Washington, DC, U.S.A.

Washington's Shoreham Hotel

Washington is the capital city of the United States, but there are more scientists than politicians in this area. You have many friends here. You also come to the Washington area to visit government funding agencies. Washington becomes a beautiful city during the month of April with cherry blossoms. The American Physical Society used to hold its annual spring meeting at Washington's Shoreham hotel. Many of you will recognize this mammoth hotel building. This tradition is gone due to social and economic changes for physicists, but many physics conferences are still held here.

In 1970, Richard Feynman gave a crazy talk in this hotel, and I was there. I maintain a webapge telling you about this event.

The University of Maryland is located within this area, and is about 16 kilometers from the White House. I have been very fortunate to be on the faculty of this university since 1962. In the past, I took advantage of Washington's geography to organize many conferences at the University of Maryland, and I wrote many city guides to tell the conference participants how to enjoy Washington. Thus, it is not a bad idea to a review paper based on what I wrote before. This is the purpose of this webpage.

When I started making this webpage, I under-estimated the time required to produce this webpage. Thus, this webpage is only partially complete. I will add more photos during my leisure hours. Like yours, my main job it to become famous by writing papers.

White House and its Vicinity

• Map of the White House and its Vicinity.

• White House seen from the Lafayette Park (north).
  1. White House seen from the Ellipse (south).
  2. West Wing of the White House, where the president meets reporters.
  3. White House seen from the the Washington Monument ground.
  4. White House Christmas Tree.
  5. More White House Photos.
• Blair House facing the White House, where kings and presidents stay when they are invited by the president.
• Executive Building along the 17th Street west of the White House.

• Lafayette Park in front of the White House. Andrew Jackson's statue, White House, and Washington Monument are seen. Jackson was the 7th president of the United States (1829-37). The United States experienced a great territorial expansion during his presidency. Jackson was the founder of the political party known today as the "Democratic Party."
  1. Jackson Statue in detail.
  2. Lafayette Park seen from the White House.
  3. Lafayette Park would be meaningless without a statue of General Marquis de Lafayette who made a decisive contribution in the war of American independence. This statue is at the south-east corner of the park, the closest point to the White House.

• Department of the Treasury is just east of the White House. In front (south) of this building is
• Statue of William Tecumseh Sherman. General Sherman was a brave military man who led the Northern army deep into the South during the Civil War.
  1. Gone with the Wind. General Sherman is thoroughly cursed by Southern ladies.
  2. Sherman Tanks. He is also well known for World War II American tanks. By 1960, all Sherman tanks were retired, but Fidel Castro of Cuba claimed Americans attempted to invade Cuba using their Sherman tanks.

• Corcoran Galley of Art is 100 meters from the southwest corner of the White House.
  1. Lion Statue at the entrance.
  2. Entrance Lobby.
  3. Love of Europe. Being so near to the White House, the gallery usually shows paintings by American artists. Sometimes, it has respectable European programs.

• American Red Cross. You all know what this organization does, and it deserves to be close to the White House. I have never been in this building.

• Daughters of the American Revolution. This is an organization of women who are descendents of those Americans who made direct contributions to the Independence of America from the British rule. It is of course patriotic and conservative organization, but it is quite capable of adjusting itself to changing times. This building has a large music hall called "Constitution Hall."
  1. Entrance to the Constitution Hall facing west is one block away from the east entrance. The building occupies one entire block.
  2. The Alexandrov music group is a very important component of Russia's Red Army. This group came to this hall and presented a brilliant performance.
  3. I was there and took many photos.
  4. Applause. Those Russian performers are accepting an enthusiastic applause/
  5. American Uniforms. Three of those performers were wearing American uniforms. They were reproducing the meeting of the U.S. and U.S.S.R army units on the Elbe River in 1945 during the final days of Hitler's rule in Germany.
  6. Proschanie Slaviankie was not included in their program, and I complained to one of managers of the group, and he apologized and told me he appreciated my complaint.

• Organization of American States. The United States plays the dominant role in the Western Hemisphere. It is thus natural for this organization to be so close to the White House.
  I was in this building when Marcos Moshinsky received a pan-American science award in 1996. I have some photos from this occasion, and intend to post them when I find them.

  

• Hey Adams Hotel, Lafayette Park, White House, and Washington Monument. If you are invited by the president but you are not the king or president of your country, you are likely to stay here. You do not have to be a politician to stay in this hotel. I know at least one physicist who stays here when he comes to Washington. You know his name, but I will not tell.
  1. Hotel Entrance on the 16th Street.
  2. seen from the White House. The Lafayette Park and the statue of Andrew Jackson is also seen.
  3. Hotel Receptionist. I once stayed in this hotel, even though I was not invited by the White House. I was greeted by a professional receptionist. She was studied hotel hospitality in Serbia, and was working there an intern. She was quite familiar with the world, and she became very happy when I told her I have a webpage about Nikola Tesla. We promised to meet again in Serbia.

• Willard Hotel is one block east of the White House. This hotel is for those business people who want to impress the president. This hotel is big enough to host several conferences simultaneously.
  1. Wiillard Hotel and Willard Intercontinental Hotel facing Pennsylvania Avenue (south). The Treasury building with its triangular roof is also seen.
  2. Top of the hotel building.
  3. Main Lobby tells it is a very expensive hotel.
  4. Japanese Musician is playing a traditional Japanese instrument.
  5. Marble Wash Room is also something to see.
  6. Coffee Tables for business negotiations.
  7. Sidewalk Cafe outstide the hotel.

• Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. I was told that this is the biggest government building in the world. There are various agencies the U.S. government having to do with international relations. In addition, this building is designed also for ordinary citizens. There are many conference rooms.
  1. North-Eastern Corner of the Building at the 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenu.
  2. Wedding reception. This room is ready for a wedding reception.
  3. Main Lobby. A plaque of Ronald Reagan is seen. Ronald Reagan was a very popular president. Reporters once asked him how he became the president of the United States with his acting background. His reply was that he does not know how one can become the president without acting background.
  4. Glass Top of the main lobby. This building was completed in 1991, and it has modern style interiors.

• Washington Monument seen from the Tidal Basin.
  1. Washington Monument and Reflection Pool seen from the Lincoln Memorial. The Capitol dome is also seen.
  2. Reflection Pool. Another View.
  3. Washington Monument with an airplane approaching the Reagan National Airport. The construction of this monument started before the Civil War, but it was interrupted during the war. The construction resumed after the War with different stones, leaving a horizontal discontinuity line. It is interesting to seer that the airplane is cutting through this discontinuity line.
  4. The Discontinuity is more prominent in this photo.
  5. Sunset Background seen from the Tidal Basin.

  6. Fifty One American Flags surrounding the Monument.
  7. Cherry Trees on the Monument ground.
  8. The Navy Band presents a Cherry blossom concert.
  9. Independecne Day Celebration on the Monument ground.
  10. Independence Day Fire Work is held on the fourth day of July every year.
  11. seen by Frogs. The Monument seen by frogs.

• The shape of this monument is very simple and lacks sophistication,, and it is called "Obelisk." The obelisk style was developed by Egyptians, and it means something important to many people. There are thus many obelisks in different countries on the world.
  1. St. Peter's Plaza in Rome has its Obelisk.
  2. Rome's Pantheon also has its Obelisk.
  3. At the Spanish Steps in Rome. Spain once controlled this area of Italy, and the building in the background served as the colonial government.
  4. At the Concorde Square in Paris, there is an obelisk to commemorate the execution of Louis XVI and his wife.

• The Washington Monument also enhances other buildings in Washington.
  1. The White House looks more authoritative with the Washington Monument in the background.
  2. White House Christmas Tree looks very special with the Monument. This photo was taken while Richard Nixon was in the White House.
  3. George Bush's Christmas Tree in 2008.
  4. Pentagon was built during World War II, and is a box-like building. It appears great with the Washington Monument.
  5. Towers of Smithsonian Institution with the Monument.
  6. I become bigger with the Monument.
  7. seen by Birds. The Monument seen by birds.

• World War II Memorial west of the Washington Monument.
  1. WW II Memorial seen the Washington Monument ground.
  2. Lincoln Memorial seen from the WWII Memorial.
  3. WW II Memorial Pond with water columns.
  4. Another View of the Pond.
  5. Walkway to Lincoln Memorial along the Reflection Pool.

• Jefferson Memorial seen from the Tidal Basin (2006).
  1. Statue of Thomas Jefferson facing toward the Washington Monument.
  2. Thomas Jefferson inside the Memorial.
  3. Statue of Thomas Jefferson facing toward the Washington Monument.
  4. The Washington Monument from the Jefferson Memorial ground.
  5. seen from the Washington Monument.
  6. Front of the Memorial.
  7. Greek Columns and Roman Dome. Creative union.
  8. Theory of Architecture. Many people write poems on beautiful landscapes. Instead of poems, I construct theories.
  9. Hidden by Cherry Blossoms.
  10. I look OK with the Jefferson Memorial in the background.

• Cherry Blossom. The first week of April is the cherry blossom season in Washington. The Tidal Basin is the place for those cherry trees. The Washington Monument is about 200 meters north of Basin, and the Jefferson Memorial is on the eastern side.
  1. Washington Monument between two cherry trees.
  2. Jefferson Memorial hidden by blossoms.
  3. Cherry Blossoms on the Washington Monument ground.
  4. Sunset View of the Tidal Basin.
  5. More Photos of cherry blossoms and the tidal basin.

  6. National Defense University seen from the East Potomac Park, east of the Jefferson Memorial. This university is one of the graduate schools for the U.S. armed forces. Dwight D. Eisenhower wrote his thesis about how to deal with Hitler's German army, and was about his later job as the supreme commander of the allied forces during World War II. Thanks to his thesis, he became promoted to a full general from the ranks of colonel. It was like Joseph becoming the prime minister from a prisoner, after interpreting the Pharaoh's dream in Egypt.

  
  

Capitol Hill, National Mall (to be completed)

• National Gallery of Art.

• National Archives.

• Map of the Lincoln Memorial and surrounding area.

• Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial
  1. Lincoln Memorial seen from Constitution Avenue.
  2. Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument seen the roof top of the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts.
  3. seen from the World War II Memorial
  4. seen before the World War II Memorial was built.

• Freedom is not Free. Korean War Memorial south-east of the Lincoln Memorial.
  1. Korean was totally unknown place when the war started in 1950.
  2. Statues of American Soldiers in Korea (1950-53).
  3. Another Photo of those soldiers. During the Korean War, American soldiers carried Garrand M-1 rifles, M-1 carbines, and BARs (Browning automatics rifles).

  

• Three Soldiers at the Vietnam War Memorial.
  1. Wall of names. More than 50,000 Americans died in Vietman during the war. Their names are engraved on this wall.
  2. Another Photo of the Wall.
  3. Name of her Father. This lady is taking a photo of the name important to her, presumably her father.

• Albert Einstein Monument.
  1. Federal Reserve Building on Constitution Avenue, south west of the White House. Important decisions are made on world economy in this building.

  2. Einstein with a Pretty Lady. from the cover page of the Washingtonian magazine (April 2010).
  3. Einstein with a Physicist.

• J. F. Kennedy Center in Washington viewed from the Georgetown waterfront. This photo includes also the Watergate residential complex, the Arlington-Memorial Bridge, a floating restaurant "Odyssey", and a helicopter carrying an important person are also seen (July 2004).
  1. Kennedy Center viewed from the Potomac River.
  2. Kennedy's Bust, in the main lobby of Washington's Kennedy Center for Performing Arts (February 2002).
  3. Chandeliers in the Opera House contributed by the Austrian government.

  4. The Kirov Ballet of St. Petersburg is now called Mariinskty Ballet. This music group comes to the Kennedy Center frequently, and I try to go there.
  5. La Bayadere. After the performance of La Bayadere at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, DC (USA 2008). La Bayadere was premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre in 1877.
  6. Don Quixote by the Mariinsky Ballet. They came to Washington in 2009. I took this photo when everybody was excited after their performance of Don Quixote, consisting of Spanish dances with Viennese music.

Georgetown and Washington Harbor (to be completed)

• Guide to Georgetown

• National Harbor

University of Maryland

• University of Maryland Webpage.

• 1856. Maryland Agricultural College was set up. We still see this cow-college tradition. The animal house is still located near the center of the campus. Let us look at some animal pictures.

  1. University Barn is the "must see" spot on campus.
  2. Not Bull fighters. They are bull lovers.
  3. More Photos of the cow college traditon.

• Brief History of the University.
  1. 1864. Maryland legislature voted to accept the Morris grant, commonly known as Abraham Lincoln's land grant. The college received a city-sized land from the federal government. I came here in 1962, I witness construction activities everyday.

  2. 1916 and 1917. The State of Maryland took full control of the college and changed its name to the University of Maryland.

  3. 1935. Curly Byrd became the president of the University, and was the president until 1964. He is the one who transformed the University from a cow college to a ranking university in the United States. He had a talent in impressing the state legislature for his numerous construction projects. He built many dormitory buildings.

     ** For one year, he received enough funds for both library and stadium, but he combined both funds to build a huge stadium. These days, the university's football stadium is called

     • Byrd Stadium. This is the biggest college foot ball field in the world. The cow college image is gone, but the University of Maryland is still regarded as a "foot ball" college. In addition, there are
     • Extensive Indoor Facilities. The construction of this building was funded by ComCast company. This company thinks it can make money from this investment.

     ** 1954. Curly Bird retired. Before his retirement, he was able to convince the Maryland legislature for additional funds for the library. The construction of the library was completed in 1958, and it is called McKeldon Library. It is located at the center of the University, and there is a beautiful mall in front of this library.

     • McKeldon Library and the Mall.
     • Talent Show. A student is showing his talent.
     • Campus Walkway along the Mall.
     • Main Administration Building is at the opposite end of the Mall.

  4. 1952. Curly Byrd decided to build a first-class physics department, and called John A. Wheeler for an advice. At that time, Wheeler had a young student named John S. Toll. Toll came to the University in 1953 and got things moving.
     • Toll with Wheeler in 2001, forty eight years after he came to the University of Maryland.

     By 1965, when he left the Department to become the president of the Stony Brook campus of the New York state university system, Maryland's physics department became one of the largest in the world.

  5. In 1980, Toll came back to the University of Maryland as the chancellor of the Maryland University System. He used to become very happy whenever I invited Eugene Wigner from Princeton. Here is

     • My photo with Toll and Wigner (1986).

  6. In 2001, the physics building was named after him, and is now called "John S. Tall Physics Building."

  7. These days, many capitalists are coming to College Park, and they are constructing high-rise buildings. Are they going to transform this college town into a business center? I do not know. In either case, things are changing everyday.

  When I came to Maryland in 1962, I was a single man. I now have a grandson imitating Richard Feynman.

• I came to the University of Maryland in 1962, and spent 48 years of challenges and promises. My job is still to become famous. I would like to show you some photos of myself with colleagues and students.

  1. Faculty Photo of 1963, ten months after I came to the University.

  2. with Students in honors program (1972). I like students because I regard myself as one of them.

  3. Elementary Particles Research Group (1973).

  4. Departmental Christmas Party (1976).

  5. Academic Robe. I sometimes had to attend commencement ceremonies (1990).

  6. Popular Teachers invited to a student party (2000). With me is Satindar Bhagat, who also came to the UMD in 1962. He was always a good teacher, but I was sometimes.

  7. Coca-Cola Cans. I used to collect Coca-Cola cans from different parts of the world. These days, I cannot carry them. Thus, I have to find some other item I can carry on my carry-on bag. Please tell me if you have suggestions.

  8. Home page. You are invited to my home page. The University of Maryland has been very nice to me.

• I have more than 1000 campus photos. I will post them when I have time. Please come again.

Other Important Places in the Washington Area

• Mount Vernon. George Washington's residence 20 kilometers south of Washington.

• Annapolis, 50 km east of Washington, home of the U.S.Naval Academy.