Smith, Ralph Carlisle, 1910-1989

Ralph Carlisle Smith, born in West New York, New Jersey in 1910, served as the Assistant Director of the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory from 1947-1957. The Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory was established in 1943, at the former site of the Los Alamos Ranch School.

In 1942 Los Alamos was chosen by the United States government as the location for the Atomic Research Laboratory, then known as the Manhattan Project, which developed the first atomic bomb. After World War II, the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory developed the first hydrogen bomb. The laboratory, now called Los Alamos National Laboratory, is operated by the University of California under contract with the federal government and conducts solar and nuclear research.