The Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine University

MERTON'S CORRESPONDENCE WITH:
Szilard, Leo, 1898-1964

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Descriptive Summary

Record Group: Section A - Correspondence

Dates of materials: 1962

Volume: 2 item(s); 3 pg(s)

Scope and Content

Merton read a talk given by Szilard in support of limiting nuclear arms and preventing nuclear proliferation.

Biography

Leo Szilard was a Hungarian-born scientist who, along with Enrico Fermi in 1955, was awarded a patent for a nuclear fission reactor. In 1942, along with Fermi, he conducted the first controlled nuclear chain reaction. He coordinated the letter from Einstein which was sent to President Roosevelt that led to the commencement of the Manhattan Project. After the Second World War, he became involved in the movement to limit nuclear arms, give control to the civilian populace, and to prevent nuclear war. He also shifted from nuclear physics and engineering to molecular biology. (Source: "Hall of Fame: Inventor's Profile - Leo Szilard." Website of the National Inventors Hall of Fame. 2002. Accessed 20 June 2006. Bellarmine University Library. ‹http://www.invent.org/hall_of_fame/141.html›.)

Usage Guidelines and Restrictions

Related Information and Links

See also Cold War Letters #68 published in Witness to Freedom) pp. 49-50.

Other Finding Aids

If the person in correspondence with Merton has full text records in the Merton Center Digital Collections, there will be a numeric link to them below.
   

Series List

This Record Sub-Group is not divided into Series and is arranged chronologically.

Container List

SeriesDateTypeTo/FromFirst LinesPubFull TextNotes
 1962/04/12 transcriptfrom MertonI have had the good fortune to receive and read a copy of the talk you gave in Washington lastYes [Cold War Letters #68 - transcript from bound set]
 1962/05/02 TLSto MertonI am writing to say that I am very grateful for the interest which you expressed in your letter   
        

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