Pioneer Scientists
Prof. Amos DeShalit
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Prof. Amos de-Shalit was born in Jerusalem in 1926, and studied at the Balfour High School in Tel Aviv. He received his B.Sc. degree at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and his Ph.D. at ETH in Zurich. During the War of Independence he served in Chemed, the Science Corps of the Israel Defense Forces. In 1954 following post-doctoral work in the U.S. and France, he was appointed first Head of the Weizmann Institute's Nuclear Physics Department, which under his leadership became one of the pivotal units in the Institute and gained international renown. Prof. de-Shalit also found time to serve as a consultant to the Ministry of Defense as well as a Visiting Professor at the Hebrew University, Stanford University, and M.I.T. In 1960 Prof. de-Shalit was appointed Scientific Director of The Weizmann Institute and then Director-General. In 1963 he was elected to the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, and in 1969 became an Honorary Member of the American Academy of Science. As a result of his research on the shell model, Prof. de-Shalit was awarded in 1965, jointly with his colleague Prof. Igal Talmi, the Israel Prize in the Exact Sciences. During his remaining years Prof. de-Shalit devoted himself, among other things, to the advancement of science teaching. He supervised changes in teaching methods and curricula, and in 1968 established and served as first Head of the Science Teaching Department at the Weizmann Institute. In 1969 Prof. de-Shalit died after a brief illness. He was only 43. Prof de-Shalit is survived by his sons Prof. Ehud de-Shalit and Prof. Avner de-Shalit. |
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| Fields of Research
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Nuclear physics
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Prof. Amos de-Shalit, one of Israel’s outstanding scientists, established and served as Head of the Department of Nuclear Physics, the Department of Science Teaching, and as Director General of the Weizmann Institute of Science. His example continues to inspire all those who have followed in his footsteps, both at the Institute and in Israel as a whole. He left behind him a legacy of great achievements in science and science education, and most of the programs he had begun have been brought to fruition by his colleagues and disciples. |
| The Amos de-Shalit Foundation In 1974, five years after his death, the Amos de- Shalit Foundation was established in his memory. Founded by the Institute, family members, scientists and public officials, the Foundation aims to continue his work both at and outside the Institute. In particular, it fosters interest in science among Israeli youth, and strives to improve science teaching in Israel. |
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Selected Awards and Honorary Degrees 1965 Israel Prize, Exact Sciences |
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| Selected Publications Link to Scopus Database |
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| Documents Preserved at the WIS Archives Prof. de-Shalit’s archive, including documents, letters, protocols, lectures, scientific documentation, newspaper notes, photos and multimedia, is treasured and preserved at the Weizmann Institute Archives. |
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| Selected Archival Documents | |
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Opening remarks by Prof. De Shalit at the dedication of the Institute of Nuclear Science, 1958 |
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| A letter from Susumu Tomotika, president of the Physical Society of Japan, 1959 | |
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| A letter from David Ben-Gurion, 1960 | |
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Selected
Bibliography |
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| CERN Web Library, Professor De-Shalit | |
| Weizmann Institute of Science Scientific Activities 2010, The Amos de-Shalit Foundation | |
