Samuel Abraham Goldblith facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Samuel Abraham Goldblith
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Samuel Goldblith in 1956
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| Born | May 5, 1919 |
| Died | December 28, 2001 (aged 82) |
| Alma mater | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Food science |
| Institutions | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Samuel Abraham Goldblith (born May 5, 1919 – died December 28, 2001) was an amazing American food scientist. During World War II, he learned a lot about how people get sick from not eating enough. Later, he did important research on food that helped with space exploration.
Contents
Growing Up and Starting Out
Samuel Goldblith was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts. His father was an immigrant from Russia. Samuel went to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and earned a degree in biology in 1940. While he was a student, he also joined a program called the Reserve Officers' Training Corps. This program prepared him to become an officer in the military. After graduating, he started serving in the United States Army Corps of Engineers as a Second Lieutenant in the Philippines.
World War II and Being a Prisoner
Captured in the Philippines
While in the Philippines, Samuel Goldblith was part of the US Army during the Battle of the Philippines. He was captured by the Japanese after the Battle of Corregidor. Because he surrendered on Corregidor, he did not have to go on the difficult Bataan Death March. Instead, he was sent to one of the Cabanatuan prisoner-of-war (POW) camps. In November 1942, he had a very tough journey on a ship called the Nagato Maru to Japan.
Helping Others as a POW
Even though he was a prisoner, Goldblith was able to do scientific research. He studied how people got sick from not having enough food, like malnutrition. He also looked at diseases that affected the people around him. His knowledge of botany (the study of plants) and chemistry helped save many of his fellow soldiers' lives. He studied problems like beriberi, which is caused by a lack of vitamins, and Vitamin A deficiencies. Goldblith even used iodine from his medical kit to clean the dirty water in his canteen. This helped stop people from getting sick with dysentery. His important research was later published in the famous journal Science in 1946.
Awards for His Service
Goldblith earned two Bronze Stars and one Silver Star for his brave service. He left the army as a Captain in 1946. Years later, Samuel and his wife, Diana Greenberg, stayed in touch with the Belgian Catholic nuns in the Philippines. These nuns had helped save many lives by providing food and medical supplies during the war.
Back to MIT and New Discoveries
Becoming a Professor
After leaving the army, Goldblith went back to MIT. He earned his Master of Science degree in 1947 and his Ph.D. in 1949, both in food technology. He joined the food technology teaching staff at MIT in 1949. By 1959, he became a full professor. He later served as the head of his department for a few years. He continued to be a professor until 1974.
Leading Important Programs
After being a professor, Goldblith became the director of MIT's Industrial Liaison Program (ILP) in 1974. This program helps connect MIT's research with industries. He held this job until 1978. Then, he was promoted to MIT's vice president of resource development until 1986. Finally, he became a Senior Advisor to the President of MIT before he retired in 1992.
Research That Changed the World
Food for Space Travel
While at MIT, Goldblith led the creation of new ways to prepare food. This included food irradiation, which uses radiation to preserve food. He also worked on freeze-drying and microwave technology. All these inventions were super important for the Space Race. They helped feed astronauts on missions like Project Mercury, Project Gemini, and Project Apollo. His work even helped with food for Skylab, the Space Shuttle, and the International Space Station.
A Special Friendship
One of Goldblith's first graduate students was Yiachi Aikawa from Japan. Working with Aikawa not only led to a lifelong friendship but also helped Goldblith heal from the difficult experiences he had as a POW during World War II. Aikawa later started the first venture capital company in Japan. He was also the son of Yoshisuke Aikawa, who founded Nissan Motors. Their friendship led to MIT opening an office in Japan in 1976. In 1984, Goldblith received a special award from Japan, the Second Grade of the Order of the Sacred Treasure. He was only the second non-Japanese person to receive such a high honor for helping to make the relationship between Japan and America stronger.
Sharing His Knowledge
Samuel Goldblith wrote more than 250 articles for scientific journals. He also edited or co-edited six books about food science and technology. He wrote three more books about the history of MIT, including his own story, Appetite for Life, which came out in 1996.
Awards and Special Recognition
- Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Babcock-Hart Award - 1969.
- IFT Nicholas Appert Award - 1970.
- IFT Fellow - 1970 (he was among the first group of 27 people to receive this honor).
- Underwood-Prescott Professorship: 1972–1978.
- Foreign Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (1980).
Family Life
Samuel Goldblith married Diana Greenberg in 1941. They were married until she passed away in 1990. They had two sons, Errol (who died in 1963) and Jonathan, and one daughter, Judith. They also had two granddaughters, Sarah and Rachel.
His Lasting Impact
Samuel Goldblith passed away on December 28, 2001, in Peabody, Massachusetts. A special service was held at MIT in his honor in May 2002. In 1993, MIT created the Samuel A. Goldblith Career Development Chair. This special position helps support new professors in their research. It was partly funded by Aikawa's family, showing the lasting impact of their friendship.
Images for kids
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Samuel Goldblith in 1956
