[2] The building that housed the reactor was demolished to make way for the Marcus Nanotechnology Research Center.

The center is named for Frank H. Neely, a Georgia Tech graduate and businessman who organized the first Georgia Nuclear Advisory Commission, an essential step in the creation of the reactor and associated facilities.

[3] The center and associated reactor was built after campus president Blake R. Van Leer appointed a Nuclear Science Committee, which included Georgia Tech Research Institute director James E.

[4][5] The committee recommended the creation of a Radioisotopes Laboratory Facility and a large research reactor.

The laboratory was built and dedicated on January 7, 1959, and could receive, store, and process radioactive materials.