Papers of Gabor B. Levy

Gabor Bela Levy (1913-1999) was a Hungarian analytical chemist, science editor, and science essayist. Born in Budapest, Hungary on July 16, 1913, Levy attended Sample Grammar School in Budapest, which had been founded by his great-uncle in 1872, and The Technical University, Karlsruhe, Germany. With war clouds gathering in Europe and the Nazi Party firmly in control of Germany, Levy and his wife Friedel (nee Kotljar) emigrated to the United States in 1938.

After his arrival in the United States, Levy worked as a research assistant at New York University from 1938 to 1941 and received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the Institutum Divi Thomae in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1953. Levy’s first professional position was as an analytical chemist at Schenley Laboratories, initially working at the firm’s plant in Lawrenceburg, Indiana (1942-1955). When Schenley Laboratories closed this operation, Levy was transferred to New York City. When Schenley Laboratories subsequently decided to eliminate their laboratory division in 1955, he moved to the Consumers Union, where he served as head of its chemistry division for two years.

After his stint at the Consumers Union, Levy went to work for Photovolt Corporation, where he worked his way up to vice-president and technical director. Photovolt was subsequently bought out by Bio-Science Enterprises (BSE) and Levy retired in October 1981.

Upon retiring from Photovolt, Levy embarked on a second career as a consulting editor for International Scientific Communications, Incorporated, whose publications included such titles as American Laboratory, American Biotechnology Laboratory, and International Laboratory. Levy’s essays became a highly anticipated feature of these journals. He later collected and published the best of his essays in the book Views from my Underground Ivory Tower (1995).

Gabor B. Levy passed away in Connecticut in July 1999. He left behind one last posthumously published essay questioning the value of religious belief to a scientist.

Sources

Papers of Gabor B. Levy, Science History Institute Archives, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.