William Merlaud-Ponty - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Amédée William Merlaud-Ponty was a French colonial administrator (b. 4 February 1866 in Rochefort, Charente-Maritime

Rochefort, Charente-Maritime

Rochefort is a commune in southwestern France, a port on the Charente estuary. It is a sub-prefecture of the Charente-Maritime department.-History:...

; d. 13 June 1915 in Dakar

Dakar

Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...

, Senegal

Senegal

Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...

). He was a Governor General of French West Africa

French West Africa

French West Africa was a federation of eight French colonial territories in Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan , French Guinea , Côte d'Ivoire , Upper Volta , Dahomey and Niger...

(1908–1915) who particularly interested himself in the economic development and education of Africa.

During World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

, Merlaud-Ponty was responsible for recruiting volunteers for African battlefields.

At Dakar's railway station a 1923 monument dedicated "to the creators of French West Africa and the glory of the Black army" features Paul Ducuing's statues of the tirailleur
Tirailleur
Tirailleur literally means a shooting skirmisher in French from tir—shot. The term dates back to the Napoleonic period where it was used to designate light infantry trained to skirmish ahead of the main columns...

Demba and the zouave
Zouave
Zouave was the title given to certain light infantry regiments in the French Army, normally serving in French North Africa between 1831 and 1962. The name was also adopted during the 19th century by units in other armies, especially volunteer regiments raised for service in the American Civil War...

Dupont. The same monument honours the French conqueror of Senegal, Louis Faidherbe

Louis Faidherbe

Louis Léon César Faidherbe was a French general and colonial administrator. He created the Senegalese Tirailleurs when he was governor of Senegal.- Background :...

, as well as four Governors General, Noël Ballay, Joost van Vollenhoven

Joost van Vollenhoven

Joost van Vollenhoven was a Dutch-born French soldier and colonial administrator. Van Vollenhoven died in the Second Battle of the Marne.-Early life:...

, François Clozel and Ponty himself.

See also