Biography of Professor Mahmood Hesabi "Professor Mahmood Hesabi was born in Tehran in 1903 (1281, A.H. Solar). His parents were from Tafresh. At the age of four his family moved to Syria and at the age of seven he moved to Beirut and while tolerating difficult situations and poverty he started his education at elementary school far from the home land in a French Priests" School. At the same time, his mother, Gohar Shad Hesabi, who was dedicated, religious and knowledgeable woman, started teaching him Persian Literature and religious education.
Hesabi memorized Quran and he had very strong belief in it. He also memorized Hafez"s Diwan and had completed proficiency in Saadi"s Bustan and Golestan, Ferdowsi"s Shahname, Molavi"s (Rumi"s) Masnavi and Ghaem Magham"s Monshaat.
The beginning of his guidance school coincided with the start of the World War I when the French schools of Beirut were closed. After two years of studying at home he prosecuted his studies at American University of Beirut and obtained his BA in Literature at the age of 17, and at the age of 19 he got his BA in Biology. Then he obtained a degree in engineering and earned money as a draftsman and a civil engineer. Hesabi also studied Medicine, Mathematics and Astrology.
In order to appreciate Hesabi, the civil engineering company that he was working there dispatched him to France for prosecution of studies. He was admitted to the "Ecole Superieure d"Electricite" in 1924 and graduated in 1925. Concurrent with studying mineralogy he was hired by the French Electric Railway Co. and after graduation in this field he started his work in Iron mines of north of France and Coal mines of the state of "Sar".
Since he had a scientific mind and spirit he continued his studies and research in Physics at Sorbonne University. He obtained his PhD in Physics with an excellent degree at the age of 25. The title of his dissertation was "Sensitivity of Photo Electric Cells".
At that time when 15 thousand people were volunteers to attend Einstein"s class he had the chance to be one of the 5 chosen ones. He had a meeting with Einstein at Princeton in American and one year later he presented a theory called "Infinitely Extended Particles". By the help and guide of Einstein and his own research in Chicago University he was able to defend his theory and explain it to other great scientists such as Born, Mezmi and Schrodinger and he was awarded the medal of the "Commandeur De La Legion D"honneure", France"s greatest scientific medal. When he returned to Princeton, Einstein elected him as a substitute of himself at this university and it was a very big honor that he received.
The following are some of his accomplishments in scientific fields:
Founding modern sciences, founding "Teachers" College" (Dar-ul Moallemin), construction of the first radio-set in Iran, founding higher college for teachers and teaching Physics and Mechanics there, construction of the first weather-station, installation and operation of the first radiology center (for his brother Dr. Mohammad Hesabi), establishing Persian Language Academy, Topography, founding Tehran-Shemshak Railway, founding Tehran University and acting as the dean and the instructor of the university, founding applied optic and lens-making center at Tehran University, establishing the first modern observatory in Iran, establishing nomad school in the country, establishing Geophysics Society of Iran, founding the atomic research Center and Atomic Reactor of Tehran University, founding modern center for satellite studies in Shiraz, founding Physics Society of Iran and etc.
While serving the country during this period he continued his scientific cooperation such as membership of Oslo Mathematics Congress in Norway, membership of Princeton scientific conference, membership of research team at Institute of Nuclear Research of Chicago, membership of New York Science Academy, membership of Geneva Atomic Conference, membership of Physics Society of Europe and America, etc.
He spoke five living languages Persian, French, English, German and Arabic and he also knew Sanskrit, Latin, Greek, Pahlavi, Avestan, Turkish and Italian which he used for his etymological studies.
He was chosen as the Man of Science in the World in 1989. On 3rd of September, 1992 (12th of Shahrivar 1371, A.H. Solar) at 7:30 am (still a university professor at Tehran University) he passed away in hospital of Geneva University after a period of illness."
By the way, "Professor Hesabi was the only Iranian student of Professor Albert Einstein and was known to be his favorite student. During his years of scientific research he met many distinguished scientists such as Erwin Schrodinger, Max Born, Enrico Fermi, Paul Dirac, and Aage Niels Bohr and scholars such as Bertrand Russell and Andre Gide."
