium enrichment operations. One of her biggest responsibilities was troubleshooting mechanical failures.
Maxwell said none of the scientists were given details about what they were working on, but with their scientific knowledge, it was obvious to them. She said of the Manhattan Project, “I have never been so absorbed in any one thing in my life as I was in that. It just had to be done.”
On August 6, 1945, the American B-29 bomber known as Enola Gay dropped the world’s first atomic bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima, killing more than 80,000 people. Three days later, another 40,000 people were killed when a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. Japan surrendered a few days later.
Dakota Datebook written by Dr. Carole Butcher
Sources:
- UND Alumni Association. “Top Secret War Work.” https://undalumni.org/news-stories/alumni/kathleen-maxwell.htmlAccessed 9/17/2026.
- News North Dakota. “An Eckelson Man Worked On The Manhattan Project.” https://www.newsdakota.com/2023/08/16/eckelson-man-remembered-as-member-of-manhattan-project/ Accessed 9/17/2026.
- Atomic Heritage Foundation. “Voices of the Manhattan Project.” https://ahf.nuclearmuseum.org/voices/oral-histories/kathleen-maxwells-interview/Accessed 9/17/2026.
