Memory of Honor : save and digitalize archives
- Raised
- $150
- Next milestone
- $250
The United States is the foreign country with the most recipients of France’s highest honors. Over the past 80 years, 13,000 americans have been awarded the Legion of Honor or the National Order of Merit.
Americans have forged a special relationship with the Grand Chancery over the centuries. Thomas Jefferson, then ambassador to Paris, was so captivated by the Hôtel de Salm (which later became the headquarters of our institution) that he used it as inspiration for his Monticello residence, and even the White House reflects some of its features. Precisely 100 years ago, Adolph B. de Bretteville-Spreckels replicated the Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco to house the city’s Fine Arts Museum. And just a year later, thanks to the immense generosity of William Nelson Cromwell and his friends, the museum of Legion of honor and the orders of chivalry opened in Paris.
The ‘Mémoire de l’honneur’ project aims to safeguard the unique archives belonging to the Grand Chancery of the Legion of Honor, and make them fully accessible to the public. These archives bear witness the names and achievements of two million people who served France and have been decorated since 1802, when the Legion of Honor was established, and since 1963, when the National Order of Merit was created. Through the “Mémoire de l’honneur” project, descendants of decorated individuals, historians, sociologists, genealogists, and others around the world will be able to learn about these exemplary lives.
For this large-scale project, the institution has mobilized both its scientific and technical teams, as well as leading a sustained campaign to seek financial and skills-based philanthropy.
Thanks to the generosity of many patrons, it has already begun developing a building dedicated to these archives, which will open its doors in 2025. However, to successfully digitize these documents and create a public consultation platform, it needs additional support.
By supporting “Mémoire de l’honneur” today, you will help continue this remarkable relationship, playing a vital role in sharing and preserving this shared history.