What projects are currently underway in the Corporate Archives and History Program?

The primary activity of the History Program currently is the research and writing of a second volume of Sandia's official administrative/technical history. Necah Furman's book, Sandia National Laboratories: The Postwar Decade (University of New Mexico Press, 1990), serves as the first volume in this series. Volume II will cover the 1956-1974 time period, including the peak in number of weapon designs entering the stockpile, early nuclear treaty negotiations and test ban treaties, and the first Work-for-Others projects at the Labs. It was, until the end of the period, a time of growth for Sandia.

We are also working on a variety of other historical projects. A history of Sandia's role in the Waste Isolation Pilot Project is in the final stages of publication and will be available soon. The History Program also is actively involved in the documentation of Sandia's older buildings at the New Mexico site to assist in DOE's efforts at compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act. Our publications page provides more information on our written work.

In addition to writing history, the historians also work with the Corporate Archivist to arrange photographic exhibits of Sandia's history. Electronic versions of current and past exhibits can be viewed on-line on our exhibits page. We also produce a history newsletter to keep Sandia employees apprised of History and Archives activities.