Henri Fehr, at the very beginning of his career in 1897, founded the Mathematical Library, which he administered until his last years with particular care, taking advantage of all the opportunities to enrich it despite very limited funds, carefully avoiding all that could have diminished it.

As a thesis, the work contains nothing original either in vector analysis or in geometry. All the results and methods were known well enough before. ... The presentation of the elements of differential geometry given by M Fehr is hardly to be excelled. The usual important and fundamental results are obtained in much less space and time than is customary, and yet with perhaps a gain instead of a loss in clearness. ...

What is certain is that M Fehr has produced a small treatise on infinitesimal geometry in which the exposition is of rare elegance and simplicity.

At a time when science has made so much progress, some simplifications may be desirable, the programmes of the different branches of teaching require more or less complete reforms. Linked to this there is a fundamental issue whose importance should not be overlooked: namely that of the education of teachers. All these changes ought not to be carried out in an abrupt way, nor without serious preliminary reflections. But is not the first requirement for proceeding in such a study in a judicious and fruitful way, to be aware of what happens in other countries, to know the way mathematics teaching is organised in each of them, what teaching programmes are in force, the methods by which the studies are approved, etc.? ... Despite the strong rapport that has been established today among scientists of the same field, despite the international congresses of mathematicians, so brilliantly inaugurated in Zurich in 1897 and accepted as a principle for the future, the world of education proper has not up to now been able to join this great movement of scientific solidarity as fully as would have been desirable ... . It has been our wish, through the publication of our Journal, to overcome the obstacles to reciprocal communications and to create a kind of continuous mutual correspondence between men who have devoted their lives to this noble mission: the mathematical education of young people. In view of this aim, our first concern has been to give this periodical a clearly and openly international character.

The word 'Enseignement' has for us the widest possible meaning. It means the teaching of pupils, as well as the teaching of teachers - and, indeed, you can hardly have the one without the other.

An idea conceived by David Eugene Smith from New York was then discussed and presented to the general assembly of the congress, where it was approved with lively applause: "The Congress, recognizing the importance of a thorough examination of the programs and of the methods of teaching mathematics at secondary schools of different nations, charges Professors Klein, Greenhill, and Fehr to constitute an International Commission to study these questions and to report to the next Congress." Thus, the origins of the Commission Internationale de L'Enseignement Mathématique, also known by its English name International Commission on Mathematical Instruction (briefly, ICMI), lay in the attention paid to educational issues at the Rome congress. The commission was linked from its beginning to the journal 'L'Enseignement Mathématique', founded in 1899, which since then has been its official journal.

The congress expressed its appreciation for the impressive work done by the International Commission on the Teaching of Mathematics, led by its oddly entitled Central Committee (formed by F Klein, A Greenhill, and H Fehr) with the aid of D E Smith. They reported that "every country in nearly every part of the world has contributed in its own department to the Reports for Cambridge - so that there were about 150 different volumes with about 300 articles brought to the Congress."

The main contribution of Fehr as author of articles in the journal was in the field of mathematics instruction. He singled out some central points, such as: (i) innovations in the mathematical programmes and their links with the development of science and technology, as an echo of what was happening in many countries; (ii) the relationship between pure and applied mathematics and its influence on the mathematics teaching; (iii) the education of mathematics teachers; and (iv) new trends in mathematics teaching.

The European war carries with it an appreciable impact on international institutions. In the fighting countries and in the neighbouring neutral countries all those whom the nation considers to be able-bodied are in uniform. Thus it becomes practically impossible to continue with activities requiring the support of numerous collaborators. Peaceful activities like ours have to take second place. Furthermore, being in pursuit of a freely chosen common ideal, they demand a willingness for unity, which ought not to be asked of scientists in a period as troubled as the one in which we are living now.

Over time, the scientific demands of mathematics grew, and the lack of a Swiss publication for scientific mathematical work became painfully obvious. In the course of the 1920s, the plan arose for the Society to found its own journal. The project was prepared by H Fehr together with some former presidents of the Society. Because of Switzerland's multilingualism, it was clear from the start that neither a German nor a French title could be considered; for this reason, a Latin name was sought, with 'Commentarii Mathematici Helvetici' being selected from three different proposals.

We saw him continuing almost until his last days to come to the University on every occasion and in particular to the Mathematical Library, missing neither a Dies Academicus, nor an opening session, or strolling in his peaceful neighbourhood of Florissant where he welcomed his friends so well. We had become accustomed to seeing him very alert and always finding on his face that expression of gentleness and deep kindness. The University has kept the memory of a dean, a vice-rector and a rector concerned with good administration and admirable management of university funds. It also remembers his personality, attentive to human problems and above all to the intellectual and moral development of his students, who have shown him on many occasions their gratitude for his understanding, kindness and delicacy. With regard to his colleagues, his dedication has been actively exercised on the Pension Fund Committee.

It is necessary that the teacher, giving his lesson, be extremely attentive to the visible reactions on the faces of the students; according to the nature of these reactions, he must be able to change completely, and at the same time keeping pace with his explanations; in other words, he must not be a prisoner of the prepared lesson.