Hans Rudolf Simon

Hans Rudolf Simon was born in Berlin on July 24, 1908, the son of the merchant Ephraim Gotthold Simon and his wife Cäcilie (née Leppmann). He was the youngest of three children.
Hans Rudolf Simon After attending the Realgymnasium Berlin-Grunewald, he studied pharmacy and medicine at the Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität zu Berlin (now Humboldt University) and at Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg. On 1 April 1933, he witnessed the boycott against Jews and the violent riots against students and professors in Freiburg. Under these circumstances, Hans came to the conclusion that continuing his studies in Germany was “impossible and senseless”. He therefore emigrated to France in 1935.
In France, Hans was imprisoned due to his German citizenship. After France was conquered by the Nazis in 1940, Hans continued to be held prisoner due to his Jewish heritage. He was finally released from captivity on condition that he join the Foreign Legion and fight in Morocco. He served in the Foreign Legion as a chemist. After the American troops conquered Casablanca in 1943, Hans, who had knowledge of English, was recruited by the US military. 
After the war, Hans continued to live in Morocco. Due to his services to the US armed forces, he received a visa for the US in 1958 and eventually emigrated there. In New Jersey, he worked as a chemist in a laboratory.
After his retirement, Hans Simon moved to San Francisco, where he died at the age of 82.