EG&G (The 1947 Bridge Company)
institutionDefense & Military-Industrial
A private company almost no one has heard of carried the bomb program's secrecy machinery into a permanent private secret state — for half a century.
Who they are
EG&G (Edgerton, Germeshausen & Grier), incorporated in 1947 — the same year as the National Security Act.
What they do
The 'bridge company' that took the Manhattan Project's methods out of the bomb program and into permanent private hands.
How it works
It grew out of MIT professor 'Doc' Edgerton's high-speed bomb-timing photography for the Manhattan Project, then became the government's prime contractor for timing, firing, and filming nuclear tests. Its Special Projects division ran Area 51 support and the secret 'Janet' airline. In 1999 it sold a division to the Carlyle Group and the parent renamed itself PerkinElmer.
Why it matters
It's the privatized secret state made flesh — a private company executing the government's most sensitive covert work across fifty years.
The engine's record — word for word
[Report #176 — Privatization Pipeline] The load-bearing bridge: the private company that carried the Manhattan plumbing out of the bomb program and into the permanent private secret state, incorporated the same year as the National Security Act. Edgerton, Germeshausen & Grier, incorporated Nov 1947, Massachusetts; founders Harold 'Doc' Edgerton (MIT), Kenneth Germeshausen, Herbert Grier; partnership predates (1931/1934). Grew out of Edgerton's high-speed-photography / precise bomb-timing work for the Manhattan Project (MIT ArchivesSpace; Harvard CHSI; O'Gorman & Hamilton). The AEC's prime contractor for timing, firing, and photographing nuclear tests (Nevada Test Site + Pacific); developed the Rapatronic camera, first deployed at Operation Greenhouse, Enewetak 1951 [DOE/NNSS; GovInfo]. Its Special Projects division ran Groom Lake / area_51 support and the classified 'Janet' airline (DC-6 from 1972, Boeing 737s from 1980; the 1972 start is standard but secondary-sourced). Employer of al_odonnell (the Roswell-encoding source). CORPORATE FATE [SEC 8-K, CIK 0000031791]: sold its Technical Services division to the carlyle_group for $250M (announced Jul 19, closed Aug 1999); SEPARATELY the PARENT company renamed itself PerkinElmer, Inc. (eff. Oct 26 1999, NYSE: PKI) after buying PerkinElmer's Analytical Instruments Division — NOT 'the instrument division renamed.' The privatized secret state incarnate: a private corporation executing the state's most sensitive covert functions across half a century.
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