Reza Fallah (1909–1982) was an Iranian businessman and political advisor. He shaped the Iranian oil policy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
Reza Fallah | |
|---|---|
 The grave of Reza Fallah in Brookwood Cemetery | |
| Born | 15 September 1909 |
| Died | 5 December 1982 (aged 73) |
| Resting place | Brookwood Cemetery, Surrey, England |
| Education | University of Birmingham |
| Occupation(s) | Businessman, political advisor |
| Spouse | Maheen Fallah |
| Children | Lilly Fallah Lawrence Gina Fallah. |
Early life
editReza Fallah was born on 15 September 1909 in Kashan, Iran.[1][2] He graduated from high school in Tehran.[2] He studied Petroleum Engineering at the University of Birmingham in England on a British Petroleum scholarship, receiving a PhD.[1][2]
Career
editIn 1939, he returned to Iran and worked in the private sector.[2] He then taught and served as Dean of the Abadan Technical Institute.[2]
In the 1950s and 1960s, he served as general manager the Abadan Refinery, formerly owned by the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company.[1][3] He served as deputy chairman of the National Iranian Oil Company from 1974 to 1979.[1] During that time, he advised Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and essentially shaped Iran's oil policy.[1] He was also a co-founder of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).[3]
During the Iranian revolution of 1979, he accompanied the Shah into exile.[1] He refused to return to Iran, despite being summoned by Prime Minister Mehdi Bazargan.[1][3] Indeed, he was on Ayatollah Khomeini's death list.[3]
Personal life
editHe was married to Maheen Fallah (1919–2000).[1] They had three daughters: Lilly Fallah Lawrence and Gina "Kooky" Fallah.[1] A third daughter died in a car accident when they were living in Tehran.[2]
Death
editHe died on 5 December 1982 in Windsor, near London, England.[1] He is buried in Brookwood Cemetery.
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Reza Fallah Dies at 73; Ex - Iranian Oil Official, The New York Times, December 16, 1982
- ^ a b c d e f Abbas Milani, Eminent Persians, Syracuse, New York: Syracuse University Press, 2008, pp. 139-142 [1]
- ^ a b c d Jack Anderson, Architect of Iranian Oil Industry Dies Quietly, The Dispatch, December 28, 1892