Simonne Caillère

Caillère was born on 11 June 1905 in Parigny in Normandy. She attended Rennes University and she was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in 1925. On the recommendation of Raoul Anthony [fr], she was awarded a scholarship in 1929 that allowed her to study for a PhD at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris under the direction of Alfred Lacroix.^[1]

In 1936, Caillère defended her doctoral thesis in physical sciences at the University of Paris and in the following year she succeeded Jean Orcel as assistant director in the mineralogy department as Orcel was promoted to be a Professor.^[1]

During World War II, Caillère was involved in moving tonnes of minerals from the museum for safe storage as the German army occupied Paris.^[1]

In 1956 she became the first Professor at the Mineralogy Laboratory of the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle.^[1] Caillère had been a student of Jean Orcel and she named a mineral, made of nickel arsenate, Orcelite, after him in 1959.^[2]

Caillère was involved in over 200 publications.^[1] In 1963 she and Stéphane Hénin published their book on the mineralogy of clays (Minéralogie des argiles).^[3]

Caillère co-founded the French Clay Group Le Groupe Français des Argiles. In 2020 the organisation create a biennial award to be called the Simonne Caillère prix in her memory. It is awarded to a young researcher.^[4]

In 2026, Caillère 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 and Jean-François Martins, who represented the operating company which runs the Eiffel Tower.^[5][6][7]