The Lycée Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague (Franklin), founded in 1894, is a highly selective

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

school A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compuls ...

in the 16th arrondissement of

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

. It is regarded as the most prestigious French private school and has been ranked #1

lycée In France, secondary education is in two stages: * ''Collèges'' () cater for the first four years of secondary education from the ages of 11 to 15. * ''Lycées'' () provide a three-year course of further secondary education for children between ...

in France in the ranking of the newspaper ''

Le Figaro ''Le Figaro'' () is a French daily morning newspaper founded in 1826. It is headquartered on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. The oldest national newspaper in France, ''Le Figaro'' is one of three French newspapers of reco ...

''.

History

The “Petit Externat du Trocadéro” was inaugurated on September 28, 1894. The last Jesuit school established in the capital, it is the only one remaining after the closing of the colleges on Madrid and Vaugirard streets. It has enlarged little by little through real estate transactions in the immediate neighbourhood. At its inception in 1895 enrollment was 75 in classes 5 through 10. By 1898 enrollment was 220 pupils. Enrollment dropped due to the laws of 1901 but remained open without authorization. By 1920 enrollment reached 885 pupils. In 1920 an alumni association was formed. Anticlerical laws led to lawsuit payments that in 1923 almost led to the sale of Franklin. On the initiative of its director, Fr. François Berlier de Vauplane, the Franklin Street campus was rebuilt between 1933 and 1935 by the architect Henry Violet. The vault contains a fresco representing the principal episodes in the life of St.

Aloysius Gonzaga Aloysius de Gonzaga ( it, Luigi Gonzaga; 9 March 156821 June 1591) was an Italian aristocrat who became a member of the Society of Jesus. While still a student at the Roman College, he died as a result of caring for the victims of a serious epid ...

, the work of Henri de Maistre, prominent French painter of religious art. This contributed to its registration as a historic building in 1993. There are three recreation spaces on the roofs of the buildings, and a table tennis room and gymnasium in basement. During the Second World War manpower fluctuated and classes were held in the cellars at Franklin or Cup streets. In 1942, an elementary school was opened on Louis-David street. By the end of the war in 1945, Franklin counted 1,100 students. Many new courses were added in 1950 and by 1956 the staff numbered about 100. In 1968, Miss de Follin was named director of the elementary school. In 1969, a layperson was named prefect of the college and the number of Jesuits decreased. By 1978 there were 9 Jesuits and 86 lay teachers. In 1980 Franklin began admitting girls. First Lady Designate of France,

Brigitte Macron Brigitte Marie-Claude Macron (; née Brigitte Trogneux , previously Auzière ; born 13 April 1953) is a French former educator. She is the wife and former teacher of Emmanuel Macron, who is the current President of France and Co-Prince of Andor ...

, until recently, taught as a high-school teacher.

Organization

The Jesuit school includes * an

elementary school A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ed ...

(''école primaire'') (3 to 10 years old) * a

middle school A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school. ...

(''collège'') with about 600 students (10 to 15 years old) * a

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

(''lycée'') with about 500 students (15 to 18 years old) * a classes préparatoires with about 160 students (18 to 20 years old) The elementary school is at 15, rue Louis David, while the middle school, high school, and preparatory classes are at 12, rue Benjamin Franklin. Both of these locations are in the

16th arrondissement of Paris The 16th arrondissement of Paris (''XVIe arrondissement'') is one of the 20 arrondissements of the capital city of France. In spoken French, this arrondissement is referred to as ''seizième''. The arrondissement includes part of the Arc de T ...

Academic results

Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague School is highly selective, for the academic elite, and always ranks among the top 3 high schools in France. In 2012, the school ranked second nationwide with 64% of students receiving "Mention Très Bien" ("Highest Honors") at the Baccalaureat, the

Lycée Henri-IV The Lycée Henri-IV is a public secondary school located in Paris. Along with the Lycée Louis-le-Grand, it is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious and demanding sixth-form colleges (''lycées'') in France. The school educates more than ...

being ranked first. In 2013, 76% of students received "Mention Très Bien" at the Baccalaureat, (compared to 59% at Lycée Henri-IV). In 2016, achieved record number of 92% of the students received the "Mention Très Bien", which placed Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague as the best school in France.

Alumni

Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague School has an impressive list of alumni including a number of French current and former Ministers, P.M., Senators, writers and Top French executives: ''Politics'' *

Bruno Le Maire Bruno Le Maire (; born 15 April 1969) is a French politician and former diplomat who has served as Minister of the Economy and Finance since 2017 under President Emmanuel Macron. A former member of The Republicans (LR), which he left in 2017 to ...

Michel Poniatowski Michel Poniatowski (16 May 1922 – 15 January 2002) was a French politician, member of a legitimized line of Poland's princely Poniatowski family. He was a founder of the Independent Republicans and a part of the administration for President ...

Luc Chatel Luc-Marie Chatel () (born on 15 August 1964 in Bethesda, Maryland, USA) is a French politician of the Republicans (LR) who served as Minister of National Education in the government of Prime Minister François Fillon from June 2009 to May 20 ...

* Louis de Guiringaud *

Jean-François Deniau Jean-François Deniau (31 October 1928 – 24 January 2007) was a French politician, diplomat, essayist and novelist. Until 1998, he was a member of the Union for French Democracy (UDF). Biography Minister and diplomat In 1958, he became th ...

* Xavier Deniau *

Henri Plagnol Henri Plagnol (born February 11, 1961 in Paris) is a French politician who has served on the National Assembly. He represented the Val-de-Marne department, from 1997 to 2002, and again from 2007 to 2012. Throughout his legislature tenure, Plagn ...

Georges Tron Georges Tron (born 1 August 1957 in Neuilly-sur-Seine) is a French politician. He served as Secretary of Public Affairs in the Cabinet of François Baroin but resigned after accusations of sexual assault were made against him. He was mayor of ...

* Xavier de La Chevalerie *

Seán MacBride Seán MacBride (26 January 1904 – 15 January 1988) was an Irish Clann na Poblachta politician who served as Minister for External Affairs from 1948 to 1951, Leader of Clann na Poblachta from 1946 to 1965 and Chief of Staff of the IRA from 193 ...

''Business'' *

Baudouin Prot Baudouin Prot (born 24 May 1951) is a French economist who was chairman of BNP Paribas' board of directors until December 2014. He is now a senior advisor at Boston Consulting Group and Partners Group. Early life Prot was born 24 May 1951. He gra ...

* Charles-Édouard Bouée * Bruno Lafont * Xavier Fontanet *

Jacques-Antoine Granjon Jacques-Antoine Granjon born in Marseille (France) on 9 August 1962 in Marseille, is a French entrepreneur and CEO of Veepee. Biography Education Jacques-Antoine Granjon graduated from the European Business School (EBS) and also studied at ...

François Villeroy de Galhau François Villeroy de Galhau (born 24 February 1959) is a French civil servant and banker serving as Governor of the Bank of France and ''ex officio'' President of the French Prudential Supervision and Resolution Authority since 2015. Early lif ...

Édouard Tétreau Édouard Tétreau (born 8 May 1970) is a French public intellectual known as an essayist, columnist, and political and economic consultant. He founded his advisory firm Mediafin in 2004, which he brought to Edelman in December 2022, to run their G ...

Sindika Dokolo Sindika Dokolo (16 March 1972 – 29 October 2020) was a Congolese businessman and art collector. Since 2002 he had been married to Isabel dos Santos, the eldest daughter of José Eduardo dos Santos, then President of Angola. As of January 2020, ...

''Writers and Artists'' *

Michel Galabru Michel Louis Edmond Galabru (27 October 19224 January 2016) was a French actor. Career Galabru appeared in more than 250 films and worked with directors such as Bertrand Blier, Costa-Gavras, Luc Besson (for '' Subway''), and Jean-Luc Godard. ...

* Antoine de Margerie *

François Sureau François Sureau (born 19 September 1957) is a French writer, lawyer and technocrat. He was born in the 14th arrondissement of Paris and educated at the École nationale d'administration (ENA). He is a co-founder and co-director of the French Rev ...

Aliette de Bodard Aliette de Bodard is a French-American speculative fiction writer. Writing de Bodard published her first short story in 2006. In 2007, she was a winner of Writers of the Future, and in 2009 was nominated for the John W. Campbell Award for Best ...

Bruno Latour Bruno Latour (; 22 June 1947 – 9 October 2022) was a French philosopher, anthropologist and sociologist.Wheeler, Will. ''Bruno Latour: Documenting Human and Nonhuman Associations'' Critical Theory for Library and Information Science. Libraries ...

''Religion'' * Guy Thomazeau * Charles Vandame ''Sports'' *

Yves du Manoir Yves Frantz Loys Marie Le Pelley du Manoir, known as Yves du Manoir (August 11, 1904 - January 2, 1928) was a French rugby player. Du Manoir was born at Vaucresson, into an aristocratic family; his father and mother were Viscount and Viscountes ...

* Henry Chavancy ''Military'' *

Honoré d'Estienne d'Orves Honoré is a name of French origin and may refer to several people or places: Given name Sovereigns of Monaco Lords of Monaco * Honoré I of Monaco Princes of Monaco * Honoré II of Monaco * Honoré III of Monaco * Honoré IV of Monaco * Honor� ...

Jacques Massu Jacques Émile Massu (; 5 May 1908 – 26 October 2002) was a French general who fought in World War II, the First Indochina War, the Algerian War and the Suez crisis. He led French troops in the Battle of Algiers, first supporting and later ...

''Journalists'' *

Léa Salamé Hala Salamé, known as Léa Salamé (born 27 October 1979), is a Lebanese-born French journalist. Early life Hala Salamé is the daughter of Ghassan Salamé, former Lebanese Minister of Culture and former special advisor to UN Secretary-General ...

The school alumni network is called the "Association des anciens élèves". and it counts more than 14.500 members.

Graduates' destinations

The majority of students choose to pursue their studies in classes préparatoires such as Lycée Sainte-Geneviève, Collège Stanislas, or

Lycée Janson-de-Sailly Lycée Janson de Sailly is a ''lycée'' located in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, France. The ''lycéens'' of Janson are called ''les jansoniens'' and they usually refer to their high school as Janson, or JdS. It is the biggest academic ins ...

. They then usually move on to top French Grande École such as

HEC Paris HEC Paris (french: École des hautes études commerciales de Paris) is a business school, and one of the most prestigious and selective grandes écoles, located in Jouy-en-Josas, France. HEC offers Master in Management, MSc International Fi ...

ESSEC The École Supérieure des Sciences Economiques et Commerciales (more commonly ESSEC Business School or ESSEC) is a major French business and management school, with non-profit association status (French association law of 1901) founded in 1907 ...

, ESCP (for business and management studies), or

École Polytechnique École may refer to: * an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée) * École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing in région Île-de-France * École, Savoi ...

CentraleSupélec CentraleSupélec (CS) is a top French graduate engineering school of Paris-Saclay University in Gif-sur-Yvette, France. It was established on 1 January 2015, as a result of a strategic merger between two prestigious grandes écoles in France ...

(for engineering and science studies). Franklin has also a high rate of admission to

Sciences Po Paris , motto_lang = fr , mottoeng = Roots of the Future , type = Public research university''Grande école'' , established = , founder = Émile Boutmy , accreditation ...

, where students follow public policy and social science studies. Students who wish to study law are usually admitted to the Panthéon-Assas University, or for a medical degree they are admitted to the

Université Paris Cité Paris Cité University (french: links=no, Université Paris Cité) is a public research university located in Paris, France. It was created by decree on 20 March 2019, resulting from the merger of Paris Descartes (Paris V) and Paris Diderot ...

, both considered the best in France in their field. A few students also go to top international universities in Switzerland ( EPFL), Italy (

Bocconi Bocconi University ( it, Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi, ) is a private university in Milan, Italy. Bocconi provides education in the fields of economics, finance, law, management, political science, public administration and computer sci ...

), or England (

Imperial College Imperial College London (legally Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom. Its history began with Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria, who developed his vision for a cu ...

, UCL,

KCL Potassium chloride (KCl, or potassium salt) is a metal halide Salt (chemistry), salt composed of potassium and chlorine. It is odorless and has a white or colorless vitreous lustre, vitreous crystal appearance. The solid dissolves readily in wa ...

LSE LSE may refer to: Computing * LSE (programming language), a computer programming language * LSE, Latent sector error, a media assessment measure related to the hard disk drive storage technology * Language-Sensitive Editor, a text editor used ...

References