(extract from History of ASFERA by Dr. Denis Boulaud, in History of Aerosol Science, Verlag der sterreichischen Akademie Der Wissenschaften, pp 301-308, 2000)

The precursor of aerosol science in France is, without doubt, Professor Jean Bricard (refer to his biography by Professor Andr Renoux in this symposium). Professor Jean Bricard started in this field in the early fifties in Paris with a team of two men that played an important role in the development of this science in France: Professor Andr Renoux and Doctor Guy Madelaine. This was the core that, twenty years later, founded the association on aerosol research.

This association officially started in 1984 as a committee (COFERA: Comit Franais d'Etudes et Recherches sur les Arosols) under an umbrella association concerned with spectroscopic measurement and chemical analysis (GAMS: Groupement pour l'Avancement des Mthodes Spectroscopiques et physico-chimiques d'analyse).

The first two-day conference was held in Paris in November 1984. It was called "1res Journes d'Etudes sur les Arosols". All of the papers were presented by 14 invited speakers. The first president was Professor Andr Renoux from the University of Paris 12, the vice-president was Doctor Paul Sigli from the SOFILTRA Company, and the general secretary was Doctor Guy Madelaine from IPSN/CEA Fontenay-aux-Roses.

Professor Andr Renoux, Doctor Guy Madelaine and Doctor Martin (Ecole Polytechnique) were really the active founding members of COFERA. Each year, from 1985 until 1993, the "Journes d'Etudes sur les Arosols" assembled more than 100 people for a two-day conference with a good selection of papers. In 1994, COFERA was chosen to organise the European Aerosol Conference in Blois. Professor Andr Renoux was the General Conference Chairman and Doctor Denis Boulaud from CEA/Saclay chaired the Scientific Committee. About 300 people came to this pleasant city on the Loire River to attend a very high-level conference.

In 1995, the umbrella association of the COFERA, the GAMS, encountered financial difficulties and the COFERA board members decided to set up an independent association that they called ASFERA (ASsociation Franaise d'Etudes et Recherches sur les Arosols). Since then, Professor Andr Renoux was president, Doctor Denis Boulaud was vice-president and Doctor Michel Attoui from the University of Paris 12 was general secretary. Every year since 1995, a two day conference is held called "Confrence Franaise sur les Arosols". The last one in December 1999 assembled a group of 140 in Paris.

In 1991, COFERA (now ASFERA) became a member of the International Aerosol Research Assembly (IARA) and, in 1995, COFERA (now ASFERA) was one of the six founding associations of the European Aerosol Assembly. ASFERA took over the Presidency of EAA since September 1998 and until September 2000.