born Aug. 15, 1807, Mont-sous-Vaudrey, France
died Sept. 19, 1891, Mont-sous-Vaudrey
French politician who served as president (187987) in the Third Republic .
A lawyer, he was a leader of the liberal opposition in the legislature, then became president of the National Assembly (187173) and of the Chamber of Deputies (1876). In 1879 he was elected to the presidency and sought to minimize presidential powers, preferring a strong legislature. He resisted nationalist demands for revenge against Germany after the Franco-Prussian War and opposed colonial expansion. He was forced to resign in 1887 by scandals affecting his son-in-law, though he himself was not implicated.