NESMEYANOV HEADS ACADEMY OF SCIENCES USSR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000600390139-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 18, 2011
• Sequence Number: 139
• Publication Date: April 24, 1951
• Content Type: REPORT

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CLASSIFICATION SECRET SEYirIL
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION FROM
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS
SUBJECT
HOW
PUBLISHED
WHERE
PUBLISHED
DATE
PUBLISHED
LANGUAGE
Biographic; Scientific - Miscellaneous,
Academy of Sciences
Daily newspaper
Moscow
17 Feb 1951
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFICTIN. THI NATIONAL DSIINSI
OT TON UNITED STATES WITHIN THE N.A.I. 11V Gii10hh;; ACT SO
V. S. C.. SI ANC SI.AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR TNI RITILATION
HISIT?DO ST TLAW. I NITRODVCIION Of THIS TORN 0131 .ROHISIT/D. IS PRO
SOURCE Pravda, No 48 (11885), 1951.
REPORT
CD NO.
DATE OF
INFORMATION 1951
DATE DIST..9 . Apr 1951
NO. OF PAGES 3
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
NESMEYANOV HEADS ACADEMY OF SCIENCES USSR
The General Assembly of the Academy of Sciences USSR met 16 February
1951 in the Conference Hall of the Presidium, Academy of Sciences USSR, and
elected Academician Aleksandr Nikolayevich Nesmeyanov the new president of
the academy.
The opening address was delivered by Academician I. P. Bardin, who
eulogized the achievements of the late Academician S. I. Vavilov, former
president of the academy. The members of the assembly marked the passing
of their former president by standing in silence.
After this, Bardin stated that the general assemblies of the various
departments of the academy, as well as many famous Soviet scientists had
endorsed the candidacy of Nesmeyanov for the post of president.
Academician A. V. Topchiyev, chief scientific secretary of the Presidium,
Academy of Sciences USSR, spoke of the scientific, sociRl, pedagogical, and
governmental achievements of the candidate. Academician V. P. Volgin in his
address strongly supported the candidacy of Academician A. N. Nesmeyanov.
Academician S. I. Vol'fkovich, who was unable to attend the assembly sub-
mitted a letter expressing his support of Nesmeyanov's candidacy. He stated
that it was with.. pride that he was endorsing one of his most talented students.
He further noted the fact that Nesmeyanov had been the founder of the Soviet
metallo-organic school. Academician A. Ya. Vyshinskiy characterized Nesmeyunov
as one of the foremost scientists of the USSR.
Nesmeyanov's candidacy was also endorsed by Academicians I. G. Petrovskiy,
D. V. Skobel'tsyn, M. M. Dubinin, D. S. Belyankin, T. D. Lysenko, A. I. Oparin,
B. A. Vvedenskiy, A. A. Blagonravov, B. D. Grekov, Ye. V. Tarle,.V.. V. Vinogradov,
V. M. Rodionov, and Ye. A. Chudakov.
1, Academician A. N. Nesmeyanov was elected unanimously to.the accoupanimert
of a loud ovation, after, which, Academician I. P. Bardin, speaking for the Gen-
eral Assembly, warmly congratulated the newly elected president.
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Academician A. N. Nesmeyanov then addressed the General Assembly, thank-
ing them for their trust and belief in him and the Soviet regime.
Biographical Sketch of Nesmeyanov
Academician Aleksandr Nikolayevich Nesmeyanov was born in Moscow in 1899.
He graduated from Moscow State University imeni M. V. Lomonosov in 1922, and
remained at the Chair of Organic Chemistry to continue his studies under the
guidance of Academician N. D. Zelinskiy. Eventually he became rector of the
university. Between 1922 and 1934, Nesmeyanov worked first as an assistant
and then as a docent at this chair.
In 1934, he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Chemical Sciences, and
at the same time was named to a professorship on the Chemistry Faculty at the
Moscow State University. In 1935, he became chief of the Laboratory of Metallo-
Organic Compounds, Institute of Organic Chemistry, Academy of Sciences USSR.
In 1939, he was elected Corresponding Member of the Academy of Sciences and
named director of the Institute of Organic Chemistry, Academy of Sciences USSR.
There has not been a single year in which Nesmeyanov has not shown evi-
dence of his great scientific capabilities. In 1943, when he was elected an
Active Member of the Academy of Sciences, he was already well known for his
achievements in scientific research and in teaching. For his valuable work,
Nesmeyanov has been twice awarded the Order of Lenin and the Order of Labor
Red Banner.
Nesmeyanov's forte has been that wide field of chemistry, the metallo-
organic compounds. Soviet interest in the field of metallo-organic compounds
can be traced to A. M. Butlerov, who initiated the theory of chemical structures.
Nesmeyanov contributed to the knowledge of the chemistry of elemento16orgg7jic
compounds by devising many new means of chemical synthesis. One of his most
important contributions has to do with the diazo compound method for obtaining
metallo-organic compounds (now known as Nesmeyanov's diazo method).
Nesmeyanov and his students are responsible for having developed many me-
thods for interrelated conversions from the organic compounds of one type of
elements to organic compounds of other elements, for example, the interrelated
conversions between mercury-organic compounds on the one hand, an' organic com-
pounds of zinc, cadmium, manganese, aluminum, thallium, and other elements on
the other.
One of his main fields of interest has been the study of the relations
of atoms in molecules. He has al:ao carried. out considerable research in the
field of stereochemistry, particularly the study of the geometric isomerism
of ethylene metallo-organic compounds,
As a result of many years of study, he was able to establish a relation-
ship between the structure and the reactivity of metallic derivative tuatomeric
systems. In addition, Nesmeyanov and his school have been very active in con-
tributing to the general national economy and the military needs of the Soviet
Union.
A. N. Nesmeyanov is well known for his organizational and administrative
abilities. Since 1939, he has been the director of the Institute of Organic
Chemistry, Academy of Sciences USSR. During the period 1946-48 he was also
the academician-secretary of the Department of Chemical Sciences, Academy of
Sciences USSR. Since 1946, he has also been a member of the Presidium, Academy
of Sciences USSR.
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For many, years he has been directing the operations of the Chair of organic
Che4stry, Moscow State University and has been very active in training young
scientists in the fundamentals of metallo-organic chemistry.
In 1943, Nesmeyanov was a candidate to the VKP(b) and in 1944 he was el-
ected a member of the VKP(b). At present, he is a member of the Moscow Municipal
Committee and'the Krasnorechensk Rayon Committee of the party.
The Moscow University imeni M. V. Lomonosov has flourished under the guidance
of Rector Nesmeyanov. It has become the leading educational center of the USSR.
The new building of the university, which is being raised under the direct supe--
vision of Nesmeyanov, will be the pride of the Soviet nation.
Nesmeyanov has also worked actively in the,Committee for Stalin PftzeQ, of
which he is chairman. He has always been active in political matters, and has
been elected deputy chairman for the Supreme Soviet RSFSR, is a member of the
Supreme Soviet USSR, and in 1949 was named a member of the Permanent Committee
of the International Congress for Peace. At the second International Congress
he was named to the International Peace Council.
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