Son of Mordco Kerstenetzky and Noemia Kirshner Kerstenetzky from Bessarabia. In the academic field, he was an acknowledged Professor of the History Department of the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, of the Post-Graduation School of Economics at the Getúlio Vargas Foundation and of the Institute of Industrial Economics of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. He was a visiting Professor of the Economics Departments of Yale University (1963-1964) and of Illinois University (1968). Isaac Kerstenetzky was a member of the Brazilian dele- gation in the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm (1972) and in the World Population Conference in Bucuresti (1974), as well as mem- ber of theUnited Nations Statistical Commission (1970-1979). President of IBGE from March 25, 1970 to August 29, 1979, his first contact with the Institute was in the 1950s as a representative of the Getúlio Vargas Foundation (FGV) in the Central Executive Board (JEC) of IBGE. His administration took the challenge of carrying out the 1970 Population Census, as well as of making public a significant part of the data from the 1960 Population Census. The objectivity and competence ofhis administration were soon reflectedin the activities ofthe Foundation, turning ti into a reliable, up-to-date institution, a better representative of the National Statistical System, and even more committed to theexpectationsand requests from the Brazilian society.