Jean Guiraud

Jean-Baptiste Guiraud (24 June 1866 – 11 December 1953) was a French historian and journalist. For many years he was co-editor of the Catholic journal La Croix.

He was a prolific author and wrote many books on historical and other subjects.

Early years

Jean Guiraud was born in Quillan, Aude, on 24 June 1866, son of a teacher.

His elder brother, Paul, became actively anti-clerical.

Jean chose to support the Catholic church throughout his life.

He studied at the École normale supérieure.

He obtained his agrégation in History and Geography in 1888, then spent three years in the French School in Rome, where he helped edit the Papal records of the 13th century.

In 1892 he was appointed professor of history at the lycée in Sens, Yonne.

In 1895 he married Marguerite Petit de Julleville, who would give him ten children.

In 1898 he was appointed professor at the University of Besançon, taking the chair of History and Geography of Antiquity and the Middle Ages.

Journalism and politics

In parallel to his teaching career Guiraud undertook historical research, and promoted free education.

In 1903 he helped found the daily newspaper L’Éclair comtois.

In 1905 he became chairman of the Doubs committee of Popular Liberal Action.

From 1908 he was editor in chief of the Revue des questions historiques.

In 1909 he founded his own newsletter, Dieu, patrie, Liberté (God, Fatherland, Liberty).

After two failures to be elected, Guiraud withdrew from politics and became chair of the Association of Family Heads of the departments of Doubs, Haute-Saône and Territoire de Belfort.