Dr Alexander King, CPTM
Fellow, 1906 - 2007
Dr King, a distinguished chemical
scientist, was formerly director of the OECD and President of the Club of
Rome. "Few science policy advisors were better situated than King to observe
the way that technology co-evolved with politics in the 20th Century" -
Dennis Meadows, author of "Limits to Growth". Sadly, Dr King died on the
28th March 2007.
"Alex was unique in his
understanding of the limits to governance and a great innovator of new forms
of co-operative governance at all levels of government. He espoused
procedures combining formal and informal approaches, recognising them as
efficient, anticipatory and adaptive or spontaneous as the situation
required, which is the essence of Smart Partnership today in the
Commonwealth". - Dr Mihaela Y. Smith, CPTM
Dr Alexander King's long awaited
autobiography
"Let the cat turn around:
one man's traverse of the Twentieth Century"
was published by CPTM in November 2006. Copies
of "Let the cat turn round" can be purchased by e-mailing
smart.partnership@cptm.org
"My expectation
was that King's autobiography would be interesting. I was wrong: it is
totally fascinating and thoroughly engaging. It will become a standard work
in policy science and it's history as well as in the literature on
bureaucracy in general. I know of no one in UK or US science and it's
policy implementation that can come within a country mile of King, in scope,
significance and diversity and international effectiveness" - Joesph Coates,
Consulting Futurist Inc.
Alexander King (CMG,
CBE, US Medal of Freedom, Erasmus Laureate) was born in 1909 in Glasgow,
Scotland, into a poor but aspiring family. He graduated at the Royal College
of Science, London. After a year postgraduate chemical research at the
University of Munich, he was appointed junior lecturer in physical chemistry
at Imperial College, London, teaching and eventually forming a small
research team on surface chemistry. In the 1930s he led a scientific
expedition to Jan Mayen in the Artic, his group making the first ascent of
the second peak of it’s striking volcano , the Beerenberg.
At the outbreak of World War II, Sir Henry Tizard,
Rector of Imperial College invited him to forsake the laboratory to assist
in scientific aspects of the war planning. King became a deputy to the
Minister of Production. In this capacity he was responsible for the
development of DDT and was sent to Washington to discuss it with the
Americans. While there King was instructed to act as the head of the British
Mission for exchanging information with the US and he found himself Director
of the British Central Scientific Office in Washington which he operated
successfully for several years.
When the war ended, King accepted Tizard’s invitation
to work as Director of a Central Scientific Secretariat in the office of the
UK Cabinet and he also became the scientific adviser to the Lord President
of the Council. There he was involved essentially in civilian
aspects of national science policy, and for the next
five years operated in the centre of government with special emphasis on the
problems of post-war reconstruction.
After Atlee’s administration ended, King became a Chief
Scientist in the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research before
moving to Paris as Director of the European Productivity Agency. In 1960 he
became Director General at the OECD, a position he held for several years
until his retirement on age limit in 1974. During his tenure at the OECD he
founded, with Aurelio Peccei, the Club of Rome, an organisation of
independent personalities outside government and industry with concern for
the long term problems of world society and the environment. On the death of
Peccei he became President of the Club, finally retiring at the age of
ninety.
Alexander King
(CMG, CBE, US Medal of Freedom, Erasmus Laureate) was born in 1909 in
Glasgow, Scotland, into a poor but aspiring family. He graduated at the
Royal College of Science, London. After a year postgraduate chemical
research at the University of Munich, he was appointed junior lecturer in
physical chemistry at Imperial College, London, teaching and eventually
forming a small research team on surface chemistry. In the 1930s he led a
scientific expedition to Jan Mayen in the Artic, his group making the first
ascent of the second peak of it’s striking volcano , the Beerenberg.
Alexander King (CMG, CBE, US Medal of Freedom, Erasmus
Laureate) was born in 1909 in Glasgow, Scotland, into a poor but aspiring
family. He graduated at the Royal College of Science, London. After a year
postgraduate chemical research at the University of Munich, he was appointed
junior lecturer in physical chemistry at Imperial College, London, teaching
and eventually forming a small research team on surface chemistry. In the
1930s he led a scientific expedition to Jan Mayen in the Artic, his group
making the first ascent of the second peak of it’s striking volcano , the
Beerenberg.
At the outbreak of World War II, Sir Henry Tizard,
Rector of Imperial College invited him to forsake the laboratory to assist
in scientific aspects of the war planning. King became a deputy to the
Minister of Production. In this capacity he was responsible for the
development of DDT and was sent to Washington to discuss it with the
Americans. While there King was instructed to act as the head of the British
Mission for exchanging information with the US and he found himself Director
of the British Central Scientific Office in Washington which he operated
successfully for several years.
When the war ended, King accepted Tizard’s invitation
to work as Director of a Central Scientific Secretariat in the office of the
UK Cabinet and he also became the scientific adviser to the Lord President
of the Council. There he was involved essentially in civilian
aspects of national science policy, and for the next
five years operated in the centre of government with special emphasis on the
problems of post-war reconstruction.
After Atlee’s administration ended, King became a Chief
Scientist in the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research before
moving to Paris as Director of the European Productivity Agency. In 1960 he
became Director General at the OECD, a position he held for several years
until his retirement on age limit in 1974. During his tenure at the OECD he
founded, with Aurelio Peccei, the Club of Rome, an organisation of
independent personalities outside government and industry with concern for
the long term problems of world society and the environment. On the death of
Peccei he became President of the Club, finally retiring at the age of
ninety.
Alexander King (CMG, CBE, US Medal
of Freedom, Erasmus Laureate) was born in 1909 in Glasgow, Scotland, into a
poor but aspiring family. He graduated at the Royal College of Science,
London. After a year postgraduate chemical research at the University of
Munich, he was appointed junior lecturer in physical chemistry at Imperial
College, London, teaching and eventually forming a small research team on
surface chemistry. In the 1930s he led a scientific expedition to Jan Mayen
in the Artic, his group making the first ascent of the second peak of it’s
striking volcano , the Beerenberg.
At the outbreak of World War II, Sir Henry Tizard,
Rector of Imperial College invited him to forsake the laboratory to assist
in scientific aspects of the war planning. King became a deputy to the
Minister of Production. In this capacity he was responsible for the
development of DDT and was sent to Washington to discuss it with the
Americans. While there King was instructed to act as the head of the British
Mission for exchanging information with the US and he found himself Director
of the British Central Scientific Office in Washington which he operated
successfully for several years.
When the war ended, King accepted Tizard’s invitation
to work as Director of a Central Scientific Secretariat in the office of the
UK Cabinet and he also became the scientific adviser to the Lord President
of the Council. There he was involved essentially in civilian
aspects of national science policy, and for the next
five years operated in the centre of government with special emphasis on the
problems of post-war reconstruction.
After Atlee’s administration ended, King became a Chief
Scientist in the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research before
moving to Paris as Director of the European Productivity Agency. In 1960 he
became Director General at the OECD, a position he held for several years
until his retirement on age limit in 1974. During his tenure at the OECD he
founded, with Aurelio Peccei, the Club of Rome, an organisation of
independent personalities outside government and industry with concern for
the long term problems of world society and the environment. On the death of
Peccei he became President of the Club, finally retiring at the age of
ninety.
Alexander King (CMG, CBE, US Medal
of Freedom, Erasmus Laureate) was born in 1909 in Glasgow, Scotland, into a
poor but aspiring family. He graduated at the Royal College of Science,
London. After a year postgraduate chemical research at the University of
Munich, he was appointed junior lecturer in physical chemistry at Imperial
College, London, teaching and eventually forming a small research team on
surface chemistry. In the 1930s he led a scientific expedition to Jan Mayen
in the Artic, his group making the first ascent of the second peak of it’s
striking volcano , the Beerenberg.
At the outbreak of World War II, Sir Henry Tizard,
Rector of Imperial College invited him to forsake the laboratory to assist
in scientific aspects of the war planning. King became a deputy to the
Minister of Production. In this capacity he was responsible for the
development of DDT and was sent to Washington to discuss it with the
Americans. While there King was instructed to act as the head of the British
Mission for exchanging information with the US and he found himself Director
of the British Central Scientific Office in Washington which he operated
successfully for several years.
When the war ended, King accepted Tizard’s invitation
to work as Director of a Central Scientific Secretariat in the office of the
UK Cabinet and he also became the scientific adviser to the Lord President
of the Council. There he was involved essentially in civilian
aspects of national science policy, and for the next
five years operated in the centre of government with special emphasis on the
problems of post-war reconstruction.
After Atlee’s administration ended, King became a Chief
Scientist in the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research before
moving to Paris as Director of the European Productivity Agency. In 1960 he
became Director General at the OECD, a position he held for several years
until his retirement on age limit in 1974. During his tenure at the OECD he
founded, with Aurelio Peccei, the Club of Rome, an organisation of
independent personalities outside government and industry with concern for
the long term problems of world society and the environment. On the death of
Peccei he became President of the Club, finally retiring at the age of
ninety.
Alexander King
(CMG, CBE, US Medal of Freedom, Erasmus Laureate) was born in 1909 in
Glasgow, Scotland, into a poor but aspiring family. He graduated at the
Royal College of Science, London. After a year postgraduate chemical
research at the University of Munich, he was appointed junior lecturer in
physical chemistry at Imperial College, London, teaching and eventually
forming a small research team on surface chemistry. In the 1930s he led a
scientific expedition to Jan Mayen in the Artic, his group making the first
ascent of the second peak of it’s striking volcano , the Beerenberg.
At the outbreak of World War II, Sir Henry Tizard,
Rector of Imperial College invited him to forsake the laboratory to assist
in scientific aspects of the war planning. King became a deputy to the
Minister of Production. In this capacity he was responsible for the
development of DDT and was sent to Washington to discuss it with the
Americans. While there King was instructed to act as the head of the British
Mission for exchanging information with the US and he found himself Director
of the British Central Scientific Office in Washington which he operated
successfully for several years.
When the war ended, King accepted Tizard’s invitation
to work as Director of a Central Scientific Secretariat in the office of the
UK Cabinet and he also became the scientific adviser to the Lord President
of the Council. There he was involved essentially in civilian
aspects of national science policy, and for the next
five years operated in the centre of government with special emphasis on the
problems of post-war reconstruction.
After Atlee’s administration ended, King became a Chief
Scientist in the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research before
moving to Paris as Director of the European Productivity Agency. In 1960 he
became Director General at the OECD, a position he held for several years
until his retirement on age limit in 1974. During his tenure at the OECD he
founded, with Aurelio Peccei, the Club of Rome, an organisation of
independent personalities outside government and industry with concern for
the long term problems of world society and the environment. On the death of
Peccei he became President of the Club, finally retiring at the age of
ninety.
Alexander King (CMG, CBE, US Medal
of Freedom, Erasmus Laureate) was born in 1909 in Glasgow, Scotland, into a
poor but aspiring family. He graduated at the Royal College of Science,
London. After a year postgraduate chemical research at the University of
Munich, he was appointed junior lecturer in physical chemistry at Imperial
College, London, teaching and eventually forming a small research team on
surface chemistry. In the 1930s he led a scientific expedition to Jan Mayen
in the Artic, his group making the first ascent of the second peak of it’s
striking volcano , the Beerenberg.
At the outbreak of World War II, Sir Henry Tizard,
Rector of Imperial College invited him to forsake the laboratory to assist
in scientific aspects of the war planning. King became a deputy to the
Minister of Production. In this capacity he was responsible for the
development of DDT and was sent to Washington to discuss it with the
Americans. While there King was instructed to act as the head of the British
Mission for exchanging information with the US and he found himself Director
of the British Central Scientific Office in Washington which he operated
successfully for several years.
When the war ended, King accepted Tizard’s invitation
to work as Director of a Central Scientific Secretariat in the office of the
UK Cabinet and he also became the scientific adviser to the Lord President
of the Council. There he was involved essentially in civilian
aspects of national science policy, and for the next
five years operated in the centre of government with special emphasis on the
problems of post-war reconstruction.
After Atlee’s administration ended, King became a Chief
Scientist in the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research before
moving to Paris as Director of the European Productivity Agency. In 1960 he
became Director General at the OECD, a position he held for several years
until his retirement on age limit in 1974. During his tenure at the OECD he
founded, with Aurelio Peccei, the Club of Rome, an organisation of
independent personalities outside government and industry with concern for
the long term problems of world society and the environment. On the death of
Peccei he became President of the Club, finally retiring at the age of
ninety.
Alexander King (CMG, CBE, US Medal
of Freedom, Erasmus Laureate) was born in 1909 in Glasgow, Scotland, into a
poor but aspiring family. He graduated at the Royal College of Science,
London. After a year postgraduate chemical research at the University of
Munich, he was appointed junior lecturer in physical chemistry at Imperial
College, London, teaching and eventually forming a small research team on
surface chemistry. In the 1930s he led a scientific expedition to Jan Mayen
in the Artic, his group making the first ascent of the second peak of it’s
striking volcano , the Beerenberg.
At the outbreak of World War II, Sir Henry Tizard,
Rector of Imperial College invited him to forsake the laboratory to assist
in scientific aspects of the war planning. King became a deputy to the
Minister of Production. In this capacity he was responsible for the
development of DDT and was sent to Washington to discuss it with the
Americans. While there King was instructed to act as the head of the British
Mission for exchanging information with the US and he found himself Director
of the British Central Scientific Office in Washington which he operated
successfully for several years.
When the war ended, King accepted Tizard’s invitation
to work as Director of a Central Scientific Secretariat in the office of the
UK Cabinet and he also became the scientific adviser to the Lord President
of the Council. There he was involved essentially in civilian
aspects of national science policy, and for the next
five years operated in the centre of government with special emphasis on the
problems of post-war reconstruction.
After Atlee’s administration ended, King became a Chief
Scientist in the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research before
moving to Paris as Director of the European Productivity Agency. In 1960 he
became Director General at the OECD, a position he held for several years
until his retirement on age limit in 1974. During his tenure at the OECD he
founded, with Aurelio Peccei, the Club of Rome, an organisation of
independent personalities outside government and industry with concern for
the long term problems of world society and the environment. On the death of
Peccei he became President of the Club, finally retiring at the age of
ninety.
Dr Alexander King's long awaited autobiography
"Let the cat turn around:
one man's traverse of the Twentieth Century"
was published by CPTM in November 2006. Copies
of "Let the cat turn round" can be purchased by e-mailing
smart.partnership@cptm.org
For further information please also see -
www.alexanderking.eu
