Weinberg Web Page (Submitted photo)
As the city celebrates its 75th anniversary, the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge is soliciting the community’s support to ensure the legacy of a famous Oak Ridger is preserved for posterity.
Alvin Weinberg, a renowned nuclear physicist, worked on the Manhattan Project, became head of the Physics Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, then research director, and ultimately the director of the laboratory for 18 years. He donated his personal papers to the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge when Selma Shapiro, the museum’s founder, was serving as its executive director. Now Shapiro’s daughter, Rhonda Bogard, is part of a core team working to permanently preserve the papers.
The goal of the project is to ensure Weinberg’s work and legacy are preserved for future generations, a press release said. Bogard thinks his work speaks for itself. “His work will be remembered for the vision and leadership it symbolizes,” she said.
To achieve that goal, the team must digitize a collection that includes 200 boxes of papers and some photographs. Once that process is complete, the information will be available for viewing via a kiosk at the Children’s Museum.
Community members may learn more about the effort on the museum’s website dedicated to the project: http://childrensmuseumofoakridge.org/weinberg/. The website is a great resource for information about Weinberg and links to his oral history and articles of interest, the press release said.
“There are two ways to participate in this exciting effort,” the release said. “The first and most immediate need is for monetary donations. While much of the work is accomplished by volunteers, there is expense associated with this effort. The team hopes to raise $25,000 in private donations.”
To donate to the effort, which may be accomplished via the Donate button on the website, or by sending a check to CMOR at 461 W. Outer Drive, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. Please indicate “Weinberg papers” on the memo line.
The project is also soliciting volunteers to review the digitized documents. Those with a science background and/or familiarity with Weinberg’s work may indicate their willingness to help by completing a short form using the Volunteer link on the website.
The current corporate partners—Y-12 National Security Complex, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Information International Associates, Friends of ORNL, and Strata-G—are featured on the website, as are corporate donors, UCOR and the East Tennessee Chapter of the Health Physics Society, the press release said.
“Add your name to our donor role by donating to the Weinberg Papers project today,” the release said.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
This press release was submitted by Rhonda Bogard.
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