J. Robert Oppenheimer

J. Robert Oppenheimer, circa 1944

Julius Robert Oppenheimer (April 22, 1904 – February 18, 1967), the “father of the atomic bomb,” was an American theoretical physicist.

During World War II, Oppenheimer served as director of the Los Alamos Laboratory, which was part of the Manhattan Project that developed the first atomic weapons. During the Red Scare of the 1950s, he was accused of being a communist sympathizer, and his security clearance was revoked in 1954 (but posthumously reinstated in 2022). Oppenheimer passed away from throat cancer in 1967.

Learn more about J. Robert Oppenheimer through historical newspapers from our archives. Explore newspaper articles, headlines, images, and other primary sources below.

Articles and Clippings about J. Robert Oppenheimer

"Matter Found in Radiation, Says U.C. Man" 29 Dec 1933, Fri The San Francisco Examiner (San Francisco, California) Newspapers.com"Physicists Find Electronic Clues" "However, They Can't Tell Exactly When Rays Create Electrons" 03 Mar 1934, Sat The Buffalo News (Buffalo, New York) Newspapers.com"The Development of the Atomic Bomb" By Henry L. Stimson, Secretary of War 06 Aug 1945, Mon Evening Star (Washington, District of Columbia) Newspapers.com"Bombs Made In Secret At Los Alamos Since '42" 06 Aug 1945, Mon The Gallup Independent (Gallup, New Mexico) Newspapers.com"Atom Expert Is Mystery Man" 07 Aug 1945, Tue Grimsby Evening Telegraph (Grimsby, Humberside, England) Newspapers.com"Radioactivity Of Bomb Gets Denial Today" 08 Aug 1945, Wed The Sheboygan Press (Sheboygan, Wisconsin) Newspapers.com"Dr. Oppenheimer Continues Atomic Bomb Research" 08 Aug 1945, Wed Metropolitan Pasadena Star-News (Pasadena, California) Newspapers.com"Hope for Future Sustained Developers of Atomic Bomb" 10 Aug 1945, Fri Evening Star (Washington, District of Columbia) Newspapers.com"Skilled Artisans Labor On Secret Santa Fe-Y Project" 27 Aug 1945, Mon St. Cloud Times (Saint Cloud, Minnesota) Newspapers.com"Caltech Atom Expert Quits Government Post" 18 Oct 1945, Thu The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California) Newspapers.com"Say Atom Discoveries Weaken U.S. Position" 18 Oct 1945, Thu The Knoxville News-Sentinel (Knoxville, Tennessee) Newspapers.com"U.S. Decorates A-Bomb Wizard" 06 Mar 1946, Wed The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California) Newspapers.com"Atom Specialist Guilding Advanced Study Institute" 28 Dec 1947, Sun The Tampa Tribune (Tampa, Florida) Newspapers.com"Wizard of Atoms" "Shy Genius With Crew Haircut Was Gee-Whiz Kid Before He Built the A-Bomb" 26 Dec 1948, Sun Star Tribune (Minneapolis, Minnesota) Newspapers.com"Atom Scientist Flatly Denies Ever Being Red" 10 May 1950, Wed Quad-City Times (Davenport, Iowa) Newspapers.com"Russian Agent's Complaint Convinced House Spy Hunters Scientist Was Above Suspicion" 14 May 1950, Sun The Knoxville News-Sentinel (Knoxville, Tennessee) Newspapers.com"A-Expert Dropped As Security Risk" 13 Apr 1954, Tue The Miami News (Miami, Florida) Newspapers.com"Security Board To Probe Charge Oppenheimer A Security Risk; McCarthy Held Scientist Suspect" 14 Apr 1954, Wed The Record American (Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania) Newspapers.com"Text of Letters from A.E.C. Manager to Dr. Oppenheimer and His Reply" 14 Apr 1954, Wed The Boston Globe (Boston, Massachusetts) Newspapers.com"Texts of Security Board's Reports on Dr. Oppenheimer" 02 Jun 1954, Wed St. Louis Post-Dispatch (St. Louis, Missouri) Newspapers.com"Texts of AEC Opinions on Oppenheimer Clearance" 30 Jun 1954, Wed St. Louis Post-Dispatch (St. Louis, Missouri) Newspapers.com"Important New Facts on the Oppenheimer Case; Scientist Himself Apparently Suggested Resignation" 11 May 1956, Fri Lancaster New Era (Lancaster, Pennsylvania) Newspapers.com"Oppenheimer Case Presents Problem in Science Program" 03 Dec 1957, Tue The Buffalo News (Buffalo, New York) Newspapers.com"Oppenheimer Still a Risk, Says Strauss" 09 Jan 1958, Thu Daily News (New York, New York) Newspapers.com"Oppenheimer Finds Barriers to Disarming" 16 Apr 1958, Wed The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, California) Newspapers.com"Ike Recalls Touchy Oppenheimer Case" 27 Oct 1963, Sun Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) Newspapers.com"Johnson 'Proudly' Bestows Medal On Oppenheimer as J.F.K. Planned" 03 Dec 1963, Tue The Berkshire Eagle (Pittsfield, Massachusetts) Newspapers.com"Ground Zero Plus 20" "Thoughts and hopes of the men behind the bomb" by J. Robert Oppenheimer 16 Jul 1965, Fri The Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky) Newspapers.comObituary "Private Services Scheduled For J. Robert Oppenheimer" 20 Feb 1967, Mon The News (Paterson, New Jersey) Newspapers.com"I Am Become Death, Shatterer Of Worlds" 20 Feb 1967, Mon San Angelo Standard-Times (San Angelo, Texas) Newspapers.com"Oppenheimer cleared of 'black mark' after 68 years" 18 Dec 2022, Sun Star Tribune (Minneapolis, Minnesota) Newspapers.com