The Rosenbergs: The Definitive Debate

More than sixty years after their execution in June 1953 for conspiring to steal atomic secrets for the Soviet Union, debate still rages about the Rosenbergs. Mike Meeropol, the son of Julius and Ethel, has spent his life in pursuit of the real story behind his parents’ secret lives, their trials, their convictions for espionage, and ultimately their executions. Sam Roberts, journalist for The New York Times, is the author of The Brother, a book written with exclusive access to David Greenglass, Ethel’s brother, whose testimony almost single-handedly convicted the couple. In this extraordinary debate, these renowned Rosenberg scholars— with very different perspectives—take on the divisive issues and key questions that remain despite the declassification of intelligence files from the United States and the Soviet Union. Dr. Vince Houghton, historian and curator of the International Spy Museum and an expert on nuclear intelligence, moderated this authoritative debate on the Rosenberg case. This event took place April 21, 2015.