Gideon S. Golany was born on January 23, 1928 in Baghdad, Iraq. He helped organize the Jewish community there for Zionist activities and self-defense, forming the Hechalutz organization to encourage emigration to Palestine. He himself arrived in Palestine disguised as a Bedouin. Before serving in the Israeli Army in the 1948 War of Independence, Golany helped found a kibbutz in the northern Negev. He matriculated at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, studying archaeology and geography. He earned two doctorates, one from the Technion in Haifa and one from The Hague in Holland. Golany did post-graduate work at Cornell University and served on the faculty of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg. In 1970, Gideon S. Golany accepted a position at The Pennsylvania State University where he became a distinguished professor of urban and regional planning, specializing in new town planning, underground space design, and the effects of climate upon urban design. Dr. Golany published nearly 30 books, some of which were translated into Chinese, Spanish, and Hebrew. He was a visiting professor at many universities around the world. Gideon S. Golany died Dec. 8, 1999.
From the description of Gideon S. Golany papers, 1910-2001 (bulk 1965-2001). (Pennsylvania State University Libraries). WorldCat record id: 245202646
