Something incredibly wonderful happens : Frank Oppenheimer and the world he made up /
Cole, K. C.
Boston : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt,
2009.
As a young man Frank Oppenheimer followed in his famous brother's footsteps--growing up in a privileged Manhattan household, becoming a physicist, working on the atomic bomb. Tragically, Frank and Robert both had their careers destroyed by the Red Scare, but their paths diverged. While Robert died an almost ruined man, Frank came into his own, emerging from ten years of exile on a Colorado ranch to create not just a multimillion dollar institution but also a revolution that was felt all over the world. His Exploratorium was a "museum of human awareness" that combined art and science while it encouraged play, experimentation, and a sense of joy and wonder; its success inspired a transformation in museums around the globe. K. C. Cole--a friend and colleague of Frank's for many years--has written a very personal story of the man whose irrepressible spirit would inspire so many.--From publisher description.
Includes bibliographical references ( p. 371-383) and index.
Palace of delights -- A little royal family -- The uncle of the atom bomb -- Un-American -- Exile -- An intellectual desert-- and a library of experiments -- A museum dedicated to awareness -- A decent respect for taste -- The man with the gold-rimmed glasses -- The sentimental fruits of science -- The anarch -- The world he made up.
As a young man Frank Oppenheimer followed in his famous brother's footsteps--growing up in a privileged Manhattan household, becoming a physicist, working on the atomic bomb. Tragically, Frank and Robert both had their careers destroyed by the Red Scare, but their paths diverged. While Robert died an almost ruined man, Frank came into his own, emerging from ten years of exile on a Colorado ranch to create not just a multimillion dollar institution but also a revolution that was felt all over the world. His Exploratorium was a "museum of human awareness" that combined art and science while it encouraged play, experimentation, and a sense of joy and wonder; its success inspired a transformation in museums around the globe. K. C. Cole--a friend and colleague of Frank's for many years--has written a very personal story of the man whose irrepressible spirit would inspire so many.--From publisher description.
Oppenheimer, Frank, 1912-1985.
Physicists