Gerard Swope, Jr., internationally known industrialist who in his later years became a strong supporter of Israel, died today after a brief illness at the age of 84. He was a former president of the General Electric Company and a former chairman of the New York Housing Authority. He was admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court bar.
Mr. Swope made his first trip to Israel eight years ago at the suggestion of friends who were active in the Palestine Economic Corporation. Addressing a PEC dinner on his trip he reported he had been profoundly impressed, telling the guests that if he did not lose New York so much, he might have considered settling in one of the Israel collective settlements. He became a shareholder in the PEC, a relationship he retained in death.
His most recent trip to Israel was in May when, as a sponsor of the American Technion Society, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Haifa Institute of Technology. Technion Society officials said that during the past four years, he contributed substantially for Technion student loans and scholarships.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
