Groves, Leslie

Groves, Leslie (Richard, Jr.) (1896–1970) soldier; born in Albany, N.Y. The son of an army chaplain, he graduated from West Point in 1918, entered the Corps of Engineers and worked on various large construction projects during the 1930s and 1940s. He directed the design and construction of the Pentagon before moving on to more important work. As chief of the deceptively named "Manhattan Engineer District" (1942–47), he oversaw the building of facilities for the development, testing, and production of the first atomic weapons, including the laboratories at Oak Ridge, Tenn., Los Alamos, N.M., and Hanford, Wash. Upon retiring from the army, he became vice-president in charge of research for Sperry Rand's Remington division (1948–61).