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Gaston Monnerville
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Gaston Monnerville
Gaston Monnerville (2 January 1897 – 7 November 1991) was a French Radical politician and lawyer who served as the first President of the Senate under the Fifth Republic from 1958 to 1968. He previously served as President of the Council of the Republic from 1947 to 1958. A member of the French Resistance in World War II, he is the first black person to preside over a national parliamentary body in French history.
The grandson of a slave on his mother's side, Monnerville grew up in French Guiana and went to Toulouse School of Law to complete his undergraduate and doctoral studies on restitution and unjust enrichment. A brilliant student, he became a lawyer in 1918 and worked with César Campinchi, a lawyer who later became an influential politician.
After joining the Radical Party, Monnerville was elected a member of the Chamber of Deputies for French Guiana in 1932. He was reelected in 1936. He was Undersecretary of State for Colonies in the government of Prime Minister Camille Chautemps of 1937–1938.
During the first part of World War II, he served in the French Navy, on the battleship Provence. He was not demobilized until 17 July 1940, well after the French defeat by Nazi Germany, and therefore did not get to vote on the grant of dictatorial powers to Marshal Pétain. He protested against the armistice signed by Pétain, and complained about the treatment of French colonial subjects by Petain's Vichy government. In late 1940, he joined Combat, one of the major groups in the resistance. As a lawyer in Marseille, in unoccupied France, he defended persons arrested or persecuted by the Vichy government for their opinions or racial origin. For this he was repeatedly threatened or arrested by the Vichy police.
When Germany occupied the rest of France in 1942, he went underground and joined the Maquis of Auvergne, as "Commandant St-Just". He and his wife Cheylade established a military hospital in June 1944.
That fall he was demobilized, before was appointed by the Radical Party to sit in the Provisional Consultative Assembly of the restored government.
In 1945, he was appointed chairman of a commission to determine the future status of the French colonies. In October 1945, he was elected Delegate from French Guiana to the First Constituent Assembly of the Fourth Republic, and to the Second Constituent Assembly in April 1946. Also in 1946, he was a French delegate to the first session of the United Nations. He was defeated for election to the Third Constituent Assembly in November 1946, in part because some Guianese objected to his efforts to close the prison colony of Devil's Island.
Instead he was named to the Council of the Republic of France (the Senate), which was being reconstituted by appointments. He was immediately elected President of this Council, and became one of the most active members of the Senate. In March 1947, he was chosen President of the Council, by a vote of 141 to 131 over the Communist candidate.
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Gaston Monnerville
Gaston Monnerville (2 January 1897 – 7 November 1991) was a French Radical politician and lawyer who served as the first President of the Senate under the Fifth Republic from 1958 to 1968. He previously served as President of the Council of the Republic from 1947 to 1958. A member of the French Resistance in World War II, he is the first black person to preside over a national parliamentary body in French history.
The grandson of a slave on his mother's side, Monnerville grew up in French Guiana and went to Toulouse School of Law to complete his undergraduate and doctoral studies on restitution and unjust enrichment. A brilliant student, he became a lawyer in 1918 and worked with César Campinchi, a lawyer who later became an influential politician.
After joining the Radical Party, Monnerville was elected a member of the Chamber of Deputies for French Guiana in 1932. He was reelected in 1936. He was Undersecretary of State for Colonies in the government of Prime Minister Camille Chautemps of 1937–1938.
During the first part of World War II, he served in the French Navy, on the battleship Provence. He was not demobilized until 17 July 1940, well after the French defeat by Nazi Germany, and therefore did not get to vote on the grant of dictatorial powers to Marshal Pétain. He protested against the armistice signed by Pétain, and complained about the treatment of French colonial subjects by Petain's Vichy government. In late 1940, he joined Combat, one of the major groups in the resistance. As a lawyer in Marseille, in unoccupied France, he defended persons arrested or persecuted by the Vichy government for their opinions or racial origin. For this he was repeatedly threatened or arrested by the Vichy police.
When Germany occupied the rest of France in 1942, he went underground and joined the Maquis of Auvergne, as "Commandant St-Just". He and his wife Cheylade established a military hospital in June 1944.
That fall he was demobilized, before was appointed by the Radical Party to sit in the Provisional Consultative Assembly of the restored government.
In 1945, he was appointed chairman of a commission to determine the future status of the French colonies. In October 1945, he was elected Delegate from French Guiana to the First Constituent Assembly of the Fourth Republic, and to the Second Constituent Assembly in April 1946. Also in 1946, he was a French delegate to the first session of the United Nations. He was defeated for election to the Third Constituent Assembly in November 1946, in part because some Guianese objected to his efforts to close the prison colony of Devil's Island.
Instead he was named to the Council of the Republic of France (the Senate), which was being reconstituted by appointments. He was immediately elected President of this Council, and became one of the most active members of the Senate. In March 1947, he was chosen President of the Council, by a vote of 141 to 131 over the Communist candidate.
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