J. Arthur Freed is the recipient of the 2020 Los Alamos History Award. Photo by Jim Gautier
By SHARON SNYDER
Los Alamos Historical Society
J. Arthur Freed was honored with the 2020 Los Alamos History Award, presented each year by the Los Alamos Historical Society to recognize those who have made a significant contribution to preserving the world-changing history of the community.
Freed served several terms on the society’s Board of Directors, and former board president Ron Wilkins acknowledges him as “a long-time friend of the society, one who brought his professional expertise to the operations of our archive.”
Archivist Rebecca Collinsworth expressed her admiration by remembering Freed’s “careful scholarship, broad knowledge of many subjects, thoughtfulness of other people, steadfast professionalism, and personal kindness.”
Mary Pat Kraemer, a current board member, recalls Freed’s work on the Collections Committee and praises his strong advocacy for “preservation of artifacts, improved archival standards, and judicious use of volunteers to assist a very busy staff. He strongly encouraged increased collections security, including the development of the Locked Door Policy for the archive.”
Freed is a long-time member of the Oppenheimer Memorial Committee, and in that capacity he has served as an important link between the committee and the historical society. He was instrumental in arranging the loan of the bust of Oppenheimer on display in the Los Alamos History Museum, and in 1918 he was involved in bringing the exhibit J. Robert Oppenheimer: Photographs From His Life, 1904-1967 to the museum, a display of photographs curated and owned by the Oppenheimer Memorial Committee.
Hedy Dunn, a former historical society director, praised Freed “for bringing an understanding of organizational leadership to the society, as well as a knowledge of the workings of the lab and community and a deep knowledge of our scientific history.”
She remembers him as a highly respected supporter of the non-profit arts and cultural community as a whole and not only the historical society. She added that his contributions have “earned him a reputation as a pillar of the community.”
Kraemer summed up the 2020 choice for the History Award by saying, “Art Freed’s impact on preserving Los Alamos history will be lasting and strong.”