This page lists some of the individuals who led, contributed to, or otherwise engaged with the IICI. Note that the personnalities highlighted here are only a small selection of the many individuals who contributed to the work of the IICI. Please check back for regular updates as this page is under development.
Scientists, philosophers, writers, politicians, and other accomplished individuals were engaged as members of the ICIC or the National Committees and maintained rich correspondences with the IICI. Among them could be counted physician and chemist Marie Curie Sklodowska, Nobel Prize physicists Robert Millikan and Albert Einstein, Norwegian biologist Kristine Bonnevie, Brazilian neurologist Aloisio de Castro, Italian lawers Francesco Ruffini and Alfredo Rocco, and Czech historian Joseph Šusta.
Julien Luchaire (1926-1930): A historian and collaborator of Nobel Prize-winner Henri Bergson, Luchaire was involved in intellectual cooperation at the League of Nations from the outset. One of the driving forces behind the French offer to establish the IICI in Paris, Luchaire became its first Director in 1926. During his tenure, the IICI launched a number of projects, including the International Studies Conference (ISC). He was also appointed an expert for the enquiry into the state of intellectual life.
Henri Bonnet (1931-1945): A French diplomat, Bonnet succeded Luchaire after his resignation. During Bonnet's time, the IICI launched the Interviews series, one of its most visible projects, also comprising a publications series. In June 1940, he left France for London and the United States. In 1942, reflecting on his experiences as Director of the IIIC, he drew up plans for the future United Nations.
Jean-Jacques Mayoux (1945-1946): The literary critic Jean-Jacques Mayoux taught English literature at the University of Liverpool and then the Sorbonne. In 1945, as Interim Director of the IICI, he argued for the survival of the IICI and requested financial support from the French government. In 1946, he signed an agreement to close the IIIC and transfer its possessions to UNESCO.
Polish-born French scientist and two-time Nobel Prize winner Marie Curie Sklodowska (1867-1934) served as one of 12 founding members of the ICIC. Between 1929 to 1936, Curie served as Vice President of the IICI. In her role as Committee member, Curie penned a Memo on the Question of International Scholarships for the Advancement of Sicence and the Development of Laboratories, in which she argues for the internationalization of educational science scholarships, typically awarded by nations exclusively to their own citizens. Moreover, science scholarships should be awarded not only to students from privileged classes, but also to promising students from modest backgrounds. Curie's ideas were based on the belief that science is a "sacred responsibility for all those who care for society's future."
Albert Einstein (1879-1955) was among the first 12 members of the ICIC. Deeply troubled by Rathenau’s assassination on 24 June 1922, he sought to withdraw from politics and asked to withdraw from the ICIC. In June 1924, amidst the Ruhr crisis, Einstein rejoined the ICIC, and stayed until 1932. Einstein activities included an exchange of letters published by the IICI between himself and Sigmund Freud, entitled Why War?; in which they debated whether humans have an instinct for war. On his 50th birthday in 1929, in response to honorary gestures from bodies including the German state, the University of Paris, and Zionists, Einstein wrote an original poem that he sent to several colleagues, among them, the IICI.
