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National Museum of Nuclear Science & History

Walter Samuel Carpenter, Jr. was a corporate executive at DuPont who oversaw the company's involvement in the Manhattan Project.

In 1919, at the age of thirty-one, Carpenter was elected to DuPont's board of directors, the first member who was not from the du Pont family. Carpenter served on the finance committee from 1930 until 1940, and was elected president from 1940 until 1948. Under his leadership, DuPont supplied explosives and other war materials during World War II. He also guided DuPont's involvement in the Manhattan Project, which included the construction of nuclear reactors in Oak Ridge, TN, as well as Hanford, Washington.

Carpenter remained at DuPont until his retirement in 1974.

Walter S. Carpenter, Jr.'s Timeline
1888 Jan 8th Born in Wilkes-Barre, PA.
19061909 Studied mechanical engineering at Cornell University.
19091911 Joined DuPont as a purchasing officer in Valparaiso, Chile.
1919 Elected to DuPont's board of directors.
19301940 Treasurer of DuPont's board of directors.
19401948 President of DuPont.
19481962 Chairman of DuPont's board of directors.
1976 Feb 2nd Died in Wilmington, DE.

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