Annual Teller Lecture

Dr. Edward Teller was a native of Hungary and came to the United States, as did many other Jewish scientists, escaping the advancing armies of Nazi Germany. From the earliest days of the Manhattan Project, Dr. Teller was a central figure in the design and production of nuclear weapons and nuclear weapons materials. He considered the teaching of theoretical physics at several universities his primary occupation. Dr. Teller was the “father of the hydrogen bomb” and convinced President Truman of the need for that weapon given Soviet advances in that direction. President George W. Bush presented him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in July 2003. Dr. Edward Teller died at his California home in September 2003 at age 95.