Georges-Jean-Raymond Pompidou

The son of an educator, Georges Pompidou graduated from the Ecole Normale Supérieure. He taught in Marseilles and Paris (1935-1944) and fought during World War II. From 1944 to 1946 Pompidou served on the personal staff of General Charles de Gaulle. Then he held a number of minor state offices until de Gaulle returned to power in 1958. Pompidou served as his chief of staff (1958-1959) and later as Prime Minister of the Republic (1962-1968).

In the presidential election, which followed the resignation of de Gaulle (28 Apr 1969), Pompidou was elected on the second ballot. He successfully continued the policies of his patron. The presidency of Pompidou witnessed the improvement of relations with the Soviet Union. Pompidou supported the entrance of the United Kingdom into the European Economic Community. Enjoying a stable government headed first by Jacques Chaban-Delmas (1969-1972) and then by Pierre Messmer (1972-1974), Pompidou, who had a good connections with the business community, strengthened national economy. He unexpectedly died of Kahler (Waldenström) disease at his home in Paris. Biography source: [1]