My seven-year-old daughter clearly has my number

Typically, Katie and I take turns reading the girls their bedtime stories. Lately, however, Savannah has insisted night after night that only her dad could read her stories. After a couple weeks of this, Katie asked Savannah why she always wanted me to read and not her. Savannah explained that sometimes she can talk me into reading extra pages (we are reading from an enormous library book about space, so we just read 4 pages a day). Then she said, "And after dad's done with my story, if I hurry and ask him lots of questions, I can get him to stay and answer them."

Oh goody. My seven-year-old is playing me like a fiddle.

J. C. Penney Company and the Atomic Bomb (part 2)

Here are some more articles from the J. C. Penney publication Pay Day:

"Laboratory Associates at Atomic Bomb Tests," April 1955

"Charles W. Dorn, Laboratory head, and James Fynn, assistant, were invited to attend the recent Atomic Test Program of the Federal Civil Defense Administration's Operation 'Q' as project consultants on textiles."

"'The Penney Company clothed 75 mannikins [sic] for the operation. Fifty were placed in houses and trailer homes while the remaining 25 were placed in the open at various distances from the point of explosion' Mr. Dorn explained. Two years ago the Company furnished clothing for mannikins [sic] used in similar tests."

"Help in Exposing Fabrics"

"Mr. Dorn and Mr. Fynn also cooperated with the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists, an organization in which they are both active members, in exposing over 300 fabric samples to atomic radiation. The samples were composed of various textile fibers ranging in color from black through the intermediate shades to white."

"Known as 'open shot tests,' their purpose was to test certain effects of an atomic blast on an imaginary civilian population and installations. Between 1500 and 2,000 persons in industry participated."


"FCDA Honors Lab Heads and Company," August-September 1955

"The Federal Civilian Defense Administration recently presented to Penney's a public service award certificate for its contribution to the National Defense through participation in the Civil Defense Atomic Test program at the Nevada test site last spring."

"The Company contributed fabrics and clothing for a test conducted by the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists during Operation Cue, the atomic explosion set off May 5. Over 300 combinations of various fabrics were exposed at varying distances from ground zero, the point of explosion, to judge the effects of the intense radiation generated in a nuclear reaction on textile fibers. Mannikins [sic] clothed by the Penney Company were also exposed both indoors and outdoors."

"Individual Awards Given"

"C.W. Dorn, head of the Central Office laboratory, and P. J. Fynn, his assistant, spent nearly a month on the test site to prepare and set up the experiments. In appreciation of their participation in the test, they were awarded individual certificates from the Federal Civilian Administration and the Atomic Energy Commission."

[I hope they used the certificates as toilet paper!]

"Operation Cue occurred near the end of a series of 'shots' or atomic explosions designated as Operation Teapot. A part of the AEC research program on nuclear explosion devices, Operation Cue was conducted by the FCDA as an industry participation program in an attempt to work out some of the problems of protecting life and property in the event of atomic attack. Private industry was encouraged to experiment by exposing standard and special installations of material with the purpose of determining the effects of an atomic explosion."

"All material used in the test was shipped to Lowell, Mass., headquarters of the AATCC, for photographing and study. Mr. Dorn recently visited Lowell to examine the fabrics. Results of the textile experiments were given in a technical paper presented at the annual convention of the AATCC in Atlantic City in September."

J. C. Penney Company and the Atomic Bomb (part 1)

Yesterday, I wrote a Facebook post about my family's connection to the A bomb tests conducted in the 1950s and 1960s at the Nevada Test Site. (My parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents were downwinders.)

Today my boss showed me a series of articles published in JCP Co.'s Pay Day discussing the involvement of the Penney company in the testing of the atom bomb. As a professional historian, I found it very interesting -- an aspect of the A Bomb testing I had never heard of before. With my boss's permission, I am going to share some of the articles.

"Director of Penney Laboratory Attends Nevada A Bomb Test" Pay Day April 1953

"C.W. Dorn, head of the Penney Company's scientific testing and research laboratory, was chosen to represent the National Retail Dry Goods association at the atom bomb test held March 17 near Las Vegas, Nev."

"At the NRDGA's request, Penney's, through its Las Vegas store and with Mr. Dorn's supervision, supplied clothing for more than 50 mannequins which participated in the experiment. The dummies, clothed in all types of winter and summer wear, were placed at varying distances from the explosion."

"The clothing will be displayed throughout the United States to illustrate the blast's effects on various textile fibers."


Uh, Mr. Dorn, I don't think you ought to attend the test . . .


"Research Head Reviews Atomic Blast Effects on Penney Clothing" Pay Day August 1953

"Charles Dorn, director of Penney's research laboratory and chairman of the Technical Committee, NRDGA, recently reviewed "Operation Doorstep," the atomic blast test conducted near Las Vegas on March 17, 1953, which included examination of the effects of heat radiation and flying debris on clothing, as well as homes, shelters and automobiles in the blast area."

"His article, Textiles in an Atomic Blast, appeared in the July 1953 issue of Stores, published by the National Retail Dry Goods Association."

"In 'Operation Doorstep' fifty mannequins were dressed from clothing in the stock of the J.C. Penney Company. They were placed in living quarters of the houses, outside, in indoor shelters and in cars to simulate everyday conditions. The nuclear device was exploded on top of a 300 foot tower and had an equivalent of 15,000 tons of TNT."

"Examining the clothing after the blast, [I do hope you wore gloves and a protective suit. Mr. Dorn!] Mr. Dorn found that textiles could be damaged by both flying debris and thermal radiation. [My, how very shocking! Who'd've thought?] Thermal radiation damaged unprotected textiles even at a distance of two miles from ground zero."

"He found that because dark colors absorb heat they caused more difficulty than light colors, which reflect light waves. Mr. Dorn also noted that thermoplastic textiles could cause severe burns through fusing as a result of the radiation."

"In his article he also recommended that when the opportunity permitted, a more scientific test should be made. Fabrics should be spread on frames at varying distances from ground zero, with proper instruments for recording the effects of the blast. The fabrics should include all textile fibers and a complete range of light to dark shades."


Uh, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Mr. Dorn, but it doesn't really matter what kind of J C Penney clothing people are wearing when exposed to an atomic blast. They are all equally screwed.

The Trouble with being Short

An irate Savannah: "Dad, you have the shortest legs in the history of legs!"

Legs have a history? I don't think that's been chronicled yet. One of my fellow historians ought to get on that!

(Context: Either I am too short, or the chairs in the cultural hall in our church building are too tall. If I sit in a chair and put my feet on the ground, I cannot provide children wishing to sit on my lap a... level surface. It's more like they are balancing precariously on a downward sloping slide. That would be okay, except when I am wearing a suit and my daughters are wearing dresses, they slide right off my lap. Savannah wanted me to color with her in her coloring book today while she sat on my lap, and got really frustrated by the fact that she kept falling victim to gravity, as did the coloring book. She urged me to grow longer legs to solve the problem. I told her I could keep her safely planted on my lap if I wrapped my arms around her. She found this unacceptable because it would mean I couldn't color with her.

Maybe I'll start bringing a small step-stool with me to church each week.)

Too Many Cooks, or the Girls Plan a Surprise for their Mother

Several evenings over the course of the last couple weeks, after Katie and I had tucked the girls in bed, they stayed awake chatting for quite some time. When we asked them what they were doing, they said they were working on a surprise for their mother.

A few days ago, Savannah told Katie that she and her sisters were trying to stay up until after the parents went to sleep so they could carry out their plans in secret. Katie told her they couldn't do that. So Savannah came to me with a dilemma. She whispered in my ear that they wanted to surprise Katie with breakfast in bed, but couldn't figure out when to do it. Katie, she said, always went to bed too early, but still got up in the morning before they did. I suggested that they do it on a Saturday or Sunday morning, when Katie could sleep in. And Savannah said that her mom would still get up before them. I told her the way around that was to ask Katie to stay in bed while they put together their surprise.

I soon found myself recruited to help them carry out their plans. We selected Saturday April 12th to "surprise" Katie. Upon awakening in the morning, the girls were supposed to come get me. At 3:50 a.m., a very anxious and excited Colette (age 4) woke me up and asked me if it was time to make mommy breakfast. I told her no and shepherded her back to bed, much to her dismay. I told her she would know it was time when she woke up and saw sunlight. Colette returned at 7:48 to inform me that the sun was up. I talked her into waiting until her sisters joined us, which they did twelve minutes later.

And then, off to the kitchen we went to make cinnamon toast. Savannah and Leila argued over who would carry out which part of the procedure. In the end, they decided that each of them would custom-make their own cinnamon toast for Katie, rather than create it in an assembly line-style format. When the toast was ready, Savannah asked to make scrambled eggs as a "side dish." I denied her request and she fled the room in tears. Colette, meanwhile, picked out two yogurts and a bottle of water for Katie. Then we marched into the bedroom, with Savannah carrying the plate of toast and yogurt, Leila carrying the water, and Colette carrying the spoon.

chefs at work. 

Ready to march. 

Marching. 

After Katie was served, the breakfast-in-bed program snowballed. The girls announced that they were now going to give *me* breakfast in bed! They ordered me to stay in the bedroom, then went off and made cinnamon toast, this time without adult supervision. After delivering my food, they got the crazy idea to make each other breakfast in bed. I heard Colette call out, "I'll be waiting in my bed!" as she raced down the hall and leaped onto her bed. Savannah and Leila dutifully served Colette breakfast, then Katie got up and served breakfast in bed to her oldest two daughters.

Above: Savannah holding the plate of food the girls brought to me. Photography by Leila.

Right: Savannah and Leila holding the food they made for Colette.

Left: Colette having breakfast in bed.

 Below:  The food Katie made for Savannah and Leila.

Below: Leila eating breakfast in bed. 

Above: Savannah eating breakfast in bed.

Above: All three girls eating breakfast in bed.

A surprise for the whole family!