History Hangout: Irving Shapiro and the Arab Boycott

Irving Shapiro, CEO, DuPont Company

History Hangout: Irving Shapiro and the Arab Boycott

Roger Horowitz

While CEO of the DuPont company and chair of the Business Roundtable, Irving Shapiro spearheaded efforts in the mid-1970s to cripple the Arab League boycott of Israel. His relationships with prominent business executives and leaders of America’s Jewish community allowed him to forge a consensus behind legislation passed by Congress in 1977 that fatally damaged the boycott. His role in doing so is not known but is outlined in this talk from Dr. Roger Horowitz through the use of Shapiro’s personal papers held by the Hagley Library.

Watch "Irving Shapiro and the Arab Boycott":