I. Gelfand was a prominent mathematician known for his significant contributions to various fields, including functional analysis, representation theory, and mathematical physics. Born in 1913 in Bialystok, Poland, he later moved to the United States, where he became a professor at Rutgers University. Gelfand's work has had a lasting impact on both pure and applied mathematics. Throughout his career, Gelfand published numerous papers and co-authored influential books, including the well-known Gelfand representation. He was also instrumental in developing the Gelfand–Naimark theorem, which plays a crucial role in the study of C*-algebras. Gelfand's legacy continues to inspire mathematicians worldwide.