LA ROCHEFOUCAULD-LIANCOURT, lyitilcoor', Francois Alexandre Frederic, French philanthropist and social reformer: b. La Roche Guyon, 11 Jan. 1747; d. Paris, 27 March 1827. He early entered the caitineers as an officer, and after a visit to England he established a model farm and a school for the children of soldiers. The school from 1788 re ceived royal support as the Ecole des Enfants de la Patrie. He was elected to the States General in 1789 and there carried forward his measures for social reform. While devoted to the person of Louis XVI he was by principle opposed to the government and endeavored to warn the king of the dangerous trend of public affairs. On 18 July, four days after the fall of the Bastile, he became president of the National Assembly, and afterward he was ap pointed to the command of a military division in Normandy. He hoped to secure the per sonal safety of the king and sought to have him take refuge in Rouen. Failing in this he aided the king with a large sum of money. Dur ing the Terror he found safety in England, and in 1795-97 he visited America. He returned
to Paris in 1799 but took no part in politics, de voting himself to his projects of social better ment, and especially to the furtherance of vaccination. After the Restoration, he entered the House of Peers. His school, the Ecole des Enfants de la Patrie, received the favor and support of the successive governments and for 23 years he was government inspector of it. He founded the first savings bank in France and served as a member of boards of adminis tration for hospitals, prisons and agriculture. He refused to support the government in 1823, which led to the loss of his positions and the abolition of his vaccination committee, the wel fare of which he had greatly at heart. In pro test the academies of science and medicine elected him to their membership. He never regained official favor. Author of 'Voyage dans les Estats — Unis d'Amerique' (8 vols., 1798) ; 'Les Prisons de Philadelphie) (1796).