William Merlaud-Ponty
| Amédée William Merlaud-Ponty | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Governor General of French West Africa | |
| In office 1908 – 13 June 1915 |
|
| Preceded by | Ernest Roume |
| Succeeded by | François Joseph Clozel |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 4 February 1866 Rochefort, Charente-Maritime, France |
| Died | 13 June 1915 (aged 49) Dakar, Senegal |
| Nationality | French |
Amédée William Merlaud-Ponty was a French colonial administrator (b. 4 February 1866 in Rochefort, Charente-Maritime; d. 13 June 1915 in Dakar, Senegal). He was a Governor General of French West Africa (1908–1915) who particularly interested himself in the economic development and education of Africa.
During World War I, 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 Demba and the zouave Dupont.[1] The same monument honours the French conqueror of Senegal, Louis Faidherbe, as well as four Governors General, Noël Ballay, Joost van Vollenhoven, François Clozel and Ponty himself.[2]
Notes
- ^ Olivier Herviaux, "Coly & Sobanski, frères tirailleurs pour la vie" in Le Monde, 25 October 2007
- ^ René Vanlande, Dakar, Peyronnet, Paris, 1940, p. 189
See also
- (French) Colonial administrators in Senegal
- History of Senegal
- Education in Senegal
- William Ponty school
- (French) Dakar College of Science and Veterinary Medicine
- École nationale de médecine et pharmacie (Senegal)
- (French) Georges Hardy, Une conquête morale: l'enseignement en AOF, L'Harmattan, 2005, 275 p. (ISBN 2747592979)
