Goldberg, Alexander

views updated

GOLDBERG, ALEXANDER

GOLDBERG, ALEXANDER (1906–1985), Israel chemical engineer. Goldberg, who was born in Vilna, went to England in 1914. He graduated in mining engineering and chemical engineering at the Royal School of Mines, London. He was a pioneer in the development of techniques of crop preservation, and subsequently worked with the raw-material group of the Hawker-Siddeley organization. During World War ii he was responsible for producing metallic magnesium from seawater, and later for the production of the aluminum used in Britain's postwar prefabricated houses. In 1948 he went to Israel and headed Chemicals and Phosphates Ltd. thereby becoming a key figure in Israel's developing chemical industry. In 1965 he became president of the Haifa Technion.

[Samuel Aaron Miller]