Dinner with Oppenheimer & Truman

Kai Bird

On November 16, 2024, a sold-out crowd enjoyed an evening of insights into two powerful men at Dinner with Oppenheimer & Truman, our annual History Dinner. The night included Pulitzer Prize-winning author Kai Bird in a fireside chat with guest moderator Dr. Kurt Graham, who was the director of the Truman Presidential Library & Museum from 2015 to 2024. The stunning Phoenician Resort highlighted historic images from the lives of J. Robert Oppenheimer and President Harry S. Truman.

In 2023, the film Oppenheimer sparked renewed interest in the life of the Manhattan Project architect. In his book American Prometheus, on which the Oscar-winning movie was based, Bird explores Oppenheimer's extraordinary life and work on the atomic bomb. During the fireside chat, guests learned of Oppenheimer’s unique upbringing, the personal challenges he faced, his complex relationship with President Truman, and his post-World War II years.

The Institute is pleased to share images of the evening and thank our many guests for their support of the Institute. We invite you to explore images from the evening in the gallery link below.

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Two men in suits sit on a stage with microphones, engaged in conversation. Behind them are two large framed portraits of a distinguished older man. The setting suggests a formal event or discussion panel.

Three older adults stand on a stage, holding a sculpture. Two men and a woman, all in formal attire. Behind them is a large black-and-white photograph of an older man. The atmosphere suggests a formal award ceremony.

Kai Bird

Kai Bird is an American historian and author best known for his biographies and works on American history and politics. He holds a B.A. from Carleton College and an M.S. in journalism from Northwestern University. Bird has co-authored several acclaimed books, including American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography in 2006.

His work often explores the intersections of science, politics, and ethics. Bird’s current project is a biography of Roy Cohn, to be published by Scribner. His most recent book is The Outlier: The Unfinished Presidency of Jimmy Carter, published on June 15, 2021, by Crown/Random House.

Bird has received numerous awards, including the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Bancroft Prize, recognizing his significant contributions to historical literature. He is an elected member of the prestigious Society of American Historians.

Bird lives in New York City, Washington DC, and Miami Beach with his wife, Susan Goldmark.

An older man with a beard sits in a chair, speaking into a microphone. He wears a dark suit. Behind him is a large portrait of another man in a suit. The background is a deep blue curtain.

A person in a green suit sits on a chair, holding a microphone, smiling. In the background, there is a portrait and an American flag. Blue curtains and stage lighting create a formal setting.

Dr. Kurt Graham

Kurt Graham served as the director of the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum in Independence, Missouri—a position he held for nine years. As director, he oversaw a $30M renovation of the principal museum exhibits and dramatically expanded the Library’s educational and public programming.

Graham was recently named the president of the Adams Presidential Center in Quincy, Massachusetts. He assumed this new role on October 1, 2024.

He has also directed the George W. Bush Presidential Library in Dallas, Texas, the McCracken Research Library at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming, and the Church History Museum in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Prior to his work in public history, Graham was a member of the history faculty at California State University, San Bernardino, where he taught undergraduate and graduate courses in American political and legal/constitutional history.

Explore photos from the event in the gallery below