People of the AEC: Lewis Strauss

Strauss and Oppenheimer (at rear center), circa 1953.

NATIONAL ARCHIVES & RECORDS ADMINISTRATION

Quick Facts

Significance:

Lewis Strauss was a naval officer and businessman who served as Atomic Energy Commission chairman during Robert Oppenheimer’s 1954 security clearance hearings.

Place of Birth:

Charleston, WV

Date of Birth:

January 31, 1896

Place of Death:

Brandy Station, VA

Date of Death:

January 21, 1974

Place of Burial:

Richmond, VA

Cemetery Name:

Hebrew Cemetery

Lewis Strauss provided a unique set of experiences and brought a different perspective from the other people he served with on the US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) between 1946 and 1958. While many AEC members came from prominent families, Strauss was a self-made man who made a fortune on the stock market between World War I and World War II. Strauss was born in West Virginia in 1896 and was known for his quick mind and ambition. During World War I, Strauss was a naval officer and later a personal assistant to Herbert Hoover. When the United States joined the fighting in World War II, Strauss rejoined the navy and rose to the rank of rear admiral as chief of the ordinance division.

After World War II, Strauss became a member of the AEC and elevated to AEC chairman in 19538. The Royal Defense Research Establishment of Norway requested radioactive Iron 59 from the AEC to study the flow of molten steel. Often distrusting of others, Strauss learned that one of the Norwegian researchers was a Communist and sought to stop the shipment of Iron 59 on national security grounds.

Robert Oppenheimer, testifying before the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy including Lewis Strauss in 1949 on the military usefulness of Iron 59 said in part, “You can use a shovel for atomic energy. In fact you do. You can use a bottle of beer for atomic energy. In fact you do.” These and other comments by Oppenheimer, who was known for making biting remarks, caused people to laugh. Strauss looked foolish and was furious. “There was a look of hatred there [on Strauss’ face] you don’t see very often…” said one observer. 

In 1952, AEC Commissioner Thomas E. Murray publicly called Oppenheimer a security risk. After consulting with Strauss, President Eisenhower ordered a “blank wall” placed between Oppenheimer and secret national security information until Oppenheimer was investigated. Strauss, still furious over Oppenheimer’s 1949 testimony, met with Oppenheimer to tell him that his security clearance was in question and that the AEC had drafted a letter of charges. 

After a dramatic hearing, the Strauss-led AEC gave the press their decision to revoke Oppenheimer’s security clearance on June 30th, 1954. While Oppenheimer never fully recovered from this blow to his reputation and influence, Strauss briefly served as Interim US Secretary of Commerce under President Eisenhower from November 13, 1958, to June 30, 1959. His confirmation hearing to become the full US Secretary of Commerce was derailed when several colleagues of Oppenheimer spoke out against his confirmation. Lewis Strauss died in 1974 at the age of 77.