Hans Bethe papers, [ca. 1931]-1995.
Collection Number: 14-22-976

Hans Albrecht Bethe (1906-2005) was among the most prominent physicists of the twentieth century, most famous for his work on the Manhattan Project during World War II, and for his Nobel prize-winning work on solar energy (1967).

Physicist, Cornell University professor of physics, Nobel laureate.

Born in Strasbourg, Bethe studied physics at Frankfurt and under Arnold Sommerfeld at the University of Munich. In 1930 he received a fellowship to Cambridge. He began his professional career at universities in Germany, and also worked with Enrico Fermi in Rome in the early 1930's. Although Bethe did not consider himself a Jew, his mother had Jewish ancestry, and thus he was removed from his university position at Tuebingen under the Nuremberg laws once Hitler came to power. He emigrated first to a position at Manchester, and then to Cornell University in 1935, where he would teach for the rest of his career.

In his early years at Cornell, Bethe formulated his theory of how stars produce energy, an achievement that would win him the Nobel Prize in 1967. Further notable accomplishments included his work on the Lamb Shift, his famous three-part summary of nuclear physics, and his post-retirement collaboration with Gerry Brown on supernovae and neutrinos.

During World War II, he headed the Theoretical Division at Los Alamos National Laboratory as part of the Manhattan Project to build the atomic bomb. Despite his concerns about escalating the nuclear arms race, he assisted in the development of the Hydrogen bomb in the 1950's. Through these experiences, he became a vocal adversary of the nuclear arms race and control, opposing programs such as the Strategic Defense Initiative, and arguing in favor of anti-proliferation and test ban treaties, including SALT I and II. He was also an impassioned supporter of nuclear power as a solution to American energy needs. He was involved in policy throughout his adult life, as a science advisor to several presidents, as someone who frequently testified before Congress on issues of scientific importance, and as an advocate for the role of scientists in public affairs.

He also performed extensive consulting work for the U.S. government and American labs, such as the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), the Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and the Oakridge and Lawrence Livermore Laboratories. He also did consulting work for businesses such as Avco. Such consulting work generally related either to nuclear energy, or to defense.

After immigrating to the United States, he reconnected with Rose Ewald, daughter of his earlier physics mentor, Peter Paul Ewald. They married in 1939, and had two children, Henry and Monica. He retired from Cornell in 1975, but continued his astrophysics research and continued to be an expert on thermonuclear processes, shock waves, and neutrino reactions.

Bethe died at age 98 in 2005, having continued to participate in scientific study and policy until late in his life.

Papers consist of Bethe's calculations, notes, and correspondence with colleagues concerning nuclear physics, solar, stellar, and nuclear energy, radiation, conduction in metals, quantum mechanics, the recommendation of physicists for various positions and grants, administration of the Cornell University Physics Department, Cornell courses, arms and arms control, underwater explosion research, nuclear test ban, and other topics; reports and hearings of the Atomic Energy Commission; Navy research reports; President's Science Advisory Committee memoranda; phonograph album of a television interview with Bethe concerning scientific education in the United States; articles, reprints, lectures, and textbooks by Bethe and others; reviews of professional writings; Ph.D. theses from the Cornell Physics Department; an engraving and two posters of Bethe used to advertise the Lauritsen Memorial Lecture for 1980; and correspondence received when Bethe won the Nobel Prize. Collection includes material on Strategic Defense Initiative, the H-Bomb and the Anti-Ballistic Missile, the end of the Cold War, and supernovae. Correspondents include Kenneth T. Bainbridge, Niels Bohr, Gregory Breit, Lee A. DuBridge, George Gamow, R. Clifton Gibbs, Emil J. Konopinski, Sigurd Kohler, Irving Langmuir, Ernest O. Lawrence, Edwin M. McMillan, Carleton Murdock, Lothar W. Nordheim, J. Robert Oppenheimer, George B. Pegram, Isidor I. Rabi, Morris E. Rose, Bruno Rossi, Harlow Shapley, Eugene Paul Wigner, Robert Wilson, and Victor Weisskopf.

Records created or assembled by Hans Bethe. The collection includes correspondence; drafts and copies of Bethe's articles; articles and publications gathered for his research; notes and calculations; material related to arms control and nuclear energy advocacy, including copies of congressional testimony; meeting minutes and memoranda related to Cornell University and the physics department, and material assembled for teaching, such as overhead transparencies; clippings; transcripts of oral history interviews; and material relating to Bethe's consulting work, including memoranda from the President's Science Advisory Committee and Navy research reports.

His research topics include nuclear physics, astrophysics, radiation, quantum mechanics, and metal conduction. Other topics include policy, and materials related to the history of physics and science, including research, biographies of other physics luminaries, and interviews with Bethe. Some Bethe interviews are printed, five are on videocassette, and one is on a phonograph.

While material in the collection dates back to the 1930's, the bulk of it dates from 1950-2000. Bethe actually assembled some of the earlier material later. For instance, he later collected photocopies of his old letters from the 1930's, some of which were photocopied from other archives.

Also, five videocassettes: "An Evening with Hans Bethe: The German A-Bomb Project"; "A Conversation with Emeritus Professor Dr. Hans Bethe and Dr. Victor Weisskopf"; "A Conversation with Emeritus Professors Dr. Hans Bethe and Dr. Robert Wilson"; and, "Hans Bethe: Super Nova Mechanism," and "'I can do that!' - Hans Bethe's First 60 Years at Cornell." Includes a photograph of Bethe, Day, Long et al at the groundbreaking for Newman Laboratory, and a photograph of Bethe with Peter Carruthers and Carson Mark near Los Alamos, circa 1980.

Ten audio recordings, including Fermi Memoriam Session Remarks, 29 April 1955; Hans Bethe, introduced by Norris Bradbury (2 reels), n.d.; Physics Lecture, 7 May 1976 (1 cassette); "The Energy Problem I: The Crisis is Real," 17 May 1976; "The Energy Problem: The Necessity of Nuclear Power," 19 May 1976; and Loeb Lecture, "Reversing the Nuclear Arms Race," 11 November 1982; and "A Talk with Hans Bethe," WSKG, 30 March 1995.

Also, packet celebrating life of Hans A. Bethe containing booklet "Hans Bethe, 1906-2005," DVD "Remembering Hans Bethe," three programs, one news release; movie film, "The Nobel Prize in Physics in 1967."

Electronic resources/ related resources including Hans Bethe: celebrating "an exemplary life:" http://ecommons.library.cornell.edu/handle/1813/14146.

Hans Bethe papers, #14-22-976. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.

The Bethe collection is temporarily unavailable for use.

Due to the fragility and potential degradation of moving image and sound recordings, viewing and listening is limited to items that have been digitized. If an item is in another media format, you may request to have the item digitized for access. Information on ordering access copies may be found on the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections webpage.

Audio visual media that has been digitized: V-8980, TR-10675

Streeter, E.C. Shapiro, E., & Jacobs, L. (2005, December 1). Solving the Solar Enigma. In The Story of the Scientists Behind the Discovery of the Sun's Energy Source. https://doi.org/10.1604/9781888381122. Gift from Rose Bethe. Rosen, T. L. (2002). The Atomic City: A Firsthand Account of a Son of Los Alamos. https://doi.org/10.1604/9781571687524. Gift from Hans Bethe. Jahnke E. Tables of functions with formulae and curves = Funktionentafeln mit Formeln und Kurven (2. ed.). Teubner Borel E. , Deltheil, R. (1923). Probabilités Erreurs. Librairie Armand Colin Bethe, H. "Termaufspaltung in Kristallen". Reprint from Annalen der Physik, 1929. Milton John; MarkPattison, ed (1883), The sonnets of John Milton (cover title: Milton's sonnets), Kegan Paul, Trench, &Co. Hawkins, D.; Truslow, E. C.; Smith, R. C. & Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory. (1983). Project Y: the Los Alamos story. Tomash. Bethe, H. (1933). Quantenmechanik der einund zwei-Elektronenprobleme. Nicht im Handel{springer]. Bernstein J. (1980). Hans Bethe prophet of energy. Basic Books. Smekal, A., Bethe, H. [et al.], eds, (1933). Quanteritheorie.(Handbuch der physik, 2.e Auflage, Bd.24, 1.er Teil) J. Springer. Frayn M. (2000). Copenhagen. Methuen Drama. Brown, G. E. & Lee, C.-H. (2006). Hans Bethe and his physics. World Scientific. Orden pour le Mérite für Wissenschaften und Künste. (2000). Reden und gedenkworte. 29. band 1999. Bleicher Verlag. Orden pour le Mérite für Wissenschaften und Künste. (2003). Reden und gedenkworte. 31. band 2001-2002. Bleicher Verlag. Orden pour le Mérite für Wissenschaften und Künste. (2006). Reden und gedenkworte. 33. band 2005. Bleicher Verlag. Orden pour le Mérite für Wissenschaften und Künste. (2015). Reden und gedenkworte. 42. band 2013-2014/2014-2015. Bleicher Verlag. Orden pour le Mérite für Wissenschaften und Künste. (2017). Reden und gedenkworte. 43. band 2015-2016/2016-2017. Bleicher Verlag. Bethe, H (1928). Theorie der Beugung von Elektronen an Kristallen. Reprint from Annalen der Physik. Bethe, H.A., Marshak, R.E., Blaker, J.W., & Merzbacher, E. (1966). Perspectives in Modern Physics: Essays in Honor of Hans A. Bethe. Physics Today, 21, 127-128. Custom Binding. Badge, Peter. Photographer (2007). Nobel Portraits. Photographs by Peter Badge. Weizman Institute of Science. Copy no. 00032, signed by photographer. Chemical Rubber Company. (1969). Handbook of chemistry and physics. Cleveland, Ohio: Chemical Rubber Co. 1969-1970. This 50th edition was specially bound and distributed to Nobel Laureates in only 75 copies and this is Hans Bethe's copy. See a stamp inside the book. There is also a correspondence from the president of the Chemical Rubber co to Hans Bethe in 1969, which remains within the collection. Proceedings of the International Conference of Theoretical Physics. Kyoto und Tokyo, September 1953. Signed (H.A.Bethe) Bethe, H. A., & Morrison, P. (1956). Elementary nuclear theory. (2d ed.). New York: Wiley. Bethe's handwritten note York, H. F. (1976). The advisors: Oppenheimer, Teller, and the superbomb. Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press. Bethe, H. A. (1947). Elementary nuclear theory: a short course on selected topics [given at the Research Laboratory of the General Electric Company at Schenectady]. New York: J. Wiley. stamp: H.A.Bethe Г. Бете.(1974) Теория ядерной материи. Издательство: "Мир" (Theory of Nuclear matter: Russian) Bethe Hans Albrecht and 宮島 竜興. 1949. 初等原子核理論 : 選定した問題についての短い講議. フタバ社. Shotogenshikakuriron. Stamp: H.A. Bethe Moravcsik, M. J. (1980). How to grow science. New York: Universe Books. Author's inscription to Hans A. Bethe and a note, which remains in the collection. National Academy of Sciences. (1977). Science: an American Bicentennial view: commentaries from a series of Academy forums. Washington: National Academy of Sciences. Complimentary for Bethe as a contributor. Incribed to Prof. Bethe by the author. Tasaki, I. (1982). Physiology and electrochemistry of nerve fibers. New York: Academic Press. The author's correspondence to Hans Bethe and a photograph remain in the collection. Cowan, C. L. (1979). Long-distance neutrino detection--1978 (C. L. Cowan Memorial Symposium, Catholic University). New York: American Institute of Physics. Author's inscription to Hans A. Bethe American Energy Choices Before the Year 2000. (1978). E. Bergman, H. Bethe and R. Marshak, Eds., Lexignton, Mass.: Lexignton Books. Chapter by Hans Bethe Kuchowicz, B. (1965). Nuclear astrophysics: a bibliographical survey. Warsaw: Nuclear Energy Information Center. Part I-Iv. Author's inscription to Bethe. Schrödinger, E. (1926). Spezifische Wärme (theoretischer Teil). Berlin: Verlag von Julius Springer. Frank, Philipp and Richard Von Mises. (1925-1927). Die Differe+B2:D36ntial- Und Integralgleichungen Der Mechanik Und Physik I. and II. Braunschweig: Fr.Vieweg & Sohn.