List of the 72 names on the Eiffel Tower
On the Eiffel Tower, seventy-two names of French scientists, engineers and some other notable people are engraved in recognition of their contributions by Gustave Eiffel.[1] The engravings are found on the sides of the tower under the first balcony. This engraving was painted over at the beginning of the twentieth century and restored in 1986–1987 by Société Nouvelle d'exploitation de la Tour Eiffel, a company contracted to operate business related to the Tower. The Tower is owned by the city of Paris.
The list has been criticized for excluding Sophie Germain, noted French mathematician whose work on the theory of elasticity was crucial to the construction of the tower itself.[2] Germain's biographer, Mozans, suggested that she was excluded because she was a woman.[3]
| Name appearing | Full name | Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Seguin | Marc Seguin | engineer |
| Lalande | Joseph Jérôme Lefrançais de Lalande | astronomer |
| Tresca | Henri Tresca | engineer and mechanic |
| Poncelet | Jean-Victor Poncelet Gernald | geometer |
| Bresse | Jacques Antoine Charles Bresse | civil engineer and hydraulic engineer |
| Lagrange | Joseph Louis Lagrange | mathematician |
| Belanger | Jean-Baptiste-Charles-Joseph Bélanger | mathematician and hydraulic engineer |
| Cuvier | Georges Cuvier | naturalist |
| Laplace | Pierre-Simon Laplace | mathematician and astronomer |
| Dulong | Pierre Louis Dulong | physicist and chemist |
| Chasles | Michel Chasles | geometer |
| Lavoisier | Antoine Lavoisier | chemist |
| Ampere | André-Marie Ampère | mathematician and physicist |
| Chevreul | Michel Eugène Chevreul | chemist |
| Flachat | Eugène Flachat | engineer |
| Navier | Claude-Louis Marie Henri Navier | mathematician |
| Legendre | Adrien-Marie Legendre | geometer |
| Chaptal | Jean-Antoine Chaptal | agronomist and chemist |
| Jamin | Jules Célestin Jamin | physicist |
| Gay-Lussac | Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac | chemist |
| Fizeau | Hippolyte Fizeau | physicist |
| Schneider | Eugène Schneider | industrialist |
| Le Chatelier | Louis Le Chatelier | engineer |
| Berthier | Pierre Berthier | mineralogist |
| Barral | Jean-Augustin Barral | agronomist, chemist, physicist |
| De Dion | Henri de Dion | engineer |
| Goüin | Ernest Goüin | engineer and industrialist |
| Jousselin | Louis Didier Jousselin | engineer |
| Broca | Paul Pierre Broca | physician and anthropologist |
| Becquerel | Antoine Henri Becquerel | physicist |
| Coriolis | Gaspard-Gustave Coriolis | engineer and scientist |
| Cail | Jean-François Cail | industrialist |
| Triger | Jacques Triger | engineer |
| Giffard | Henri Giffard | engineer |
| Perrier | François Perrier | geographer and mathematician |
| Sturm | Jacques Charles François Sturm | mathematician |
| Cauchy | Augustin Louis Cauchy | mathematician |
| Belgrand | Eugene Belgrand | engineer |
| Regnault | Henri Victor Regnault | chemist and physicist |
| Fresnel | Augustin-Jean Fresnel | physicist |
| De Prony | Gaspard de Prony | engineer |
| Vicat | Louis Vicat | engineer |
| Ebelmen | Jacques-Joseph Ebelmen | chemist |
| Coulomb | Charles-Augustin de Coulomb | physicist |
| Poinsot | Louis Poinsot | mathematician |
| Foucault | Léon Foucault | physicist |
| Delaunay | Charles-Eugène Delaunay | astronomer |
| Morin | Arthur Morin | mathematician and physicist |
| Haüy | René-Just Haüy | mineralogist |
| Combes | Charles Combes | engineer and metallurgist |
| Thénard | Louis Jacques Thénard | chemist |
| Arago | Dominique François Jean Arago | astronomer and physicist |
| Poisson | Simeon Poisson | mathematician and physicist |
| Monge | Gaspard Monge | geometer |
| Petiet | Jules Petiet | engineer |
| Daguerre | Louis Daguerre | artist and chemist |
| Wurtz | Charles-Adolphe Wurtz | chemist |
| Le Verrier | Urbain Le Verrier | astronomer |
| Perdonnet | Albert Auguste Perdonnet | engineer |
| Delambre | Jean Baptiste Joseph Delambre | astronomer |
| Malus | Etienne-Louis Malus | physicist |
| Breguet | Louis Breguet | physicist and inventor |
| Polonceau | Camille Polonceau | engineer |
| Dumas | Jean Baptiste André Dumas | chemist |
| Clapeyron | Émile Clapeyron | engineer |
| Borda | Jean-Charles de Borda | mathematician |
| Fourier | Jean Baptiste Joseph Fourier | mathematician |
| Bichat | Marie François Xavier Bichat | anatomist and physiologist |
| Sauvage | François Clément Sauvage | mechanic |
| Pelouze | Théophile-Jules Pelouze | chemist |
| Carnot | Lazare Carnot | mathematician |
| Lamé | Gabriel Lamé | geometer |
References
- ^ The 72 scientists. Eiffel Tower official website. Accessed 2008-01-31.
- ^ William P. Berlinghoff, Fernando Quadros Gouvêa. Math Through the Ages: A Gentle History for Teachers and Others. MAA, 2004, p. 52. ISBN 0883857367.
- ^ Lynn M. Osen. Women in Mathematics. MIT Press, 1975, p. 92-93. ISBN 0262650096.