Louis Nicolle (16 June 1871 – 23 July 1942) was a French linen manufacturer and politician who was a deputy from 1924 to 1936, and was Minister of Health in 1936.

Life

Louis Nicolle was born on 16 June 1871 in

Lille Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France region, the prefecture of the N ...

, Nord. Nicolle's father was a former naval officer. His mother came from an established family of Lille industrialists. Nicolle attended the '' lycée'' in Lille, undertook his year of military service, then entered the business of manufacturing linen from flax. He became honorary chairman of the French Flax Committee, president of the Industrial Society of the Nord and French president of the International Federation of Flax Spinners. He was elected mayor of

Lomme Lomme (; nl, Olm) was a commune in the Nord ''département'' of northern France. It was absorbed as a '' commune associée'' by the city of Lille Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in ...

. In 1911 Nicolle bought the Vandenbosh flax mill in

Wambrechies Wambrechies (; vls, Wemmersijs; pcd, Vamberchi) is a commune in the Nord department, in the region Hauts-de-France, in northern France. It is part of the European Metropolis of Lille. It has a population of around 10,600 (2019). Geography Wa ...

. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

(1914–18) the Germans occupied the town, removed the machinery and dismantled the facilities. After the war Nicolle used compensation for wartime damage to build a modern new factory. The architect André Granet, nephew of

Gustave Eiffel Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (born Bonickhausen dit Eiffel; ; ; 15 December 1832 – 27 December 1923) was a French civil engineer. A graduate of École Centrale des Arts et Manufactures, he made his name with various bridges for the French railway ...

, undertook the project in 1923–25 using reinforced concrete. The building was a pioneering example of the new construction approach. In 1924 Nicolle was elected deputy on the Democratic Republican Entente list, and was reelected until he retired from political life in 1936. He was

Minister of Health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services. Some governments have separate ministers for mental health. Coun ...

from 24 January 1936 to 4 June 1936 in the cabinet of

Albert Sarraut Albert-Pierre Sarraut (; 28 July 1872 – 26 November 1962) was a French Radical politician, twice Prime Minister during the Third Republic. Biography Sarraut was born on 28 July 1872 in Bordeaux, Gironde, France. On 14 March 1907 Sarraut ...

. Louis Nicolle died in Paris in the 8th arrondissement on 23 July 1942 at the age of 71.

Publications

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Notes

Sources

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Nicolle, Louis 1871 births 1942 deaths Politicians from Lille Politicians from Hauts-de-France Republican Federation politicians French Ministers of Health Members of the 13th Chamber of Deputies of the French Third Republic Members of the 14th Chamber of Deputies of the French Third Republic Members of the 15th Chamber of Deputies of the French Third Republic