Gershon Agron

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Gershon Agron (born Agronsky, 1894-1959) was an Israeli press pioneer and mayor of Jerusalem. He was born in the Ukraine but emigrated with his family to the USA soon after. During World War I he fought with the Jewish Legion in the area of present-day Israel (until 1918 part of the Ottoman Empire, from 1921-1947 the British Mandate of Palestine.) Following stints as editor of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency and correspondent for several British newspapers, he founded an English-language daily in 1932 under the name Palestine Post. Following Israeli independence, its name was changed to the Jerusalem Post in 1950.

He served in several capacities in the Yishuv and later the Israeli government apparatus, e.g., as head of the fledgling Government Information Office (1948-1951). In 1955 he was elected Mayor of Jerusalem, a post he held until his death in 1959.

Agron Street in downtown Jerusalem and Agron House (headquarters of the Israeli Press Association) are named after him.

Preceded by Yitzhak Kariv

Mayor of Jerusalem 1955–1959

Succeeded by Mordechai Ish-Shalom