Teller, Edward
Teller, Edward (1908-2003), a United States physicist. He was largely responsible for the development of the first hydrogen bomb, successfully tested by the United States in 1952.
Teller worked on the development of the atomic bomb during 1941-45. By 1949 he had concluded that it was possible to construct a more powerful weapon, a hydrogen bomb. Although he was opposed by many scientists who believed that making such a weapon was immoral or technically impossible, Teller was able to convince the government to finance a huge emergency effort to develop the bomb. He also contributed many ideas to the theoretical basis of the weapon, though most of the actual development was done by his colleagues. In 1962 Teller received the Atomic Energy Commission's Enrico Fermi Award for his accomplishments in thermonuclear research and in the strengthening of the national defense.
Teller repeatedly advocated that the United States adopt a policy of large-scale testing and stockpiling of nuclear weapons. He opposed limitations on nuclear testing in his book The Legacy of Hiroshima (1962). During the 1970's, he was a proponent of using nuclear power to alleviate energy shortages. In the 1980's Teller was a strong advocate of the development of an anti-ballistic-missile system.
Teller was born in Budapest, Hungary. He studied in Germany, obtaining a Ph.D. degree in 1930 from the University of Leipzig. When Hitler came to power in Germany in 1933, Teller left the country. He entered the United States in 1935 and became a citizen in 1941. He held teaching, research, and administrative positions in physics at various American universities, including Columbia, Chicago, and California.