Terry M. Christensen
Department of History
Oregon State University
John Archibald Wheeler: A Study in the Pedagogy, Philosophy, and Politics of 20th Century Physics
The focus of my project is the practical exercise of mentorship and leadership through the processes of apprenticeship, collaboration, and what may be called “chains of wisdom,” with John Archibald Wheeler’s career and influence in the construction of 20th-century American theoretical physics at the project’s center. In the Philadelphia area I have used two collections, the John A. Wheeler Papers at the American Philosophical Society and materials at Princeton University, where Wheeler spent the bulk of his teaching and research career.
