Editing Manhattan Project (section)

=== Military Policy Committee ===
[[File:Trinity Test - Oppenheimer and Groves at Ground Zero 002.jpg|thumb|upright|[[J. Robert Oppenheimer|Oppenheimer]] and Groves at the remains of the [[Trinity (nuclear test)|Trinity test]] in September 1945, two months after the test blast and just after the end of World War II. The white overshoes prevented fallout from sticking to the soles of their shoes.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=17 September 1945 |url=https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,854500,00.html |title=Science:Atomic Footprint |access-date=19 January 2022}}</ref>|alt=A man smiling in a suit in suit and one in a uniform chat around a pile of twisted metal.]]
Vannevar Bush became dissatisfied with Colonel Marshall's failure to get the project moving forward expeditiously<ref>{{harvnb|Hewlett|Anderson|1962|p=81}}.</ref> and felt that more aggressive leadership was required. He spoke to [[Harvey Bundy]] and Generals Marshall, Somervell, and Styer about his concerns, advocating that the project be placed under a senior policy committee, with a prestigious officer, preferably Styer, as director.<ref name="Fine 1972 657" />

Somervell and Styer selected Groves for the post; General Marshall ordered that he be promoted to brigadier general,<ref name="Jones, pp. 74-77">{{harvnb|Jones|1985|pp=74–77}}.</ref> as it was felt that the title "general" would hold more sway with the academic scientists working on the project.<ref name="Groves, pp. 4-5">{{harvnb|Groves|1962|pp=4–5}}.</ref> Groves' orders placed him directly under Somervell rather than Reybold, with Colonel Marshall now answerable to Groves.<ref>{{harvnb|Fine|Remington|1972|pp=659–661}}.</ref> Groves established his headquarters in Washington, D.C., in the [[Harry S. Truman Building|New War Department Building]], where Colonel Marshall had his liaison office.<ref>{{harvnb|Groves|1962|pp=27–28}}.</ref> He assumed command of the Manhattan Project on 23 September 1942. Later that day, he attended a meeting called by Stimson, which established a Military Policy Committee, responsible to the Top Policy Group, consisting of Bush (with Conant as an alternate), Styer and [[Rear Admiral (United States)|Rear Admiral]] [[William R. Purnell]].<ref name="Jones, pp. 74-77" /> Tolman and Conant were later appointed as Groves' scientific advisers.<ref>{{harvnb|Groves|1962|pp=44–45}}.</ref>

On 19 September, Groves went to [[Donald M. Nelson|Donald Nelson]], the chairman of the War Production Board, and asked for broad authority to issue a AAA rating whenever it was required. Nelson initially balked but quickly caved in when Groves threatened to go to the President.<ref>{{harvnb|Groves|1962|pp=22–23}}.</ref> Groves promised not to use the AAA rating unless it was necessary. It soon transpired that for the routine requirements of the project the AAA rating was too high but the AA-3 rating was too low. After a long campaign, Groves finally received AA-1 authority on 1 July 1944.<ref>{{harvnb|Jones|1985|pp=80–82}}.</ref> According to Groves, "In Washington you became aware of the importance of top priority. Most everything proposed in the Roosevelt administration would have top priority. That would last for about a week or two and then something else would get top priority".{{sfn|Ermenc|1989|p=238}}

One of Groves' early problems was to find a director for [[Project Y]], the group that would design and build the bomb. The obvious choice was one of the three laboratory heads, Urey, Lawrence, or Arthur Compton, but they could not be spared. Compton recommended Oppenheimer, who was already intimately familiar with the bomb design concepts. However, Oppenheimer had little administrative experience, and, unlike Urey, Lawrence, and Compton, had not won a Nobel Prize, which many scientists felt that the head of such an important laboratory should have. There were also concerns about Oppenheimer's security status, as many of his associates were [[Communism|communists]], including his wife, [[Katherine Oppenheimer|Kitty]]; his girlfriend, [[Jean Tatlock]]; and his brother, [[Frank Oppenheimer|Frank]]. A long conversation in October 1942 convinced Groves and Nichols that Oppenheimer thoroughly understood the issues involved in setting up a laboratory in a remote area and should be appointed as its director. Groves personally waived the security requirements and issued Oppenheimer's clearance on 20 July 1943.<ref>{{harvnb|Groves|1962|pp=61–63}}.</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Nichols|1987|pp=72–73}}.</ref>