Argonne was initially formed to carry out Enrico Fermi 's work on nuclear reactors as part of the Manhattan Project .
Argonne was designated as the first national laboratory in the United States on July 1 , 1946 .
Argonne was initially formed to carry out Enrico Fermi 's work on nuclear reactors as part of the Manhattan Project , and it was designated as the first national laboratory in the United States on July 1 , 1946 .