Raymond Cayol

Raymond, Louis, Jean Cayol was born on January 29, 1917 in Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France.[1] His family was from Marseille.[1] He graduated from Aix-Marseille University in Aix-en-Provence and from the University of Paris in Paris, and received the agrégation in Classics.[1]

During World War II, he was active in the French Resistance.[1] In 1941, he joined Témoignage chrétien in Toulon. From 1942 to 1944, he served as a coordinator between members of the French Resistance, public administrators and members of the Popular Republican Movement, and helped in the liberation of France from Nazi Germany.[1][2] He also served as Head of the Marseille region for the Jeunes chrétiens combattants, a Roman Catholic group of resistants.[1] In 1944, he went on to join the Popular Republican Movement, a Christian, centrist political party founded in Marseille.[3] He was a recipient of the Croix de guerre 1939–1945 and the Knighthood in the Legion of Honour for his role in the French resistance.[1]

In 1945, he started teaching in a high school in Toulon.[1] The same year, he ran unsuccessfully for the National Assembly.[1] However, he was elected a year later, in 1946.[1] He proposed bills regarding national education and other social policies.[1] For example, he supported the advent of housing allowances, and the increase of bursaries for students.[1] He also proposed a bill to speed up the naturalization of Armenians who fought for the French Republic during World War II.[1] The same year, he expressed his enthusiasm for French democracy as an agreement between legislators and labour unions.[1] He was re-elected in 1946, and focused again on national education, as well as maritime trade and the fishing industry.[1] He voted for Léon Blum (1872–1950) as temporary President in 1946 and supported the government of Paul Ramadier (1888–1961) in 1947.[1]

On November 14, 1947, he requested investigation into the murder of a Communist activist and the aggression of the Mayor of Marseille, Jean Cristofol (1901–1957), during a strike organized by the French Communist Party and the CGT the day before to protest the increased tram fare.[1] He argued, "Only a stable and strong state can assure the respect of the law, relieve the people of their misery and thus, save the Republic."[1] He called for the dissolution of the Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité (CRS), an increased police force and functionaries, more funding for the Préfecture des Bouches-du-Rhône, and the ability for workers who want to get back to work to do it freely.[1]

In 1948, he focused on maritime trade with Corsica.[1] In 1951, he worked on legislations regarding the possibility to pay university students.[1] However, his policies came to an end when he lost his reelection bid in 1951.[1] That year, he served as an Advisor to the Minister of Public Education, and in 1952 as Advisor to the Minister of Overseas Territories.[1] From 1952 onwards, he taught in a high school in Marseille.[1] He was later appointed Knight in the Ordre des Palmes Académiques.[1]

He died on June 9, 1997 in Marseille.[1]

• The Rue Raymond Cayol in Mazargues, a neighbourhood of the 9th arrondissement in Marseille, is named in his honour.[4]