At dusk on December 7, 1962, Sandians clapped and waved as President John Kennedy and New Mexico Senator Clinton Anderson arrived in a motorcade.
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Contacts:
Rebecca Ullrich, (raullri@sandia.gov) Corporate Historian
Laura Martinez,
(martini@sandia.gov)
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Jeff Quintenz (Director, 1600) agreed to fund a history of Sandia's Pulsed Power programs. Retired Sandian and current contractor Anne Van Arsdall, armed with a Ph.D. and a wide understanding of Sandia's practices from her years as a technical writer here, has taken on the formidable but exciting challenge. Thus far, she has met and held discussions with several former and current leaders of the program, conducted interviews with some of the key technicians and staff, created a basic outline, and begun writing. Research materials include large collections on the program in the Corporate Archives. Consultant Michael Anne Sullivan is providing research support.
Media Relations gave the Corporate Archives a fascinating collection of materials about President John F. Kennedy's visit to Sandia on December 7, 1962. Part of a series of tours of key atomic energy installations Kennedy undertook, the Sandia stop was brief but historic. The collection contains documents pertaining to all aspects of the visit, including the agenda, press coverage, briefings, film and photographic coverage, and newspaper accounts.
The documents detail President Kennedy's visit. Kennedy arrived in Albuquerque by helicopter after a visit to the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory and was accompanied by New Mexico Senator Clinton Anderson and Atomic Energy Commission chairman Glenn Seaborg. Vice President Lyndon Johnson, national security advisor McGeorge Bundy, New Mexico Senator Joseph Montoya, the White House press corps, and local press also participated in the visit.
Sandia's Public Relations department had only two weeks notice of the tour, but Sandia responded with a full program of information. The press received unclassified briefings by Robert Henderson (vice president, weapon programs) and Glenn Fowler (vice president, development). Sandia President Siegmund Schwartz gave President Kennedy a classified briefing inside the main technical area. The 45-minute briefing covered trends in the design of nuclear weapon systems and components and emphasized Sandia's responsibilities in the design and development of nuclear weapons, including reliability and safety.
After his visit to Sandia, Kennedy spent the night at Albuquerque's Western Skies Hotel. The following day he went on to visit the Nevada Test Site.
After reviewing the collection, we located film footage of Kennedy's visit. Video Services featured a portion of the film in a segment of Video Sandia's Blast from the Past series. We also learned that a plaque was designed to commemorate Kennedy's visit; it is located in the Military Liaison department.
The collection serves as a valuable record of President Kennedy's visit. Kennedy was the first President of the United States to visit Sandia — it was another 40 years before President George H. W. Bush and future President Bill Clinton visited the laboratories during the 1992 presidential campaign.
Tentative Schedule President's Albuquerque Visit 12/7/62
Recorded Information Management Department 09612
Mail Stop 0612
Fax: (505) 844-2621 and (505) 284-2782
Manager: Anna Nusbaum, (505) 845-9440, awnusba@sandia.gov
Corporate Archivist: Myra O'Canna, (505) 844-6315, mlocann@sandia.gov
Archives & Still Photo Clerk: Shirley Aleman, (505) 844-7404, saleman@sandia.gov
Corporate Historian: Rebecca Ullrich, (505) 844-1483, raullri@sandia.gov
Research Historian: Michael Anne Sullivan, (505) 844-7496, masulli@sandia.gov