Growing Up in the Atomic Age:
A Story of Courage, Science, and History
I grew up in Oak Ridge during World War II, where my father worked at the Y-12 plant as part of the Manhattan Project. This memoir reflects my journey of understanding the world of atomic energy—balancing pride, uncertainty, and the human impact of scientific discovery. It is a story about how ordinary people lived through extraordinary times and contributed to something far greater than themselves.
Connie Musser Glass
How I Got Started
At 24 years old and eight months pregnant, I lost my father. Though I knew his health was failing during my pregnancy, the weight of that knowledge was heavy. My father lived in Virginia, and I was in Alabama. I still remember the last time I saw him. He was in a hospital room, tethered to a chair to keep him from falling, nearly blind and sometimes mentally disoriented. On that cold day, he touched the sleeve of my coat and commented on it. I explained that I had bought it in Wisconsin to keep warm while teaching first grade. That was our last conversation.
My father was an extraordinary man, and I wanted to find a way to keep his memory alive. He held prestigious positions as a chemist throughout his career, despite only having a high school diploma. He worked on the Manhattan Project during World War II in Oak Ridge, TN, where I was born. His work in atomic energy defined his career, and I was incredibly proud of him.
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Dedicated to the many who worked feverously and secretly around the clock with the governmental activity that coined the words “top secret,” the Manhattan Project, and the families who love them
