8-6  Robert Lyle

Biography (Continued)...

After the war, he returned to Simplex.  In the 1950s, he worked for General Electric, he then worked as the Laboratory Manager of the National Electric Company in Ambridge, Pennsylvania, and later as Manager of the Laboratory of the Thermoid Division of H.K. Porter Co. in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  In 1965 he returned to Simplex Wire and Cable.

He came to Marshall, Texas in 1969, and worked in the Alcoa Research Laboratories at the Marshall plant, where he was the inventor of patented cable products.  After retirement, he was a consultant to CPI in Marshall, where he developed the standard for electrical testing of high voltage polyethylene insulation for the Electrical Power Research Institute.

On June 26, 1954 he married Isabel Duncan Smart at the First Baptist Church of Hyde Park.  Since 1970, he has been a member of the First Baptist Church of Marshall, Texas.  A great reader, a scientist, and a scholar of history and the Bible, he served for many years as a Deacon and Sunday School Teacher.  Bob was also a 50-year member of the Masons.

He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Isabel D. Lyle; a son, Robert Lyle IV; a daughter, Margaret I. Lyle; and a granddaughter, Elise Lyle Miller, all of Dallas, Texas
 

Manhattan Project Responsibilities:

First job was laying duckboards. Last job was collecting Y-12 production numbers and writing the report to be sent to higher headquarters.

Most Memorable Story:

Robert Lyle was trained as an infantryman before being transferred to the Manhattan Project.  Shortly after his arrival at Oak Ridge, soldiers with combat arms experience were trained in riot control in anticipation of a teamsters strike.  The strike didn't happen, but the riot troops were reorganized as the "Junior Commandos" to support the MPs.  Later they became an opportunity to give close order drill, and the "old sweats" got out.

The Army technical personnel were enlisted men, mostly privates.  The Navy commissioned their men as ensigns.  Since they had the same background and were doing the same work, and the ensigns were getting a lot more money, the soldiers declined to salute them.  Someone in authority got irritated at this and made an ensign stand on the street so MPs could take the names of the soldiers who didn't salute.  Every off-duty soldier ran out there and lined up around the block for their chance to not salute.
Nothing more was heard about saluting.