Jacques de Nervo
Jacques de Nervo (31 August 1897 – 27 June 1990) was a French industrialist who helped create Usinor, France’s largest steel maker.
He was born in Margency, in the Val-d’Oise region, into a family of railway pioneers and steelworkers. His great-grandfather was Léon Talabot, a founder of the French railway industry. His father, Léon de Nervo, trained as an engineer and worked in mining and metallurgy.
During World War I, de Nervo served as a soldier. He rose to the rank of officer, earned the Legion of Honour, the Croix de Guerre, and several citations. He then worked for the Ministry of Labour.
In 1919 he joined the steelworks Société du Saut-du-Tarn. He learned every part of the business and rose through the ranks, eventually becoming general secretary, then director, and later president and chief executive.
De Nervo also played a role in business associations. He was honorary president of the Centre des jeunes patrons, a vice-president of the Saut-du-Tarn company, and a board member of the UIMM (a metalworkers’ group). He later became president of Denain-Anzin after the death of its leader in 1941, working with René Damien as director general.
In 1947 he helped found Usinor (Union Sidérurgique du Nord de la France) by merging Denain-Anzin with another steel group. This was the first step in a series of mergers that created larger French steel companies. By 1957 Usinor was the biggest French steelmaker, producing about 2.16 million tons a year.
De Nervo held other leadership roles, including vice president of Pontgibaud Mines and Foundries, and positions with Ateliers et Chantiers de France and several steel and metal companies.
In his personal life, he married Jacqueline Ducourthial de Lassuchette on 14 April 1920. He did not drink alcohol or smoke and enjoyed sports. He was a diving champion in 1922, competed in the 1924 Olympics in sailing, played polo (and led the French Polo Federation), and later played golf.
Jacques de Nervo died on 27 June 1990 at the age of 92 in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 15:58 (CET).