Jacek Prentki (1920 - 2009)

Jacek Prentki studied physics at the Clandestine University of Warsaw during World War. He started his scientific career at University of Warsaw and later he moved to Ecole Polytechnique and CNRS in France. He joined CERN's Theory Division in 1955, at the very start of CERN, and was one of its main architects and remained there right to the end. He was nominated leader of Theory Division from 1966 to 1969 and from 1976 to 1981. In 1964 - 1983 he shared his CERN position with a professorship at College de France. The Polish Physical Society awarded him with Marian Smoluchowski Medal in 1991.

Jacek Prentki conducted pioneering research on hadron symmetries in weak and strong interactions, also in collaboration with such personalities in particle physics as Bernard d'Espagnat, Abdus Salam and Bruno Zumino. He was the editor of Physics Letters and of many international conference proceedings. He was renowned for his remarkable taste and judgement in the field of particle physics that was extremely stimulating for his colleagues, friends and collaborators.

We will remember Jacek Prentki for his contribution to the developement of science, for his warmth and friendliness and as a charming person with deep interest in arts and humanities.