The Atomic Room

 Oppenheimer is expected to win big at tonight's Oscars.  The Sun Times today features a walking tour of the University of Chicago where many atomic age discoveries were made.  

There's another location downtown that I remember fondly amidst the excitement.

I was a low level staff member on Adlai Stevenson's second campaign.  Our headquarters were located at the old 69 West Washington building.  My job took place in a closed off room which I was told housed atomic secrets during World War II.  

What I, and my colleague MaryAnn, was doing was secret too.  We operated a little machine holding an ink pen which replicated Stevenson's signature.  We applied the signature to letters to important people.  The letters looked like they were "signed by hand."

So many secrets.  Everywhere.