Al Schwimmer

Adolph William Schwimmer (Hebrew: אל שווימר;‎ 10 June 1917 – 10 June 2011) was an American and later Israeli engineer and businessman. He was the founder and first CEO of Israel Aerospace Industries.

Al Schwimmer
Schwimmer in 1955
Born(1917-06-10)June 10, 1917
New York City, U.S.
DiedJune 10, 2011(2011-06-10) (aged 94)
Ramat Gan, Israel
CitizenshipUnited States[1]
Israel
Occupation(s)Aerospace engineer, aerospace executive
Known forFounder of Israel Aerospace Industries (formerly Bedek Aviation Company)
SpouseRina Schwimmer
Children2
AwardsIsrael Prize (2006)

Early life

In 1917, Schwimmer was born in New York City, the son of immigrants from Eastern Europe. Schwimmer never used his given birth name of Adolph, preferring the nickname "Al".[2]

Career

In 1939, Schwimmer began his aerospace career at Lockheed Corporation as an engineer and also received his civilian pilot license. During World War II, he worked for TWA and assisted the U.S. Air Transport Command as a flight engineer.[3]

During the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, Schwimmer used his World War II experience and his contacts to smuggle surplus war planes to Israel.[1] Schwimmer reflected on what motivated these actions in an interview with Boaz Dvir. The alternative was described as a "Second Holocaust [...] they believed that those 600,000 Jews were going to die."[4] Using circuitous routes, he also recruited the pilots and crews to fly the planes to Israel. Many of these men became the nucleus of the Israeli Air Force.[1]

In 1949, Schwimmer returned to the United States and, in 1950, he was convicted in the United States of violating the US Neutrality Acts for smuggling the planes into Israel. Schwimmer was stripped of his voting rights and veteran benefits and fined $10,000, but did not receive a prison sentence. Schwimmer refused to ask for a pardon, believing that smuggling weapons to help create Israel was the right moral decision to make. In 2001, President Bill Clinton gave Schwimmer a presidential pardon.[1]

In the early 1950s, Schwimmer, who was running an aircraft maintenance company in Burbank, California, was approached by David Ben-Gurion, Israel's then prime minister, who asked Schwimmer to return to Israel and establish an aircraft company for commercial and military purposes.[1] Schwimmer acceded to Ben Gurion's request and founded Israel Aerospace Industries, of which he became the first CEO.[3]

Schwimmer was one of the founders of Savyon, but later moved to Tel Aviv.[5]

In the mid-1980s, Schwimmer was a special adviser for technology and industry for Israel's then-Prime Minister Shimon Peres, who became a close friend.[1]

Personal life

Schwimmer was married and had two children, Danny and Dafna, as well as four grandchildren, Orr, Ella, Sarah, and Avi. On June 10, 2011, Schwimmer died on his 94th birthday in a hospital in Ramat Gan, Tel Aviv District, Israel.[6]

In 2015, his exploits during 1948 Arab–Israeli War were depicted in the PBS documentary A Wing and a Prayer, written, directed, and produced by Boaz Dvir. The film contains the only public interview Schwimmer gave in light of these events.[7]

Awards
  • In 1975, he was awarded the Herzl Prize for his contribution to Israel's security and economy.
  • In 2006, Schwimmer was awarded the Israel Prize, for his lifetime achievement and special contribution to society and the State.[3][8]
  • In 2018, Schwimmer was posthumously honored by the Embassy of Israel in Washington, D.C., as one of the 70 most valuable American contributors to the strengthening of Israel and its alliance with the United States.[9][10]

See also

References
  1. Al Schwimmer, creator of Israel's Air Force, dies, JTA, 2011-06-12, archived from the original on 2011-06-14.
  2. JTA (June 15, 2011). "Al Schwimmer, Father of Air Force". The Forward. Archived from the original on 24 June 2011. Retrieved June 18, 2011. Schwimmer, who understandably never used his given birth name of Adolph, resisted all entreaties to write his memoirs, asking, 'Who would be interested?'
  3. "Israel Prize winner Al Schwimmer dies on 94th birthday", The Jerusalem Post.
  4. Golan, Guy. "Putting Nazi Weapons in Jewish Hands | The Public Diplomat". Retrieved 2016-06-04.
  5. "Al Schwimmer, NY‐born Father of Israel's Aerospace Industry, Dies at 94", Ha'aretz.
  6. Oren, Amir (November 6, 2011). "Al Schwimmer, founder of Israel Aircraft Industries, dies at 94". Haaretz.com. Retrieved April 11, 2019. (confirmed date of death as 10 June 2011).
  7. "Israeli Air Force, particularly its scrappy beginnings, inspires 3 films". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 12 May 2015. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
  8. "Judges' Rationale for Grant to Recipient". Israel Prize (official site) (in Hebrew). Archived from the original on 2011-06-25.
  9. "Adolph William 'Al' Schwimmer (1917–2011)". 26 March 2018.
  10. "DC Embassy Holds Massive Celebration for Israel's 70th Anniversary & US Embassy Move to Jerusalem". 16 May 2018.
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