PIERRE EUGENE MARCELLIN BERTHELOT 107 



Berthelot's career is easily told ; it consisted of honour 

 after honour. He was elected a Member of the Academic 

 de Medecine in 1863, and in 1867 he collaborated in the 

 foundation of the Ecole des Hautes Etudes, and in the 

 reorganisation of scientific teaching. Membership of the 

 Academic des Sciences followed in 1873, and in 1889 he 

 became its Secretaire Perpetuel. 



In 1900, he had the rare honour of being elected among 

 the immortal forty in the Academic Franaise, succeeding 

 to the Chair of Joseph Bertrand. Of 28 voters, 19 voted 

 for him, 9 abstaining. Four years later, in 1904, he 

 delivered the statutory discourse. He was a Member of 

 the Conseil Superieur des Beaux-Arts, of the Conseil 

 Superieur de V Instruction Publique, and in 1886 he was 

 created a Grand Officier of the Legion of Honour. He 

 was Foreign Member of almost every scientific society 

 in the world, including our own Royal Society. 



On November 24, 1901, the Berthelot jubilee celebration, 

 the anniversary of his seventy-fifth birthday, was held in 

 Paris, M. Loubet, President of the Republic, in the chair. 

 It took place in the great hall of the Sorbonne ; all the 

 Cabinet, the ambassadors of all countries, and delegates 

 from universities and scientific societies from all over the 

 world were present. Madame Berthelot with her children 

 and grandchildren occupied a conspicuous place, beaming 

 over with unaffected pleasure ; Berthelot had declined the 

 State offer to make a triumphal procession in the carriage 

 of the President with a military escort ; he went on foot 

 from the Quai Voltaire to the Sorbonne, his greatcoat 

 buttoned so as to hide the grand-cordon of the Legion 

 of Honour, and his head down so as to avoid recognition. 

 He was embraced by the President of the Republic, and 

 amid the enthusiastic applause of the spectators, address 

 after address was delivered, each delegate conveying the 

 congratulations of the body which he represented. It 



