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Loubet, Émile

Émile-François Loubet

b. 30 Dec 1838, Marsanne, Drôme [1]
d. 20 Dec 1929, Montélimar, Drôme

Title: Président de la République française (President of the French Republic)
Term: 18 Feb 1899 - 18 Feb 1906
Chronology: 18 Feb 1899, elected, session of the Assemblée nationale (National Assembly), salle des séances de la Chambre des députés, Palais de Versailles, Versailles [2]
18 Feb 1899, assumed the functions of office, public ceremony, Palais de Versailles, Versailles [3]
18 Feb 1906, expiration of term
Biography:
The son of a peasant proprietor and mayor of Marsanne, Drôme; studied law in Paris; was admitted to the Parisian bar in 1862; returned to Montélimar to open law practice (1865); served as counselor general in Marsanne, Grignan and Montélimar; mayor of Montélimar (1870-1899); elected to Chambre des députés (Chamber of Deputies), where represented the Drôme département (1876-1885); elected (1880) president of the General Council of Drôme; elected to the Sénat (25 Jan 1885 - 24 Feb 1899); served as minister of public works (12 Dec 1887 - 3 Apr 1888), President of the Council of Ministers (27 Feb 1892 - 6 Dec 1892) and minister of the interior (27 Feb 1892 - 11 Jan 1893); resigned the office of President of the Council as a result of the Panama Scandal; served as President of the Sénat (16 Jan 1896 - 21 Feb 1899); following the sudden death of President Félix Faure (16 Feb 1899), was elected President of the Republic (18 Feb 1899); favoured settlement of the Dreyfus affair; approved separation of church and state in France (1905); visited foreign leaders, including Nikolaj II of Russia, Edward VII of Great Britain, and Vittorio Emanuele III of Italy; smoothed relations with England in April 1904 by signing the Anglo-French entente (Entente Cordiale), which settled their colonial differences.
Biographical sources: Dansette (1953)
Elections:

Candidate Vote (18 Feb 1899)
votes cast 824
blank/invalid 12
valid votes 812
absolute majority 407
Émile-François Loubet 483
Félix-Jules Méline 279
Jacques-Marie-Eugène-Godefroy Cavaignac 23
Paul-Eugène-Louis Deschanel 10
Charles-Alexandre Dupuy 8
Monteil 4
Rochefort 2
Baduel 1
Adrien-Albert-Marie, comte de Mun 1
Louis-Charles Tillaye 1
Source of electoral results: Débats parlementaires, Assemblée nationale (supplement to JORF, No. 49, 19 Feb 1899), pp. 1-3.

[1] An alternative date of birth, 31 Dec 1838, found in various sources is erroneous. Birth certificate and baptismal record of Loubet were published in an article on occasion of his election (Le Temps, No. 13774, 21 Feb 1899, p. 1). The documents confirm that Loubet was born about 17:00 30 Dec 1838 and was baptized 2 Jan 1839. Original birth record is preserved in the Archives of the Drôme département, 2 Mi 888/R1, image 103/666.
[2] Débats parlementaires, Assemblée nationale (supplement to JORF, No. 49, 19 Feb 1899), pp. 1-3.
[3] JORF, No. 49, 19 Feb 1899, pp. 1169-1170.
Image: heliograph by Dujardin, photograph by Eugène Pirou.