Alexander King (scientist)

Alexander King CMG, CBE ( born January 26, 1909 in Glasgow, † February 28, 2007 in London) was a scientist and pioneer in the field of renewable energy, with the Italian industrialist who founded Aurelio Peccei of the Club of Rome in 1968.

Biography

King was born on January 26, 1909 in Glasgow. At age 12, in 1921, his family moved to London, where he went to Highgate School. Alexander King studied chemistry at the Royal College of Science, University of London, between October 1929 and 1931 he studied at the University of Munich as part of a research fellowship. He then became a lecturer in physical chemistry at Imperial College and author of scientific books in London.

During the Second World War, King worked for the British government. He learned by an intercepted letter, the properties of the insecticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane know that he coined the acronym DDT. With occurrence of the United States into the Second World War came Alexander King in 1943 to Washington, where he was Head of the British scientific mission and scientific attaché at the British Embassy.

Between 1950 and 1956 he was Chief Scientist in the " Department of Scientific and Industrial Research " in the UK, from 1956 head of the "European Productivity Agency" in Paris, after which in 1960 was followed by a position as Director General of Education and Science at the OECD. 1974 King sat down to rest. His commitment to the Club of Rome increased with the publication of the report The Limits to Growth in 1972. Between 1984 and 1990 Alexander King was president of the Club of Rome.

1948 King was awarded the CBE in 1975 the CMG. In addition, he was awarded the Erasmus Prize in 1987.