Gilbert Chinard

Gilbert Chinard (1881–1972) was a French-American historian, professor emeritus, who authored over 40 books.

Born on October 17, 1881, in Chatellerault, France, to Hilaire and Marie (Blanchard) Chinard, educated at the Universities of Poitiers[1] and Bordeaux, in 1908, he married Emma Blanchard, then moved to New York as a visiting instructor in French Literature, leading him in an American academic career, teaching positions at Brown University (1908–12), the University of California, Berkeley (1912-1919), Johns Hopkins University (1919–36), and Princeton University (1937-1950).[2]

Chinard was awarded Guggenheim Fellowship for French Literature.[3] He was promoted from Chevalier to Officier of the Légion d’Honneur in 1934.[4]

Among the many[5] books he authored, were, notably: “Thomas Jefferson, the Apostle of Americanism” (1929), “Hon, est John Adams” (1933) and “L'Apothdose de Benjamin Franklin”, published in Paris in 1955.[6] Famed as a Jefferson scholar.[7] He is noted as being sympathetic to Jefferson.[8]

During WWII, Chinard was active in Free France.[9] In May 1941, Chinard was "one of the seven most influential French men in America" who wrote President Roosevelt, to "congratulate him on his strong warning to the Vichy government."[1] In 1942, he presided over a France Forever meeting.[10] And in 1946, joined its ceremonial activities with Albert Simard.[11]

Chinard was a member of the American Philosophical Society, an honorary member of the American Association of Teachers of French.[12] and president of the Modern Language Association[6] (in 1956).

Chinard died on February 8, 1972, in Princeton, at the age of 90.

The Gilbert Chinard Prize is awarded each year by the Society for French Historical Studies - for a book published the preceding year by a North American press in one of the two following fields: the history of French-American relations; or the comparative history of France and North, Central, or South America.[2]