The School was founded in 1899 by the General Leather and Hide Syndicated of France. Until 1945, the director was L. Meunier, thereafter, P. Chambard. The Research Institute for the Leather Industries was founded in 1940. At the time there was a shortage of raw materials in France, especially vegetable tans and chrome salts. They produced a quick tanning chestnut extract to replace unobtainable quebracho, and introduced quinone-chrome and formaldehyde-chrome mixed tannages reducing the amount of chrome necessary. Tanning with iron salts also replaced vegetable tanning. The Research Institute is currently studying silica tanning (with silicic acid) and iron tanning (with ferric salts), skin preservation with salt and determination of shoe leather quality.