Living History: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Stories

A series developed by IRSC Professor Robert Farley and continued by Professor David Yankwitt. Open to the public and free of charge for IRSC students and community guests.

CHANGE IN THE U.S. NUCLEAR WEAPONS COMPLEX FROM 1942 TO 2015

Dr. George Allen reviews the evolution and steady transformation of the U.S. civilian nuclear weapons sites. Established during the World War II-era Manhattan Project, the Nuclear Weapons Complex serves as the civilian bomb and warhead design and production infrastructure for the United States. The Complex went from being nonexistent in 1940 to a nation-wide, major scientific/industrial infrastructure by 1960. This included a major weapon component production site in Pinellas, Florida. From its peak in the Cold War, the Complex has transitioned to a much smaller size focused on sustaining critical nuclear weapon design and production capabilities. After 2005, the name of the Nuclear Weapons Complex was changed to the Nuclear Security Enterprise.