Hassid, William Zev, 1897-1974.

Biography

William Zev Hassid was born on October 1, 1897 in Jaffa, Palestine to Mordecai and Esperanza (Hassid) Hassid. He attended secondary school in Palestine and during World War 1 was part of the First Judeans regiment of the British army. In 1920 he came to the United States, and attended the University of California, Berkeley receiving his A. B. in 1925, his M.S. in 1930 and his Ph.D. in 1934. He joined the staff of the University in 1927 serving successively as assistant in the Plant Nutrition Division, junior chemist and assistant at the Agricultural Experiment Station, until 1947 when he was appointed professor of plant nutrition and chemist and, in 1950, professor of biochemistry and biochemist. From 1965 until just before his death in 1974 he was professor emeritus and biochemist at the Agricultural Experiment Station.

His research included studies of structural carbohydrate chemistry, carbohydrate biochemistry of plants, and pioneering use of radioactive carbon tracers.