Jacques Julliard

Jacques Julliard (4 March 1933 – 8 September 2023) was a French historian, columnist and essayist, and a union leader. He was the author of numerous books.

Early years
Jacques Julliard was born on 4 March 1933 in Brénod, Ain. His father and grandfather had both been mayors of the village where he was born.

Julliard prepared (khâgne) for entrance to an École normale supérieure at the Lycée du Parc in Lyon, where he was influenced by two teachers close to Emmanuel Mounier. He was admitted to the École normale supérieure in 1954 to study German, but changed over to History. Julliard passed his agrégation (teaching qualification) and after military service in Algeria became a secondary school teacher.

Union leader
Julliard was vice president of National Union of Students of France (UNEF: Union Nationale des Étudiants de France) from 1955 to 1956. From 1962 to 1970, and again from 1972 to 1977 he was a member of the national office of the General Union of National Education (SGEN: Syndicat général de l'Éducation nationale) of the French Confederation of Christian Workers (CFTC: Confédération française des travailleurs chrétiens). From 1973 to 1976 he was a member of the confederate office of the French Democratic Confederation of Labour (CFDT: Confédération française démocratique du travail).

Teacher
While active in the unions, and later as a columnist, Julliard followed a career as an academic specialising in political and social issues. He began a thesis on the trade unionist Fernand Pelloutier while contributing to the magazine Esprit. He was appointed a professor of history at the Bordeaux campus of Sciences Po in 1965. He taught at the Centre de formation des journalistes. With Jacques Ozouf he co-founded the History department at the University of Vincennes. In 1978 he was elected director of studies at the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (École des hautes études en sciences sociales).

Columnist
Pierre Andreu was a friend of Jacques Julliard and Pierre Vidal-Naquet, with whom he directed the Cahiers Georges Sorel.

In 1970 Julliard was introduced to Jean Daniel by André Gorz. Daniel offered him a position on the Nouvel Observateur, where he would remain until 2010. He was Director of Collection at the éditions du Seuil. In November 2010 Julliard left the Nouvel Observateur to become a columnist with the weekly Marianne, run by Maurice Szafran.

Death
Jacques Julliard died on 8 September 2023, at the age of 90.

Publications
Publications by Jacques Julliard include: