August 15, 1950 memorandum from Clifford Beck to Dean J. H. Lampe

%DONRsites081550; ]> August 15, 1950 memorandum from Clifford Beck to Dean J. H. Lampe Machine readable transcription Beck, Clifford Creation of machine-readable version: Russell S. Koonts Creation of digital images: James M. Jackson Sanborn Conversion to TEI.2-conformant markup: Russell S. Koonts ca. 7 kilobytes NCSU Libraries Raleigh, NC August 15, 1950 memorandum from Clifford Beck to Dean J. H. Lampe

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August 1, 2000

Images of the document pages have been included. August 15, 1950 memorandum from Clifford Beck to Dean J. H. Lampe Clifford Beck

2 pp. Manuscript copy consulted UA 105.1

Nuclear Reactor Project

Prepared for the North Carolina State University Science and Technology Electronic Text Center

The lineation of the manuscript has been maintained and all end-of-line hyphens have been preserved.

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Library of Congress Subject Headings August 15, 1950 English LCSH manuscript 24-bit color: 400 dpi August 15, 1950 memorandum from Clifford Beck to Dean J. H. Lampe Typescript 2 pp. Aug. 15, 1950 DONRsites081550

This memo to Dean Lampe discusses possible building sites for the reactor. It states a preference for a space south of the Zoology building.

North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering of the University of North Carolina Raleigh Physics Department August 15, 1950 To: Dean J. H. Lampe From: Clifford Beck (1) Re: Location of Nuclear Reactor Copies: Chancellor J. W. Harrelson (2) Dr. D. B. Anderson (3) Dr. Ralph Cummings (4) Dr. Carey Bostian (5) Mr. W. F. Morris (6) Mr. J. McCree Smith (7) Mr. J. G. Vann (8)

On Saturday, August 12, 1950, from 10 to 12 A.M., a conference of the above named individuals numbered 1 through 7 was held in Chancellor Harrelson's office for the purpose of reconsidering the location of the State College Nuclear Reactor. Only three sites were considered:

1. The space immediately west of Polk Hall and north of the Bureau of Mines. 2. The space south of the present Zoology Building, north of the railroad tracks. 3. The space north of Zoology Building in the southern portion of the Court of Ceres.

It was the unanimous opinion that the space now occupied by Zoology constituted the ideal location, but the practical problem involved in removing Zoology in less than three years, and probably five, was conceded to be impossible of solution.

Mr. Smith advocated most strongly that the reactor be located behind Zoology, and so arranged that the facility could be expanded into the Zoology Building space when that building could be removed.

Dr. Beck maintained that there is serious doubt that the reactor can be crowded into the space behind Zoology for interim operation, and felt further that a structure of interim design would not be suitable after removal of Zoology, without extensive and expensive alteration. It was also pointed out that funds for the reactor might not be donated from sources not in prospect if the building were crowded into an insignificant initial location.

It was the firm opinion of Mr. Smith and the Agricultural School representatives that the Court of Ceres location if definitely preferable to the site west of Polk Hall. The idea hear was, that the Reactor Building should face south on University Drive, and the reactor facility should be designed as a part of a three or four story east-west laboratory structure extending across the Court of Ceres in line with the north ends of Polk and Daniels. The laboratory structure adjacent to and a part of the reactor facility would be used for additional reactor laboratories if required for Physics Department space when Daniels Hall became too crowded. Mr. Smith, particularly, and the entire group to a large extent, felt that this loca- tion would destroy the architectural plan of this part of the campus and should be avoided if possible.

It was decided finally that:

1. The reactor should be located, if possible, in the space south of old Zoology. 2. A concerted effort would be made to convince the legislature that old Zoology should be removed and space be provided else- where for Bacteriology.

It was further decided that (1) if the Commission would not approve the reactor location for an interim period of operation in the crowded space behind Zoology, or (2) if a suitable interim design could not be drawn up for a long- range acceptable reactor structure, then the reactor should be located in the souther portion of the Court of Ceres. Should this in turn not be acceptable to the Commission, another meeting would be called by Chancellor Harrelson for consideration of other sites.