George Wald

George Wald (November 18, 1906?April 12, 1997) was an American scientist who is best known for his work with pigments in the retina. He won a share of the 1967 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Haldan Keffer Hartline and Ragnar Granit.

Biography

Wald was born in New York City to Jewish immigrant parents. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from New York University in 1927 and his PhD in zoology from Columbia University in 1932. After graduating, he received a travel grant from the US National Research Council. Wald used this grant to work in Germany with Otto Heinrich Warburg where he identified vitamin A in the retina. Wald then went on to work in Zurich, Switzerland with the discoverer of vitamin A, Paul Karrer. Wald then worked briefly with Otto Fritz Meyerhof in Heidelberg, Germany, but left Europe for the University of Chicago in 1933 when Adolf Hitler came to power and life in Europe became more dangerous for Jews. In 1934, Wald went to Harvard University where he became an instructor, then a professor. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1950 and in 1967 was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for his discoveries in vision.

Related Topics:
New York City - New York University - Zoology - Columbia University - Otto Heinrich Warburg - Zurich - Switzerland - Paul Karrer - Otto Fritz Meyerhof - Heidelberg - University of Chicago - Adolf Hitler - Harvard University - National Academy of Sciences - Nobel Prize

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Wald spoke out on many political and social issues and his fame as a Nobel laureate brought national and international attention to his views. He was a vocal opponent of the Vietnam War and the nuclear arms race.

Related Topics:
Vietnam War - Nuclear arms race

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In 1980, Wald served as part of Ramsey Clark's delegation to Iran during the Iran hostage crisis.

Related Topics:
1980 - Ramsey Clark - Iran - Iran hostage crisis

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With a small number of other Nobel laureates, he was invited in 1986 to fly to Moscow to advise Mikhail Gorbachev on a number of environmental questions. While there, he questioned Gorbachev about the arrest, detention and exile to Gorki of Yelena Bonner and her husband, fellow Nobel laureate Andrei Sakharov, (Peace, 1975). Wald reported that Gorbachev said he knew nothing about it. Bonner and Sakharov were released shortly thereafter, in December, 1986.

Related Topics:
Mikhail Gorbachev - Gorki - Yelena Bonner - Andrei Sakharov

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Wald died in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

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