The Szilárd petition, drafted by scientist Leó Szilárd, was signed by 155 scientists working on the Manhattan Project in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and the Metallurgical Lab in Chicago, Illinois. It was circulated in July 1945 and asked President Harry S. Truman to consider an observed demonstration of the power of the atomic bomb first, before using it against people. However, the petition never made it through the chain of command to President Truman. It also was not declassified and made public until 1961.
Petition excerpt
: [W] e, the undersigned, respectfully petition: first, that you exercise your power as Commander-in Chief, to rule that the United States shall not resort to the use of atomic bombs in this war unless the terms which will be imposed upon Japan have been made public in detail and Japan knowing these terms has refused to surrender; second, that in such an event the question whether or not to use atomic bombs be decided by you in the light of the considerations presented in this petition as well as all the other moral responsibilities which are involved.[cite web | url = http://www.dannen.com/decision/45-07-17.html | title = A Petition to the President of the United States | work = Atomic Bomb: Decision, section of Leo Szilard Online] ]ignatories
The 70 signers at the Manhattan Project "Metallurgical Laboratory" in Chicago, in alphabetical order, with their positions, were:1. DAVID S. ANTHONY, Associate Chemist2. LARNED B. ASPREY, Junior Chemist, S.E.D.3. WALTER BARTKY, Assistant Director4. AUSTIN M. BRUES, Director, Biology Division5. MARY BURKE, Research Assistant6. ALBERT CAHN, JR., Junior Physicist7. GEORGE R. CARLSON, Research Assistant-Physics8. KENNETH STEWART COLE, Principal Bio-Physicist9. ETHALINE HARTGE CORTELYOU, Junior Chemist10. JOHN CRAWFORD, Physicist11. MARY M. DAILEY, Research Assistant12. MIRIAM P. FINKEL, Associate Biologist13. FRANK G. FOOTE, Metallurgist14. HORACE OWEN FRANCE, Associate Biologist15. MARK S. FRED, Research Associate-Chemistry16. SHERMAN FRIED, Chemist17. FRANCIS LEE FRIEDMAN, Physicist18. MELVIN S. FRIEDMAN, Associate Chemist19. MILDRED C. GINSBERG, Computer20. NORMAN GOLDSTEIN, Junior Physicist21. SHEFFIELD GORDON, Associate Chemist22. WALTER J. GRUNDHAUSER, Research Assistant23. CHARLES W. HAGEN, Research Assistant24. DAVID B. HALL, position not identified25. DAVID L. HILL, Associate Physicist, Argonne26. JOHN PERRY HOWE, JR., Associate Division Director, Chemistry27. EARL K. HYDE, Associate Chemist28. JASPER B. JEFFRIES, Junior Physicist, Junior Chemist29. WILLIAM KARUSH, Associate Physicist30. TRUMAN P. KOHMAN, Chemist-Research31. HERBERT E. KUBITSCHEK, Junior Physicist32. ALEXANDER LANGSDORF, JR., Research Associate33. RALPH E. LAPP, Assistant to Division Director34. LAWRENCE B. MAGNUSSON, Junior Chemist35. ROBERT JOSEPH MAURER, Physicist36. NORMAN FREDERICK MODINE, Research Assistant37. GEORGE S. MONK, Physicist38. ROBERT JAMES MOON, Physicist39. MARIETTA CATHERINE MOORE, Technician40. ROBERT SANDERSON MULLIKEN, Coordinator of Information41. J. J. NICKSON, [Medical Doctor, Biology Division] 42. WILLIAM PENROD NORRIS, Associate Biochemist43. PAUL RADELL O'CONNOR, Junior Chemist44. LEO ARTHUR OHLINGER, Senior Engineer45. ALFRED PFANSTIEHL, Junior Physicist46. ROBERT LEROY PLATZMAN, Chemist47. C. LADD PROSSER, Biologist48. ROBERT LAMBURN PURBRICK, Junior Physicist49. WILFRED RALL, Research Assistant-Physics50. MARGARET H. RAND, Research Assistant, Health Section51. WILLIAM RUBINSON, Chemist52. B. ROSWELL RUSSELL, position not identified53. GEORGE ALAN SACHER, Associate Biologist54. FRANCIS R. SHONKA, Physicist54. ERIC L. SIMMONS, Associate Biologist, Health Group56. JOHN A. SIMPSON, JR., Physicist57. ELLIS P. STEINBERG, Junior Chemist58. D. C. STEWART, S/SGT S.E.D.59. GEORGE SVIHLA, position not identified [Health Group] 60. MARGUERITE N. SWIFT, Associate Physiologist, Health Group61. LEO SZILARD, Chief Physicist62. RALPH E. TELFORD, position not identified63. JOSEPH D. TERESI, Associate Chemist64. ALBERT WATTENBERG, Physicist65. KATHERINE WAY, Research Assistant66. EDGAR FRANCIS WESTRUM, JR., Chemist67. EUGENE PAUL WIGNER, Physicist68. ERNEST J. WILKINS, JR., Associate Physicist69. HOYLANDE YOUNG, Senior Chemist70. WILLIAM F. H. ZACHARIASEN, Consultant
References
External links
* [http://www.dannen.com/decision/45-07-17.html Full text of the petition.]
* [http://www.atomicheritage.org/petition.htm "The Scientists' Petition:" A Forgotten Wartime Protest]
* [http://www.bio.indiana.edu/~gest/HGSzilard.html Howard Gest, "The July 1945 Szilard Petition on the Atomic Bomb: Memoir by a signer in Oak Ridge"]
