Robert Furman
Encyclopedia
Robert R. Furman was a civil engineer
who during World War II
was the chief of foreign intelligence for the Manhattan Engineer District directing espionage against the German nuclear energy project
. The depth of his involvement during the war was only revealed in the few years before his death.
As a civil engineer he was a key figure overseeing the construction of The Pentagon
building and later in life founded Furman Builders Inc.
. He attended Princeton University
and graduated in 1937 with a degree in civil engineering
.
In December 1940, Furman was activated as a member of the United States Army Reserve
and assigned to the Quartermaster Corps construction division where he oversaw day-to-day construction of The Pentagon
. He was overseen in this work by Leslie Groves
. When the building was completed in 1943, Groves was reassigned to the "Manhattan Project" and brought his aide, Furman, with him. In August 1943 Furman was put in charge of an intelligence effort formed by Groves in response to concerns of the atomic bomb project scientists about the German nuclear effort. As director of intelligence Furman was responsible for ascertaining the progress the Germans were making, a series of operations with the intent to place all uranium in Europe into allied hands, and at the end of the war rounding up German atomic scientists and keeping them out of the Soviet Union
. He also participated in missions on the front lines, including a daring commando raid into Belgium to seize a sample of German uranium under sniper fire. In July 1945, he personally escorted half of the uranium necessary for the atomic bomb Little Boy
to Tinian.
He left the army the year after the war ended and founded Furman Builders Inc. in Rockville, Maryland
, which built hundreds of structures including the U.S. embassy in Nicaragua. He married in 1952; he and his wife had four children and for the most part kept quiet about his exploits during the war. He died on October 14, 2008 at Buckingham's Choice retirement community in Adamstown, Maryland
of metastatic melanoma
at the age of 93.
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
who during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
was the chief of foreign intelligence for the Manhattan Engineer District directing espionage against the German nuclear energy project
German nuclear energy project
The German nuclear energy project, , was an attempted clandestine scientific effort led by Germany to develop and produce the atomic weapons during the events involving the World War II...
. The depth of his involvement during the war was only revealed in the few years before his death.
As a civil engineer he was a key figure overseeing the construction of The Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
building and later in life founded Furman Builders Inc.
Biography
He was born on August 21, 1915, in Trenton, New JerseyTrenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
. He attended Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
and graduated in 1937 with a degree in civil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
.
In December 1940, Furman was activated as a member of the United States Army Reserve
United States Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....
and assigned to the Quartermaster Corps construction division where he oversaw day-to-day construction of The Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
. He was overseen in this work by Leslie Groves
Leslie Groves
Lieutenant General Leslie Richard Groves, Jr. was a United States Army Corps of Engineers officer who oversaw the construction of the Pentagon and directed the Manhattan Project that developed the atomic bomb during World War II. As the son of a United States Army chaplain, Groves lived at a...
. When the building was completed in 1943, Groves was reassigned to the "Manhattan Project" and brought his aide, Furman, with him. In August 1943 Furman was put in charge of an intelligence effort formed by Groves in response to concerns of the atomic bomb project scientists about the German nuclear effort. As director of intelligence Furman was responsible for ascertaining the progress the Germans were making, a series of operations with the intent to place all uranium in Europe into allied hands, and at the end of the war rounding up German atomic scientists and keeping them out of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. He also participated in missions on the front lines, including a daring commando raid into Belgium to seize a sample of German uranium under sniper fire. In July 1945, he personally escorted half of the uranium necessary for the atomic bomb Little Boy
Little Boy
"Little Boy" was the codename of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 by the Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay, piloted by Colonel Paul Tibbets of the 393rd Bombardment Squadron, Heavy, of the United States Army Air Forces. It was the first atomic bomb to be used as a weapon...
to Tinian.
He left the army the year after the war ended and founded Furman Builders Inc. in Rockville, Maryland
Rockville, Maryland
Rockville is the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a major incorporated city in the central part of Montgomery County and forms part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. The 2010 U.S...
, which built hundreds of structures including the U.S. embassy in Nicaragua. He married in 1952; he and his wife had four children and for the most part kept quiet about his exploits during the war. He died on October 14, 2008 at Buckingham's Choice retirement community in Adamstown, Maryland
Adamstown, Maryland
Adamstown is an unincorporated community located in Frederick County, Maryland, USA. It is named for Adam Kohlenberg , a station agent and first town merchant who owned much of present-day Adamstown.- Events :...
of metastatic melanoma
Melanoma
Melanoma is a malignant tumor of melanocytes. Melanocytes are cells that produce the dark pigment, melanin, which is responsible for the color of skin. They predominantly occur in skin, but are also found in other parts of the body, including the bowel and the eye...
at the age of 93.