From: payman@milton.u.washington.edu (Payman Arabshahi)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.iranian,sci.physics
Subject: In Memory of Professor Hesabi
Date: 28 Sep 92 17:58:33 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Sep28.175833.20526
Reply-To: payman@u.washington.edu
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle



Professor Mahmoud Hesabi, father of modern physics 
in Iran, passed away last week.  What follows is
an article originally posted by me about a year
ago when he was selected as Man of the Year in
Science by the American Biographical Institute.

-Payman

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The Iranian scientific and technical magazine "Daneshmand" (ISSN 1011-3495)
regularly features articles and interviews dealing with the state of   
science and technology in Iran, along with original articles by Iranian 
researchers.  The article appearing below is a summarized translation  
of two extensive articles totalling some 18 pages that appeared in the
the Ordibehesht 1370 (21 Apr.- 20 May 1991) issue of Daneshmand and the
15 Day 1369 issue of the magazine Ettela'at Elmi.

The article about Dr. Mahmoud Hesabi details some of the contributions
of this extraordinary man to the advancement of science in Iran.  He is
a credit to Iran and the world, and I strongly urge you to take a look
at the article.  May we have the courage and determination to follow
in his footsteps.

                           *    *    *


The purpose of these postings is twofold: First, to inform the Iranian
community abroad of science related happenings in Iran; and Second, to
instigate a discussion of these issues in our forum.

Past "issues" of these reports are available free via e-mail only.
Please send a short note to : payman@milton.u.washington.edu


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                   Iran Science & Technology Report 5
                   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

                
                                CONTENTS:


                          Dr. Mahmoud Hesabi,
                    Father of Modern Physics in Iran





                                  Man of the Year in Science
------------------------------------------------------------


The American Biographical Institute (ABI), located in the
state of North Carolina, is an institute devoted to the
publication of references and biographies of famous
personalities worldwide.  There is a similar institution in
Cambridge, England, called the International Biographical
Center (IBC).  Together, these institutes have published
encyclopedias and complete references about world
personalities from forty years ago.  The result of their
efforts are published in books known as the "Who's Who", in
which the name of each person, his biography, and a list of
accomplishments are given.

These two institutes make a selection every five years from
a list of some 5000 scientists and choose a distinguished
group from them.  Of this group, only one is then selected
as the "World Man of the Year in Science", who receives an
award from ABI and IBC.  In the year 1990, Professor Dr.
Mahmoud Hesabi was chosen as the man of the year in science.

Dr. Mahmoud Hesabi was born in the year 1902 in Tehran of
Tafreshi parents. He finished his studies in Beirut and
Paris in the disciplines of Electrical Engineering, Mining,
Medicine, Biology, Astronomy, and finally Physics.  After
obtaining his PhD in Physics from the Sorbonne in France, he
returned to Iran and started his cultural and academic
career.  A summary of his accomplishments is given below:



Education
--------------------------------------------------------------

Elementary school: French School of Beirut, 1910-1914.
                   In home study with his mother, 1914-1916
                   (Due to the outbreak of World War I)

Secondary School : American School of Beirut 1916-1918
                   (finished 4 years in one!)

Higher Education : B.S. in Literature and Sciences, American
                   University of Beirut, 1920.
 
                   B.S. in Civil Engineering, French School of
                   Engineering, Beirut, 1922.

                   Passing a part of the medical programme at
                   the American University of Beirut.

                   B.S. in Astronomy, Mathematics, History and
                   Biology, American University of Beirut, 1924.

                   B.S. in Electrical Engineering from "l'Ecole
                   Superieure d'Electricite de Paris", France, 
                   1925.

                   B.S. in Mining Engineering, School of Mines,
                   Paris, 1926.

                   PhD in Physics from the Sorbonne, Paris, 1927.

Return to Iran   : October 23, 1927.



Services
------------------------------------------------------------

1. Designing the road map of Lebanon, 1920-1921.

2. Construction projects with a French Engineering firm in
   Lebanon, 1923.

3. Civil Engineer at the Transportation Ministry of Lebanon,
   1923.

4. Civil Engineer at the Transportation Ministry of Syria,
   1923-1924.

5. Electrical Engineer at the French State Railway Company 
  (SNCF), 1925.

6. Civil Engineer at the Ministry of Transportation, 1927.

7. Establishing the School of Engineering of the Ministry of
   Transportation and teaching there, 1928.

8. Designing of the first construction map of the Persian
   Gulf coastal road from Bushehr to Bandar Lengeh, 1928.

9. The founding of the dAr-ol-moalemin Ali (Teacher Training
   College), now known as dAneshsarAye- Ali, 1928.  He was a
   Professor of Physics there at the time.

10. Establishing Iran's first Meteorological station in 1931.

11. Establishing Iran's first Radiological center in 1931.

12. Cooperation in the founding of Iran's first private
    hospital (The goharshAd) in 1933.

13. Transportation Ministry's official in charge of mapping
    the Tehran-Shemshak road for coal mining purposes in
    1933.

14. Commencement of work on Farsi scientific phraseology,
    1933.

15. Founding and the writing of the constitution of Tehran
    University, 1934.

16. Founding of the Engineering College of Tehran University
    in 1934.  He served as the College Dean till 1936 and
    has taught there ever since.

17. Founding of the Arts and Sciences College of Tehran
    University.  He served as the Dean of the College from
    1942-1948 and 1951-1957 and has taught Physics there
    ever since.

18. Participation in the Dispossession (khal'-e yad) of the
    Anglo-Iranian Oil Company during Dr. Mossadegh's
    administration (1951-1953), and serving as the first
    chairman of the Board of Directors of the National
    Iranian Oil Company.

19. Minister of Culture and Higher Education in the cabinet
    of Dr. Mossadegh, 1951-1952.

20. The founding of schools for Iran's nomadic tribes while
    serving as Minister of Culture in 1951.

21. Opposing the presentation of the (Oil) Consortium treaty
    in the Parliament, following the overthrow of Dr.
    Mossadegh in the Coup of August 11, 1953.

22. Opposing the membership of Iran in the Baghdad Pact
    (CENTO) in the Parliament.

23. Resignation from the Parliament in continuation of his
    Political oppositions in 1963.

24. Establishing of the first Satellite Tracking Observatory
    of Iran in Shiraz.

25. Collaboration in the Establishing of the Assadabad
    Satellite Telecommunications Center in Hamadan.

26. The founding of Tehran University's Geophysics
    Institute.

27. Distinguished Professor of Tehran University since
    1971.

28. The founding of Tehran University's Center for Nuclear
    Research, and its Atomic reactor in his position as the
    Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

29. Director of "Space Research of Iran" at the time of its
    formation.

30. Founding of the Iranian Institute of Music.

31. Lectures to scientific establishments in France at the
    invitation of the French government, and the visiting of
    French research institutions, 1956.

32. Inaugurating India's nuclear reactor, 1960.

33. And more than 60 years of teaching Physics at our
    Universities.



Scientific Research
------------------------------------------------------------


1. PhD Dissertation on the Sensitivity of Photoelectric
   Cells, Sorbonne, Paris, 1927.

2. Research and publications on The Structure of Fundamental
   Particles of the Atomic Nucleus as derived from
   Einstein's Theory of General Relativity.  This work was
   conducted with the guidance of Professor Einstein while
   Dr. Hesabi was at Princeton University's Institute for
   Advanced Study for one year in 1946.

3. Research on the Deviation of Light Rays Near Matter at
   the University of Chicago with Professor Enrico Fermi
   during 1947-1948 as a research associate in the Nuclear
   Sciences Institute of that University.

4. Continuing, to date, of research on the above mentioned
   topics at Tehran University (Theoretical and
   Experimental).

5. Prediction of the existence of the fundamental particle
   "Muon" and its properties.  This was verified in 1956 in
   the US.



Major Publications
------------------------------------------------------------


1. "Interpretation of De Broglie Waves", Tehran, 1945.

2. "A Strain Theory of Matter", Tehran University Press,
   1946.

3. "Proposed Modification in Newton's Law of gravitation and
   Coloumb's Law of the Electric Field", Cambridge
   University Press, 1946.

4. Article on "Continuous Particles", US Academy of
   Sciences, 1947.

5. "Modeles des Particles Infinies", French Journal of
   Physics, 1957.

6. "Theory of Infinitely Extended Particles", Tehran
   University Press, 1977.

7. Textbook of Physics, High School level 1, Tehran, 1939.

8. "Physical Optics" (Book), Tehran University Press, 1961.

9. "Electromagnetic Theory (Book), Tehran University Press,
    1966.

10. "Solid State Physics" (Book), Tehran University Press,
    1969.

10. "Quantum Optics" (Book), Tehran University Press, 1979.

11. "Electrodynamics" (Book), Tehran University Press, 1991.

12. "Iranian Names", (Book), 1940.

13. "The New Physics" , Tehran, 1964.

14. "Capabilities and Strengths of the Persian Language",
    Tehran, 1971.

15. "Persian Affixes and Verbs" (A Book on Technical Persian
    in both English and Farsi), Tehran University Press, 1991.

Plus numerous other articles in Physics and choice of
technical words and phrases in Farsi.



Memberships in Scientific Organizations
------------------------------------------------------------


1.  European Physical Society
2.  American Physical Society
3.  French Physical Society
4.  New York Academy of the Sciences
5.  Iranian Academy of the Sciences
6.  Council of Tehran University
7.  High Council of Culture (Iran)
8.  Technical Terminology Association of Iran
9.  Oslo (Norway) Mathematics Congress, 1936.
10. Moscow Atomic Congress, 1955.
11. First Atomic Congress, Geneva, 1958.
12. Space Scientific Committee, Geneva, 1962 and 1963.
13. Vienna Atomic Congress, 1966.
14. Scientific and Technical Committee on Space, New York
    1967.
15. Scientific and Technical Committee on Space, Vienna,
    1968.



Meetings With Other Scientists
------------------------------------------------------------

Dr. Hesabi had the opportunity to meet and work with several
distinguished physicists of all times including Einstein,
Fermi, Born, Schrodinger, Bohr, Dirac, Kramer, Blackett, and
Feynman.



Daily Routine
------------------------------------------------------------


Breakfast and conversations with his wife, from 7:30 to 8:30
in the morning.

From 8:30 to 10:30 he works on his theory.

Then, with one his aides, he works on the choice of Farsi
scientific terminology.

Afterwards, there is lunch with his wife for 1 and 1/2
hours, and a nap for 1 and 1/2 hours.

Then he reads the latest issues of Physics journals and
political magazines and papers.  He then listens to the
news from three foreign radio broadcasters and then watches
the television news.  Dinner comes next and after that he
reads the latest books on Physics.  Then he talks with his
son on current issues and science and other things.  At
about 1 am he reads a German book for about half an hour and
then goes to sleep.

Professor Hesabi is fluent in Farsi, English, French,
German, and Arabic.



Comments
------------------------------------------------------------


In his five hour interview with "Ettela'at Elmi" Dr. Hesabi
alluded to many interesting points, some of which are
pointed out here:

"... Overall, there is a lot of talent in this country, ...
but it does not get the attention it deserves.  If we had
access to a real research budget, perhaps by cutting some
other expenses, then the position of this country would rise
among other nations.  If we want to attain a status along
the United States, how should we go about it?  The only way
is by science.  If we want factories, they [the Americans]
have a hundred times more factories [than we do].  The only
way to raise [our status] is by science."

"We have to demonstrate that this generation has the
capability for scientific advancement.  We have to show this
and we have to start ourselves.  A portion of the resources
of the country and the state budget -- not some small
portion like one percent -- has to be allocated to the
universities and to research on current topics, and to the
publication of articles in foreign journals.  Our youth can
do it.  How come this same youth, when it goes abroad,
becomes the head of a department and a professor?  Their
country is here, why shouldn't they work here? The
foreigners themselves confess to the fact that Iranians are
talented."

"One year, three of my students had gone to the University
of Nantes in France to continue their studies.  One of them
had become the first student, the other the second student,
and the other the third student in the university.  Then the
French had written that now we should change the name of the
university to University of Iran!  The French had said this!
So now that we have so much talent, and it is the only way
we are going to show ourselves [to others], why is it that
we have abandoned it?  [This country] may advance in the
area of technology and industry, but in science we have the
potential to not only catch up [with the rest of the world]
but to surpass them.  It is then that our fame and respect
in the world will be the guarantee for our success and
survival."

"... Why are we not cultivating this talent? Why are we not
providing it with equipment?  This is our only investment
that will make us famous in the community of nations, and
will put us at the position we deserve ... There are talents
and intelligences in this country that one has to grateful
for them."

"... Do not establish so many universities.  Establish two
universities in such a way that they can compete with the
best universities in the world.  Bring in the best talent in
the country to these universities and let them study.
Slowly our country will become famous for science, and this
is especially [fitting] for a nation like ours that has so
many talents."

"The salary of university professors is not enough for the
most basic needs [hoghugh-e asAtid be andAzeh bokhor namir
ham nist].  That person who has studied Physics has no other
job except teaching and maybe some small industrial
consulting.  This person has worked so hard and studied so
hard, and now they are starving him to death and giving him
4 or 5 thousand Toman.  Maybe we don't know science and pay
attention to those with practical jobs.  It is as if a
person who has a business for himself [dokkAn] gets more
respect.  [Receiving] respect is a very important factor."

" Our students have always had a fascination with science.
We just have to provide them with the necessary equipment as
science progresses.  If we do not do this, then we should
not have expectations from them either."

                       *   *   *

On 8 April, to pay tribute to the many services that
Dr. Hesabi has rendered to the Iranian people, a ceremony
was held at the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran.  During
this ceremony, after welcoming Dr. Hesabi, Mr. Amrollahi,
head of the Atomic energy Organization, presented Dr. Hesabi
with the President's tribute plaque, and thanked him for his
many cultural and scientific services.  Also, Dr. Hesabi
presented Dr. Derafsheh (Winner of the Abdus Salam [1] Award
in Mathematics)  with the special award of the Center for
Theoretical Physics and Mathematics.  Professor Hesabi's
message thanking the participants for the holding of the
ceremony was also delivered.

In this message, which was an abstract of the Professor's
valuable experiences and beliefs, he modestly mentioned that
the "mention of the services that a teacher has performed is
the best award that one might give him".  Professor Hesabi
hoped also that "God willing, the government may pay more
and increasing attention to the subject of scientific
research, and provide the researchers with the necessary
equipment without bureaucratic formalities, and pass a law
regarding this".

In recognition of Professor Hesabi's many contributions, the
Departments of Physics and Mathematics of Amirkabir
Technical University (formerly Tehran Polytechinque) were
named after Dr. Hesabi.  Also, the Aerospace Engineering
Department of Tafresh University that has been completed
recently in an area close to 1000 Hectares was named after
him.  Tafresh University which has been established
according to Professor Hesabi's initial wish, and the
continuing efforts of Tafresh's deputy in the Parliament and
the administrators of Amirkabir University, in the opinion
of Dr. hesabi, will in the near future become one of the
most important scientific centers of Iran, and Tafresh will
be turned into a university town.

---------------------------------

[1] The Abdus Salam award is an award given to distinguished
    Third World scientists in Physics and/or Mathematics by
    the Nobel Laureate Professor Abdus Salam of Pakistan on
    a yearly basis.

_______________________________________________________________

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