Authors: Walter Isaacson
50
. Seelig 1956a, 183; Frank 1947, 285; Clark, 743.
51
.
New York Times
, July 31, 1921.
52
. Einstein to Felix Frankfurter, May 28, 1921, AEA 36-210.
53
. See Ben Halpern,
A Clash of Heroes: Brandeis, Weizmann and American Zionism
(New York: Oxford University Press, 1987).
54
.
Boston Herald
, May 19, 1921.
55
.
New York Times
, May 18, 1921; Frank 1947, 185; Brian 1996, 129; Illy, 25–32.
56
.
Hartford
(Conn.)
Daily Times
, May 23, 1921. Also,
Hartford Daily Courant
, May 23, 1921.
57
.
Cleveland Press
, May 26, 1921.
58
. Illy, 185.
59
. Fölsing, 51.
60
. Einstein, “How I Became a Zionist,” interview in
Jüdische Rundschau
, June 21, 1921, conducted on May 30, CPAE 7: 57.
61
. Einstein to Mileva Mari
, Aug. 28, 1921, Einstein family trust correspondence, letter in possession of Bob Cohn. On this trip, in deference to Elsa’s feelings, he decided at the last moment not to stay at Mari
’s apartment.
62
. Einstein to Walther Rathenau, Mar. 8, 1917; Walther Rathenau to Einstein, May 10, 1917.
63
. Reiser, 146, describes the Weizmann-Rathenau-Einstein discussions. See also Fölsing, 519; Elon, 364.
64
. Weizmann, 288; Elon, 268.
65
. Frank 1947, 192.
66
. Reiser, 145.
67
. Milena Wazeck, “Einstein on the Murder List,” in Renn 2005d, 222; Einstein to Max Planck, July 6, 1922, AEA 19-300.
68
. Einstein to Maurice Solovine, July 16, 1922, AEA 21-180.
69
. Einstein to Marie Curie, July 4, 1922, AEA 34-773; Marie Curie to Einstein, July 7, 1922, AEA 34-775.
70
. Fölsing, 521.
71
. Nathan and Norden, 54.
72
. Hermann Struck to Pierre Comert, July 12, 1922; Nathan and Norden, 59. (Einstein sent word to League press official Comert through their mutual friend, the painter Struck.)
73
. Nathan and Norden, 70.
74
. Einstein, “Travel Diary: Japan-Palestine-Spain,” AEA 29-129. All quotes in this section from Einstein’s diary are from this document.
75
. Joan Bieder, “Einstein in Singapore,” 2000, www.onthepage.org/outsiders/einstein_in_singapore.htm.
76
. Fölsing, 527; Clark, 368; Brian 1996, 143; Frank 1947, 199.
77
. Einstein to Hans Albert and Eduard Einstein, Dec. 12, 1922, AEA 75-620.
78
. Frank 1947, 200.
79
. Einstein, “Travel Diary: Japan-Palestine-Spain,” AEA 29-129.
80
. Clark, 477–480; Frank 1947, 200–201; Brian 1966, 145; Fölsing, 528–532.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: NOBEL LAUREATE
1
. Svante Arrhenius to Einstein, Sept. 1, 1922, AEA 6-353; Einstein to Svante Arrhenius, Sept. 20, 1922, AEA 6-354.
2
. Pais 1982, 506–507; Elzinga, 82–84.
3
. R. M. Friedman 2005, 129. See also Friedman’s book,
The Politics of Excellence: Behind the Nobel Prize in Science
(New York: Henry Holt, 2001), especially chapter 7, “Einstein Must Never Get a Nobel Prize!”; Elzinga; Pais 1982, 502.
4
. Pais 1982, 508; Hendrik Lorentz and Dutch colleagues to the Swedish Academy, Jan. 24, 1920; Niels Bohr to the Swedish Academy, Jan. 30, 1920; Elzinga, 134.
5
. Brian 1996, 143, citing research and interviews by the writer Irving Wallace for his novel
The Prize
.
6
. Elzinga, 144.
7
. R. M. Friedman, 130. See also Pais 1982, 508.
8
. Arthur Eddington to the Swedish Academy, Jan. 1, 1921.
9
. Pais 1982, 509; R. M. Friedman, 131; Elzinga, 151.
10
. Marcel Brillouin to the Swedish Academy, Jan. 1922; Arnold Sommerfeld to the Swedish Academy, Jan. 11, 1922.
11
. Christopher Aurivillius to Einstein, Nov. 10, 1922. In another translation and version, the actual Nobel citation sent to Einstein includes the phrase “independent of the value that (after eventual confirmation) may be credited to the relativity and gravitation theory.”
12
. Elzinga, 182.
13
. Svante Arrhenius, Nobel Prize presentation speech, Dec. 10, 1922, nobel prize.org/physics/laureates/1921/press.html.
14
. Einstein, “Fundamental Ideas and Problems of the Theory of Relativity,” Nobel lecture, July 11, 1923.
15
. Einstein to Hans Albert and Eduard Einstein, Dec. 22, 1922, AEA 75-620.
The full story of the Nobel money was complex and over the years caused considerable disputes, as became clear in letters between Einstein and Mari
released in 2006. According to the divorce agreement, the Nobel money was to go to a Swiss bank account. Mari
was supposed to have use of the interest, but she could spend the capital only with Einstein’s consent. In 1923, after consultation with a financial adviser, Einstein decided to place only part of the money in Switzerland and have the rest invested in an American account. That scared Mari
and caused frictions that were calmed by friends. With Einstein’s consent she bought a Zurich apartment house in 1924 using the Swiss money and a big loan. The rents covered the loan payments, as well as the maintenance of the house and a part of the family’s livelihood. Two years later, again with Einstein’s consent, Mari
bought two more houses using another 40,000 Swiss francs from the Nobel money and an additional loan. The two new houses turned out to be bad investments and had to be sold to avoid endangering ownership of the first house, where Mari
lived with Eduard. In the meantime, the Great Depression in America reduced the value of the account and investments made there. Einstein continued to pay considerable sums to Mari
and Eduard, but Mari
’s fears for her financial security were understandable. At the end of the 1930s, Einstein created a holding company to buy from Mari
the remaining apartment house, where she still lived, and to take over her debts in order to save the house from being repossessed by the bank. Mari
could continue to live in the same apartment and receive the excess rental proceeds. In addition, Einstein sent a monthly contribution for Eduard’s support. This arrangement lasted until the late 1940s, when Mileva was no longer able to care for the house and the income from the rents no longer covered the expenses. With Einstein’s consent Mari
sold the house but not the right to her apartment. The money from that sale was eventually found under Mari
’s mattress. Some critics have accused Einstein of allowing Mari
to die impoverished. Although Mari