Andre Morize
A Harvard professor who traded the quiet of the library for the front lines, becoming a daring intelligence agent and resistance figure in two world wars.
1883–1957 (age 74)·Birthday: September 18·The Lost Generation
Biography
Andre Morize's story reads like a thriller penned by one of the French literary giants he taught. A professor of French literature at Harvard for over three decades, he was far more than an academic. When the First World War erupted, the French-born scholar immediately returned to serve his country, not as a soldier but as a covert operative for the French intelligence service. He survived being captured and sentenced to death by the Germans. Two decades later, with Europe again at war, the professor-turned-spy answered the call once more, working with the French Resistance during the Nazi occupation. At Harvard, he was known as a demanding and charismatic teacher who brought the texture of real-world conflict and passion to his lectures on Voltaire and Hugo. Morize lived a double life, proving that the study of human drama in books could be matched by a life of extraordinary action.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Andre was born in 1883, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Andre Was Born
The biggest hits of 1883
Andre's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1883Born
President: Chester A. Arthur
1888Started school
President: Grover Cleveland
1896Became a teenager
First modern Olympic Games held in Athens
President: Grover Cleveland
1899Could drive
President: William McKinley
1901Could vote
Queen Victoria dies, ending the Victorian era
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1904Turned 21
New York City opens its first subway line
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1913Turned 30
The Federal Reserve is established
President: Woodrow Wilson
1923Turned 40
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1933Turned 50
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1943Turned 60
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1953Turned 70
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1957Died at 74
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
Key Achievements
- Served as a captain in the French Army and an agent for the French intelligence service during World War I, undertaking dangerous missions behind enemy lines.
- Was a active member of the French Resistance during World War II, continuing his fight against oppression two decades after his first service.
- Held the position of Professor of French Literature at Harvard University from 1918 to 1951, influencing American scholarship in the field.
- Authored several critical works on French literature, including studies on Flaubert and problems of literary style.
Did You Know?
He was captured by German forces in WWI, condemned to death, and miraculously escaped execution.
He was awarded the French Croix de guerre and was made a Commander of the Legion of Honour for his wartime service.
A street in the 16th arrondissement of Paris is named 'Rue du Professeur-André-Morize' in his honor.
“War taught me that literature is not an escape from life, but its sharpest measure.”
