Nicole Laroche

Nicole Laroche (née Schrottenloher) (20 July 1945 – 28 May 2019) was a French engineer. In 1964, she became the first female Gadzarts, the nickname given to students attending the École nationale supérieure d'arts et métiers (ENSAM) engineering grande ecole.

In 2026 she was named as one of the 72 women to have their names engraved on the Eiffel Tower.

Early life and education Nicole Christiane Schrottenloher was born on 20 July 1945 in the 18th arrondissement of Paris to a family of modest means, her father was a bakery worker. She passed the entry examination for the École nationale supérieure d'arts et métiers (ENSAM) in 1964. She was the first female student to enter the school, and her admission to ENSAM received extensive media coverage. the nickname given to students attending the Arts et Métiers ParisTech (formerly the École Nationale Supérieure d'Arts et Métiers - often abbreviated to ENSAM), a grande ecole (university) specialised in engineering. Her entry into ENSAM was the subject of significant media attention.

Schrottenloher was one of the first women to enter the leading French engineering schools: the first woman to be admitted to the École des ponts ParisTech had only been two years earlier in 1962. It took until 1970 for a woman to be admitted to Mines Paris – PSL and until 1972 for the École polytechnique to admit a woman.

Schrottenloher entered the Lille class, classified as Class Li.64 in the ENSAM system. The living accommodation at the college was only designed for men, so Schrottenloher had to live in the town rather than the college which limited her presence at lessons and meals. The expenses were covered by a loan from the Soci (Alumni society), which she repaid in full as soon as she graduated to ensure that other students could benefit from future financial support. Her male classmates were supportive, and she made lifelong friends, but she was isolated at times, and the college experience wasn't particularly easy for her.

Career Nicole Laroche began her career in the sales department of a steel equipment company for a few months. She was soon earning double her father's salary. Laroche was supportive of women engineering students who followed in her footsteps and spoke of her experiences at events to encourage girls to consider engineering as a career.

In 2026, Laroche was announced as one of 72 historical women in STEM whose names have been proposed to be added to the 72 men already celebrated on the Eiffel Tower. The plan was conceived by a student and tour guide named Bernard Rigaud and it was announced by the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo following the recommendations of a committee led by Isabelle Vauglin of Femmes et Sciences and Jean-François Martins, representing the operating company which runs the Eiffel Tower.

Death During her battle against cancer, Laroche enjoyed meeting up with her old classmates.

Nicole Laroche died on 28 May 2019 in Argenteuil, in the northwestern suburbs of Paris. She was survived by her husband and child.