Bro. Enrico Fermi Referred to as the “architect of the nuclear age,” Enrico Fermi was a nuclear physicist, a Nobel Prizewinner, and a Freemason. Throughout his prolific career, he made substantial contributions to the fields of Quantum Theory, Statistical Mechanics, and Nuclear and Particle Physics. Fermi excelled at both experimental and theoretical work, a distinction accomplished by few physicists.
Physics in 1938. Fearing for the safety of his Jewish wife, they began searching for an escape from the impending genocide. Soon after, Enrico and Laura emigrated to the United States, fleeing the Fascist Regime's takeover of Italy.
Upon the discovery of nuclear fission, he went to the University of Chicago, and later to Los Alamos to serve as a general consultBorn in Rome in 1901, Enrico Fermi’s fasci- ant. Brother Fermi contributed significantly nation with Physics began at age 14, follow- to the Manhattan Project, the creation of the ing the tragic death of his older brother Giu- first U.S. atomic bomb. lio. From that point on, Enrico’s passion for As a leading member of the Manhattan Prophysics became the focal point of his life. His ject, Bro. Fermi worked on the development understanding was so advanced in the subof nuclear energy and the atomic bomb, altject that his entrance essay for the Universihough he was a vocal critic of the ty of Pisa was deemed equivalent use of the technology as a military to the work of a doctoral student. weapon. Brother Fermi was electThere he received his undergraded Fellow of the Royal Society on uate and doctoral degrees, and he April 27, 1950. In his later years, published his first important scihe did important work in particle entific work in 1922, his year of physics and was an inspiring graduation. teacher at the University of ChicaEnrico Fermi became a Freemago. In 1954, he died of stomach son joining the Adriano Lemmi cancer at the age of 53. Lodge in Rome, under the Gran Loggia d’itaHe laboured for the betterment of humanity, lia di Piazza del Geso. His intellectual curiosyet, his research ultimately led to the creaity made him a natural fit for the studies of tion and utilization of the atomic bombs Freemasonry, and he rose to the degree of which killed over 200,000 of the citizens of Master Mason in 1923. His climb towards Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. Brother Engreatness continued as was he was appointrico was adamantly opposed to the utilizaed Professor of Theoretical Physics at the tion of the hydrogen bomb, yet, he ultimately University of Rome at the age of 24. In the argued for the development of knowledge 1930s, he conducted a series of experiments regardless of the consequences of the use of to study the impacts of bombarding various that knowledge. elements with neutrons. This work led to the successful splitting of Uranium atom, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize for
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