Krim, Mathilde (1926- )

Italian-born US geneticist, activist, and philanthropist. Having earned her PhD in genetics in 1953, she worked for some years in medical research labs and was possibly the first person ever to see DNA chromosomes through an electron microscope. In 1983 she founded the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) Medical Foundation and became one of the first to devote herself to finding a cure for AIDS. Using her society connections, she was successful in fund-raising for the organization and in raising the public's awareness of the epidemic.

Krim was born Mathilde Galland in Como, Italy. She moved with her family to Switzerland. She also lived for a time in Israel and was a member of the Irgun, a militant Zionist organization. She married Arthur Krim, the US motion picture company executive, and moved to New York City in 1958.