Israel sponsors art competition to mark IEC 100th anniversary

The Israeli National Committee of the IEC (SII) is celebrating IEC's centenary with a special competition for young art students from the Hadassa College in Jerusalem.

In January 2006, students were briefed on the importance of IEC standards and asked to describe through photography how they perceive standards' contribution to society.

SII, which has organized similar competitions in the past, has established strong connections with young artists around the country. “We believe that it is important to educate young students on the importance of standards and that one way to achieve this is through art,” said Spokesperson and Head of Public Relations of SII, Vered Oren.

On 20 May the entries are to be displayed in a special hall at SII to be evaluated by five judges: three from SII and two from academia. Among the works submitted, three will be chosen for publication in the Israeli media. In addition, the winning contestants are to receive a monetary reward.

All photographs will be displayed at a special SII exhibit during National Quality Week, an annual SII event that promotes standardization and quality throughout Israel, at the end of May 2006.

For more information please contact: Vered Oren

(May 2006)

Louis Ruppert, IEC General Secretary 1953-1969

Born in France in 1904, Ruppert joined the IEC staff in 1926 in London and worked as an assistant to the General Secretary, Charles Le Maistre, helping to run the Central Office and to organize meetings. During the latter part of World War II, he helped with British Standards Institute Committee work until the United Nations Standards Co-ordinating Committee was formed in 1944. Ruppert worked in this committee as Le Maistre’s assistant until the International Organization for Standardization was formed in 1947. He was appointed Administrative Secretary of the IEC in 1947 and was put in charge of the Central Office when it was transferred from London to Geneva in December of that year. He was appointed Secretary in 1953 upon the death of Le Maistre, and General Secretary in 1959 during the IEC General Meeting in Madrid, Spain.

Ruppert died in 1978.

Additional information about IEC General Secretaries can be found in the centenary section of the IEC website.