Privatdozent Photo Edition #10

Oskar Morgenstern visiting Kurt Gödel in Princeton (1950s)

Oskar Morgenstern (left) with his friend Kurt Gödel in Princeton in the 1950s (Photo: Bonhams)

Following the death of Kurt Gödel (1906-78)’s close friends John von Neumann (1903-57) and Albert Einstein (1879-1955), the mathematician gravitated towards another close friend in Princeton, economist Oskar Morgenstern (1902-77). In the photograph, the two are standing outside of Gödel’s house. We know the details of their relationship largely due to Morgenstern’s diaries being donated to the Duke University library. Alongside Gödel’s so-called Nachlaß (his correspondences, drafts, notebooks, unpublished manuscripts, books, as well as loose notes and memoranda, donated to the Institute for Advanced Study), these documents narrate a very close friendship which at times caused Morgenstern considerable frustration.

Among the funniest descriptions of their relationship I’ve found in Morgenstern’s archive is the following, by his wife Dorothy Morgenstern Thomas from 1991:

“He used to call […] As y…