History of Los Alamos National Laboratory

Reports can be accessed using their report numbers at either at Los Alamos Authors (internal lab use only) or Los Alamos Research Online (for external users), unless marked otherwise.

Environmental reports can be accessed at the Electronic Public Reading Room.

• Cooper, Schecker, Cooper, Necia Grant, Schecker, J. A., & Los Alamos National Laboratory. (2003). Celebrating 60 Years. LA-UR-03-5704.
• Hammel, E., & Los Alamos National Laboratory. (1997). Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory Energy-related History, Research, Managerial Reorganization Proposals, Actions Taken, and Results : 1945-1979. LA-13072-H.
• JRB Associates, & United States. Defense Nuclear Agency. (1982). Project Trinity, 1945-1946., DNA-6028F ; JRB 2-816-03-423-00. [HathiTrust]
• Loaiza, D. ; Gehman, D. End of an era for the Los Alamos Critical Experiments Facility: History of critical assemblies and experiments (1946-2004). LA-14306-H.
• Los Alamos National Laboratory. (1983). The First Forty Years. LALP-83-6. Available via request in the LANL library catalog.
• Los Alamos National Laboratory. (1983). Los Alamos Science. Number 7 (Winter/Spring 1983), The Evolution of the Laboratory. LA-UR-83-0475.
• Montalvo, Maryrose. The Women of Wartime Los Alamos and their Legacies. LA-UR-13-22012.

Journals:

• Nuclear Technology: Special issue on the Manhattan Project Nuclear Science and Technology Development at Los Alamos National Laboratory. This journal issue is open access and available to all readers.
  • Authors include: Laboratory historian Alan Carr; Deputy Associate Director for Weapons Physics Mark Chadwick; Laboratory Director Thomas Mason; Seaborg Institute Director Franz Freibert.

Videos available on external sources:

• Alan B. Carr. The First 25 Years, A Documentary on Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory Hosted by Norris Bradbury.
• Andrew Smith. Los Alamos National Lab Still a National Nuclear Landmark.
• Atomic Heritage Foundation. Ranger in Your Pocket: Los Alamos, a playlist of videos.
• Bradbury Science Museum. The Town That Never Was.
• Los Alamos National Laboratory. Historic, unique Manhattan Project footage from Los Alamos.

See more Trinity-related media at our Trinity Test resource guide:

Any links labeled LANL means the item cannot be requested by the public. Materials in the lower level of the library can be used in the building but cannot be checked out by the public. A Worldcat link means the book is available at libraries outside of Los Alamos National Laboratory and can be requested through your own local library.

• Badash, Hirschfelder, et al. (1980). Reminiscences of Los Alamos, 1943-1945  [LANL Catalog] [Worldcat]
• Cowan, G., & Los Alamos National Laboratory. (2010). Manhattan Project to the Santa Fe Institute : The memoirs of George A. Cowan. [LANL Catalog] [Worldcat]
• Feynman, R., & Feynman, Michelle. (2005). Perfectly reasonable deviations from the beaten track : The collected letters of Richard P. Feynman. [LANL Catalog] [Worldcat]
• Froman, D., et al. (1980). Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory : Darol K. Froman : An interview.  [LANL Catalog] [Worldcat]
• Hull, M., & Bianco, A. (2005). Rider of the pale horse : A memoir of Los Alamos and beyond. [LANL Catalog] [Worldcat]
• Joseph, T. (2009). Historic photos of the Manhattan Project. [LANL Catalog] [Worldcat]
• Library of Congress. (1974). J. Robert Oppenheimer; : [a register of his papers in the Library of Congress].  [LANL Catalog] [Worldcat]
• Los Alamos National Laboratory, & University of California. (2006). Science in the National Interest : Photographs Celebrating Six Decades of Excellence. [LANL Catalog] [Worldcat]
• Manley, J., Norberg, et al. (1980). Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory : John H. Manley : An interview. [LANL Catalog] [Worldcat]
• Mason, K. (1995). Children of Los Alamos : An oral history of the town where the atomic age began. [LANL Catalog] [Worldcat]
• Szilard, L., Weart, S., & Szilard, Gertrud Weiss. (1978). Leo Szilard, his version of the facts : Selected recollections and correspondence [LANL Catalog] [Worldcat]
• Underhill, R., et al. (1979). Robert M. Underhill : Contract negotiations for the University of California : An interview. [LANL Catalog] [Worldcat]

Library Leadership Timeline (1943 - current time):

The History of the LANL Research Library:

• Los Alamos Had a Secret Library. "The Manhattan Project needed an instant library in Los Alamos built from scratch and in secrecy–this is how it was done."
• The Librarian Who Guarded the Manhattan Project’s Secrets. An article on the Research Library's first head librarian, Charlotte Serber.
• Charlotte Serber's profile at the Atomic Heritage Foundation.
• Atomic Wives and the Secret Library at Los Alamos. A short article on the women who worked at the Research Library during the Manhattan Project.
• Wilson, J., Serber, C., & Los Alamos Historical Society. (1988). Standing by and making do : Women of wartime Los Alamos. Los Alamos, N.M.: Los Alamos Historical Society. [LANL Catalog] [Worldcat]
• Adrienne Lowry's Interview at Voices of the Manhattan Project. Lowry worked under Charlotte Serber during World War Two.
• A harbinger of change: The cutting-edge library at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. An account of the library's history from 1999.
• Lynch, Dudley. (1965)  Data Depository. The Atom. September 1965. pages 3-7.

Los Alamos National Laboratory external publications include:

• 1663 magazine. Described as "the most significant research initiatives and accomplishments of the Laboratory delivered to a diverse audience".
• @TheBradbury, a newsletter from the Bradbury Science Museum that "highlights news and events at the Bradbury Science Museum [and] information on the Lab’s best research and innovations".
• National Security Science, a magazine that showcases LANL's work on nuclear weapons and for national and global security.

A full list can be found at the Laboratory's publications page.

Lab-wide official social media accounts:

• LANL on Twitter
• LANL on Facebook
• LANL on Flickr
• LANL on YouTube
• LANL on Instagram
• LANL on Blogspot

LANL official groups/related groups on social media (Twitter unless otherwise noted):

• Bradbury Science Museum
• Feynman Center for Innovation
• Jobs at LANL

Former lab directors:

• Terry Wallace on Twitter (2018)
• Charles F. McMillan on Twitter (2011–2017)
• Siegfried Hecker on Twitter (1986–1997)

Los Alamos National Laboratory currently maintains an app called The Secret City: Project Y, which allows the user to explore the town of Los Alamos through the lens of the Manhattan Project. It is a virtual historical tour of the town, and is available through the Apple app store and Google Play.

LANL had an app for its 75 year anniversary. This app detailed the lab's history for users.  It is currently not available online for download.

The LANL app's official description: Take a look back at some of the milestones and major achievements in LANL’s storied history with the LANL 75th Anniversary app. Learn more about what the Laboratory is doing now to protect our nation and promote world stability. Discover the scientific breakthroughs LANL has made in high performance computing, space, energy, materials, health, medicine, and more.

Groups and Organizations:

• Atomic Heritage Foundation
• Bradbury Science Museum
• Los Alamos History Museum
• Voices of the Manhattan Project

Articles and Websites:

• Our History at LANL, including links to Manhattan Project-era badge photos and a gallery of historic lab photos from the Ranch School to present day.
• A Short History of Women At Los Alamos, via the LANL website.
• Women Scientists of the Secret City, an article in lab publication 1663.
• Being Essential: Alan Carr, via the LANL website, covering LANL historian Alan Carr.
• Information for National History Day Students, via the Los Alamos History Museum, with "some answers to frequently asked questions about the development and use of the atomic bomb".
• "LANL Archives Preserve History", a March 2018 article in the Los Alamos Daily Post featuring lab historian Alan Carr.
• Manhattan Project Resources, via the U.S. Department of Energy.