Bohm, David, 1917-1992

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Bohm, 1917-1992.

From the description of Oral history interview with David Bohm, 1981 May 8. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 79891373

Bohm, 1917-1992. Studied at Pennsylvania State University, graduating in 1939. He moved to the California Institute of Technology for postgraduate work, completing his Ph.D. in 1943 at the University of California Berkeley under J. R. Oppenheimer. He then worked on the Manhattan Project at the Berkeley Radiation Laboratory. In 1947 he was appointed assistant professor at Princeton University. He worked there until 1950, when Princeton refused to renew his contract after he had fallen foul of the House Committee on Un-American Activities. While working at the Radiation Laboratory during the war, Bohm had been active in the Federation of Architects, Engineers, Chemists, and Technicians (FAECT) trade union. In 1949, as Cold War tensions increased, the Committee on Un-American Activities began investigating staff who had been working there. As a member of FAECT and as a former member of the Communist Party, Bohm came under suspicion. He was called upon to testify before the Committee but pleaded the Fifth Amendment, refusing to give evidence against colleagues. After the USSR tested its first atomic device in September 1949 it was thought that the atomic bomb secrets must have been passed to the USSR. It was alleged that members of FAECT had been in a Communist cell working at Berkeley during the war. In 1950 Bohm was charged with Contempt of Congress for refusing to answer questions before the Committee and arrested. He was ac

quitted in May 1951 but Princeton had already suspended Bohm and after his acquittal refused to renew his contract. Bohm left for Brazil in 1951 to take up a Chair in Physics at the University of Sao Paulo. In 1955 he moved to Israel where he spent two years at the Technion at Haifa. Here he met his wife Saral, who was an important figure in the development of his ideas. In 1957 Bohm moved to the UK. He held a research fellowship at Bristol University until 1961, when he was made professor of theoretical physics at Birkbeck College, London. Bohm made a number of significant contributions to physics, particularly in the area of quantum mechanics. His scientific and philosophical views were inseperable. His holistic world-view posited an implicate order of inter-connectedness expressed in his 1980 book, Wholeness and the Implicate order. He retired in 1987 and was elected FRS in 1990.

From the description of Papers, 1933-1996. (American Institute of Physics). WorldCat record id: 84273924

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Espagnat, Bernard d'. Oral history interview with Bernard d'Espagnat, 2001. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Ford, Kenneth William, 1926-. Oral history interview with Kenneth W. Ford, 1997. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Olwell, Russell B., 1969-. Princeton, David Bohm and the Cold War: A study in McCarthyism: Junior paper submitted to the Department of History at Princeton University, 1990. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Broglie, Louis de, 1892-1987. Oral history interview with Louis de Broglie, 1963 January 7 and 14. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Salpeter, Edwin E. Oral history interview with Edwin Ernest Salpeter, 1978 March 30. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Wigner, Eugene Paul, 1902-1995. Oral history interview with Eugene Paul Wigner, 1981 January 24. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Phillips, Melba, 1907-. Oral history interview with Melba Newell Phillips, 1977 December 5. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Aller, Lawrence H. (Lawrence Hugh), 1913-2003. Oral history interview with Lawrence H. Aller, 1979 August 18. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn History of physics manuscript biography collection A-C, 1901-1989, [ca. 1960]-1989 (bulk). New York State Historical Documents Inventory
creatorOf Bohm, David. Oral history interview with David Bohm, 1981 May 8. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
creatorOf Krishnamurti, J. (Jiddu), 1895-1986. 880-01 <>. Mahidol University, test
creatorOf Bohm, David. Papers, 1933-1996. American Institute of Physics
referencedIn Hartley, Ralph Vinton Lyon, 1888-1970. Papers, 1920-1970. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Shenstone, Allen Goodrich, 1893-. Autobiography, 1962. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn John Archibald Wheeler Papers, 1880-2008, 1880-2008 American Philosophical Society
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Aller, Lawrence H. (Lawrence Hugh), 1913-2003. person
associatedWith Bardeen, John. person
associatedWith Broglie, Louis de, 1892-1987. person
associatedWith Center for History of Physics (American Institute of Physics) corporateBody
associatedWith Einstein, Albert, 1879-1955. person
associatedWith Espagnat, Bernard d'. person
associatedWith Ford, Kenneth William, 1926- person
associatedWith Hartley, Ralph Vinton Lyon, 1888-1970. person
associatedWith Hoddeson, Lillian, person
associatedWith Lawrence Radiation Laboratory. corporateBody
associatedWith Niels Bohr Library. corporateBody
associatedWith Olwell, Russell B., 1969- person
associatedWith Oppenheimer, J. Robert, 1904-1967. person
associatedWith Phillips, Melba, 1907- person
associatedWith Princeton University. corporateBody
associatedWith Salpeter, Edwin E. person
associatedWith Schwinger, Julian, 1918-1994. person
associatedWith Shenstone, Allen Goodrich, 1893- person
associatedWith United States. Congress. House. Committee on Un-American Activities. corporateBody
associatedWith University of California, Berkeley. corporateBody
associatedWith Wheeler, John Archibald, 1911-2008 person
associatedWith Wigner, Eugene Paul, 1902-1995. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
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Art and science
Philosophy and science
Plasma (Ionized gases)
Quantum theory
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Birth 1917-12-20

Death 1992-10-27

Americans

English

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