François Pierre Marie Justin Godart (26 November 1871 – 13 December 1956) was a French lawyer and politician who served as the

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

from 3 June 1932 to 18 December 1932.

Biography

Justin Godart was born into a working-class family in

Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...

on 26 November 1871. Godart was educated at the

Collège-lycée Ampère The Collège-lycée Ampère () is a school located in the 2nd arrondissement of Lyon. History The school was founded in 1519 by members of the Brotherhood of the Trinity. It was then known as Collège de la Trinité. Under this name it was directe ...

and gained a

Doctor of Law A Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) is a doctoral degree in legal studies. The abbreviation LL.D. stands for ''Legum Doctor'', with the double “L” in the abbreviation referring to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both canon law ...

there. In 1904, Godart was elected the sixth deputy mayor of Lyon as a member of the Radical Party. In 1906, Godart became a Deputy of the

French National Assembly The National Assembly (, ) is the lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral French Parliament under the French Fifth Republic, Fifth Republic, the upper house being the Senate (France), Senate (). The National Assembly's legislators are known ...

, representing Lyon. From 1915 to 1918, Godart served as the

Undersecretary of State Undersecretary (or under secretary) is a title for a person who works for and has a lower rank than a secretary (person in charge). It is used in the executive branch of government, with different meanings in different political systems, and is a ...

for War in charge of the armed forces medical service. When Édouard Herriot became

Prime Minister of France The prime minister of France (), officially the prime minister of the French Republic (''Premier ministre de la République française''), is the head of government of the French Republic and the leader of its Council of Ministers. The prime ...

in 1924, Godart was appointed as the Minister for Labour, Hygiene, Welfare Work, and Social Security Provisions. Godart's time in this position came to an end with Herriot's ouster the next year. In 1926, Godart became a Senator, representing the department of Rhone. In 1932, Godart became the Minister of Public Health, again under Herriot. However, Godart did not remain in this position for long, as Herriot again lost power that December. On 10 July 1940 Godart joined the

Vichy 80 The Eighty (''Les Quatre-Vingts'') were a group of elected France, French parliamentarians who, on 10 July 1940, voted against the French Constitutional Law of 1940, constitutional change that effectively dissolved the French Third Republic, Third ...

, a collection of French parliamentarians who unsuccessfully voted against a constitutional amendment dissolving the Third Republic and giving

Philippe Pétain Henri Philippe Bénoni Omer Joseph Pétain (; 24 April 1856 – 23 July 1951), better known as Marshal Pétain (, ), was a French marshal who commanded the French Army in World War I and later became the head of the Collaboration with Nazi Ger ...

the power to establish a new authoritarian state, now known as

Vichy France 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 Battle of France, ...

. During

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 ...

, Godart was involved in Resistance activities, editing an anti-Vichy newspaper. Upon Lyon's liberation by Allied forces in September 1944, he became the interim Mayor of Lyon. In 1945, Godart resigned from the Radical Party. After his political career, Godart continued to play an active role in campaigning for improved labour conditions, such as the

eight-hour day The eight-hour day movement (also known as the 40-hour week movement or the short-time movement) was a social movement to regulate the length of a working day, preventing excesses and abuses of working time. The modern movement originated i ...

. Until 1950, Godart represented France in the

International Labour Organization The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice by setting international labour standards. Founded in October 1919 under the League of Nations, it is one of the firs ...

. He died in Paris on 12 December 1956. In 2004, Israel conferred the

Righteous among the Nations Righteous Among the Nations ( ) is a title used by Yad Vashem to describe people who, for various reasons, made an effort to assist victims, mostly Jews, who were being persecuted and exterminated by Nazi Germany, Fascist Romania, Fascist Italy, ...

honorific An honorific is a title that conveys esteem, courtesy, or respect for position or rank when used in addressing or referring to a person. Sometimes, the term "honorific" is used in a more specific sense to refer to an Honorary title (academic), h ...

upon Godart for his services to Jews during

the Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

.Justin Godart
, Bilange, F. Retrieved 2010-07-22.

Bibliography

* ''La plaisante sagesse lyonnaise'' / Adages and moral reflections by Catherin Bugnard * ''Travailleurs et métiers lyonnais'', 1909 * ''Laurent Mourguet et Guignol'', 1912 * ''La révolution de 1830 à Lyon'', 1930 * ''Le jansénisme à Lyon'', 1934, library Félix Alcan * ''Les Voraces à Lyon en 1848'', 1948

References

External links

*

– his activity to save Jews' lives during the

Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

, at

Yad Vashem Yad Vashem (; ) is Israel's official memorial institution to the victims of Holocaust, the Holocaust known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (). It is dedicated to preserving the memory of the Jews who were murdered; echoing the stories of the ...

website {{DEFAULTSORT:Godart, Justin 1871 births 1956 deaths Politicians from Lyon Radical Party (France) politicians Government ministers of France Ministers of health of France Members of the 9th Chamber of Deputies of the French Third Republic Members of the 10th Chamber of Deputies of the French Third Republic Members of the 11th Chamber of Deputies of the French Third Republic Members of the 12th Chamber of Deputies of the French Third Republic Members of the 13th Chamber of Deputies of the French Third Republic Members of Parliament for Rhône French senators of the Third Republic Senators of Rhône (department) Members of the Provisional Consultative Assembly Mayors of Lyon 20th-century French lawyers The Vichy 80 French Resistance members French Righteous Among the Nations Knights of Malta Burials at the Cimetière parisien de Bagneux