Simone Melchior Cousteau
| Simone Melchior | |
|---|---|
| Born |
19 January 1919 Toulon, France |
| Died | 1 December 1990 (aged 71) |
| Spouse(s) | Jacques-Yves Cousteau (12 July 1937 - 1 December 1990; her death) |
| Children |
Jean-Michel (b. 6 May 1938) Philippe Pierre (b. 30 December 1940 - 28 June 1979) |
Simone Melchior Cousteau (19 January 1919 – 1 December 1990) was the wife and business partner of undersea explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau. The first woman scuba diver and aquanaut, Simone was at Jacques's side during his major underwater accomplishments. She led him to the men and money who would build his scuba invention, she helped buy their beloved Calypso, saved the ship during a storm, and made sure each exploration achieved its objective.
Although never visible in the Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau series, Simone played a key role in the operation at sea. Acting as mother, healer, nurse and psychiatrist to the all-male crew for 40 years, her nickname was "La Bergère," the Shepherdess.
Simone was born on 19 January 1919 in Toulon, France. Her father Henri Melchior and both grandfathers Jules Melchior (paternal) and Jean Baehme (maternal) were admirals in the French Navy. Simone's mother was Marguerite Melchior, affectionately called Guitte. She had two brothers: Maurice, and Simone's twin, Michel.
In 1924, Henri Melchior, as a director with Air Liquide (France's main producer of industrial gases), moved his family to Kobe, Japan. Simone learned Japanese at the age of five years.
Simone met her future husband, Jacques, at a cocktail party in 1937. He was a naval officer of 26 and she was 17. They were married at Saint-Louis-des-Invalides, in Paris, on 12 July 1937.
After a honeymoon in Switzerland and Italy the Cousteaus settled in Le Mourillon, a district of Toulon. Jean-Michel was born on 6 May 1938 and Philippe Pierre on 30 December 1940. Both sons were born on the family's kitchen table.
In 1942, Simone's father provided financing and the manufacturing expertise of Emile Gagnan at Air Liquide to build Jacques Cousteau's aqua lung. Simone was indirectly to hold the key to this significant step in diving history. She was present in 1943 at the testing of the prototype for the aqua lung, in the Marne River outside Paris. The new invention was employed to locate and remove enemy mines after World War II.
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