Joining nations 1947-1990

JOINING NATIONS

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Paul Goldschmidt-Clermont, Founder President of the JIW, receives the Edstrom Medal from F L Plummer, President, in 1967.

THE FOUNDING FATHERS

Paul Goldschmidt, or Goldschmidt-Clermont as he subsequently became, was born in 1890 and served with distinction as an officer in the Belgian army in the First World War. An engineer by education and training, his subsequent career was more in management and administration than in engineering. He played an important part in the foundation of the Belgian social security system and was also largely responsible for the creation of the Belgian Institute ofWelding of which he was for many years the Director. As the first President of the IIW, his capacity for leadership was made more effective by his diplomatic gifts, his greatest achievement being perhaps to create, from among the first members of the Executive Council, a loyal and harmonious team which commanded the support of the national delegations.