Simon Nora , born the February 21st 1921 and dead the March 5th 2006 with Paris, was a senior official French. Married in January 1947 with Marie-Pierre of Thimble-Brissac, of which it will have two children and will divorce, for then remarier with Léone Georges-Barb, which will give him three children. Wire of Gaston Nora.

Biography (1921 - 2006)

Brother of the historian Pierre Nora, it takes part in the Résistance as of 1942 in the the Jura then in the Vercors.

He studies with the National school of administration (ENA) in the fighting France promotion (1946 - 1947).

He dies in Paris the March 5th 2006, of the continuations of a Cancer. Alain Minc known as of him: The action, for him, was measured with the good proportioning of the rebellion. Too much rebellion, it was the dead end; insufficiently of rebellion, middle-class conservatism. Nora was, from this point of view, the illustration that in the middle same of the system a man can build a space of freedom.

Career

After the ENA, it enters in 1947 to the General inspection of Finances and quickly becomes a specialist in the economic questions.

In 1952, he is general secretary of the Commission of the social accounting, at the time chaired by Pierre Mendès France.

Near to Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber and Francoise Giroud, it takes part in the beginnings of the Express train in 1953. It animates the economic pages of them thus taking part in the democratization of certain concepts in the opinion.

With Servan-Schreiber, it is one of the advisers of the shade in the cabinet of Pierre Mendès France at the time of sound transitory government seven months. It partly writes the speeches which the president of the Council pronounces every saturday with the radio - “talks of Saturday” - to explain to the French his action.

He is principal private secretary of Jacques Chaban-Delmas in Matignon of 1969 with 1972, and is with Jacques Delors the author of the famous speech on the “New business” made by Chaban-Delmas in September 1969.

Managing director of the group Hatchet in 1971, it takes part the following year in the launching of the weekly magazine the Point .

He is director of the National school of administration between 1982 and 1986, then between at the bank Shearson Lehman Brothers.

He is also founding member of the Club Jean-Mill and the Fondation Saint-Simon.

Reports/ratios

In April 1967, he is the author of a report/ratio on the state enterprises given to Georges Pompidou. This report/ratio proposes a more strict management. One of its orientations consists with to restore at the state enterprises a mission in conformity with their nature of company and an autonomy which is essential for them to discharge this mission. The report/ratio remains secret. It is partially diffused after the events of May 1968.

In 1976, he is the author with Bertrand Eveno of a report/ratio on the housing policy.

He writes with Alain Minc a famous report/ratio on the Informatization of the company, published in December 1977. In this report/ratio, he invents the word and the concept of Télématique and precedes the launching of the network Minitel. Published, it becomes a success of edition.

Quotations

" The énarques ones of today are as qualified, if not more, as those of my generation. It is the spirit of the time which changed. I entered the public office as I had entered the maquis: to serve the nation. The current perversion of the public office is due to its politization. To make career, it is necessary to give oneself a political color, miser on the good horse. Also, with each political alternation, the senior officials were dismissed by the new capacity. I estimate nevertheless that the ENA played - and plays always - a big role: it creates personal bonds, affinities between young people with the different opinions, and that reinforces the deontology of the political personnel: one less dares to be diverted right way when one is judged by his pairs."

(Interview of Simon Nora in Alessandro Giacone, Paul Delouvrier, fifty years with the service of France and Europe, Paris, Descartes editions and Co, 2004.

Distinctions

• Commander of the Legion of honor

• Military Cross 1939-45

Publications

• Report/ratio on the state enterprises , French Documentation, Paris, 1968

• Improvement of the old habitat , French Documentation, Paris, 1975
• the Computerization of the company , with Alain Minc, report/ratio with the President of the Republic, French Documentation, Paris 1978. Also published with the Threshold, Paris, 1978. ISBN 2020049740

References

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