Marie-Louise Paris facts for kids

Marie-Louise Paris (born October 20, 1889 – died April 28, 1969) was a clever French engineer. People often called her Mademoiselle Paris. She is famous for starting a special school for women in 1925. This school was first called the Women's Electro-mechanical Institute. Later, it became the Women's Polytechnic and is now known as the EPF School of Engineering.

Her Early Life and Education

Marie-Louise Paris was born in Besançon, France, on October 20, 1889. She was the oldest of six children. Even though her father passed away when she was young, she worked hard. She earned a science degree from the Sorbonne in Paris.

Marie-Louise followed her sister Hélène to Paris. In 1921, she graduated as an engineer from the School of Mechanics and Electricity. The next year, both sisters graduated from the Grenoble Institute of Technology. They studied under a famous teacher named Louis Barbillion.

After finishing her studies, Hélène stayed in Grenoble. But Marie-Louise Paris went back to Paris. She worked on setting up the signaling system for Laon station. Marie-Louise met many important engineers and scientists. These included Gabriel Koenigs, a professor, and Paul Langevin, a school director. With their help, she was able to create a new college just for women.

Starting a School for Women

Marie-Louise Paris noticed that very few women were in engineering classes. In Grenoble, for example, there were only 4 women out of 605 students! This made her want to create a better opportunity for women.

In 1925, she started the l'Institut électro-mécanique féminin. This means the Women's Electro-Mechanical Institute. It opened on November 4, 1925. At first, Marie-Louise and two other teachers did all the teaching. Gabriel Koenigs taught technical drawing. Marie-Louise Paris was even asked to speak at a big meeting about women working in industry.

In 1933, Marie-Louise changed the school's name. It became the École polytechnique féminine, or Women's Polytechnic College. The course also became longer, from two to three years. The school moved to different places over the years. Finally, in 1956, Marie-Louise bought a building for the school in Sceaux. She chose famous pilots like Hélène Boucher and Maryse Bastié to be special supporters of the school. Later, aircraft designer Henri Farman also became a sponsor.

Her Personal Interests

Marie-Louise Paris was very adventurous. She learned how to fly an airplane at the Guyancourt aerodrome. She even designed her own prototype private plane. She showed it at an aviation show in 1936. Marie-Louise Paris passed away at the school on April 28, 1969.

Her Lasting Impact

Marie-Louise Paris left a big mark on engineering education. One of the buildings at the EPF School of Engineering is named after her. There is also a statue of her on the school campus. In Grenoble, a tram station was renamed Marie-Louise Paris on September 2, 2019. This shows how important her work was.