Franklin-Lavoisier Prize
Maurice Hamon
2012 Winner: Maurice Hamon
The Chemical Heritage Foundation (CHF) and the Fondation de la Maison de la Chimie (FMC) will present the Franklin-Lavoisier Prize to Maurice Hamon on January 25, 2012 at the Maison de la Chimie in Paris.
Maurice Hamon is General Relations Director for the Saint-Gobain Group, a French multinational corporation which was founded in 1665 as a mirror manufacturer, but which now also produces a variety of construction and high-performance materials. In his position, Hamon is in charge of the company’s historical files, protecting, organizing, and making accessible a whole part of the history of inorganic chemistry in France from 1780 to the 1970s. All the records preserved under the scientific management of Hamon are open to historical and scientific research, and contribute in a decisive way to the history of innovation on a long term basis.
Hamon is the author of several books about the synthesis of the industrial industry in general, and of the industrial history of Saint-Gobain in particular. He also manages students' and researchers' access to the chemical files of Saint-Gobain.
To see the past winners of the Franklin-Lavoisier Prize, click here.
About the Franklin-Lavoisier Prize
Created in 2008, the Franklin-Lavoisier Prize is jointly awarded by the Fondation de la Maison de la Chimie (FMC) in Paris and the Chemical Heritage Foundation (CHF). Named for Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier and Benjamin Franklin, two of the 18th century’s greatest minds, this prize recognizes unusually meritorious efforts in the preservation or promotion of the entwined scientific heritage of France and the United States.
The purpose of the award is to acknowledge commendable work in the preservation and highlighting of any aspect of our common scientific or industrial heritage in the fields of chemistry and its related applications, the promotion of the history of the chemical and molecular sciences and industries, or the fostering of closer Franco-American ties and the promotion of significant activities in the chemical sciences or industries.
FMC and CHF also seek to promote public understanding of Franco-American relations in modern and historical science, industry, and economics.
Accompanied by a monetary award of €15,000, the Franklin-Lavoisier Prize is awarded every two years by a five-member international jury. Award ceremonies will take place alternately in the United States and France.
About the Sponsors
La Maison de la Chimie was founded in 1928, in Paris, with the goal of building and maintaining a central meeting and working space to promote the popularization of science and was organized for the service of chemists worldwide. To fulfill this mission, la Maison de la Chimie provides a number of services and activities to facilitate cooperation between all those working to promote chemistry as one of the basic disciplines of science and technology.
The Chemical Heritage Foundation (CHF) fosters an understanding of chemistry’s impact on society. An independent nonprofit organization, we strive to
- Inspire a passion for chemistry;
- Highlight chemistry’s role in meeting current social challenges; and
- Preserve the story of chemistry across centuries.
CHF maintains major collections of instruments, fine art, photographs, papers, and books. We host conferences and lectures, support research, offer fellowships, and produce educational materials. Our museum and public programs explore subjects ranging from alchemy to nanotechnology.
Nominations and Information
For more information on the Franklin-Lavoisier Prize, or to find out how to nominate someone for this award, send an e-mail to awards@chemheritage.org.