Paul Palén

Paul Palén, the son of a clergyman in Dalarna, studied from 1899 to 1904 at Västervik’s Technical College. He graduated in chemistry and chemical technology. In 1905 he went to the United States where he worked as a draughtsman, engineer testing samples, and chemist for various mining companies. After his return in 1912 he became operations manager of a nickel refinery in Nakkerud in Norway. From 1912 to 16 he worked as chief chemist for Luossavaara-Kiirunavaara AB iron mining company, and from 1916 to 20 as an engineer for AB Kopparextraktion in Stockholm.

In the following years Palén was an engineer at Jungners Kali-Cement. In 1923 he became chief engineer of the Skellefteå mining company. He held the position after a merger of his company to form Bolidens gruvaktiebolag until his retirement in 1941. In this position he headed the planning and construction of the smelter in Rönnskär. Additionally, he was active as a consulting metallurgist, and from 1938 as a lecturer in metallurgy at the Helsinki Technical University. In the 1920s he was co-owner and chairman of the board of the Birger Carlsson & Co. producing gas masks. Palén also contributed to the Book of Inventions, published in 1928.

At the Stockholm Olympics in 1912 he competed in free pistol and duelling pistol shooting, winning silver in the individual event, and gold in the team event with the duelling pistol. He held several official positions in the Swedish shooting movement. In 1921 he married Annina Ewa Sofia Mathiasson. Together they had two sons and one daughter. He was appointed Knight of the Order of Vasa and Knight of the Order of the North Star.