Arthur Dessoye

Arthur Charles Dessoye was a French journalist, writer, industrialist, and politician.

Biography

Journalism career

Born to a tax collector father, originally from Breuvannes-en-Bassigny, where his family owned a file manufacturing business established in 1827, Arthur Dessoye was one of the founders and editor-in-chief of La Dépêche de Brest et de l'Ouest from 19 November 1886 to 12 April 1897.

Editor of L'Électeur libre de Chaumont until 1884;
Editor-in-chief of L'Union Républicaine du Finistère, a tri-weekly four-page newspaper, from 1 April 1884 until 18 November 1886;
Editor-in-chief of La Dépêche de Brest et de l'Ouest from its creation in 1886 until 1897, succeeding L'Union Républicaine du Finistère.

He married Marie Eugènie Renard in Breuvannes-en-Bassigny on 2 August 1884. One of his witnesses was his friend Jean Macé.

Political career

Elected general councillor of the Canton of Bourmont from 1904 to 1919, also serving as mayor of Breuvannes
Elected deputy for Haute-Marne from 1906 to 1919;
President of the Ligue de l'enseignement from 1906 to 1919;
Minister of Public Instruction and Fine Arts from 9 June to 13 June 1914 in the fourth Government of Alexandre Ribot;
Advocate of electoral reform, he sponsored the law on list voting, enacted on 12 July 1919.

Honours

Knight of the Legion of Honour on 26 June 1896.