Henri Alexandre Wallon, a French author, born in Valenciennes, Dec. 23, 1812. He studied at the normal school in Paris, and in 1840 was appointed a professor in the Sorbonne, teaching modern history and geography. His works De l'esclavage de la colonie (1847) and Histoire de l'esclaxage dans l'antiquite (3 vols., 1847-8) led to his appointment as secretary of Schoelcher's anti-slavery committee, and to his election in Guadeloupe to the constituent assembly, in which however he did not sit. In 1849 he became a member of the legislative assembly for Valenciennes, but withdrew in May, 1850, on account of the restriction of suffrage. He was elected to the new national assembly on Feb. 8, 1871. His amendment (February, 1875) was the first step toward the definitive establishment of the republic, of which he is familiarly called the father. In March, 1875, he became minister of education and of religion. Despite the opposition to his ultramontane views, he was elected by the assembly on Jan. 30,1876, to the new senate. In the same year he was appointed dean of the faculty of letters.

His works include Les saints Evangiles, after Bossuet (1855; new ed., 2 vols., 1863); Jeanne d'Arc (2 vols., 1860; new ed., 1876), which received the great Gobert prize; La me de Jesus et son nouvel historien (1864), refuting Renan; Richard II., épisode de la rivalite de la France et de l'Angleterre (2 vols., 1864); and La Terreur, etude critique sur l'histoire de la revolution frangaise (1872).