Letter from Ellen Bradbury-Reid
"Ellen Bradbury-Reid, Director
Recursos de Santa Fe
510 Alto Street
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501
phone 505 982-9301 cell 505 577-9659
`
1. Did you ever meet Dr. Oppenheimer? What was he like?
I did meet him. It was after the fake trial and he was pretty beaten down. After he had done the most amazing thing, built and atomic bomb in 26 months, the politics and jealousy got him. He was very sad about how his life had turned out.
2. What did people think about him as a leader?
People at Los Alamos loved and admired him. He was perhaps the only person who could have pulled the project together and certainly those who worked with him were loyal and even his enemies acknowledged that he had been the right man for the job.
3. What do you think was Oppenheimer’s greatest legacy?
He would like to think that his greatest legacy was arms control, the idea that there need never be more atomic bombs, since we knew what they could do. And there have not been any used since August 1945. Many atomic tests, but no use in combat, that is good. I think he would be happy about that, but the thoughtful control of the weapons by civilians has been much harder and we are still struggling with it. The United Nations, various treaties and agreements have not yet totally made us feel comfortable about nuclear weapons. They are not very comfortable. They were designed to be so scared that we would not use them. What do you think about that idea?
Let me know how your project turns out. Good luck.
Ellen"
Recursos de Santa Fe
510 Alto Street
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501
phone 505 982-9301 cell 505 577-9659
`
1. Did you ever meet Dr. Oppenheimer? What was he like?
I did meet him. It was after the fake trial and he was pretty beaten down. After he had done the most amazing thing, built and atomic bomb in 26 months, the politics and jealousy got him. He was very sad about how his life had turned out.
2. What did people think about him as a leader?
People at Los Alamos loved and admired him. He was perhaps the only person who could have pulled the project together and certainly those who worked with him were loyal and even his enemies acknowledged that he had been the right man for the job.
3. What do you think was Oppenheimer’s greatest legacy?
He would like to think that his greatest legacy was arms control, the idea that there need never be more atomic bombs, since we knew what they could do. And there have not been any used since August 1945. Many atomic tests, but no use in combat, that is good. I think he would be happy about that, but the thoughtful control of the weapons by civilians has been much harder and we are still struggling with it. The United Nations, various treaties and agreements have not yet totally made us feel comfortable about nuclear weapons. They are not very comfortable. They were designed to be so scared that we would not use them. What do you think about that idea?
Let me know how your project turns out. Good luck.
Ellen"