Y-12 Blog
They were just children - high school and middle school students - thrust into an often painful and volatile national debate: the integration of our country’s public schools.
On September 6, 1955, only a year after the landmark United States Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education, 85 Black students from the Scarboro community walked into two then all-white schools - Oak Ridge High School and Robertsville Junior High School - and bravely broke a barrier as old as the country.
The occasion was met with some hostility, but no violence. The students will tell you they were harassed and called names, but the color barrier had been broken without major incidents. So quiet was the transition, it received little national attention. That would be reserved for later, in other parts of the South.
Many Oak Ridgers have known little about the integration efforts, but that is changing. The Black students who challenged the status quo are now known collectively as the Scarboro 85, and there are efforts underway to tell their stories to a larger audience.
“The Scarboro 85 don’t get the credit they are due,” says John Spratling, vice president of the Scarboro Community Alumni Association and a fifth-grade social studies teacher at Robertsville Middle School.
“In 1955, 85 brave, young Black students were the very first to enter all-White public schools in the Southeast,” he said.
Until recently, little has been mentioned of the events that took place in Oak Ridge in the fall of 1955. Oak Ridge’s story was overshadowed in the coming years by violent confrontations, political power plays, or even bombings in other communities, where change drew headlines.
Spratling points out that the Scarboro 85 integrated the Oak Ridge School system 5 years before 6-year-old Ruby Bridges became the lone Black student to integrate William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans. Oak Ridge’s integration happened 2 years before the Little Rock 9 were initially turned away from an all-white school by national guardsmen and faced a cursing, hate-filled mob. Oak Ridge’s desegregation even came a year before 12 students faced anger and threats of violence while entering a previously all-white school in nearby Clinton, where a firebombing took place two years later.
Spratling also says the pioneering Oak Ridge effort happened months before Ms. Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. rose to national prominence in the Montgomery bus boycott.
“Yet with all these major civil rights milestones, nowhere is the Scarboro 85 mentioned. This cannot be. They must get their rightful place in civil rights history,” Spratling said.
Spratling and others in Scarboro, a historically Black community in Oak Ridge, are making their voices heard over what they feel is an injustice not only to the Scarboro 85 but also to civil rights history. Spratling believes those Black students were “true American heroes” and he is determined to get their story out.
Spratling is a member of a group of Oak Ridgers who have begun raising funds for a permanent monument tol honor the Scarboro 85 in Bissell Park. It is a major effort, but if successful will provide a permanent record of the accomplishments of a group of young Black children who, in Spratling’s view, changed the world.
“Because of them, I am who I am. Without their sacrifices, I would not be where I am today,” he says.
A fundraising luncheon will be held on February 23 at the Doubletree Hotel in Oak Ridge, with civil rights leader Reverend Dr. Harold Middlebrook speaking. Consolidated Nuclear Security has supported many Scarboro events over the years and is proud to participate as a sponsor of this important event.
Five years after visiting Y-12 for Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day, University of Tennessee student Sarah Godfrey presented her project “Consolidation of Powders Through the Use of Additive Manufacturing” during the 2022 Intern Expo.
Y-12’s educational outreach efforts are focused on making students aware of possible careers, particularly in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This February, Y-12 will host the tenth year of Introduce a Girl to Engineering (IGTE).
Ideally, some of those girls attending IGTE will eventually seek employment at Y-12. That ideal became reality with Sarah Godfrey, who completed an internship during 2022 at Y-12 in the Development organization. This current senior in materials science at the University of Tennessee Knoxville credits IGTE with shaping her career path.
“I attended IGTE in February of 2017 during my sophomore year at Anderson County High School. I was so excited to see the booths of so many organizations promoting women in STEM,” said Godfrey.
Recalling her sophomore year, Godfrey said, “I had some decisions to make that would ultimately impact what I did after graduation.” With no other classmates considering engineering, she said, “It didn’t feel like a career in engineering was in reach until I attended that event.”
Initially, Godfrey considered chemical engineering because she loved chemistry. However, she was exposed to materials science while attending the Governor’s School in 2019, and her academic career was set.
From left, Jalonda Thompson, University of Tennessee Tickle College of Engineering, with Sarah and Karah Godfrey at Introduce a Girl to Engineering in 2017. Y-12 National Security Complex hosts the annual event with the goal of introducing more young women to careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
From the classroom to research and development
Godfrey admitted that she had never really known what went on at Y-12, and she was impressed with the levels of collaboration and innovation in Development. “Even as an intern, my ideas and hypotheses were taken seriously,” Godfrey said. She explained that someone was always available to teach and train her.
Noting that most any STEM major can learn new skills to work on any project, Godfrey said, “I found this knowledge compelling. At Y-12, there is always room to learn new things.”
What’s next?
While Godfrey finishes her senior year at UTK, she is also starting coursework for her master’s degree in material science and engineering. She plans to graduate in the spring of 2024 and is open to employment with Y-12 or a similar industry.
Godfrey hopes to continue studying additive manufacturing. “The expansion of additive manufacturing to include metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites creates many opportunities to continue research for other applications,” she said.
For other young women who want to follow in her footsteps, Godfrey has advice. “Although it may seem daunting, there are other women who are doing it,” she said. “There will always be a community to support you. You should do it!”
A poster produced in the 1990s paid tribute to the Seawolf submarine.
The removal of a big machine at Y-12’s Alpha-1 facility is a big deal.
A large mill used to produce the first propulsor for the legendary Seawolf submarine has been dismantled. It took three years for Y-12 to build the propulsor, but only a few months to take down the machine used for the project.
In 1989, the U.S. Navy launched a plan to build the propulsor for the then new Seawolf. The propulsor is the device used to propel a marine vessel, which includes the propellers, water jets, and other components. The part was needed to make the fast sub quieter. For decades, attack submarines had reputations for being either fast or quiet, but never both. Fast subs could be heard by adversaries who were considerable distances away. The Seawolf task needed specific expertise and scheduling requirements, as well as advanced materials and technologies.
Making connections
“Through a connection at ORNL (Oak Ridge National Laboratory), the Navy found out about us,” said Y-12 Uranium Transformation Director John Gertsen, who was part of the propulsor team. “The Navy had to find the right kind of shop for extensive and complex machining and fabrication. ORNL said, ‘We can introduce you to Y-12.’”
This five-axis mill has been dismantled at Alpha-1. The machine was instrumental in the production of a propulsor for the first Seawolf submarine.
The Navy explored other possible contractors, but “they knew we were capable of doing it,” Gertsen said. “Other vendors couldn’t do it, wouldn’t do it, or they wanted the Navy to build a new factory for it. The Navy came back to us.” Y-12 began work on the propulsor in 1990.
Although Y-12 had most of the equipment to build the part, the plant still needed additional machinery. This included a special five-axis, computer-controlled milling machine and a lathe. The milling machine was used to create complex shapes for the propulsor, while the lathe fashioned rings for the propulsor.
“We were given DX (a rating assigned to programs of the highest national importance) priority to get the next one coming out of the factory,” Gertsen recalled. “They told the other customer, ‘Yours is going to be late.’”
Big dismantlement with a small crew
Now, a few decades later, the mill was the focus of the recent dismantlement.
“It is a fairly small, eight-person crew that has been working on it,” said Ross Sampson, production support manager at Alpha-1, which was command central for the Seawolf propulsor project. “I’ve been involved in some other dismantlements, but nothing of this capacity.” The $2.3 million endeavor began in early September 2022.
“Despite the size of the machine, we were able to efficiently remove it,” Sampson said. “We had a high-capacity overhead crane and an experienced demolition crew. We were very strategic about how we dismantled this machine, in order to do it safely.”
The milling machine occupied a 5,000 square foot space.
“That is really just a drop in the bucket in terms of space,” Sampson said. “Alpha-1 as a whole is 278,000 square feet. But that is very valuable space.” The mill’s former space has been spoken for and will hold equipment used for special processes.
Massive equipment
The impressive 26-foot vertical turning machine was brought in as the centerpiece of the Alpha-1W wing, which was specifically added for the propulsor project. The lathe was bought used and shipped on a barge from Chattanooga.
“We needed this lathe,” Gertsen said. “It had to be big enough to do the machining on a 20-foot diameter part.” The massive lathe remains.
At one time, an area was dedicated to a large coordinate measuring machine, also purchased for the Seawolf project.
“That was a probe instead of a cutting tool,” Gertsen explained. “You probed the part to measure the surface and specific shapes. Certain shapes were important when it came to noise generation.” Sampson said that machine was removed from Alpha-1 a decade or so ago.
The propulsor was delivered in three subassemblies to submarine-maker General Dynamics in Connecticut, two via waterway. One of the pieces shown here is being loaded onto a barge in 1993..
In 1993, Y-12 completed the propulsor on schedule and within budget. It was divided into three subassemblies and delivered to General Dynamics in Connecticut, which built the Seawolf submarine. One part went by road in an oversize truck, and the other two made the trip via barge, starting from Oak Ridge and using the Tennessee River system. The Seawolf sub was commissioned in 1997.
Y-12 also did the model work and manufacturing design for the test propulsor for the Navy’s Virginia class submarine, made the third subassembly for the second Seawolf class submarine, crafted spare parts for the propulsors, and then transferred the process to a Navy shipyard.
Good for Y-12, the country
Although some of the machines used to help make Seawolf a stealthy vessel are no longer part of Alpha-1, the memories of that time will always ring loud for Gertsen.
“It was kind of like ‘The Hunt for Red October,’ except in that case it was the Soviets coming out with the quiet submarine,” he said. “The project gave us a real sense of accomplishment. People were proud to work on it. It showed us we can do things that are good for us [Y-12] and good for the country.”
Cultivating contracts with small businesses is a component of Consolidated Nuclear Security’s overall mission at Pantex and Y-12, a goal passed down from the Small Business Administration through the U.S. Department of Energy.
Each year, Consolidated Nuclear Security (CNS) establishes a small business goal that aligns with the National Nuclear Security Administration’s and the U.S. Department of Energy’s commitment to supporting the growth of small business engagement in subcontracting. In Fiscal Year 2022, CNS Supply Chain exceeded the small business percentage goal.
“CNS Supply Chain is proud of its history of supporting small businesses at both the Pantex and Y-12 sites,” said Rick Hillert, director of Procurement Operations. “As the economy is ever changing, we now more than ever look to our small business partners to team with CNS to provide an environment of collaboration and communication for our mutual success in completing the mission.”
Additionally, CNS exceeded four of the five small business socioeconomic goals in FY 2022 through the efforts of many, including Supply Chain Management procurement representatives and Enterprise Business Management personnel.
Randy Crawford and Greta Ownby are the Small Business Program managers at Pantex and Y-12, respectively.
“Small business is an essential part of our nation’s economy,” Crawford said.
In fact, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, more than 99% of the nation’s 37 million businesses are categorized as small (fewer than 500 employees.)
“Subcontracting with businesses supports delivery and attainment of CNS's mission success,” Ownby said. “Small businesses are an important part of that initiative.”
CNS Supply Chain established Partners in Excellence meetings to enhance small business relationships with CNS and large contractors. By sharing upcoming subcontract opportunities and providing a direct connection to the CNS procurement staff, businesses are able to learn about upcoming opportunities and network with other businesses for potential partnerships.
One way CNS supports small business is through the Mentor Protégé Program. Additionally, Ownby and Crawford attend local and national conferences and meetings, trade shows, and outreach events to cultivate small business relationships.
“For Fiscal Year 2023, we took a hard look at all of the opportunities that will be available for small business participation and expanded our small business goals,” Hillert said.
Small businesses interesting in partnering with CNS can find more resources at this link.
Alyssa Gibson is a current Veteran to Engineer intern working in both Waste Management and Piping/Processing Facility Design while earning her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.
“What am I going to do when I grow up?”
It is a common phrase uttered by the roughly 200,000 service members who exit the military each year. Transitioning from military service into civilian life is pretty challenging.
Fortunately, CNS has multiple veteran and service member friendly programs to assist during that time, one of those being the Veteran to Engineer Program (VTE). The program is sponsored by Mission Engineering at both Pantex and Y-12 for interested veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces to pursue an engineering degree from an accredited university with the goal of follow on employment with CNS post-graduation.
Alyssa Gibson is a current full-time VTE intern who also serves as a sergeant in the Army National Guard. In her role as a crew chief on a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter, Gibson assists in search and rescue operations in the region with the Medical Evacuation Unit stationed out of Knoxville’s McGhee Tyson Airport. She has previously served as a combat engineer and deployed with a multinational NATO Task Force to Poland in support of Atlantic Resolve.
Now Gibson is focusing on her long-term goal of becoming an engineer. She currently splits her time in the program working as an engineering intern with Waste Management and Piping/Processing Facility Design while pursuing her mechanical engineering degree at Pellissippi State Community College with future transfer to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
“I was excited to be able to work here in the field I wanted while the Army paid for my schooling using the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill,” she said. “It’s an opportunity to pursue my goal of becoming an engineer, having started over a decade ago, without completely restructuring my life.”
With 12 current program participants between both sites, veterans have a plethora of disciplines from which to choose. “As long as they are actively pursuing an engineering discipline, for example, mechanical, electrical, civil, nuclear, chemical, structural, systems, industrial, software, etc., from an ABET accredited university program and a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces, they are eligible,” said Kevin Mattern, Y-12 VTE program manager. “Interns will typically rotate into various areas of the plant and my job is to find an engineering home for them to be value added both personally and to the organization while finishing their degree.”
Mattern continued, “The VTE Program is a huge benefit to CNS, the national security mission, and the veteran. It’s a win/win for everyone. The mission manager gains additional support during the internship period, and the veteran gains experience and skills to be successful post-graduation.”
That is something with which Daniel Sims, piping lead for Y-12’s Piping/Chemical Design, agrees. “Aly is able to handle smaller projects to gain experience in this stage of her career while we’re focused on larger more complicated designs. It’s been great to have her involved, ready to learn, and take on tasks she can manage with a little oversight from us. She is going to do well.”
Gibson said of being in the Veteran to Engineer Program, “It’s an opportunity to pursue my goal of becoming an engineer without completely restructuring my life.”
Working in multiple disciplines has allowed Gibson to see the big picture of how the different pieces of the mission intertwine and work together. “It makes me a more well-rounded person so when I do get to my actual job later on, I’ll be able to complete my work knowing how decisions I make affect others down the line,” Gibson said. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve come across things here at the plant that relate to stuff I’m learning at school or something suddenly makes sense to the Blackhawk I’m on.”
As a veteran himself, Mattern mentioned, “The military gives you a ton of life experience and skills that don’t necessarily directly translate into civilian life. Having the VTE Program helps veterans during that transition period to figure out where they fit in.”
When asked about her overall experience in the program, Gibson said, “The folks here are great. Everyone here wants to see me succeed, and I’m given a lot of support towards that eventual goal of joining CNS as a full-time engineer.”
If you or someone you know is interested in participating in the VTE Program, more information can be found online or by emailing VetsToEngineers@pxy12.doe.gov.