R. E. Newell (I wish I knew the first name) was the earliest chief engineer of the Chalk River nuclear laboratory in Canada. Like others, he originated from chemical giant ICI in the United Kingdom. He is another of those characters who pop up in the history, only to vanish, and in his case it was probably due to his personality. The official Canadian nuclear historian mentions him as “unpopular.” When Great Britain began its nuclear push at the start of 1946, Newell came back temporarily to help kick off Christopher Hinton’s engineering efforts. My archival data includes him in 1946 and 1947, but by 1948 he has vanished from the scene (Googling him indicates he ended up running a chemical factory in England). Why the briefness of his presence? This March 1946 diary entry from Leonard Owen is a strong indicator:
Newell seems to know his stuff but seems only prepared to use his knowledge to prove the job can’t be done. Every suggestion is treated with a flood of ifs and buts and supposes. Perhaps it is long association with the physicists. … I don’t think he’s our man.
Owen, Leonard. 1946. Project diary, Feb. 1946 – Jan. 1950. AB 38/48. National Archives, Kew, United Kingdom, Mar. 5, 1946.
