Wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, Brigitte Macron was, interestingly, her husband’s literature and theater teacher at Lycée la Providence. She was the chief strategist during Macron’s 2016-2017 election. Twenty-four years Macron’s senior, Brigitte, was to be the official “First Lady” of France, until a signature campaign thwarted such plans.
Pierre de Coubertin was a French historian and educator. Credited with founding the International Olympic Committee, Coubertin is often referred to as the father of the modern Olympic Games. Also an important contributor to the sport of rugby union, Coubertin was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2007.
![Charles-Michel de l'Épée Charles-Michel de l'Épée](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/charles-michel-de-lpe-1.jpg)
Eighteenth-century philanthropic educator Charles-Michel de l'Épée is regarded as the Father of the Deaf for pioneering the education of the deaf and dumb. He laid down the Signed French system, which enabled the deaf to participate in legal proceedings. His French Sign Language laid the path to the American Sign Language.
Best known for his masterpiece The Sorcerer's Apprentice, French composer Paul Dukas was admired by both conservative and progressive French musicians. Born to a pianist mother, Dukas had begun composing while recovering from an ailment at age 14. Shortly before his death, he destroyed most of his manuscripts.
![Pope Silvester II Pope Silvester II](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/pope-silvester-ii-1.jpg)
![Lucie Aubrac Lucie Aubrac](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/lucie-aubrac-1.jpg)
Lucie Samuel was a French history-teacher and member of French Resistance during Second World War. She obtained an agrégation of history, an uncommon feat for a woman of her time. Her husband Raymond Aubrac, a leader of French Resistance, was given death-sentence. Lucie helped in organising his escape from prison. The couple later joined Charles de Gaulle’s government in exile.
![Robert Faurisson Robert Faurisson](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/robert-faurisson-17571-1.jpg)
British-born Robert Faurisson was interested in classical languages since his early days and had taught French literature at the University of Lyon. He later gained notoriety as a chief Holocaust denier. He also raised questions on the authenticity of Holocaust victim Anne Frank’s memoir and was later banned from teaching.
![Jacques Lecoq Jacques Lecoq](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/jacques-lecoq-19246-1.jpg)
![Rose Philippine Duchesne Rose Philippine Duchesne](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/rose-philippine-duchesne-1.jpg)
![Guy Gilbert Guy Gilbert](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/guy-gilbert-1.jpg)
French Roman Catholic priest Guy Gilbert was trained in Algeria and later began his spiritual career working with juvenile delinquents in France. He has mentored Belgian prince Laurent and has also worked for Radio Notre-Dame and La Croix. The Légion d’Honneur winner has also penned several books.
![Verónika Mendoza Verónika Mendoza](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/vernika-mendoza-1.jpg)
Verónika Mendoza is a Peruvian-French politician, educator, and psychologist. She is currently serving as the president of a left-wing political party called New Peru, which she founded in 2017. Verónika Mendoza is also known for her association with the Universidad Nacional del Altiplano de Puno, where she worked as a professor before commencing her political career.
![Frédéric Ozanam Frédéric Ozanam](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/frdric-ozanam-57130-1.jpg)
Frédéric Ozanam was a French lawyer, literary scholar, equal rights advocate, and journalist. He is credited with co-founding the Conference of Charity, which came to be known as the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul. in 1997, Frédéric Ozanam was beatified at Notre Dame de Paris by Pope John Paul II and his feast day is observed on 9 September.
![Thomas Couture Thomas Couture](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/thomas-couture-1.jpg)
![Fromental Halévy Fromental Halévy](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/fromental-halvy-1.jpg)
![Marie Souvestre Marie Souvestre](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/marie-souvestre-1.jpg)
![Charles Koechlin Charles Koechlin](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/charles-koechlin-57070-1.jpg)
![Ambroise Thomas Ambroise Thomas](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/ambroise-thomas-1.jpg)
![Stanley Hoffmann Stanley Hoffmann](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/stanley-hoffmann-1.jpg)
![Anton Reicha Anton Reicha](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/anton-reicha-1.jpg)
![Edward Frederick Sorin Edward Frederick Sorin](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/edward-frederick-sorin-1.jpg)
![Jean Dieudonné Jean Dieudonné](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/jean-dieudonn-1.jpg)
![Alain Mabanckou Alain Mabanckou](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/alain-mabanckou-59245-1.jpg)
![Jean-Christophe Yoccoz Jean-Christophe Yoccoz](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/jean-christophe-yoccoz-1.jpg)
![Gilles Lipovetsky Gilles Lipovetsky](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/gilles-lipovetsky-93390-1.jpg)
Gilles Lipovetsky is a French sociologist, philosopher, and writer. He also serves as a professor at the prestigious Stendhal University in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France. An influential figure, Lipovetsky has written about important topics like globalization, feminism, consumerism, and modern culture.
![Laurent Lafforgue Laurent Lafforgue](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/laurent-lafforgue-59204-1.jpg)
![Philipp Spener Philipp Spener](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/philipp-spener-59200-1.jpg)
![Gershom ben Judah Gershom ben Judah](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/no-profile-img.jpg)
![Lucien Lévy-Bruhl Lucien Lévy-Bruhl](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/lucien-lvy-bruhl-1.jpg)
Lucien Lévy-Bruhl was a French scholar best remembered for his contributions to the fields of ethnology and sociology. Although he was trained in philosophy, Lévy-Bruhl helped further anthropology. His work had a major influence on the works of Carl Gustav Jung, especially his psychological theory.
![Théodore Dubois Théodore Dubois](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/thodore-dubois-1.jpg)
![Yvonne Loriod Yvonne Loriod](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/yvonne-loriod-59221-1.jpg)
![Anthony Benezet Anthony Benezet](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/anthony-benezet-1.jpg)
![Jean de Gerson Jean de Gerson](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/jean-de-gerson-58312-1.jpg)
![Valentin Haüy Valentin Haüy](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/valentin-hay-1.jpg)
![Pierre Fournier Pierre Fournier](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/pierre-fournier-105855-1.jpg)
![Stéphanie Félicité, comtesse de Genlis Stéphanie Félicité, comtesse de Genlis](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/stphanie-flicit-comtesse-de-genlis-106122-1.jpg)
![Carlos Salzedo Carlos Salzedo](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/carlos-salzedo-1.jpg)
![Francis Rapp Francis Rapp](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/francis-rapp-1.jpg)
![Henri Herz Henri Herz](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/henri-herz-59883-1.jpg)
![Ferdinand Buisson Ferdinand Buisson](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/ferdinand-buisson-1.jpg)
![Abraham Hyacinthe Anquetil-Duperron Abraham Hyacinthe Anquetil-Duperron](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/abraham-hyacinthe-anquetil-duperron-69238-1.jpg)
Abraham Hyacinthe Anquetil-Duperron was a French orientalist, considered to be the first professional French Indologist. He is credited to have created the blueprint for the new professional field. He developed an early interest in oriental languages as a young man and traveled to India to study Indian languages. He also had a keen interest in the occult.
![Théodore Monod Théodore Monod](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/thodore-monod-62363-1.jpg)
A professor at Paris’s National Museum of Natural History, French naturalist Théodore Monod founded the cultural institute IFAN in Senegal. He spent a huge chunk of his life studying natural life in the Sahara and had several plant, insect, crustaceans, and fish species named after him.
![François Alexandre Frédéric, duc de la Rochefoucauld-Liancourt François Alexandre Frédéric, duc de la Rochefoucauld-Liancourt](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/franois-alexandre-frdric-duc-de-la-1.jpg)
![Joseph Jacotot Joseph Jacotot](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/joseph-jacotot-62880-1.jpg)
![Henri II Estienne Henri II Estienne](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/henri-ii-estienne-62520-1.jpg)
![John Baptist de La Salle John Baptist de La Salle](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/john-baptist-de-la-salle-73067-1.jpg)
John Baptist de La Salle, also known as La Salle, is remembered as the founder of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, or the de La Salle Brothers. Apart from setting up charitable boarding schools, he also trained teachers. He is revered as the patron saint of school teachers and educators.
![Jean Hardouin Jean Hardouin](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/jean-hardouin-1.jpg)
![Roch-Ambroise Cucurron Sicard Roch-Ambroise Cucurron Sicard](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/roch-ambroise-cucurron-sicard-1.jpg)
![Édouard Goursat Édouard Goursat](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/no-profile-img.jpg)
![Arnold Dolmetsch Arnold Dolmetsch](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/no-profile-img.jpg)
![Nicholas Of Lyra Nicholas Of Lyra](http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/thumbs/nicholas-of-lyra-73820-1.jpg)