Gerard Piel
 Gerard Piel    (publisher) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | March 1, 1915 Woodmere, New York |
| Died | 5 September 2004 (Age 89) New York City |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Phillips Academy, Harvard University |
Gerard Piel was an American publisher. For six years in the 1940s he worked as the science editor at Life magazine, reaching an audience of millions. Then in 1947 he and a group of investors purchased Scientific American, which he edited until 1984.[1]
He wrote for magazines, including The Nation, and published books on science for the general public.
Education and career
Piel graduated from Harvard University, magna cum laude, with a bachelor of arts degree in 1937. He was the science editor of Life Magazine from 1939 to 1945. In 1946 and 1947, he worked at the Henry Kaiser Company as assistant to the president.
In 1948, in association with two colleagues, he launched a new version of Scientific American, to promote science literacy for the general public in the postwar era.
He aggressively sought partners outside the U.S. to publish Scientific American in other countries and languages, which in the end was published in 18 nations.
Throughout the 1970s, the magazine published a string of articles arguing for international nuclear disarmament and a reassessment of the politics of mutually assured destruction.
Event Participated in
| Event | Start | End | Location(s) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bilderberg/1967 | 31 March 1967 | 2 April 1967 | St John's College (Cambridge) UK England | Possibly the only Bilderberg meeting held in a university college rather than a hotel (St. John's College, Cambridge) |
