SANDIA HISTORY PROGRAM

NEWSLETTER

Unlimited Distribution

April 1996

50TH ANNIVERSARY OF SANDIA'S OLDEST BUILDING

Sandians who regularly use Gate 4 next to Medical probably haven't noticed the rambling old wooden building just southwest of the gate inside the Tech Area. Those who have probably assumed that the structure is soon due for demolition. Well, not quite. But the future of the old building, officially Building 828, is in question and an important consideration is its historic significance.

Building 828 was constructed in 1946 as the first permanent building built for Sandia as part of the Manhattan Engineering District Project. Sandia was then part of Los Alamos Laboratory; it became Sandia Corporation in 1949. Building 828 is the only remaining structure that dates to the Labs' formative years. It was used for non-nuclear assembly of War Reserve nuclear weapons during the late 1940s and early 1950s. The 50-year-old building is the most visible symbol of Sandia's historic roots in the U.S. nuclear weapons program.

Renovation of Building 828 would maintain a key historic tie to Sandia's long-term mission of providing engineering support for the U.S. nuclear stockpile. The renovation would retain the external 1940s-vintage appearance characteristics of Manhattan Engineering District structures, while the interior could be converted to modern offices, perhaps to house public outreach organizations. By having this visible, centrally located, and proudly displayed reminder of our link with the Manhattan Engineering District, a daily awareness of Sandia's past would be imparted to newer employees who know little of Sandia's early history. It would also reinforce the sense of mission always before us. A proposal was submitted to Sites Planning urging that Building 828 be renovated and used as a showplace for displaying photographs and artifacts of Sandia's history. Unfortunately the proposal scored rather low and the future of Building 828 does not look hopeful. It would be helpful to know what the sentiment is for preservation of this building. Please call, fax, or e-mail your opinion to Carl J. Mora, Corporate Historian.

So the next time you walk by Building 828 wish it a happy 50th anniversary and hope that it is around for many more.

NEWS FROM CORPORATE ARCHIVES

Corporate Archives has received some interesting new collections from retired and soon-to-be-retired Sandians. These collections include documentation and photographs from Tom Martin (1193) and Ken Prestwich (retired) on the history of the Pulsed Power Program at Sandia, materials from Bob Graham (1152) on electroshock research at Sandia, and extensive documentation from Mel Merritt (retired) on Sandia's work and testing on Amchitka Island. These and many other smaller collections of materials received by Corporate Archives provide important documentation regarding these significant Sandia programs. Please contact Archive Coordinator Myra O'Canna, at 844-6315 if you have historical materials to be considered for inclusion in the Corporate Archives collection. Corporate Archives also solicits Sandia newsletters because they are excellent resources. Please send copies of these newsletters to MS 0612.

NEW EXHIBIT ON WOMEN AT SANDIA

Betty Carrell was the first woman engineer hired at Sandia, California. In this 1961 photograph she is examining a telemetry package in the environmental testing lab.

The Sandia History Program's most recent exhibit, "A Woman's Place is Where She Wants To Be: A History of Women at Sandia," is a photographic overview of the essential roles women have played in the Labs' history. Moving from Sandia's early years, when women were most likely to hold traditionally female jobs among the administrative and support staff, to the present, when women have begun to break down barriers, moving into both management and technical fields in increasing numbers, the exhibit stresses the way the Labs mirror the attitudes and practices of American culture and industry.

The exhibit is on display in the north hallway of Building 894, at the Sandia Credit Union on Juan Tabo, and at the National Atomic Museum until the end of May. The Sandia History Program displays new historical photo exhibits three times a year. For more information, contact Rebecca Ullrich at 844-1483.