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Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer opened to critical acclaim late last year. It details the work of J. Robert Oppenheimer. Widely regarded as the nation’s foremost theoretical physicists and father of the atomic bomb, Oppenheimer was born in New York and received his undergraduate training in Chemistry at Harvard University. He received a doctorate in physics from the University of Gottingen in in Germany in 1927. Afterwards, he joined the physics department at the University of California Berkeley becoming full professor in 1936. While at Berkeley he made significant contributions to theoretical physics, including quantum and nuclear physics, Born-Oppenheimer approximation for molecular waves, electrons and positrons, the Oppenheimer-Phillips process as well as work on quantum tunneling, neutron stars, black holes, quantum field theory and the interaction of cosmic rays. In 1942, he was recruited to the Manhattan Project. In 1943, he served as the Director of the Los Alamos Laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico. There he developed the nation’s first nuclear weapons and promoted atomic energy.
No less important than Oppenheimer were more than nineteen African American scientists, men and women, who also made important contributions to the development of atomic energy in the United States. They worked at the Oak Ridge in facility in Tennessee, and the Chicago Metallurgical Laboratory. Black laborers also worked at Oak Ridge and played a seminal role in the support work to produce the bomb. Its estimated that 7,000 Black laoborers worked at the site, although no more than 2,000 laborers worked there at any given time. These Black scientists, technicians and laborers played an important role in the work of developing the atomic bomb.
Historianspeaks is pleased to present this series, Beyond Oppenheimer: Black Scientists and the "Bomb," focused on African American participation in the creation on the atomic bomb. We will feature biographical information and discussion of the work of these scientists throughout Black History Month. We welcome your questions and comments.
The fourth installment in the series focuses on the work of Ella Tyree. Tyree was a Spelman Biology graduate who worked in the Health Division at the Met Lab at the University of Chicago. She managed an animal farm that provided subjects for radiation treatement.
Ella Tyree was born in Kentucky in 1920. Tyree’s work as research investigator on the Manhattan Project was pioneering in understanding the effects of radiation poisoning and possible preventive strategies. Tyree attended Spelman College in Atlanta Georgia. While at Spelman, she studied Biology and developed a lifelong love for scientific research.She received a BS in Biology.
During the 1940’s, Tyree began working on the Manhattan Project. She was a laboratory technician at the Metallurgical Laboratory in Chicago, where she made important contributions to the exploration of radiation on living organisms.At the Metallurgical Laboratory, Tyree worked in the Health Division and managed an animal farm that provided subjects for radiation experiments. This was an essential role because the experiments focused on determining how radiation affects living creatures. Tyree’s efforts contributed to the development of a more in-depth understanding about radiation poisoning and possible remedies.
Following the war, The Met Lab became the Argonne Research Laboratory. Tyree continued her work there. In 1949, Tyree’s team led by Dr. Havey M Pratt showed that pre-treating mice with cysteine, an amino acid, led to protection from otherwise lethal radiation doses. The treatment could be delivered orally or by injection one hour prior to radiation exposure. Survival rates were 80% compared to 20% when untreated. This finding was important because it could prevent cell damage in the areas of high radiation exposure. This may have significance not only for atomic weapons but also regarding cancer therapy, especially when high radiation doses were delivered.
Although little is known about the life of Ella Tyree beyond her contributions to science, her story deserves more discussion and engagement. As one of several women techicans and scientists working on the Manhattan project, her work was important for scientific advancement in the 20th century.
Publications of Ella Tyree*
Nickson, James J; Lawrence, Walter; Rachwalsky, Irene; Tyree, Ella (1953). "Roentgen rays and wound healing:II. Fractionated irradiation an experimental study". YMSY Surgery. 34 (5): 859–862. ISSN 0039-6060. OCLC 4927667588.
Smith, Douglas E.; Tyree, Ella B. (1954-05-01). "Influence of X-Irradiation Upon Body Weight and Food Consumption of the Rat". American Journal of Physiology. Legacy Content. 177 (2): 251–260. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1954.177.2.251. ISSN 0002-9513.
Smith, Douglas E.; Tyree, Ella B. (1955-12-31). "Influence of X-Irradiation Upon Water Consumption by the Rat". American Journal of Physiology. Legacy Content. 184 (1): 127–133. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1955.184.1.127. ISSN 0002-9513.
Smith, Douglas E.; Tyree, Ella B. (1956). "Attempts to Provide the Rat with Nutrition during Post-Irradiation Anorexia". Radiation Research. 4 (5): 435–448. doi: 10.2307/3570265. ISSN 0033-7587.
Gunter, Shirley E.; Kohn, Henry I.; Tyree, Ella B.; Laughlin, John S.; Ovadia, Jacques; Shapiro, Gerald; Thompson, Patricia (1956). "The Relative Biological Effectiveness of 180-Kevp and 22.5-Mevp X-Rays Determined from the Dose-Survival Curve of Saccharomyces cerevisiae". Radiation Research. 4 (4): 326–338. doi: 10.2307/3570213. ISSN 0033-7587.
Kitagawa, Toshio; Glicksman, Arvin S.; Tyree, Ella B.; Nickson, James J. (1961). "Radiation Effects on Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue: A Quantitative Study of Collagen Content: Modification with l-Triiodothyronine". Radiation Research. 15 (6): 761–766. doi: 10.2307/3571112. ISSN 0033-7587.
Clapp, Paul; Tayao, Manuel S.; Tyree, Ella B.; Nickson, James J.; Clarkson, Bayard; Lawrence, Walter (1964-08-01). "An experimental study of simultaneous irradiation and regional chemotherapeutic perfusion". Journal of Surgical Research. 4 (8): 371–376. doi: 10.1016/S0022-4804(64)80086-X. ISSN 0022-4804. PMID 14200441.
Clapp, Paul; Charyulu, K. K. N.; Tayao, Manuel S.; Tyree, Ella B.; Nickson, James J.; Lawrence, Walter (1965). "Regional oxygenation and therapeutic response to irradiation. An experimental study". Cancer. 18 (8): 927–936. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(196508)18:83.0.CO;2-K. ISSN 1097-0142
Tyree, Ella B.; Glicksman, Arvin S.; Nickson, James J. (1966). "Effect of L-Triiodothyronine on Radiation-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis in Dogs". Radiation Research. 28 (1): 30–36. doi: 10.2307/3571925. ISSN 0033-7587.
* Ella Tyree - Wikipedia