Dorothy McKibbin: J. Robert Oppenheimer's Brilliant Hire for the Manhattan Project at 109 East Palace Santa Fe, New Mexico

In 1943, J. Robert Oppenheimer was named the Director of the Manhattan Project. It was his responsibility to recruit scientists from around the globe to come to a secret city, high a top a mesa in Los Alamos, New Mexico, 35 miles from Santa Fe. Here, the scientists would collaborate together to make an atom bomb, before Germany did, and end World War II. An essential piece of the puzzle was to recruit a local from Santa Fe, to be the face of the Manhattan Project at 109 East Palace. This person would need to be above reproach and totally trustworthy. They would need to be capable, hard working, diplomatic, highly organized, able to get things done, yet personable, considerate and compassionate to the confused, tired and weary travelers who arrived in Santa Fe. They would give directions, answer questions and inquires from both the scientists and their families, and the locals, who inevitably would become suspicious. Did such a person exist, anywhere, much less in a city of 12,000 people? Robert Oppenheimer rang the bell when he hired Dorothy McKibbin, a 46 year old widow, with a 12 year old son. This short book, about a 45 minute read, tells the story of Dorothy, her son Kevin, and her life long friendship with Robert Oppenheimer.