Leslie Richard Groves
- Born:
- August 17, 1896, Albany, New York, USA
- Died:
- March 20, 1970, Washington, D.C., USA
- Nationality:
- American
- Profession(s):
- Military Engineer, United States Army Corps of Engineers
Early Life and Education
- Graduated fourth in his class from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1918.
- Studied at the Army Engineer School and the Command and General Staff College.
Career and Major Achievements
- Served in various engineering roles within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, including construction projects and command positions.
- In 1942, Colonel Leslie Richard Groves was assigned to oversee the construction of the Pentagon.
- Oversaw all aspects of the Manhattan Project from 1942 to 1946, including scientific research, site selection, construction, and security.
- Promoted to Brigadier General in 1944 and Lieutenant General in 1948.
- Served as Chief of the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project.
- Retired from the Army in 1961.
Notable Works
- Now It Can Be Told: The Story of the Manhattan Project (1962), a detailed account of his experiences leading the Manhattan Project.
Legacy and Impact
Lieutenant General Leslie Richard Groves played a crucial role in the development of the atomic bomb during World War II, a project that fundamentally altered the course of history. His leadership of the Manhattan Project resulted in the creation of a weapon that hastened the end of the war, though its use remains a subject of intense ethical debate. The biography general groves leslie r reveals him as a complex and controversial figure, remembered both for his exceptional organizational skills and for the weighty consequences of the project he directed.