Who Smeared Feynman
A newly declassified FBI letter smears the legendary physicist as a ruthless, immoral communist genius.
Deep Dive
A 2012 FOIA request revealed Richard Feynman's FBI file, containing a shocking 9-page 1958 letter to J. Edgar Hoover. The anonymous writer accused the Nobel laureate of being a "dangerous communist," a "master of deception," and "completely ruthless, unhampered by morals, ethics, or religion." The letter was part of a background check when Feynman was considered for Eisenhower's high-level President's Science Advisory Committee (PSAC).
Why It Matters
It reveals the extreme paranoia and character assassination prominent scientists faced during the Cold War, even at the peak of their careers.