The rise of institutional confusion: A history of the United States Atomic Energy Commission's early leadership and culture

The United States bombed the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. The devastation generated by the atom awed American policy makers and the general public. Shortly after the assaults, the American government and public engaged in a national debate concerning the ownership of the new weapon. Through the legislative process, the U.S. Congress proposed a bill that established a civilian authority to supervise the manufacturing of nuclear weapons and control of the atomic arsenal. President Harry S. Truman approved the bill, the Atomic Energy Act of 1946, into law in 1946. The Congress and the President created the United States Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), an administratively unique government agency empowered to supervision nuclear weapons' production and custody.