Raymond Patenôtre
Who was Raymond Patenôtre?
French politician (1900-1951)
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Raymond Patenôtre (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Raymond Patenôtre was born on July 31, 1900, in Atlantic City, New Jersey. He was the son of Jules Patenotre des Noyers, the French ambassador to the United States. Although born in the U.S., Patenôtre grew up with a strong connection to French diplomatic traditions and made a name for himself in French media and politics during the interwar years. He inherited a large fortune from his Philadelphia-born mother, whose father, Colonel James Elverson, owned the Philadelphia Inquirer. Patenôtre sold the newspaper on his mother's behalf to dodge taxes, a move that eventually led to legal issues.
In France, Patenôtre built a substantial media empire by acquiring several regional newspapers, including La Sarthe, L'Écho républicain de l'Ouest, Le Régional de l'Ouest, Le Petit Var, and Petit Niçois. Through these publications, he had significant sway over public opinion and supported Pierre Laval's early political career. Laval later became the French Prime Minister under the Vichy regime and was executed for treason. From 1928 to 1936, Patenôtre was a member of the Chamber of Deputies for Seine-et-Oise and gained some political influence within the Third Republic.
In August 1933, Patenôtre co-founded the French Committee for the Defense of Jewish Rights in Central and Eastern Europe, aiming to fight against antisemitic propaganda and laws. However, his actions during World War II contradicted this earlier effort. His newspapers in Lyon and Nice backed the Vichy government and supported a new European order under German control, aligning with Nazi policies.
After France was liberated, Patenôtre was arrested on December 13, 1944, in Lyon during a broader effort to purge wartime collaborators. The editor of his Riviera newspaper, Petit Niçois, Albert Lejeune, was executed for collaboration but tried to save himself by claiming he had evidence against Patenôtre. Despite his arrest, Patenôtre returned to politics and won a cantonal election in Rambouillet in October 1945, earning a seat in the General Council.
In July 1948, Patenôtre and his mother faced indictment by a Federal Grand Jury in the U.S. for tax evasion related to the sale of the Philadelphia Inquirer. His mother was accused of falsely presenting the transfer of her majority share in the deal. These legal troubles overshadowed his later years. Patenôtre died in Paris on June 19, 1951. He was married to Jacqueline Thome-Patenôtre, who also had a notable political career in France.
Before Fame
Raymond Patenôtre grew up with the advantages of French diplomatic prestige and substantial American inherited wealth. His father was the French ambassador to the United States, putting the family at the meeting point of two major nations during the late 1800s and early 1900s. This setting provided Patenôtre with connections and resources that few of his peers could match. His mother's family, the Elversons from Philadelphia, made their wealth through newspaper publishing, giving Patenôtre an early glimpse of the press's role as a political tool.
By the time Patenôtre got involved in French politics in the 1920s, the Third Republic was dealing with the challenging aftermath of World War I, economic instability, and increasing political extremism in Europe. He acquired regional newspapers during this unstable interwar period and joined the Chamber of Deputies in 1928, placing himself among the centrist politicians who would struggle to find effective solutions to the crises that followed.
Key Achievements
- Served as a member of the French Chamber of Deputies representing Seine-et-Oise from 1928 to 1936
- Built a regional French media empire encompassing multiple newspapers including La Sarthe, Le Petit Var, and Petit Niçois
- Co-founded the French Committee for the Defense of Jewish Rights in Central and Eastern Europe in August 1933
- Won a cantonal election in Rambouillet in October 1945, securing a seat on the departmental General Council
- Played a significant role in promoting the early political career of Pierre Laval through his newspaper network
Did You Know?
- 01.Patenôtre sold the Philadelphia Inquirer on behalf of his mother as part of a tax avoidance scheme, which eventually led to a Federal Grand Jury indictment in 1948.
- 02.His editor at Petit Niçois, Albert Lejeune, claimed to have incriminating evidence against Patenôtre as a last-ditch effort to avoid execution for collaboration.
- 03.Patenôtre co-founded a committee in 1933 to defend Jewish rights in Central and Eastern Europe, yet his own newspapers later supported the antisemitic Vichy regime.
- 04.His father, Jules Patenotre des Noyers, served as French ambassador to the United States, making Patenôtre an American citizen by birth despite his French political career.
- 05.Despite being arrested for wartime collaboration in 1944, Patenôtre successfully won a cantonal election in Rambouillet just eleven months later in October 1945.