Christ’s College, University of Cambridge (until 1926)
University of Göttingen, Germany (1926-1927)
Educational Qualification(s)
Summa cum Laude Bachelor of Arts (Chemistry major) from Harvard University
PhD in physics from University of Göttingen
Personal Life
Religion
Judaism
Address
Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America (at time of death)
Hobby
Reading and writing poetry
Cause of Death
Throat cancer
Relationships & More
Marital Status (at the time of death)
Married
Affairs/Girlfriends
Jean Frances Tatlock (politician, psychologist, physician, member of the Communist Party USA)
Katherine “Kitty” Oppenheimer (biologist, botanist, former member of the Communist Party USA)
Ruth Tolman (psychologist, professor)
Family
Father
Julius Seligmann Oppenheimer (migrated to the US in 1888
Mother
Ella
Siblings
Frank Friedman Oppenheimer (particle physicist, cattle rancher, professor of physics at the University of Colorado, founded Exploratorium in San Francisco, California, in 1969)
Spouse
Katherine 'Kitty' Oppenheimer
Children
Peter Oppenheimer (professor at the California Institute of Technology and the University of California at Berkeley)
Katherine 'Toni' Oppenheimer
Career
Awards
Medal for Merit from President Harry S. Truman (1946)
Enrico Fermi Award and a cash prize of $50,000 by the President of the United States (1963)
Enrico Fermi Award and a cash prize of $50,000 by President Lyndon B. Johnson (1964)
Notable Positions
Director of Los Alamos Laboratory (1943-1945)
Director of the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton (1947-1966)
Chairman of the General Advisory Committee of the Atomic Energy Commission (1947-1952)
Major Projects
Manhattan Project - oversaw research and design of the first atomic bomb
Trinity Test - present at the first nuclear weapons test on 16/07/1945 at Alamogordo, New Mexico
Scientific Contributions
Co-authored 'On Continued Gravitational Contraction' with Hartland Snyder (1939), which predicted the existence of black holes
Co-founder of the World Academy of Art and Science (1960) with Albert Einstein, Bertrand Russell, and Joseph Rotblat
Some Lesser Known Facts
1. J. Robert Oppenheimer was an American theoretical physicist who directed the Los Alamos Laboratory during Project Manhattan.
2. He hailed from an aristocratic, non-religious Ashkenazi Jewish family.
3. Oppenheimer excelled academically and showed a strong passion for English and French literature during his schooling.
4. After studying at Harvard University, he became deeply interested in Hindu sacred texts, particularly the Bhagavad Gita.
5. Oppenheimer was fluent in various languages, including Greek, Latin, French, German, Dutch, English, and Sanskrit.
6. He enjoyed drinking Martinis and smoking cigarettes, which led to instances of minor tuberculosis in his life.
7. Oppenheimer dabbled in equestrianism and owned two horses named Chico and Crisis, along with a German Shepherd.
8. He had a controversial incident where he attempted to strangle a friend who joked about marrying Oppenheimer’s girlfriend.
10. He was friends with the renowned scientist Albert Einstein and embraced Communist-influenced organizations in the United States.
11. The character of J. Robert Oppenheimer was portrayed by actor Cillian Murphy in the 2023 Hollywood film "Oppenheimer."
12. His ashes were scattered at sea off St. John in the US Virgin Islands following his death.
13. He was actively associated with the Weizmann Institute of Science at Rehovot, Israel from its inception and dedicated the Weizmann Institute of Nuclear Science in 1958.
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