The Order of Academic Palms (“Ordre des Palmes académiques“) is a national order bestowed by the French Republic to distinguished academics and figures in the world of culture and education.
Originally established in 1808 by Emperor Napoleon as a decoration to honor eminent members of the University of Paris, it was changed into its current form as an order of merit on 4 October 1955 by President René Coty.
The early Palmes académiques was instituted on 17 March 1808 and was bestowed only upon teachers or professors. In 1850, the decoration was divided into two known classes:
- Officier de l’Instruction Publique (Golden Palms);
- Officier d’Académie (Silver Palms).
In 1866, the scope of the award was widened to include major contributions to French national education and culture made by anyone, including foreigners. It was also made available to any French expatriates making major contributions to the expansion of French culture throughout the rest of the world.
The Order of Academic Palms Design
Since 1955, the Ordre des Palmes académiques has comprised three grades, each grade having a fixed number of recipients:
- Commander (Commandeur) — gold cross of 60 mm with a coronet (“couronne”) worn on necklet.
- Officer (Officier) — gold cross of 55 mm worn on ribbon with rosette on the left breast.
- Knight (Chevalier) — silver cross of 50 mm worn on ribbon on the left breast.
