Samuel Theodore Cohen (1921-2010) was an American physicist best known as the father of the neutron bomb. He is credited with development of the neutron bomb concept, based on nuclear fusion rather than fission, as a Rand Corporation analyst in 1958. Subsequently he was a staunch advocate of development and deployment of neutron bombs as a part of the American nuclear ansenal. While others viewed this prospect with horror, Cohen maintained that neutron bombs were actually more humane than alternative nuclear weapons. He suggested the utility of tactical low-yield nuclear explosions to create defensive radiation barriers. In later years he warned that "red mercury" could be used to produce a miniature fusion nuclear bomb. The largest and most important series in the S. T. Cohen Papers is that of Cohen's Speeches and Writings. They include the voluminous transcripts of a series of interviews of Cohen conducted by Bill Froug over the course of a month in 1978. These provide Cohen's candid accounts of his life and of his first-hand observations of associates and events in the development of the American nuclear program. Other candid accounts are to be found in his memoir Shame: Confessions of a Nuclear Pariah, self-published in 2000. An unexpected element of Cohen's writings is a fictional component. In his fictional compositions, unpublished and sometimes quite lengthy, he explored thoughts of nuclear warfare and on his own life. Interviews, memoirs and fictional writings all reflect a strong interest in psychoanalysis. There are smaller Biographical File, Correspondence and Subject File series. An Audiovisual File consists principally of audio recordings. These do not appear to include any of the Froug interview recordings. The Hoover Institution Library & Archives acquired the collection in 2019.

1921 Born, New York City 1943 Graduated from the University of California at Los Angeles 1943-1945 U.S. Army service, including participation in the Manhattan Project 1947-1969 Rand Corporation analyst 1958 Developed neutron bomb concept 1978 Author, The Neutron Bomb: Political, Technological and Military Issues 1983 Author, The Truth about the Neutron Bomb: The Inventor of the Bomb Speaks Out 1985 Author, We Can Prevent World War III 2010 Died, Los Angels, California

9 manuscript boxes, 1 oversize box, 2 videocassettes, digital media (5.5 Linear Feet)

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The collection is open for research; materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.