BOURGEOIS, LEON VICTOR AUGUSTE (1851 1925), French statesman, was born in Paris May 21 1851, and received a legal education. He entered the civil service in 1876, rising in 1887 to be prefect of police. His political career opened in 1888 when he defeated Gen. Boulanger in the Marne and entered the chamber. He was a member of many administrations from 1888 onwards, and in 1895 himself formed a Radical min istry which fell in the constitutional struggle over the right of the senate to veto supply. He was minister of the exterior in the Sarrien cabinet of 1906, and was responsible for French policy at Algeciras. In the meantime he had distinguished himself at the Hague Peace Conference (1899) and in 1903 was nominated a member of the permanent Court of Arbitration; he was the French delegate at the Hague Conference of 1907. In June 1914 he took over foreign affairs in the Ribot cabinet.
During the World War he was minister without portfolio in the Briand cabinet. He had been elected to the senate in 1905, and was president of that assembly from 1920-23.
Leon Bourgeois was one of the first to suggest a league of nations. For this reason he was appointed by his government to represent France during the negotiations of 1919 concerning the League. When this was constituted he was, until a year before his death, the principal representative of France, both in the Council and in the Assembly. In 1920 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He died Sept. 29 1925.