in memoriam - Stephane Henin (1911-2003)

Stephane Henin passed away on the 4 June 2003 at the age of 92. His funeral took place at St Aubin-sur-Loire on 6 June 2003.

Stephane Henin has left his mark on Soil Science in France through his personality, the originality of his research and his capacity to detect talent. In his thesis in 1938, he set the basis of a series of studies on the structural stability of soils. In captivity in Germany during the 2nd World War, mixing with companions of all professions, he went further in his reflection on research and wrote a second thesis entitled “Method in Agronomy”. Subsequently, he directed the Versailles Soil Laboratory then the Department of Agronomy and occupied the Chair of Agriculture at the Paris National Institute of Agronomy (INA-Paris). As member of the Academy of Agriculture, he also played a very important role in the Ministry of the Environment and in Agricultural Technical Institutes.

The broadness of his contributions and the richness of his research make him the true founder of agronomy and French soil science. His jubilee in 1989 testified to the diversity of his contributions and their innovatory nature. Up until last year, his mind had kept all its keenness, combining a thorough knowledge of soil science with an exceptional broadness of outlook on the major problems in society. His last contribution was the preparation of a session of the Academy of agriculture on the theory of chaos.

French Soil Science has lost a Master.

Daniel Tessier