Harold Agnew’s son gives Lab never-before-seen photos, documents
When I arrived at Los Alamos in 2003, the Laboratory’s long-retired third director was still a very popular figure. He was so popular, in fact, that he enjoyed an honor typically reserved for only the most adored and outrageous pop stars and Brazilian footballers: He was known by one name. Back then, most Lab staff knew exactly who you were talking about when you referred to “Harold.” Harold Agnew was at the helm from 1970 – 1979, though his career here began when he was still just in his 20s. He was recruited to work on the U.S. government’s top-secret project to build the first atomic bombs and help bring a swift end to World War II. Harold died in 2013 at 92, but March 28 would have been his 100th birthday. Although he’s no longer here to celebrate with us, we can gain inspiration by remembering his remarkable life of service – and mischief. Both are now well-documented in the collections of the National Security Research Center (NSRC), the Lab’s classified library, which also includes unclassified pieces of our history. The NSRC’s newest addition to its collections comes from Harold’s son John Agnew, who just recently gave me a box of about 250 images and about 15 documents that belonged to his dad. The contents are nothing short of remarkable, one-of-a-kind, and in some cases, hilarious. As the NSRC staff are accessioning these pieces into the Lab’s collections, looking through these materials is a chance for me to remember our former director and my friend.