LBNL Image Library -- Collection BERKELEY-LAB/SEABORG-ARCHIVE

Cartoon by Herb Stansbury

Image File

94A06233

Title

Cartoon by Herb Stansbury

Description

Herb Stansbury cartoon: "January, 1961 telephone call from President John F. Kennedy (JFK) to Dr. Glenn Seaborg in the Radiation Laboratory." Reprinted with permission of Herbert E. Stansbury, Jr.

Citation Caption

Seaborg lecture, "My Service with Ten Presidents", slide HS363

Seaborg's Comments

In January of 1961 President-elect Kennedy offered Dr. Seaborg the position of Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission. In order to accept this position the Seaborg family, of which at this point there were eight in all, would have to relocate to Washington D.C. With only one night to decide to accept the position Dr. Seaborg put the question to his family. There was much dissidence within the ranks and when the issue was put to a vote the decision to move to the Capital failed by a 7 to 1 margin. But Dr. Seaborg overcame adversity in imperious fashion. "I excercised the prerogative of the head of any democratic household," said Seaborg, "and I vetoed the vote." Seaborg was in Washington by the end of the month and his family joined him at the end of the school year in June.

TEID Doc ID

XBD 9410-06233.TIF