Andre Morize
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Andre Morize (September 18, 1883 – October 3, 1957) was a professor of French literature at
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
from 1918 to 1951. He is well known for his involvement and activism 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 ...
and
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
.


Early life

Morize was born on September 18, 1883, at Le Fleix, France.''Harvard Alumni Bulletin'', December 12, 1918. In 1900, at the age of 16 he graduated with a Bachelier-ès-lettres from the
University of France The University of France (; originally the ''Imperial University of France'') was a highly centralized educational state organization founded by Napoleon I in 1806 and given authority not only over the individual (previously independent) universiti ...
, and won the ''Prix d’honneur'' in the ''Councours General of the Lycées''. He continued his studies at the University of France and earned Licencié-ès-lettres (1906) and Agrégé-des-lettres (1907).While at the University of Paris, he worked under
Joseph Bédier Joseph Bédier (28 January 1864 – 29 August 1938) was a French writer and historian of medieval France. Biography Bédier was born in Paris, France, to Adolphe Bédier, a lawyer of Breton origin, and spent his childhood in Réunion. He was a p ...
and
Gustave Lanson Gustave Lanson (; 5 August 1857 – 15 December 1934) was a French historian and literary critic. He taught at the Sorbonne and the École Normale Supérieure in Paris. A dominant figure in French literary criticism, he influenced several gen ...
, specializing in modern and eighteenth-century French literature and culture. After graduating, Morize was a professor of French literature at University of
Montauban Montauban (, ; ) is a commune in the southern French department of Tarn-et-Garonne. It is the capital of the department and lies north of Toulouse. Montauban is the most populated town in Tarn-et-Garonne, and the sixth most populated of Oc ...
from 1907 to 1910. He then worked at the
University of Bordeaux The University of Bordeaux (, ) is a public research university based in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. It has several campuses in the cities and towns of Bordeaux, Dax, Gradignan, Périgueux, Pessac, and Talence. There are al ...
for the next three years. Before joining the French Army at the outbreak of World War I in 1914, he was an associate professor of French literature at
Johns Hopkins University The Johns Hopkins University (often abbreviated as Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1876 based on the European research institution model, J ...
from 1913 to 1914.


Involvement in World War I

When
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 ...
began, Morize entered the
French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (, , ), is the principal Army, land warfare force of France, and the largest component of the French Armed Forces; it is responsible to the Government of France, alongside the French Navy, Fren ...
. He became a lieutenant (1917) and then a captain (1917/18). On August 2, 1914, Morize was mobilized. He was wounded twice while in the field. He served in the Mulhouse campaign (August 1913); in the battles of Vosges,
Arras Arras ( , ; ; historical ) is the prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department, which forms part of the region of Hauts-de-France; before the reorganization of 2014 it was in Nord-Pas-de-Calais. The historic centre of the Artois region, with a ...
, and Vermelles (December 1914); in the battles of Loos, Notre Dame de Lorette, Neuville-Saint-Vaast, Souchez (January–May 1916); at the Belgian Front (May 1916); in the
battle of the Somme The Battle of the Somme (; ), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and the French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place between 1 July and 18 Nove ...
(July 1916–January 1917); and at the Alsace front (April 1917), before he was sent to the United States as part of a military training program. During the final years of the war, the French Army sent Morize to
Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate education, undergraduate college of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Part of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Scienc ...
as a military liaison, where he worked with their university-wide war efforts in keeping undergraduates fit and ready in case they were drafted. In his position as lecturer on Military Science and Tactics, Morize trained students on
trench warfare Trench warfare is a type of land warfare using occupied lines largely comprising Trench#Military engineering, military trenches, in which combatants are well-protected from the enemy's small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from a ...
and machine gun combat at Fresh Pond in
Cambridge, MA Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is a suburb in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, located directly across the Charles River from Boston. The city's population as of the 2020 U.S. census was 118, ...
, and was involved in campus events about the war. Because of his service, Morize was decorated with the ''
Croix de Guerre The (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awarded during World ...
''.


Professor at Harvard

As Morize prepared to return to France at the end of World War I, Harvard president
A. Lawrence Lowell Abbott Lawrence Lowell (December 13, 1856 – January 6, 1943) was an American educator and legal scholar. He was president of Harvard University from 1909 to 1933. With an "aristocratic sense of mission and self-certainty," Lowell cut a large f ...
invited him to stay on as a professor of French literature and culture. He earned a Litt.D. from
Middlebury College Middlebury College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Middlebury, Vermont, United States. Founded in 1800 by Congregationalism in the United States, Congregationalists, Middlebury w ...
in 1925, where he also served as the director of the French summer school. While directing the summer school, he became a full professor in 1925, and eventually he became chair of the Department of History and Literature. He married professional musician and Boston socialite Ruth Muzzy Conniston on June 27, 1929. Their marriage ended in a well-documented divorce after Morize's retirement in 1952.


Involvement in World War II

On a vacation in France after directing the 1939 French summer school at Middlebury College, Morize found himself suddenly caught up in the second World War.André Morize, ''France Été 1940''; ''Harvard Crimson'', October 6, 1939. With no way of returning to the United States to begin his classes, Morize offered his help to the
French government The Government of France (, ), officially the Government of the French Republic (, ), exercises Executive (government), executive power in France. It is composed of the Prime Minister of France, prime minister, who is the head of government, ...
. He served in the French Ministry of Information until France was overrun by the
German army The German Army (, 'army') is the land component of the armed forces of Federal Republic of Germany, Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German together with the German Navy, ''Marine'' (G ...
and the
Vichy government Vichy France (; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was a French rump state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II, established as a result of the French capitulation after the defeat against ...
was installed. As a member of the French Bureau of North American Propaganda, Morize translated articles, periodicals, and speeches by French statesmen in order to keep the United States apprised of the war effort.''Harvard Crimson'', September 26, 1940. A day before the Germans reached Paris, Morize escaped with three trunks full of French government documents. He kept about a day ahead of the tide of the German army as he made his way to
Lisbon Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...
,
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
, to catch a
clipper A clipper was a type of mid-19th-century merchant sailing vessel, designed for speed. The term was also retrospectively applied to the Baltimore clipper, which originated in the late 18th century. Clippers were generally narrow for their len ...
back to the United States. He successfully escaped Europe and returned to Harvard on October 7, 1940. He returned to his professorial duties but remained active in the Harvard and local Boston community, advocating for relief measures for refugees.


Post-World War II

After World War II, Morize continued to advocate for France, French language, and French culture. He retired from Harvard in May 1951. After retiring from Harvard, Morize decided to return to France. In France, he obtained a divorce from his wife, Ruth, on March 12, 1952. However, his wife took him to court in
Suffolk County, Massachusetts Suffolk County ( ) is located in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 797,936, making it the fourth-most populous county in Massachusetts. The county comprises the cities of Boston ...
, seeking compensation because she claimed Morize had abandoned her by traveling to and deciding to stay in France after his retirement. The divorce became a local sensation due to Ruth's socialite status, Morize's local presence, and the legal precedence of whether a Suffolk County court could adjudicate a French divorce. In the end, Morize was ordered to pay Ruth $150 a month. Morize died on October 3, 1957.''Boston Traveler'', October 4, 1957.


Published works

*''L’Apologie du Luxe au XVIIIe Siécle'', 1 Vol. (1909) he Apology of Luxury in the 18th Century*''La Formation du Goût'' (1911) *''Le “Candide” de Voltaire'' (1912) *''Candide'' (1913) *''Correspondence Inédite de Montesquieu'', 2 vols. (1913) *''France Été 1940'' (1941)
complete transcription online
*''Devoirs d'aujourd'hui et Devoirs de demain. Collection: «Voix de France», Éditions de la Maison française, NY.'' (1942)


References


External links


Harvard University Archives, Andre Morize personal archive
{{DEFAULTSORT:Morize, Andre 1883 births 1957 deaths Harvard University faculty People from Dordogne Academic staff of the University of Bordeaux Johns Hopkins University faculty French military personnel of World War I Recipients of the Croix de Guerre (France) French Resistance members French emigrants to the United States Middlebury College alumni