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National Museum of Nuclear Science & History

Farewell to Bill Wilcox

Category:
Bill Wilcox

The American people lost one of the “Greats” of America’s Greatest Generation when William J. Wilcox Jr. died on Monday, September 2, 2013. For over ten years, Bill worked on the preservation of the Manhattan Project’s heritage at Oak Ridge, TN. In the hospital two weeks ago, Bill and I remembered some of the highlights of that decade. Still full of passion for the cause, his canvas bag of manila folders was within easy reach so he could work on his history of the K-25 plant.

On his 90th birthday in January, the Atomic Heritage Foundation honored Bill by posting his interview taken in 2006 on our “Voices of the Manhattan Project” website. What was most surprising to Bill was that we caught him on camera without one of his signature bow ties.

Bill was a dynamo. Always prepared for every meeting with stakeholders and the Department of Energy with an elaborate PowerPoint presentation, he disarmed audiences with his stories and charm. Named the Official Historian of the City of Oak Ridge, he was an articulate and passionate spokesman for Oak Ridge.

As he said in the interview in 2006, Bill could not “imagine a better calling, a better career, a better place to live, better people to work for, better people to work with, or to be associated with.” In his usual self-effacing way, Bill said he was “privileged to have a very tiny, small part of” such an important achievement in this county’s history.

Bill may claim to have been “a very tiny, small part” of the Manhattan Project but in our view, he was one of the greatest of the “Greatest Generation.” His passion for preserving the Manhattan Project history was matched by his unique ability to both present the “big picture” and explain complex technical details. No wonder he was the first person television reporters and documentary filmmakers sought to interview about the Manhattan Project. He was the simply the best.

We have lost an icon of the Manhattan Project and a truly great friend. Our heartfelt sympathies go to his wife Jeanie and his family as well as his many friends and admirers in Oak Ridge and beyond.

For those of you who may be interested, services for Bill Wilcox will be on Saturday, September 7 at 11 AM at St. Stephens Episcopal Church in Oak Ridge followed by a Community Reception at Pollard Auditorium.

~Cindy Kelly 
President, Atomic Heritage Foundation