Wallon, Henri-Alexandre

(1812-1904)

   historian, political figure

   Born in Valenciennes, Henri-Alexandre Wallon was professor of history at the sorbonne, where he succeeded François guizot. He served as a deputy in the Legislative Assembly (1849-50) and sat with the center-right in the National Assembly (1871), where, at first supportive of adolphe Thiers, he voted against him on May 24, 1873. The amendment that bears his name (January 1875) stipulated that the president of the republic would be elected by an absolute majority of votes in the Senate and Chamber of Deputies sitting together in the National Assembly for a term of seven years, and that there can be reelection. This amendment, which was unanimously approved, thus confirmed the republican regime, and is considered the official "baptism" of the third republic. For this, Wallon would be called "father of the Republic." As minister of education and of cults (1875-76), he put through the law on the freedom of higher education (1875). Wallon's principal, writings include L'Esclavage dans les colonies, 1847; La Terreur, 1873; Du Monothéisme chez les races sémitiques, 1875; Saint Louis et son temps, 1875, Histoire du Tribunal révolutionnaire de Paris, 1880-82.