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HENRI MINEUR was born in Lille in 1899 where his father taught mathematics. While still very young he showed a remarkable aptitude for the study of this science, and at the age of 18 passed first into the Ecole Normale Supérieure. After an interruption of two years in his studies, during which time he joined the army for the First World War, he passed brilliantly in the Concours de l'Agrégation in mathematical sciences. After being appointed Professor at the Lycée Français in Dusseldorf he prepared his doctorate thesis on "Discontinuous solutions of a class of functional equations".
While still young Henri Mineur showed a lively interest in astronomy. In 1925 he entered the Paris Observatory as an "astronomer adjoint". In 1936 two successive Under Secretaries of State for Scientific Research gave their support to Henri Mineur by the creation of the Institut d'Astrophysique in Paris, the Observatory in Haute Provence and the Annales d' Astrophysique. Mineur was appointed director of the Institut d'Astrophysique. He was thus able to play a leading part in rousing a renewed interest in French astronomy.
Henri Mineur's researches in the world of astronomy covered a wide field: relativity, evolution of double stars, the mechanics of variable masses, the study of stellar motions, interstellar absorption and celestial mechanics. During the latter years of his life he devoted himself especially to the study of methods of numerical computation.
Henri Mineur played an active role in the Second World War, partly in the army, partly in the Resistance movement and also partly in the organization and direction of a computing office for National Defence.
He died suddenly on 1954 May 7.
He was elected a Fellow of the Society on 1933 April 12.
D. BARBIER
While still young Henri Mineur showed a lively interest in astronomy. In 1925 he entered the Paris Observatory as an "astronomer adjoint". In 1936 two successive Under Secretaries of State for Scientific Research gave their support to Henri Mineur by the creation of the Institut d'Astrophysique in Paris, the Observatory in Haute Provence and the Annales d' Astrophysique. Mineur was appointed director of the Institut d'Astrophysique. He was thus able to play a leading part in rousing a renewed interest in French astronomy.
Henri Mineur's researches in the world of astronomy covered a wide field: relativity, evolution of double stars, the mechanics of variable masses, the study of stellar motions, interstellar absorption and celestial mechanics. During the latter years of his life he devoted himself especially to the study of methods of numerical computation.
Henri Mineur played an active role in the Second World War, partly in the army, partly in the Resistance movement and also partly in the organization and direction of a computing office for National Defence.
He died suddenly on 1954 May 7.
He was elected a Fellow of the Society on 1933 April 12.
D. BARBIER
Henri Mineur's obituary appeared in Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society 115:2 (1955), 129.