Peter Oppenheimer Bio Summary
Name: Peter Oppenheimer
Birthdate: May 12, 1941
Birthplace: California, USA
Occupation: Carpenter
Residence: New Mexico, USA
Parents: J. Robert Oppenheimer and Katherine “Kitty” Oppenheimer
Siblings: Katherine “Toni” Oppenheimer
Spouse: Mary Beth
Children: John (with Mary Beth), Dorothy, Charlie, and Ella (with ex-wife)
Early Life
Peter Oppenheimer was born in California, USA on May 12, 1941. His father’s appointment as the director of the Los Alamos National Laboratory meant the family had to relocate to New Mexico.
Eventually, they moved to Princeton, NJ, where his father was the director of the Institute for Advanced Study, and this is where Peter spent most of his childhood.
Education
Peter was an introverted and sensitive kid. He had difficulty engaging in social activity, and his grades suffered as a result. He went to George School, a Quaker boarding school in Pennsylvania.
However, he didn’t complete his studies there and instead finished his high school years at Princeton High School.
As a child, Peter was confronted with his father’s security clearance hearing in 1954. This was due to his father’s suspected ties to communists and leftists, which was met with accusations that he was a security hazard. Peter was ridiculed by a classmate who labeled his father a communist.
Career
After graduating from high school, Peter decided against pursuing a higher-level education. Instead, he took up carpentry and woodworking, a craft he had learned from his uncle Frank Oppenheimer.
Frank was also a physicist and veteran of the Manhattan Project. With the help of mentors, Peter honed his skills in the craft and became an accomplished carpenter.
He was experienced in creating bespoke pieces of furniture, cupboards, doors, and windows. He was also well-versed in renovating ancient buildings and monuments.
Some of his works included the renovation of Albert Einstein‘s house in Princeton and the Princeton Public Library.
Inheriting his father’s ranch in New Mexico, Peter spent many years living there. He kept cattle and horses on the property and was surrounded by the natural beauty of the area. He welcomed guests who wanted to learn about his father’s past and the history of the atomic bomb.
Personal Life
Peter Oppenheimer tied the knot with Mary Beth and brought forth a son, John. He has three other children from a past relationship: Dorothy, Charlie, and Ella.
Peter Oppenheimer’s Relationship With His Parents
Peter Oppenheimer’s relationship with his mother Katherine “Kitty” Oppenheimer was not ideal due to her alcoholism and insistence on high marks and losing weight from her son.
Verna Hobson, Robert Oppenheimer‘s assistant, thought that Kitty was displeased with Peter’s arrival soon after she wed Robert in 1940. Prior to this, Kitty had three marriages and was a part of the Communist Party of America.
Peter was deeply cherished by his dad, Robert Oppenheimer. Robert was loving and encouraging of him, but he was not socially conscious or eager to assist Peter with his nervousness and timidity. When Pat Sherr proposed sending Peter to a child psychologist, Robert refused.
Robert had great ambitions for Peter to carry on his legacy in the scientific and educational fields. Toni Oppenheimer, Peter’s sister who was born in 1944, was far more extroverted and had a good relationship with their mum, Kitty.
She went to Harvard to study anthropology, and after that, she became an artist and writer. She married William Silberstein in 1968 and had two children: Michael and Sarah Silberstein.
Peter Oppenheimer’s Net Worth
Peter Oppenheimer opted to live a simple life on his ranch and was content with his carpentry income. He chose not to exploit his father’s renown or success to pursue wealth or celebrity.
Peter’s financial status has not been made public, but it is believed that he has an estimated worth of $500,000 as of 2023. This is due to the worth of his ranch, his carpentry company, and the inheritance he received from his father’s legacy.
