Chemists -- France -- Biography; Curie, Pierre, 1859-1906; Physicists -- France -- Biography
Near the end of the year 1910, I was proposed for the decoration of the
Légion of Honor. A similar proposal was made earlier in favor of my
husband, who, however, being opposed to all honorary distinctions, did
not accept the nomination. As my husband and I were too united in all
things for me to act differently from him in this matter, I did not
accept the decoration, in spite of the insistence of the Ministry. At
that time also, several colleagues persuaded me to be a candidate for
election to the Academy of Sciences of Paris, of which my husband was a
member during the last months of his life. I hesitated very much, as
such a candidacy requires, by custom, a great number of personal visits
to Academy members. However, I consented to offer myself a candidate,
because of the advantages an election would have for my laboratory. My
candidacy provoked a vivid public interest, especially because it
involved the question of the admission of women to the Academy. Many of
the Academicians were opposed to this in principle, and when the
scrutiny was made, I had a few votes less than was necessary. I do not
ever wish to renew my candidacy, because of my strong distaste for the
personal solicitation required. I believe that all such elections should
be based wholly on a spontaneous decision, without any personal efforts
involved, as was the case for several Academies and Societies which made
me a member without any demand or initiative on my part.
As a result of all the cares devolving on me, I fell seriously ill at
the end of 1911, when, for the second time, I received, this time alone,
the award of the Nobel prize. This was a very exceptional honor, a high
recognition of the discovery of the new elements and of the preparation
of pure radium. Suffering though I was, I went to Stockholm to receive
the prize. The journey was extremely painful for me. I was accompanied
by my eldest sister and my young daughter Irene. The ceremony of
delivery of the Nobel prizes is very impressive, having the features of
a national solemnity. A most generous reception was accorded me,
specially by the women of Sweden. This was a great comfort to me, but I
was suffering so much that when I returned I had to stay in bed for
several months. This grave illness, as well as the necessities of my
children's education, obliged me to move my home from Sceaux to Paris.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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