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Maurice L' Abbé

1920-2006
Commander
2016
Great Montrealer
1994, scientific category

After studying mathematics at the Université de Montréal, Maurice L’Abbé became the first Quebecer to earn a doctorate in mathematics from Princeton University in New Jersey. Parallel to his career at the Université de Montréal, where he was successively a professor, the director of the Mathematics Department, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Science and Vice-Rector of research, Maurice L’Abbé founded several organizations, including the Université de Montréal’s mathematical research centre, which is one of the most widely recognized in the world. He was also one of the initiators of the Higher Mathematics Seminar, which took place in 1962. Both of these accomplishments had an extraordinary impact on the development of mathematics in Quebec, attracting the world’s best mathematicians to the Montréal scientific community.

Deeply concerned with the quality of teaching and committed to fostering interest in mathematics and science among youth and women, in 1958 Maurice L’Abbé chaired a committee dedicated to the establishment of the Quebec Mathematics Association. Throughout his career, Maurice L’Abbé was a member of several associations devoted to promoting science. Most notably, he directed the Canada Science Council and chaired the Quebec Science and Technology Council.

In November 1994, the Quebec government presented him with the Armand Frappier Award in recognition of his remarkable contribution to scientific development in Quebec.

Maurice L’Abbé died in 2006. He was inducted into the Academy of Great Montrealers in the Scientific category in 1994 and was named a Commander of the Ordre de Montréal in 2016.

Source: Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal

The picture and biographical information appearing on this page were current at the time this person was admitted to the Academy of Great Montrealers.