Émile Lépissier, a French Astronomer of Misfortune Who Taught in China and Japan

This paper presents the lifetime and achievements of a little-known French astronomer, Émile Lépissier, who contributed to the modernization of astronomy in China and Japan. He was recruited in 1854 by Paris Observatory as a Computer and later raised to an Astronome-adjoint. However, due to an unfair decision by the dictatorial Director, Le Verrier, Lépissier was forced to resign from the Observatory. Eventually he was dispatched to Beijing and taught French at the Tongwen Guan School from 1867 to early 1870. After leaving Beijing, Lépissier moved to Shanghai and in 1871 initiated one of the earliest French newspapers in China. But because of strong competition from another French newspaper, Lépissier had to abandon his publishing business in 1872. In that same year he landed in Yokohama, near Tokyo. Lépissier was then employed by the Japanese Government and began teaching mathematics and astronomy at a school that later evolved into the University of Tokyo. He also published an Almanach pour l’Année 1873 for foreigners, helped organize curricula and subjects at the school and advised the Government to establish a modern astronomical observatory. In 1874 Lépissier formally began teaching astronomy as a professor, but just three months later a sudden serious illness prevented him from continuing to teach. As a result, he retired from the school and sailed for France. After returning to Paris he soon passed away in poverty. Although Lépissier may have been an unsuccessful astronomer who suffered multiple misfortunes, we must appreciate his role as one of the founders of the early modern educational systems of China and Japan

Ancient history · Archaeology · Art · Art history · Astronomer · China · Geodesy · Geography · Literature · Mile · Misfortune · Data-Driven Disease Surveillance · History