Laura Fermi
Encyclopedia
Laura Capon Fermi was an Italian
-born writer and political activist, and the wife of Nobel Prize physicist
Enrico Fermi
.
Laura Capon was born in Rome
in 1907. Capon met Enrico Fermi
while she was a student in general science at the University of Rome
. The couple married in 1928.
They had two children: a daughter, Nella (1931-1995), and a son, Giulio (1936-1997), named after Enrico's older brother, who had died in 1915.
In 1938, the Fermis emigrated to the United States
to escape the politics of the Fascist government of Benito Mussolini
; Laura was Jewish. They traveled to Stockholm to receive Fermi's Nobel prize, and left from Stockholm for the United States, without ever returning to Italy. They were naturalized as Americans in 1944.
After Enrico died of stomach cancer
in 1954, Laura became a writer and a peace activist. She published a book about her life with Enrico, Atoms in the Family, the same year he died. She herself died in 1977.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
-born writer and political activist, and the wife of Nobel Prize physicist
Nobel Prize in Physics
The Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded once a year by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895 and awarded since 1901; the others are the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Peace Prize, and...
Enrico Fermi
Enrico Fermi
Enrico Fermi was an Italian-born, naturalized American physicist particularly known for his work on the development of the first nuclear reactor, Chicago Pile-1, and for his contributions to the development of quantum theory, nuclear and particle physics, and statistical mechanics...
.
Laura Capon was born in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in 1907. Capon met Enrico Fermi
Enrico Fermi
Enrico Fermi was an Italian-born, naturalized American physicist particularly known for his work on the development of the first nuclear reactor, Chicago Pile-1, and for his contributions to the development of quantum theory, nuclear and particle physics, and statistical mechanics...
while she was a student in general science at the University of Rome
University of Rome La Sapienza
The Sapienza University of Rome, officially Sapienza – Università di Roma, formerly known as Università degli studi di Roma "La Sapienza", is a coeducational, autonomous state university in Rome, Italy...
. The couple married in 1928.
They had two children: a daughter, Nella (1931-1995), and a son, Giulio (1936-1997), named after Enrico's older brother, who had died in 1915.
In 1938, the Fermis emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to escape the politics of the Fascist government of Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
; Laura was Jewish. They traveled to Stockholm to receive Fermi's Nobel prize, and left from Stockholm for the United States, without ever returning to Italy. They were naturalized as Americans in 1944.
After Enrico died of stomach cancer
Stomach cancer
Gastric cancer, commonly referred to as stomach cancer, can develop in any part of the stomach and may spread throughout the stomach and to other organs; particularly the esophagus, lungs, lymph nodes, and the liver...
in 1954, Laura became a writer and a peace activist. She published a book about her life with Enrico, Atoms in the Family, the same year he died. She herself died in 1977.
Published works
- Atoms in the Family: My Life with Enrico Fermi (University of Chicago Press, 1954) ISBN 0-88318-524-5
- "Atoms for the World: United States participation in the Conference on the Peaceful uses of Atomic Energy"(University of Chicago Press, 1957) ISBN 0-88318-524-5
- "Mussolini" (University of Chicago Press, 1961)
- "The Story of Atomic Energy" (Random House, 1961)
- "Galileo and the Scientific Revolution" (with Gilberto Bernardini) (Basic Books, 1961) ISBN 0-486-43226-2
- "Illustrious Immigrants: The Intellectual Migration from Europe 1930-41 (University of Chicago Press, 1968) ISBN 0-226-24378-8
See also
- Lawrence Badash, J.O. Hirschfelder, H.P. Broida, eds., Reminiscences of Los Alamos 1943-1945 (Studies in the History of Modern Science), Springer, 1980, ISBN 9027710988.