[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 15 (Monday, April 21, 2008)]
[Pages 519-520]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on the Death of
John A. Wheeler

April 14, 2008

    Laura and I are saddened by the death of John Archibald Wheeler, one 
of America's greatest physicists.

[[Page 520]]

    During his distinguished career, Dr. Wheeler collaborated with 
scientists such as Albert Einstein and Niels Bohr on projects that 
changed the course of history. His early work with Bohr on how nuclei 
split apart, his vision of the possibilities of Einstein's curved space, 
and his work on quantum theory demonstrated his innovation and 
brilliance. And he will always be remembered for giving the phenomenon 
of black holes its name.
    Dr. Wheeler was also a great teacher who understood that educating 
young minds would be one of his most significant contributions. As a 
professor at Princeton University and the University of Texas--Austin, 
Dr. Wheeler inspired generations of students, such as the late Nobel 
Prize winning physicist Richard Feynman, to transform their curiosity 
into scientific discoveries.
    Today our thoughts and prayers are with the Wheeler family.