Bethe House History

A graphic featuring a quote on a dark blue background. On the left side, there is a stylized atomic symbol. Centered on the image is the quote: "I can do that." Beneath the quote is a signature and the name H. A. Bethe (1906–2005), referencing the renowned physicist Hans Albrecht Bethe.

Hans Bethe House is the third of five residential colleges built at Cornell in the first decade of the 21st century comprising the university's West Campus House System. It opened in the fall of 2007. The House accommodates 280 sophomores and 100 juniors and seniors in a faculty-led, student-governed residential community. The name honors long-time and beloved Cornell faculty member Hans A. Bethe.

House Crest

The Hans Bethe House crest (on the left) makes reference to the character and contributions of the beloved Cornell professor after whom the House is named, to the university of which the House is a proud part, and to the progenitors of the residential college tradition.

The crest is comprised of a light blue shield with a dark blue band or chief across the top. The body of the shield sports an open book on which are inscribed the three much-admired qualities of Professor Bethe to which House members aspire - intellect, integrity and humility. The presence of the book links the House crest with that of the University, on which is incorporated a volume displaying Ezra Cornell's founding dictum of any person any study. The dark blue chief surrounds an emblem in white, repeated three times, that is part stylized star and part the international sign of the atom. The emblem fuses two key elements of Professor Bethe's Nobel Prize-winning work on the nuclear reactions that produce the energy in stars. The crest's colors combine those of the two English universities that founded the residential college system.

In addition to our House Crest, you will see the Bethe Atom (on the right) featured as our logo in many documents, our letterhead, and swag.

Professor Hans A. Bethe

Hans Bethe, professor of physics (PHYS) receives the 1967 Nobel Prize in Physics from the King of Sweden.

Hans A. Bethe
July 2, 1906 - March 6, 2005
College of Arts and Sciences
Cornell University Faculty 1935 - 2005

Hans A. Bethe was a world-renowned scientist, a distinguished professor of physics and one of the most honored faculty members in Cornell's 140-year history. A pioneer of 20th century physics and astronomy, he received the Nobel Prize in Physics "for his contributions to the theory of nuclear reactions, especially his discoveries concerning the energy production in stars." A leading member of the Manhattan Project that developed the first atomic bomb, Bethe later became a tireless champion of nuclear arms control. His intellectual leadership was profound and his scholarship enduring. In every decade from the 1920s until the 2000s, he published seminal papers in physics.

Professor Bethe was a man of profound integrity and humility who made outstanding contributions beyond his own discipline in a constant effort to influence public policy for the greater good. He was instrumental in changing the public perception of the role of science and scientists in relation to society. He was famous for his optimistic phrase: "I can do that" when faced with adversity or a critical unsolved problem. His unwavering loyalty to Cornell and its students, his integrity and humility, as well as his profound intellectual accomplishments made him one of the most revered members of the Cornell faculty.

Former House-Professor Deans

Porus Olpadwala (2007-2010)
Scott MacDonald (2010-2016)
Julia Thom-Levy (2016-2019)
Andrew Hicks (2019-2025)