Eugene Wigner talks about the paper he wrote with Seitz on the interaction energy of metals.

Seitz:

On the correlation energy. You did that in Budapest that summer.

Wigner:

See, he has a marvelous memory.

Hoddeson:

Are you talking about Wigner's paper on the interaction energy of metals?

Wigner:

— of electrons in metals. Now, you see something here that should bother you, in this article, namely that the names are given, "Wigner and Seitz," rather than "Seitz and Wigner". And I have been —

Seitz:

Oh, I handled that publication because you were in Europe.

Wigner:

Well, you know, the fact is that soon after this time, in '34 or so, I was told to look for another job. And I felt, therefore, that it is critical for me to appear as somebody who has contributed to physics. Fred, as soon as he was through with his doctoral dissertation, had four offers of a job. I had none. So I thought it is good if I put myself forward. But I don't think you should publish this fact. You should not publish it. You should blame me for something, perhaps, but —

Hoddeson:

Now, let me see. In the second —

Wigner:

— but I did get a job, eventually, yes, at the University of Wisconsin.