Hassan Kamel Al-Sabbah was a technological leader whose inventions in electricity had a great impact on the development of 20th century technology. In August 1921, Sabbah travelled to the U.S. to study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for one year. In 1922, he enrolled at the University of Illinois, where he earned a master’s degree in engineering sciences in 1923.
He was hired by the engineering laboratory of the General Electric Company (GE) at Schenectady, N.Y. in 1923. It was not long before his research efforts resulted in a number of patents. However, Sabah had signed a contract with GE whereby all his inventions became the property of the company, and so he received a reward of one dollar for each of his patented inventions. Between 1927 and 1935, he invented 52 different applications.
Hassan Kamel Assabbah (August 16, 1895 – March 31, 1935) was born in Nabatieh, Lebanon. He was an electrical and electronics research engineer, mathematician and inventor par excellence. He studied at the American University of Beirut. He taught mathematics at Imperial College of Damascus, Syria, and at the American University of Beirut. He is seen as being the father of the solar cell. He died in an automobile accident at Lewis near Elizabeth Town, N.Y.
In 1921, he travelled to the United States and for a short time studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology before joining the University of Illinois in 1923. He entered the vacuum tube section of the Engineering Laboratory of the General Electric Company at Schenectady N.Y., in 1923, where he was engaged in mathematical and experimental research, principally on rectifiers and inverters, receiving over 70 United States and foreign patents covering his work. He was engaged in work on television and motors as well, and originated circuits for use with rectifiers. He prepared a series of articles on polyphase polycyclic static converters which were published in the General Electric Review and his paper on the effect of circuits on arc backs in mercury congress at Paris in 1932. He was also on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers fellowship grade.
Mr. Assabbah’s dream was to build sun-powered cells in the Arabian desert; the main ingredients for solar power are sand (making solar cells) and strong sun (powering it). In 1935, he declared that he would return to the Middle East and transform the Arabian desert into a paradise. (He was talking about using the desert to make and power the solar cells and thus producing enormous amounts of energy).
Mr. C.G. Marcy, the personnel director of General Electric Company, used these words to describe Hasan Kamel Assabbah in a letter dated April 16, 1935:
“It is indeed unfortunate that his genius mind should be brought to such an untimely end. His death is a great loss for the world of invention”
