History of AX

Now over a century old, AX was founded on the spirit of solidarity within the École Polytechnique community.          

S.A.S., the first École Polytechnique alumni association

The first alumni association was founded in 1865, 71 years after École Polytechnique was founded, and was known as the Société Amicale de Secours des Anciens Élèves de l’École Polytechnique (S.A.S.). It was recognised as promoting the public interest by imperial decree on 22 September 1867. 

Dissolved by the Germans during the Second World War in 1942, the S.A.S. operated covertly until 1944, when it was revived.

As the successor to the Student Fund Welfare Office set up in 1806, the S.A.S.’s mission was to “provide assistance to unfortunate fellow alumni and their families”.

S.A.X., the Society of Friends of École Polytechnique

In 1908, a second association was created, the Société des Amis de l’École Polytechnique (S.A.X.), with the aim of promoting “everything that might contribute to the prosperity of the School and its continued leadership in scientific education”.

AX, the association representing École Polytechnique alumni

The Association des Anciens Élèves de l’École Polytechnique (AX) was founded in 1946 to address a shortcoming of the two previous societies: they did not effectively represent Polytechnique alumni in their dealings with official bodies and associations representing engineers who had graduated from other schools. AX adopted a federated structure, bringing together S.A.S. and S.A.X., with the aim of representing all École Polytechnique alumni in their dealings with third parties.

Its Chair and Vice Chair took it in turns to be the Chair of the two founding associations. 

In 1962, at their general meetings, the three associations decided to combine all their goals within the oldest association. The transformed S.A.S. was renamed Société Amicale des Anciens Élèves de l’École Polytechnique and adopted the initials A.X.

Famous École Polytechnique graduates

Engineers who graduated from École Polytechnique have worked in a wide variety of fields as mathematicians, civil servants, philosophers, economists, physicists, chemists, industrialists and members of the military. Some of them also took unusual career paths. 

> Find out more about the Polytechnique alumni who left their mark on history

The École Polytechnique library holds a large number of works about or written by École Polytechnique alumni. Around 2,500 names of X alumni appear in the authors’ catalogue and more than 300 are the subject of publications.

History of the École Polytechnique

The École Polytechnique Heritage Portal provides information on the history of the École Polytechnique and all the work undertaken by the Historical Resources Centre. The Centre’s mission is to preserve and promote the École’s archives, historical library and heritage.

SABIX

SABIX is the Society of Friends of École Polytechnique Library and History. Founded in 1986, its purpose is to provide financial and moral support to the library to “develop, enhance, restore and showcase its collection of old, rare and precious books, along with archive and museum documents relating to the history of École Polytechnique and the history of science and technology”.