Ever wonder who Charles Appleton was? The Rue du Professeur Charles Appleton in Lyon is named in his honor. Let’s uncover the story of this man.
Charles Appleton was born in Rennes on July 11, 1846. He later died in Oullins in 1935. He was a professor of law. Appleton also became a member of the Académie de Lyon.
His family history is interesting. Charles’s grandfather was John Appleton. He served as the United States consul in Calais. His father, John James Appleton, was in charge of business for the United States. His mother, Augustine Houdon, came from a family of sailors.
Both of Charles Appleton’s parents died before he was old enough to be an adult. At 18, he began studying law and got his degree in 1864 in Rennes. Once he became an adult, he chose to become a French citizen.
Appleton married Joséphine Tondu de Quennefer. Her father was the lawyer Alexandre Tondu de Quennefer. After his marriage, he joined his wife’s family to work as a lawyer in Charolles. His first two sons, Jean and Henri, were born there. Later, his first daughter Charlotte was born in Bernes. His last three children were born in Lyon. Their names were Marie, Paul, and Jeanne.
In 1871, he defended his thesis in Dijon. He became a professor of civil law there for three years. In 1875, he passed the agrégation examination. Following this, he was offered a job at the law faculty of Lyon.
All three of his sons studied law. They all had careers in the legal field.
Charles Appleton helped start the law faculty in Lyon. He specialized in Roman law there. He also taught international law, comparative constitutional law, and the guarantees of individual freedoms. On November 3, 1892, he spoke about the status of women in modern law. This was during a university event.
During World War I, Appleton continued to give lectures for free. He also supervised Serbian students who had taken refuge in Lyon.
Charles Appleton was elected to the Letters section of the Académie des Sciences, Belles-Lettres et Arts de Lyon on December 2, 1913.
He was named a Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur.
The Rue du Professeur Charles Appleton is a short street. It connects the rue Rognon and the rue Servant. The street came about when the military health school was expanded around the start of the 20th century. The west side was built later. The street was paved in 2020. Plots were installed to make it pedestrian-friendly.
Today, the Rue du Professeur Charles Appleton houses annexes of the Centre Berthelot. It is also home to a new building for the Institut d’études politiques and a company on the west side.
So, as you walk along Rue du Professeur Charles Appleton, remember the man who dedicated his life to law and education.