Important Faces of the Manhattan Project

Secret History

Henry Stimson

Henry Stimson was appointed U.S. Secretary of War in 1911 under President William Howard Taft.  He continued to serve in various political positions under Presidents Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover.  Stimson was once again appointed to Secretary of War in 1940 under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. 

As head of the War Department, Stimson skillfully directed the rapid, tremendous expansion of the Army to a force of over ten million soldiers.  At 74 years of age, Stimson was energetic in his organization of America’s industrial and economic resources in the fight against Japan and Germany.

In addition, Stimson was the principle decision-maker for the Manhattan Project, with direct supervision over General Leslie Groves.  Stimson was referred to for his advice by both Presidents Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman.  He had the authority to and at times did overrule the military.  One example was that he removed Kyoto, a cultural center in Japan, from the target list for the atomic bomb.

For more information on Henry Stimson, visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_L._Stimson