A Concise History of Mathematics and Computer Science at Weizmann Institute

SOURCE: "Chemistry at the Weizmann Institute: A Concise History" (http://www.weizmann.ac.il/chem/history.shtml), by Moshe Levy and Gershom (Jan M.L.) Martin.

THE PRECURSOR: THE SIEFF RESEARCH INSTITUTE (1933-49)

The story of the Institute begins in 1933 when Dr. Chaim Weizmann, chemist and longtime World Zionist Organization leader, decided to establish a center of scientific research in Rehovot, which was then a small agricultural community in the British Mandate. With the help of his friends, Israel and Rebecca Sieff, they built a research institute that would bear the name of their son, Daniel. In the spring of 1934, the Daniel Sieff Research Institute came into existence.

At that time the Daniel Sieff Research Institute had two main branches of science: organic chemistry and biochemistry. The staff included 10 full-time scientists that dealt mainly with problems connected to the country's economy: citrus, dairy, silk and tobacco, as well as the synthesis of chemical products of medical value. The initial Scientific staff of the Sieff Institute were:

The Institute also housed the private library of Fritz Haber -- a unique collection on the history and philosophy of science.

In 1939, World War II broke out and it was both natural and inevitable that the scientific staff of the Sieff Institute would become deeply involved in the war effort, especially in the production of pharmaceuticals and other chemicals that were essential for the war effort and for the local population.

In 1944, Dr. Weizmann celebrated his 70th birthday and his close associates, motivated by Meyer Weisgal, decided to expand the Sieff Institute into a multidisciplinary complex to be called the Weizmann Institute of Science. The cornerstone was laid in 1946.

When the war started in 1947, much effort was directed into supplying the military needs of the Israeli Army. In particular, the scientific branch of the army used the facilities of Institute.

EARLY YEARS OF WEIZMANN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE (1949--70)

The Weizmann Institute of Science (WIS) was inaugurated on November 2, 1949. In the following years, a number of academic units were created. In the first Scientific Report available to us (1953), the following Departments and Sections report on their activity:

While the Sieff Institute educated graduate students basically since its inception, usually these were technically registered at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and obtained their degrees there. In December 1957, the decision was made to open a graduate school, which opened its doors in 1958 as the Feinberg Graduate School (named after the parents of Abraham Feinberg). The first official Weizmann Institute Ph.D. was awarded in 1964.

Building WEIZAC...

LATER YEARS OF WEIZMANN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE (1970)

In 1970 the position of Scientific Director was absorbed into the Presidency of the Weizmann Institute, with the proviso that the President had to be a scientist henceforth. Albert Sabin, the first President under the new rules, decided to reorganize the Institute into five scientific Faculties [plus the Feinberg Graduate School]: Mathematics (later renamed Mathematics and Computer Science), Physics, Chemistry, Biophysics-Biochemistry (later renamed just Biochemistry), and Biology. [These five Faculties exist to the present day.]