The U.S. Department of Energy recently vacated the 1954 decision by the Atomic Energy Commission to revoke J. Robert Oppenheimer’s security clearance.
According a Dec. 16 news release from U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, the DOE felt it needed to correct the historical record and shed light on Oppenheimer’s contributions to national defense and the scientific enterprise.
“Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer occupies a central role in our history for leading the nation’s atomic efforts during World War II and planting the seeds for the Department of Energy’s national laboratories — the crown jewels of the American research and innovation ecosystem,” Granholm said in the release. “In 1954, the Atomic Energy Commission revoked Dr. Oppenheimer’s security clearance through a flawed process that violated the commission’s own regulations. As time has passed, more evidence has come to light of the bias and unfairness of the process that Dr. Oppenheimer was subjected to while the evidence of his loyalty and love of country have only been further affirmed.”
Granholm pointed out the commission even recognized Oppenheimer in 1963 with its prestigious Enrico Fermi Award citing his “scientific and administrative leadership not only in the development of the atomic bomb, but also in establishing the groundwork for the many peaceful applications of atomic energy,” the release reported.
“The Department of Energy has previously recognized J. Robert Oppenheimer in other ways including the creation of the Oppenheimer Science and Energy Leadership Program in 2017 to support early and mid-career scientists and engineers to “carry on [Dr. Oppenheimer’s] legacy of science serving society,” according to the release.
