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Grégoire Gaspard Félix Coffinières was a French general, best know as the commander of the École Polytechnique during the Second French Empire.  

Grégoire Coffinières was the son of Alexandre Coffinières.  In 1829 he passed the entry exam of the École polytechnique, where as a student he took part in the Three Glorious Days of the revolution of July 1830. After graduating in 1831, he became a combat engineer.

After serving time in Algeria, he returned to France in 1837.  in 1844, he participated in an expedition to Morocco. In 1845, he was appointed to head a corps oof engineers at Auch. 

Coffinières returned to Morocco in 1849, then then left for Argentina, where he created the first map of the La Plata Basin in 1850, drawing hte map from "documents collected in situ and the best partial plans of that region".

In 1855, he participated in the siege of Sevastopol and was promoted to Brigadier General.  Coffinières succeeded General Charles Eblé in the command of the École polytechnique from 1860 to 1865. During the Franco-Prussian War, he served as superior commander of the fortifications of Metz. 

Coffinières was captured and interned at Hamburg. Freed after the war, he left active duty in 1876 and retired in 1881. He died in 1887. 

By imperial decree of November 2, 1864, Coffinières was authorized to add de Nordeck, a name from his family's maternal branch, to his last name.  He was also Commander of the Legion of Honor.


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