The Second World War ushered in an era of atomic warfare. But some wondered, could the power of the atom be harnessed for peaceful purposes?
President Dwight D. Eisenhower argued so in a speech delivered in 1953 to the United Nations General Assembly. Titled “Atoms for Peace”, his speech proposed the creation of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The Agency was to help countries develop plans to use atomic energy peacefully. Politicians envisioned research into nuclear power generation stations and nuclear medicine. In the U.S., Eisenhower’s proposal received mixed reviews.
Some argued that any sharing of atomic research or material was dangerous. It could lead to an ever more escalating atomic arms race. Others believed that de-escalation of the arms race was possible by redirecting uranium meant for atomic weapon stockpiles to peaceful uses.
Learn more in the Frank A. Barrett papers at UW’s American Heritage Center.