Amédée William Merlaud-Ponty (4 February 1866 – 13 June 1915) was a French colonial administrator. He was a Governor General of

French West Africa French West Africa (, ) was a federation of eight French colonial empires#Second French colonial empire, French colonial territories in West Africa: Colonial Mauritania, Mauritania, French Senegal, Senegal, French Sudan (now Mali), French Guin ...

(1908–1915) who particularly interested himself in the economic development and education of Africa. During

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, Merlaud-Ponty was responsible for recruiting volunteers for African battlefields. At Dakar's railway station a 1923 monument dedicated "to the creators of French West Africa and the glory of the Black army" features Paul Ducuing's statues of the ''

tirailleur A tirailleur (), in the Napoleonic era, was a type of light infantry trained to skirmish ahead of the main columns. Later, the term "''tirailleur''" was used by the French Army as a designation for indigenous infantry recruited in the French c ...

'' Demba and the ''

zouave The Zouaves () were a class of light infantry regiments of the French Army and other units modelled on it, which served between 1830 and 1962, and served in French North Africa. The zouaves were among the most decorated units of the French Army ...

'' Dupont. The same monument honours the French conqueror of Senegal,

Louis Faidherbe Louis Léon César Faidherbe (; 3 June 1818 – 29 September 1889) was a French general and colonial administrator. He created the Senegalese Tirailleurs when he was governor of Senegal. Early life Faidherbe was born into a lower-middle-cla ...

, as well as four Governors-General,

Noël Ballay Noël Eugène Ballay (14 July 1847 – 26 January 1902) was a French auxiliary doctor of the French navy, and a poet. He was an explorer and colonial administrator, the second Governor-General of French West Africa. Early years Noël Ballay was b ...

Joost van Vollenhoven Joost van Vollenhoven (21 July 1877, Rotterdam – 20 July 1918, Parcy-et-Tigny, Aisne) was a Dutch-born French soldier and colonial administrator. Van Vollenhoven died in the Second Battle of the Marne. Early life Joost van Vollenhoven was Dut ...

, François Clozel and Ponty himself.René Vanlande, ''Dakar'', Peyronnet, Paris, 1940, p. 189

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Merlaud-Ponty, William 1866 births 1915 deaths People from Rochefort, Charente-Maritime Governors of French West Africa

See also

Notes