time in 1942: "At that time he was in his sixties, and he always impressed me as very white. Sort of a plump man and very sparse hair" and "a very pale face", and that he was "a very abrupt guy", but "just as polite." Edgar Sengier remained director of the Société Générale and the Union Minière until 1949. He remained on the company's administrative board until 1960, before retiring in Cannes, where he died in 1963. Recognition In 1946, Sengier returned to the United States and was awarded the Medal for Merit for his contribution to the Allied victory by General Groves at a private ceremony in his Washington office, receiving the distinction of becoming the first non-American civilian to be awarded the medal. Due to restrictions on wartime information at the time, the initial citation merely mentioned his "services in supplying material". However, the official statement made note of Sengier's "sound judgment, initiative, resourcefulness and unfailing cooperation" which "contributed greatly to the success of the atomic bomb project". Groves noted: Despite official recognition, Sengier was content to remain unknown and successfully went to considerable lengths to preserve his anonymity. According to John Gunther "probably not one American in a hundred thousand has ever heard the name Edgar Sengier, nor is he well known in Europe outside of a limited circle. So far as I know, no photograph of him has ever appeared in an American newspaper or magazine of wide circulation ..." Sengierite, a radioactive mineral discovered in Congo in 1948, was named in his honor. Awards and decorations Sengier received numerous awards for his accomplishments. Belgium Commander of the Order of the Crown Grand Officer of the Royal Order of the Lion Officer of the Order of Leopold Officer of the Order of the African Star Silver Medal of Belgian Gratitude France Commander of the Order of the Legion of Honour Medal of French Gratitude Luxembourg Commander of the Order of the Oak Crown Romania Commander of the Order of the Star of Romania Sweden Commander of the Royal Order of Vasa United Kingdom Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire United States Medal for Merit See also Belgian Congo in World War II References Footnotes Bibliography 20th-century Belgian businesspeople 20th-century Belgian engineers 1879 births 1963 deaths Belgian Congo people Belgian mining engineers Belgian people of World War II Catholic University of Leuven (1834–1968)