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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