A subtle reminder of a life well-lived. The Gèrard Fontaine Plaque stands here. It commemorates a man who left an indelible mark on Lyon. Gèrard Fontaine was a physicist. He specialized in solid-state physics. Fontaine’s contributions to the academic landscape of Lyon are profound.
He was born in Paris in December 1938. Gèrard Fontaine died in Bron in October 2018 at the age of 79.
Gèrard Fontaine studied at Université Paris-Sud. He earned a doctorate in solid-state physics in 1968. His doctoral advisor was Jacques Friedel. Fontaine then taught at Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1. He later became its president.
Fontaine helped create the Département de physique des matériaux. It was associated with the CNRS. Robert Uzan directed it from 1971 to 1983. Fontaine succeeded him as director of the laboratory. He held this position until his election as university president.
The laboratory later joined two other multidisciplinary research units. Together, they founded the Institut lumière matière. This is a mixed research unit associated with the CNRS. Gèrard Fontaine served as president of Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 from 1991 to 1996.
In 1987, École Normale Supérieure de Lyon opened. Gèrard Fontaine and Bernard Bigot created the “Sciences de la matière” program. Bigot was the director of studies at the École Normale Supérieure de Lyon. Early in his presidency, Fontaine founded the Institut des sciences et techniques de l’ingénieur de Lyon with Professor Paul Béthoux.
Gèrard Fontaine became a technical advisor to the Minister of Research and Technology in 2001.
Fontaine received several honors. He was named Knight of the Legion of Honor in 2007. Fontaine was also a Knight of the National Order of Merit. He was a Commander of the Order of Academic Palms.
Gèrard Fontaine’s last publication was Guide historique de l’enseignement supérieur dans l’Académie de Lyon. It posed the question: Une université, pour quoi faire? or A university, what for?
Fontaine saw the Borromean rings as a symbol of union. The rings are linked so that if one breaks, the others fall apart. He said that the ensemble of the three is united: L’union fait la force or Union is strength.
The Gèrard Fontaine Plaque serves as a reminder of his dedication to education. It also highlights his contributions to the scientific community. It is a fitting tribute to a man who shaped Lyon’s academic institutions. Take a moment to appreciate the legacy. It lives on through this memorial to Gèrard Fontaine.