UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Penn State will take a closer look at the Manhattan Project with a course that explores the program of research and development that produced the first nuclear bomb.
The two-session course is being offered on May 15 and 22, both online and in-person. It is one of many OLLI at Penn State spring semester courses on topics such as history, art, nature, technology and more. Information and registration are available here or by calling 814-867-4278.
While taking the first offering of the Manhattan Project course last fall, sisters Carol and Linda White were reminded of a personal and Penn State connection to the historic program.
“We have always been interested in the Manhattan Project as our family was almost involved in it,” Linda said.
The family connection was through their grandfather, Marsh W. White. He received the first doctorate degree awarded by Penn State in 1926 and, after 42 years with the University, retired in 1960 as professor emeritus in physics.
Linda and Carol said during World War II, he almost ended up in Los Alamos, New Mexico, working with Manhattan Project leader, J. Robert Oppenheimer.
Linda said her grandfather was recruited by the U.S. Army as an honorary colonel and was given two options. The first was to help find and reassign personnel to help with the military’s scientific efforts in the United States.
“The other option was some hush-hush assignment somewhere in New Mexico working on a project no one could tell him about,” Linda said. “He chose the former option, moving the family to Washington, D.C. before settling back in State College because our grandmother decided they would be better off in Washington, D.C.”
According to Carol, the class elicited memories for the sisters.
“The class brought back memories of my grandfather and the stories he would share about that time," Carol said. "It got us to think about what the implications would have been in our lives had he decided to go to New Mexico."
Course instructor Richard Bigelow is a retired nuclear engineer and U.S. Navy reserve commander. He said diving into the Manhattan Project course has provided him an opportunity to discuss two subjects he knows well while examining an impactful historical event.
“It just seemed that the major event that caused the end of World War II was the atomic bomb," Bigelow said. "With my background in nuclear engineering and military, I wanted to give a talk on the Manhattan Project, how it came about, the impact on the war and the events after."
Bigelow said the Academy Award-winning movie “Oppenheimer” has helped inspire some to take the course. He has taught many OLLI at Penn State courses on history, and he said they provide opportunity for all involved to learn from each other’s knowledge of the past.
“I always learn something from every one of these discussions," Bigelow said. "It helps the students too, because they might know something from their parents, but now they get to see a little something about how it all fits together. In the Manhattan Project course, we were able to make these connections with people whose parents were involved and who just never talked about it much. It was great."
OLLI at Penn State is a Penn State Outreach program that offers community members aged 50 and up the opportunity to learn, explore and connect through educational experiences, travel, social and volunteer opportunities.
More information about OLLI at Penn State Courses can be found online or by calling 814-867-4278.