Bernard Paul Gregory

Director-General (January 1966 – December 1970)

French experimental physicist who oversaw the construction of the Intersecting Storage Rings and the beginnings of the 300 GeV Proton Synchrotron.

 

Council Session
Bernard Gregory at a CERN council session in November 1977 (Image: CERN)

Bernard Paul Gregory (1919–1977, French) arrived at CERN as a leader of a French experimental team and was appointed directorate member for research in 1964. He preceded John Adams and Willibald Jentschke as Director-General, from January 1966 until December 1970.

Two major events took place during Gregory's years as Director-General. In 1965, prior to Gregory's term of office, Council decided to build the Intersecting Storage Rings. Construction began immediately and was completed by the end of 1970. The second major event was the decision to build a 300 GeV Proton Synchrotron. A proposal had been put to Council in 1964 while Victor F. Weisskopf was Director-General of CERN but it was not until the end of Gregory's term of office that Council agreed to the project.

From 1971-1973 he served as Chairman of the ISR Committee, and was a Council Delegate for France from 1971, and Vice-President from 1974. He had been elected as Chairman of Council, when he died unexpectedly in December 1977.