Henri-François Gautrin

Happy birthday to physicist Henri-François Gautrin, who although born in Béthune, France, rose to become a prominent politician in Quebec, Canada. Gautrin went to Collège Stanislas before going to the Université de Montréal where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in sciences. He later obtained a master’s degree in sciences at McGill University before heading to the Université de Dijon in France in 1971 where he received a State doctor’s degree. He also studied economics and public finance in Paris. Since 1969 he has been a professor in the mathematics department at the Université de Montréal. Gautrin was also active in politics as the leader of the New Democratic Party of Quebec from 1973 to 1979 and was the president of the NO committee in the 1980 referendum on Quebec independence. Finally, in the 1989 election, he was elected to represent Verdun. During this Liberal administration he was briefly the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Education. When the Liberals returned to power in 2003, Gautrin was named the Parliamentary secretary to Premier Jean Charest from 2003 to 2005. In 2005, he was named the Online Government Minister and in 2006 the Minister of Governmental Services. After being re-elected in 2007, he was named the Assistant House Leader of the Government and parliamentary assistant to the Premier. He was re-elected in the 2008 Quebec general election. He stepped down representing Verdun in April last year.

Date in History: 30 July 1943