Louise du Pierry

Elisabeth Louise Felicité Pourra de la Madeleine was born in La Ferté-Bernard, in the French province of Maine, on 30 July or 1 August 1746.^[4]

Louise du Pierry was a student of, and the mistress of astronomer Jérôme de Lalande in 1779.^[5] She studied both natural history and astronomy.

She was a member of the Académie des Sciences de Béziers.

In 1789, she became the first female professor at the Sorbonne University in Paris as the leader of the Cours d’astronomie ouvert pour les dames et mis à leur portée for female students. It was the first class geared towards women.^[5] The course was a huge success, despite many students initially fearing the subject matter would be too difficult for women.^[6]

She published many works involving the collection of astronomical data. These works include:

• Tables de l’effet des réfractions, en ascension droite et en déclinaison, pour la latitude de Paris, Paris, 1791. This publication concerned the estimation of the refraction effect, knowledge of which was necessary for the calculations of astronomers. The series of tables provide the amount of the refraction effect as a function of the right ascension and declination at the latitude of Paris.^[6]
• Tables de la durée du jour et de la nuit, Paris, 1792. This publication provided the duration of the days and the nights for both astronomical and civil uses.^[6][4]
• Calculs d’éclipses pour mieux trouver le movement de la Lune^[6].
• Table alphabétique et analytique des matières continues dans le cinq tomes du Système des connaissances chimiques de Fourcroy, Paris, Beaudouin, 1799 (year X of the French revolution).^[4]

Jerome De Lalande dedicated his work Astronomie des Dames (1790) to her, where she is lauded for her talent, taste, and courage in the field of science.

Louise du Pierry died in Luzarches, Val-d'Oise, France, February 27, 1807.^[2][3]

In 2026, du Pierry was announced as one of 72 historical women in STEM whose names have been proposed to be added to the 72 men already celebrated on the Eiffel Tower. The plan was announced by the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo following the recommendations of a committee led by Isabelle Vauglin of Femmes et Sciences [fr] and Jean-François Martins, representing the operating company which runs the Eiffel Tower.^{[7][8][9][10]}

She was further recognized when a street was named in her honor.^[11]

• Nicole-Reine Lepaute
• Timeline of women in science