The Forgotten Physicist: Robert F. Bacher, 1905-2004

"Only the accomplishments of [Robert] Bacher's close friend, Robert Oppenheimer, begin to approach his own," writes Alan Carr, Los Alamos National Laboratory historianin The forgotten Physicist: Robert F. Bacher 1905-2004. By the time Robert Bacher joined the Manhattan Project he had established himself as one of the leading physicists in the United States. What lay ahead of him would complete a career, indeed a life, full of contributions to both, his country, and to science. His accomplishments, however, were not always of a nature to make national headlines. He was not a man to exploit his own deeds. Therefore, Bacher's achievements did not earn him public attention on a wide scale. At Los Alamos, Bacher had the the lead role in developing the implosion bomb and served as "Oppenheimer's most trusted subordinate." After the war, rather than being allowed to resume his academic career, Bacher was convinced to accept various positions in the administration of post-war nuclear policies, ultimately accepting an appointment to the Atomic Energy Commission. In the unsettled period of the 1950's he became an advisor to the President. Eventually, he made his way back to the physics that he loved, when he took the post of chairman of Physics, Mathematics and Astonomy at Caltech, where he helped develop a department that became world leader in higher learning. It was to be, perhaps, his most visible legacy. As Carr concludes, "It is difficult to assess with any degree of precision the impact of Robert Bacher's career on American history. But considering his many accomplishments, and the fact that he enjoyed considerable influence with twentieth century luminaries such as Hans Bethe, Enrico Fermi, Leslie R. Groves, J. Robert Oppenheimer, Lee DuBridge, Harry S. Truman, and Dwight D. Eisenhower, one must conclude that he played a central role in the dawning of the atomic age".