Groves, Leslie Richard (1896–1970), a United States army officer. Groves was in charge of the Manhattan Engineer District, the organization that developed the first atomic bomb, 1942–47. Groves was born in Albany, New York. After graduating from West Point in 1918 he became an army engineer. He was made a brigadier general in 1942. Groves retired in 1948 with the rank of lieutenant general and entered private industry. He wrote of his wartime experiences in Now It Can Be Told (1961).