Essay --

Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer was born in the midst of New York City to a wealthy family in 1904. He had German decent on his mother's side whose family had lived in the United States for a few generations, while his father, Julius Oppenheimer, had only recently come from Germany. His father was a farmer and a grain merchant in Germany. When he arrived at New York, He started working at Rothfeldt-Stern Company,a textile import business that was run by two of his uncles. The company changed their business to tailored suits, Julius quickly worked his way up the ranks. When Julius and Ella, Robert's mother, got married in 1903, they lived in an elegant apartment in the Upper West Side of New York City. Julius Oppenheimer was a man of art. He met Ella at a New York Exhibition for European artists. The works of famous artists livened their apartment. Oppenheimer showed signs of brilliance very early on in his life. His interests as a child were minerals, reading, writing poetry, and building with blocks. His interest in minerals was sparked when his grandfather gave him a pack of labeled rocks on the family's trips to Germany. When he became eleven he wrote a paper to the New York Mineralogy Society. When he showed for the lecture, the other members were surprised to find a boy of eleven while the next youngest member was in his seventies. While his parents were delighted by his brilliance, his mother found his antisocial traits to be worrisome and encouraged him to interact with other boys his age but his personality did not allow him to be a social person throughout his early years. In 1912, Oppenheimer gained a brother by the name of Frank. His brother being eight years younger than Oppenheimer, he was not as gifted as his brot... ...oard and after a long trial had his Security Clearance revoked. Despite the public out roar, he moved on to Princeton, and took over as the Director of Advanced Study from Albert Einstein. After he resigned he went on to live a quiet life on Long Island spending time sailing and horseback riding with his wife and children. He was awarded an Enrico Fermi award in 1963. He died in 1967, of throat cancer, leaving a great impact of the world. Overall, Oppenheimer was one of the world greatest influences and scientists in the world. His studies and research into nuclear science helped develop modern power usage of radioactive elements and he also helped end the Second World War. While many scientists expressed their regret in participation in the Manhattan Project, Oppenheimer did not regret his participation because he saw the good and bad in both sides.