Henry Louis Le Chatelier - Early Life

Early Life

Le Châtelier was born on 8 October 1850 in Paris and was the son of French materials engineer Louis Le Châtelier and Louise Durand. His father was an influential figure who played important roles in the birth of the French aluminium industry, the introduction of the Martin-Siemens processes into the iron and steel industries, and the rise of railway transportation. Le Châtelier’s father profoundly influenced his son's future. Henri Louis had one sister (Marie) and four brothers (Louis (1853–1928), Alfred (1855–1929), George (1857–1935), and André (1861–1929)). His mother raised the children by regimen, described by Henri Louis: "I was accustomed to a very strict discipline: it was necessary to wake up on time, to prepare for your duties and lessons, to eat everything on your plate, etc. All my life I maintained respect for order and law. Order is one of the most perfect forms of civilization." (L. Guillet, REVUE DE METALLURGIE, Numéro Spécial, janvier 1937).

As a child, Le Châtelier attended the Collège Rollin in Paris. At the age of 19, after only one year of instruction in specialized engineering, he followed in his father's footsteps by enrolling in the École polytechnique on 25 October 1869. Like all the pupils of la polytechnique, in September 1870, Le Châtelier was named second lieutenant and later took part in the Siege of Paris. After brilliant successes in his technical schooling, he entered the École des Mines in Paris in 1871.

Le Châtelier married Geneviève Nicolas, a friend of the family and sister of four fellow students of la polytechnique. They had seven children, four girls and three boys, five of whom entered scientific fields; two were lost preceding Le Châtelier's death.