Has history judged Oppenheimer’s contributions any differently today than it did 60 years ago?
I really don’t think so. There have always been people; from clerics, to socialists, to journalists, to scientists, etc.; who have questioned the use of the atomic bombs in World War II, but the mainstream interpretation remains that the atomic bombs shortened the war, thus saving American and Japanese lives. Hiroshima and Nagasaki, for better or worse, represent the culmination of Oppenheimer’s work at Los Alamos and remain his greatest legacy. Although there will always be a revisionist challenge to the mainstream interpretation, I think history will continue to acknowledge Oppenheimer as a brilliant scientist whose leadership during the Manhattan Project led to the abrupt end of World War II and prevented another world war from occurring. Attention New Mexico students: The Los Alamos Historical Society offers a $100 scholarship for the student with the best Manhattan Project or Cold War-related project at the state contest for National History Day. Please contact our office or the N
