Who Was Oppenheimer? 'Father Of Atomic Bomb' Who Called For International Controls On Nuclear Weapons, Costing Him His Job

Christopher Nolan’s upcoming movie, Oppenheimer, will tell the story of Julius Robert Oppenheimer, who developed the first atomic bomb. Did you know J. Robert Oppenheimer called for international controls on nuclear weapons. It cost him his job.

Who Was Oppenheimer?

American theoretical physicist Julius Robert Oppenheimer was born on April 22, 1904. He served as the Los Alamos Laboratory's director during World War II and is frequently referred to as the "father of the atomic bomb" for his involvement in the Manhattan Project, the effort to produce the first nuclear weapons.

Oppenheimer Controversy (When He Got Himself Blacklisted)

The controversy surrounding Oppenheimer began in the early 1950s when he was serving as the chairman of the General Advisory Committee of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). During this time, the U.S. government was engaged in a campaign against alleged communist sympathizers and suspected spies, known as the Red Scare.

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Oppenheimer's past associations with leftist groups, including his involvement with left-wing organizations in the 1930s, came under scrutiny by government officials. Additionally, there were concerns that he may have shared classified information with communist agents, especially during his involvement in the Manhattan Project.

Oppenheimer had a security clearance hearing in 1954, during which his loyalties and discretion were questioned. The hearing took place behind closed doors and lasted several weeks. Oppenheimer's actions and remarks at the hearing were closely scrutinized, and his prior affiliations were used against him as evidence. Although he claimed to have broken links with communist organizations and denied any treason, his prior inclinations and affiliations raised questions about his reliability.

Oppenheimer voluntarily provided testimony on the left-wing activities of several of his scientific colleagues during his hearing. Oppenheimer would have been remembered as someone who "named names" to protect his own reputation had his clearance not been revoked. In actuality, Oppenheimer was viewed by the majority of scientists as a victim of McCarthyism, an eclectic liberal who was unfairly vilified by belligerent foes, and a symbol of the transfer of scientific innovation from academic institutions into the military. 

According to a thorough examination of the Vassiliev notes retrieved from the KGB archives and presented in a lecture at The Wilson Center in 2009, John Earl Haynes, Harvey Klehr, and Alexander Vassiliev all affirmed that Oppenheimer never engaged in espionage for the Soviet Union.

Oppenheimer did not spy for the US; despite numerous attempts by Soviet intelligence to enlist him. Additionally, he purged a number of people with Soviet Union connections from the Manhattan Project. 

Oppenheimer "was, in fact, a concealed member of the CPUSA in the late 1930s," according to Haynes, Klehr, and Vassiliev. He was a supporter of the Communist Party in a very concrete and authentic way, claims biographer Ray Monk. He was also a very devoted supporter in terms of the time, effort, and money devoted to party operations.

On December 16, 2022, United States Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm vacated the 1954 revocation of Oppenheimer's security clearance. Her statement said, "In 1954, the Atomic Energy Commission revoked Dr. Oppenheimer’s security clearance through a flawed process that violated the Commission’s own regulations. As time has passed, more evidence has come to light of the bias and unfairness of the process that Dr. Oppenheimer was subjected to while the evidence of his loyalty and love of country have only been further affirmed."

About 'Oppenheimer' (movie)

'Oppenheimer' is touted as one of the highly anticipated films of 2023 as filmmaker Christopher Nolan teams up with a stellar star cast, including Cillian Murphy and more. The upcoming American biographical film 'Oppenheimer' stars Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer, a theoretical physicist who is known as the "father of the atomic bomb" for his work on the Manhattan Project, which produced the first nuclear weapons during World War II. Given the enormously large budget of millions provided by Universal Pictures, it was natural to assume that the cast would also receive higher pay for their acting.

According to the reports that point to Cillian Murphy's substantial fortune, his payment for the role of 'Oppenheimer' is quite high. What's even more surprising is that, despite the presence of Matt Damon and Robert Downey Jr. in the film, Murphy ultimately won with a bigger cheque.