Louis Pasteur was elected to the French Academy of Sciences in 1862.
His election followed earlier unsuccessful attempts in 1857 and 1861. In 1862, he won membership in the academy’s mineralogy section, despite the fact that much of his later fame would come from microbiology, fermentation, vaccination, and germ theory. His early scientific career was grounded in chemistry and crystallography, including influential work on molecular asymmetry and optical activity.
The academy also recognized Pasteur’s experimental investigations into spontaneous generation. He received the Alhumbert Prize in 1862 for work that helped demonstrate that microorganisms did not arise spontaneously under properly controlled conditions. These studies strengthened his developing view that contamination and fermentation had biological causes.
Pasteur’s academy career continued long after his election. He became permanent secretary of the physical sciences section in 1887 and held that position until 1889. The nearby dates can be confusing because the academy awarded him other prizes in 1860, 1861, and 1862, but membership itself dates to 1862.