by Caleb Fort
Daily Lobo
Albert Einstein brought more to New Mexico than the Atomic Age.
During a 1931 trip across the West, Einstein made a short stop in New Mexico, where he signed a book for F.M. Denton, the first chairman of UNM's Electrical Engineering Department.
Denton's family donated that book to the University this month.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
"The family said they had a book signed by Einstein and wondered if we would be interested in having it," said Bruce Neville, director of Centennial Science and Engineering Library. "Of course, I said yes."
The signed first edition of Denton's Relativity and Common Sense will be on display in Centennial until the end of the semester.
The display includes copies of letters between Einstein and Denton, as well as newspaper clips about Einstein's visit to Albuquerque.
E.H. Denton, F.M. Denton's son, said the family donated the book so other people could appreciate it.
"It seems to be a valuable book, and rather than have it deteriorate in a corner on some bookshelf, we thought we should give it to someone who could take care of it," he said. "None of us in the family feel that we know enough to truly understand relativity."
E.H. Denton and Neville said they are not sure how much the book is worth.
"I have kept monetary value
entirely out of my mind," E.H. Denton said. "I think that letters and books from Einstein have a market. There are people who will pay money for that kind of thing - I have no idea why."
An auction on eBay for a piece of paper signed by Einstein has an expected winning bid of $700 to $1,200
Neville said the book is more valuable than money.
"Einstein is one of those people who have had a profound impact on the course of history, and here we have an artifact from him," he said. "The family wanted to be assured that if they gave it to us, it wouldn't show up on eBay the next day. It certainly will not."
The book is an attempt to explain Einstein's theory of relativity in an understandable way.
"Anyone who wants to try to understand how man is trying to deal with the universe around him needs to understand what Einstein was trying to do," E.H. Denton said. "My father thought it would be good to try to explain what on earth was going on with Einstein's theory."
E.H. Denton said he wants the book to help people learn about his father.
"When I go onto the campus now, I see buildings dedicated to Castetter and other people, but I see no such memorializing of my father," he said. "Hopefully, the donation will be something they can relate to him."
The book will be moved to the Center for Southwest Research after it is taken off display.
The center is better equipped to preserve the book and protect it from theft than Centennial, Neville said.
Holding the book for the first time was exciting, he said.
"It was a special experience," he said. "It's like the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon or how many handshakes you are away from a president. Now I'm three handshakes away from Einstein."
