Edoardo Amaldi

Director-General (May 1952 – October 1954)

CERN pioneer who played a leading role in the study and preparation of the Intersecting Storage Rings and the 300 GeV Super Proton Synchrotron.

Portrait of Professor Edoardo Amaldi (Rome 1985)
Edoardo Amaldi in Rome in 1985 (Image: CERN)

Edoardo Amaldi (1908–1989, Italian), a doctor of Physics at the University of Rome, played a guiding role in the development of Italian nuclear physics and European collaboration.

He was one of the pioneers of CERN, holding the post of Secretary-General in the interim period of the organization (1952–54) before Felix Bloch succeeded him as CERN's first permanent Director-General in October 1954.

Edoardo Amaldi did not sever links with CERN on his return to Rome in 1954. From 1957–75 he was a member of the Scientific Policy Committee at CERN (chairman from 1958–60). He was a member of the CERN council from 1960–73 (vice-president from 1960–62 and president from 1970–71).

He also played a leading role in the study and preparation of the Intersecting Storage Rings and the 300 GeV Super Proton Synchrotron. He was chairman of the 300 GeV Steering Group from 1968–69.

He was a member of the CERN History Advisory Committee from 1980 until his death in 1989.