Eugène Schneider II


Charles Prosper Eugène Schneider, also known as Eugène Schneider II, was a French industrialist, head of Schneider-Creusot and other works in France, politician and inventor. In 1923, he was awarded the John Fritz Medal.

Biography

Early life

Schneider was born on October 29, 1868, in Le Creusot, rural France. His father, Henri Schneider, was a businessman and politician. His paternal grandfather, Eugène Schneider, was the co-founder of Schneider-Creusot with his grand-uncle Adolphe Schneider in 1836. He grew up at the Château de la Verrerie in Le Creusot.

Career

Schneider was appointed as co-chairman of Schneider-Creusot in 1896. He became its sole chairman in 1898.
He served on the boards of directors of the Crédit Lyonnais, Chemins de fer de Paris à Lyon et à la Méditerranée, the Société Métallurgique de Normandie and the Banque de l'Union Parisienne. He also served as the chairman of the Union européenne industrielle et financière.
He joined the Popular Liberal Action, a center-right political party. He served as a member of the French Chamber of Deputies for them from 1889 to 1910. He also served as the Mayor of Le Creusot from 1896 to 1900.
He was a member of the Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques.

Personal life

He married Antoinette de Rafélis de Saint-Sauveur, an heiress to the Château d'Apremont-sur-Allier. They had three sons, Charles, Henri-Paul and Jean, and a daughter, Marie-Zélie, also known as May, who became the Duchess of Brissac by marriage.
He died in Paris on November 17, 1942.

Legacy

His statue, designed by sculptor Paul Landowski, stands on the Boulevard Henri-Paul Schneider in Le Creusot.

Patents