Paul-Eugène-Louis Deschanel

Son of author and critic Émile Deschanel, who was deputy (1876-1881) and senator (from 1881); educated at Sainte-Barbe and Lycée Condorcet; received degree in philosophy (1872) and law (1875); started publishing his works in 1875; worked as a secretary to the minister of internal affairs (1876) and to the president of the Council of Ministers (1876-1877); served as sous-préfet of Dreux (1877-1879), general secretary of the Seine-et-Marne département (1879), sous-préfet of Brest (1879-1881) and Meaux (1881); elected to the Chambre des députés (Chamber of Deputies) from the Eure-et-Loir département (1885-1920); took a seat with the progressive republicans, concentrated on social problems and foreign affairs; elected to the Académie Française (18 May 1899); wrote books on politics and literature; served as Vice President of the Chamber of Deputies (1896-1898) and two terms as President of the Chamber of Deputies (9 Jun 1898 - 31 May 1902; 23 May 1912 - 10 Feb 1920); was a candidate at the presidential elections of 1913, but lost to Raymond Poincaré; elected President of the Republic (17 Jan 1920); deteriorating health forced him to announce his forthcoming resignation after only seven months in office (17 Sep 1920); formal resignation was presented to the Sénat and Chamber of Deputies on 21 Sep 1920; elected to the Sénat (1921-1922) from Eure-et-Loir; chaired the Sénat committee for external affairs (1922). Biography source: [4]