Neartheendoftheyear,IwasproposedforthedecorationoftheLegionofHonor.Asimilarproposalwasmadeearlierinfavorofmyhusband,who,however,beingopposedtoallhonorarydistinctions,didnotacceptthenomination.AsmyhusbandandIweretoounitedinallthingsformetoactdifferentlyfromhiminthismatter,Ididnotacceptthedecoration,inspiteoftheinsistenceoftheMinistry.Atthattimealso,severalcolleaguespersuadedmetobeacandidateforelectiontotheAcademyofSciences,ofParis,ofwhichmyhusbandwasamemberduringthelastmonthsofhislife.Ihesitatedverymuch,assuchacandidacyrequires,bycustom,agreatnumberofpersonalvisitstoAcademymembers.However,Iconsentedtooffermyselfacandidate,becauseoftheadvantagesanelectionwouldhaveformylaboratory.Mycandidacyprovokedavividpublicinterest,especiallybecauseitinvolvedthequestionoftheadmissionofwomentotheAcademy.ManyoftheAcademicianswereopposedtothisinprinciple,andwhenthescrutinywasmade,Ihadafewvoteslessthanwasnecessary.Idonoteverwishtorenewmycandidacy,becauseofmystrongdistasteforthepersonalsolicitationrequired.Ibelievethatallsuchelectionsshouldbebasedwhollyonaspontaneousdecision,withoutanypersonaleffortsinvolved,aswasthecaseforseveralAcademiesandSocietieswhichmademeamemberwithoutanydemandorinitiativeonmypart.
Asaresultofallthecaresdevolvingonme,Ifellseriouslyillattheendof,when,forthesecondtime,Ireceived,thistimealone,theawardoftheNobelprize.Thiswasaveryexceptionalhonor,ahighrecognitionofthediscoveryofthenewelementsandofthepreparationofpureradium.SufferingthoughIwas,IwenttoStockholmtoreceivetheprize.Thejourneywasextremelypainfulforme.IwasaccompaniedbymyeldestsisterandmyyoungdaughterIrene.TheceremonyofdeliveryoftheNobelprizesisveryimpressive,havingthefeaturesofanationalsolemnity.Amostgenerousreceptionwasaccordedme,speciallybythewomenofSweden.Thiswasagreatcomforttome,butIwassufferingsomuchthatwhenIreturnedIhadtostayinbedforseveralmonths.Thisgraveillness,aswellasthenecessitiesofmychildren'seducation,obligedmetomovemyhomefromSceauxtoParis.
DuringtheyearIhadtheopportunityofcollaboratinginthecreationofalaboratoryofradiumatWarsaw.ThislaboratorywasfoundedbytheScientificSocietyofWarsawwhichofferedmeitsdirection.IcouldnotleaveFrancetogobacktomynativecountry,butIwillinglyagreedtooccupymyselfwiththeorganizationofthestudiesinthenewlaboratory.In,havingimprovedmyhealth,IwasabletoattendaninaugurationfeteinWarsaw,whereatouchingreceptionwasgiven,leavingmeanunforgettablememoryofnationalsentimentwhichsucceededincreatingusefulworkunderparticularlydifficultpoliticalconditions.
Whilestillonlypartiallyrecoveredfrommyillness,IrenewedmyeffortsfortheconstructionofasuitablelaboratoryinParis.Finallyitwasarrangedfor,andworkbeganin.ThePasteurInstitutewishedtobeassociatedwiththislaboratory,and,inaccordwiththeUniversity,itwasdecidedtocreateanInstituteofRadium,withtwolaboratories,oneofphysicsandoneofbiology,thefirsttobedevotedtostudiesofthephysicalandchemicalpropertiesoftheradioactiveelements,thesecondtothestudyoftheirbiologicalandmedicalapplications.But,becauseofthelackoffinancialmeans,theconstructionworkproceededveryslowly,andwasnotyetentirelyfinishedwhenthewarbrokeoutin.