Life Takes A Turn For Maria and Her Family
While working at John Hopkins University, Maria and Karl Herzfeld decided to study the field of quantum mechanics. While there wasn’t much interest in this field, the researchers continued to research the area and record their findings. To complete her research, Maria traveled to Gottingen during the summer of the early 1930s. Unfortunately, the analysis in Gottingen would be short-lived because many people would lose their jobs once Gottingen came under the new rule of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party or the Nazi Party.
Once the Nazi Party started to come into power, Maria and Karl decided to start a relief party for the people who were troubled by the Nazi Party. They focused their attention in the United States with refugees who were trying to escape the rule of the Nazi Party. During this time, Joseph would lose his job at John Hopkins University. He blamed the sexism from the Dean of Physical Sciences, who didn’t like Maria’s presence in the chemistry labs. Due to continued struggle and criticism, Maria left John Hopkins University.
Maria Works Her Magic During World War 2
In 1941, right before the United States entered World War 2, Maria took a paid position at Sarah Lawrence College. However, when the United States entered World War 2 in the spring of 1942, Maria took time to help with the Manhattan Project. She worked part-time with Substitute Alloy Materials (SAM) Laboratories at Columbia University. While here, Maria was given the task of separating the fissile uranium-235 isotope in natural uranium. Through her research, Maria realized that separating wouldn’t happen then; however, her research has helped other physicists.
Maria continued to research at Columbia University, often pairing with Edward Teller. One of these research projects was the Opacity Project. This project was a part of the development of thermonuclear weapons, which are more commonly called hydrogen bombs. During the year months of 1945, Joseph went to the Pacific Coast in order to assist the United States in World War 2. Right after her husband left, Maria decided to head to Los Alamos Laboratory where Teller and his group continued their research.
Thankfully, for Maria, her husband would return a few months later. With the ending of World War 2, Maria decided to leave the Los Almos Laboratory and go to New York with her husband during the summer of 1945. At this point, both Maria and Joseph were reunited with their children who stayed in New York with friends while Joseph was in the Pacific War and Maria went to Los Alamos Laboratory. After his return, Joseph accepted a job as a professor at the University of Chicago, which allowed Maria to receive a volunteer role.