MICHEL BAILET (16 November, 1936 – 5 November, 2008)
Michel Bailet first joined the Faculty at Acadia in 1967 and was a prominent member of the French Department for many years. Michel received his Doctorat-ès-Lettres in 1972 from the Université de Lausanne in Switzerland (French and Italian Languages and Literatures) and was a specialist in Twentieth-Century French Literature with a keen interest in the Fantastic in the Arts. His principal publication, L’Homme de verre, offered a critical reinterpretation of Boccacio’s Decameron in the light of the French ‘Nouvelle Critique’. Michel served his Department and the University in many capacities, notably as member of the Executive Committee of Senate, on the University Review Committee, and as Head of the Department from 1972 – 1977 and Acting Head from 1991 – 1992. In 1985, Michel spent a semester as Honorary Visiting Professor of French at the University of Manchester. Michel’s life-long devotion to the teaching of French Language and Literature won him high distinction. In 1995, the year before he retired, Michel was awarded the title of Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques. This order was originally created by Napoléon Bonaparte in 1808 to honour eminent members of the University of Paris and is one of the world's oldest civil awards. Originally, the Palmes Académiques were given only to teachers or professors residing in France, but in 1866 the scope of the award was widened to recognize major contributions to the expansion of French language and culture throughout the world. Michel Bailet’s accomplishments brought honour and distinction to the Department of French and to Acadia University.
Janice Best