Edme JOMARD (1777-1862)

Edme Jomard was a graduate of the École Polytechnique, a geographer, and an engineer who took part in Bonaparte’s expedition to Egypt. In 1815, he was sent to England to study issues related to Egyptian antiquities. There, he discovered the slide rule, which greatly impressed him. Upon returning to France, he gave a highly favorable presentation to the Société d’Encouragement pour l’Industrie Nationale (SEIN) and contacted the instrument maker Lenoir to begin its serial production. The first slide rules were produced in the 1820s. Although production was very limited at first, Jomard’s efforts, supported by the SEIN, were decisive in introducing the slide rule to France.