1874-1952. Zionist leader, the first
president of Israel (1948-52), and chemist.
Born in Russia, he became a naturalized
British subject, and as director of the
Admiralty laboratories 1916-19 discovered a
process for manufacturing acetone, a solvent.
He conducted the negotiations leading up to
the Balfour Declaration, by which Britain
declared its support for an independent
Jewish state. He became head of the Hebrew
University in Jerusalem, then in 1948 became
the first president of the new republic of
Israel.