Fred Kavli
| Fred Kavli | |
|---|---|
| Born |
August 20, 1927 Eresfjord, Norway |
| Died | November 21, 2013 (aged 86) Santa Barbara, California, U.S. |
| Nationality | Norwegian-American |
| Education | Norwegian Institute of Technology, Trondheim, Norway |
| Known for | Business leader, innovator, and philanthropist. Founder of The Kavli Foundation and The Kavli Institute. |
| Title | Founder and Chairman, The Kavli Foundation |
Fred Kavli (August 20, 1927 – November 21, 2013) was a Norwegian and naturalized American business leader, inventor, and philanthropist. He was born on a small farm in Eresfjord, Norway. He founded the Kavlico Corporation, located in Moorpark, California. Under his leadership, the company became one of the world's largest suppliers of sensors for aeronautic, automotive, and industrial applications supplying General Electric and the Ford Motor Company.
In 2000 he established The Kavli Foundation to "advance science for the benefit of humanity and to promote public understanding and support for scientists and their work". The Foundation's mission is implemented through an international program of research institutes, professorships, and symposia in the scientific fields of astrophysics, nanoscience, neuroscience, and theoretical physics. The foundation awards the Kavli Prize in astrophysics, nanoscience, and neuroscience.
He was featured in the media primarily for his philanthropic efforts.
Born in 1927, Kavli grew up on the family farm in the Norwegian village of Eresfjord (pop. 450).
At 14, together with his brother Aslak, he began his first enterprise creating wood pellet fuel for cars. This was during the Second World War and the Nazi occupation of Norway.
Inspired by his father's 13 years in San Francisco the young Kavli wanted to move to the US. Three days after he received his engineering degree from the Norwegian Institute of Technology (NTH) in Trondheim he left for America on the SS Stavangerfjord.
Having no job or sponsor waiting for him, his visa application was initially rejected, and so in 1955 he immigrated to Montreal, Quebec, Canada instead. The following year his visa was approved and he moved to the United States. He found work as an engineer for a Los Angeles business that developed feedback flight controls for Atlas missiles. He would rise to the position of Chief Engineer here.
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