Roosevelt’s Science Trust is Oct. 27 program topic
Historian Paul Sparrow and physicist Fred Dylla will kick off the Lewes Public Library’s fall FDR Fireside Chat series at 5 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 27, in the library’s fireplace area, 111 Adams Ave., Lewes, and online via Zoom.
They will deliver the first session of a two-part discussion on Roosevelt’s Science Trust, the group of scientists who were essential in developing the technologies that led to victory in World War II.
At the start of WWII, Nazi Germany’s scientific expertise far outpaced America’s, particularly in the field of physics. Winning the war would require the U.S. and UK to marshall scientific manpower and resources on an exceptionally grand scale and in an almost impossibly short time. Sparrow and Dylla will recount how the efforts of Alfred L. Loomis, an unlikely and unheralded hero, were essential for the successful development of both radar and the A-bomb project, the inventions credited with winning and ending the war, respectively.
Sparrow is former director of the FDR Presidential Library and Museum. Dylla is executive director emeritus of the American Institute of Physics.
Seating is limited, and registration is required. At registration, participants will be asked to select in-person or online attendance. To register for either online or in-person attendance, go to lewes.lib.de.us or call 302-645-2733. Part two of the discussion will take place Sunday, Nov. 10.
