Maurice Viollette
1870–1960 (age 90)
Biography
Maurice Viollette of Dreux carried the weight of public service for many decades, moving from municipal councils to the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate with a constant focus on social housing, public education, and the needs of rural communes. He believed that the Republic thrived when its citizens could access schools, hospitals, and dignified work.
He was equally known for steady mediation between parties, for visiting villages with the same earnestness as city halls, and for mentoring younger deputies in the art of reasoned debate; his friends recall the calm authority he brought to every discussion.