Antoine-Elisabeth Dareste de la Chavanne

Historian and professor, b. in Paris, 25 October, 1820; d. at Lucenay-lès-Aix, 6 August, 1882. Having completed his studies in the Ecole Normale and taken his degree of Doctor of Literature, he taught history at the lyceums of Versailles and Rennes and at the College Stanislas, the largest Catholic school in Paris. In 1847 he was given a professorship at the University of Grenoble, and two years after was appointed to the chair of history at the University of Lyons. This latter position he retained for twenty years, being elected dean of the faculty of literature in 1865. While discharging with the greatest zeal and ability the duties of his position, he wrote a number of works, several of which received an award from the French Academy. Among them are “Eloge de Turgot” (Paris, 1847); “Histoire de ladministration en France depuis Philippe-Auguste” (Paris 1848, 2 vols. in 8 vo); Histoire des classes agricoles en France depuis saint Louis jusqu à Louis XVI (Paris, 1853); “Histoire de France depuis ses origines jusqu à nos jours” (Paris, 1865-1873, 8 vols.; 2nd ed., 1879, 9 vols.) All his writings are clear, accurate and complete without being diffuse. Although somewhat imbued with Gallican ideas, he invariable does justice to the Roman Church and the popes. In 1873 he was appointed rector of the academy at Lyons, but was placed on the unattached list in 1878, because of his devotion to Catholic interests, and the active part he took in the establishment of the Catholic University of Lyons.