Francisque Gay
| Francisque Gay | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
2 May 1885 Roanne, Loire, France |
| Died | 22 October 1963 (aged 78) Paris, France |
| Nationality | French |
| Occupation | Editor |
| Known for | Ambassador to Canada |
Francisque Gay (2 May 1885 – 22 October 1963) was a French editor, politician and diplomat. He was committed to the Catholic Church and to Christian democracy. He ran the Bloud et Gay publishing house for many years, and edited the influential journals La Vie Catholique (Catholic Life) and l'Aube (The Dawn). He helped publish clandestine journals during the German occupation of France in World War II (1939–45). After the war he was a deputy from 1945 to 1951, and participated in three cabinets in 1945–46.
Francisque Gay was born on 2 May 1885 in Roanne, Loire, son of a plumbing contractor. He was educated by the Marists of Charlieu, then by the Lazarists of Lyon. In 1903, when he was aged 18, Gay helped at the national congress of the Cercles d'études (Study Circles) in Lyon. There he was impressed by the views of Marc Sangnier, founder of Le Sillon (The Furrow). He went to Paris to visit Sangnier at his home on the boulevard Raspail and to offer his help with Le Sillon. He was deeply influenced by Sangnier's views on Social Catholicism, and founded a branch of Le Sillon in Roanne. He contributed to Le Sillon's journal, Démocratie.
Gay became more deeply involved in Catholicism, and in 1905 entered the Major Seminary of Francheville. He left when the seminary closed in December 1906 and moved to Paris, where he studied at the Sorbonne faculty of letters. He then moved to Montpellier where he was accepted as an English teacher by a religious college.
In 1909 Gay abandoned teaching and obtained a job with Bloud & Cie, a publisher. He had met one of the owners, Edmond Bloud, through Le Sillon. Henri Bloud, Edmond's brother and co-owner of the publishing house, retired on 29 April 1911. He sold part of his share to Edmond Bloud, who now owned 60% of the enterprise, and part to Francisque Gay, who now owned 40%. The company name was changed to "Bloud et Gay". On 20 May 1911 Gay married Blanche Marie Fromillon. They would have six children. On 30 December 1922 Bloud & Gay became a société anonyme, a publicly held company. Edmond Bloud was active in politics, and from 1924 reduced his involvement in the company to one day per week.
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