Thorp in High School. 1947.

Narbonne High School offered very little in the way of academics. Edward O. Thorp was interested in science, but no one else shared this interest so he began teaching himself, starting a Chess Club and a Science Club at school. He said, “Physics, astronomy, mathematics, chemistry, a little biology—just by reading books and studying on my own—this also proved to be a benefit because I learned to think things through for myself. If sometime came up… and everybody would say no you couldn’t, I wouldn’t accept that. I would say, ‘Well, I’ll check it out for myself and see what I think.’” Unpublished biographical sketch. UC Irvine Libraries Special Collections and Archives, Edward O. Thorp Papers.

Eighth Science Talent Search.

Edward O. Thorp said, “My neighbor Mr. Hodge (and fellow ham radio operator) had gotten a subscription to Science News-Letter for me… I saw a story that they had a Science Talent Search contest, and that turned out to be quite a revelation for me. Along with more than sixteen thousand high school students from all over the United States, I entered the Eighth Annual Search.” Maya Ajmera. Conversations with Maya: A Discussion with Dr. Edward Thorp, Author of Beat the Dealer. Society for Science & The Public. October 27, 2017.

Some Original Calculations.

For his required contest essay, Edward O. Thorp wrote about, “Some fun things he had figured out for himself.” He shared his calculations for finding the approximate positions of the planets in the sky by assuming their orbits were circular and his calculations for finding the index of refraction of a glass prism. Edward O. Thorp. A Man for All Markets: From Las Vegas to Wall Street, How I Beat the Dealer and the Market. Random House Publishing Group, 2017. Page 43.

Local Student Wins Science Talent Search.

Long Beach Press Telegram. February 6, 1949.

Western Union Telegram. February 2, 1949.

Edward O. Thorp said, “Winning the Science Talent Search was one of the main things that really opened my eyes to the world of science and what it was like. It was the first time I ever took a train. The year was 1949, and it was a three-day train ride to Washington, D.C.” For the public evening exhibition, his display projects were a two-meter radio station he built, his solid fuel rockets testing results, and his testing of refraction in prisms. Maya Ajmera. Conversations with Maya: A Discussion with Dr. Edward Thorp, Author of Beat the Dealer. Society for Science & The Public. October 27, 2017.

Invitation to STS Banquet. March 7, 1949.

Photographs of Edward O. Thorp in Washington, D.C. 1949.

President Harry Truman with Science Talent Search Winners. 1949.

Edward O. Thorp said, “We had an audience in the Oval Office with President Harry Truman. We all had our picture taken with him, and he shook each of our hands. I remember his hand very vividly still: It felt like a nicely upholstered, well-used leather armchair with a little talcum powder on it.” Maya Ajmera. Conversations with Maya: A Discussion with Dr. Edward Thorp, Author of Beat the Dealer.

Biographies of Science Talent Search Winners.

Science Clubs of America, 1949.

Narbonne Students Win Academic Awards. Torrance Herald and Lomita News. May 1949.

Edward O. Thorp entered and won cash or college scholarship prizes from the Bank of America, the Southern California branch of the American Chemical Society, and the Southern California Physics Contest in addition to the Westinghouse Science Talent Search. “Because I was one of forty finalists in the 8th National Science Talent Search (out of 16,000 entrants), it made it easier to get scholarships at whatever university I wanted to go to. I could only afford to go to the University of California because the tuition was minimal at the time, $70 a year.” Maya Ajmera. Conversations with Maya: A Discussion with Dr. Edward Thorp, Author of Beat the Dealer. Society for Science & The Public. October 27, 2017.

Congratulatory Letter from the President of Bank of America, Torrance Branch, May 17, 1949.

Bank of America Certificate of Achievement in the Field of Laboratory Science (Chemistry). 1949.