Dorothy Scarritt McKibbin

Dorothy Scarritt McKibbin. In 1943, J. Robert Oppenheimer hand-picked Dorothy Scarritt McKibbin, a Smith College graduate, to run a liaison office for the Manhattan Project out of 109 East Palace Avenue in Santa Fe. Known as the "Gatekeeper of Los Alamos," McKibbin vetted all newly arriving scientists and their families before they embarked for "the Hill," the top-secret Manhattan Project Headquarters at what became Los Alamos. She oversaw vital day-to-day logistics, which included handling clearance credentials, processing paperwork for new employees, arranging their transportation to Los Alamos, and coordinating their housing once there., Reverse Side , (Continued) , McKibbin also provided social support to the Manhattan Project community. Entrusted with a top-secret "Q"security badge, she managed communications between scientists and the outside world during World War II. Her home, as the only secure private residence in Santa Fe for a time, hosted confidential meetings, social gatherings, and even weddings for scientists. Remembered for her warmth and generous spirit, McKibbin remained head of the Santa Fe office of the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory until her retirement in 1963., This is an official women's history marker established under the New Mexico Historic Women Marker Initiative.