Fairhurst to Receive Medal from French Légion d'honneur

Charles Fairhurst, Professor Emeritus of the Department of Civil Engineering, will be inducted as an Officer into the French National Order of the Legion of Honor (Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur) by decree of the President of the French Republic. The Legion of Honor is the highest national decoration in France. (For comparison, one might liken it to the United States' National Medal of Science, which is awarded to leading scientists and engineers in a formal ceremony at the White House.) The French Medal of Honor rewards outstading merits of citizens in all areas.

Fairhurst was selected for this honor based on his personal commitment to French-American relations, his exceptional cooperation with French companies, and his contributions to many public-private partnerships in the field of rock mechanics, which he studied and taught at the University of Minnesota.

The Légion d'honneur medla will be presented to Fairhurst in a formal ceremony in France on December 3, 2013.