Franck Sylvain Explained

Franck Sylvain
Office:President of Haiti
(Acting)
Term Start:February 7, 1957
Term End:April 2, 1957
Predecessor:Joseph Nemours Pierre-Louis
Successor:Daniel Fignolé
Birth Date:3 August 1909
Birth Place:Grand-Goâve, Haiti
Death Place:Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Nationality:Haitian
Spouse:Dieudonne Auxilus Occide Jeanty
Profession:Lawyer

Franck Sylvain (in French pronounced as /fʁɑ̃k silvɛ̃/; August 3, 1909 – January 3, 1987) served as acting President of Haiti in 1957.[1]

Sylvain was born 3 August 1909 in Grand-Goâve, Haiti.[2] Before his political career, he received a law degree and worked as a lawyer. In 1934, he was the founder of the anti-Communist newspaper "The Crusade" (La Croisade). He also was a founder of the "Rally for the Haitian people" (Rassemblement du Peuple Haïtien), a clandestine party. During the rule of Paul Magloire from 1950 to 1956 he was judge and gained a good reputation, having expressed an opinion in a proceeding against a close friend of the president.

On 7 February 1957, he was appointed by Parliament as the successor of Joseph Nemours Pierre-Louis, Haiti's interim president. Sylvain served as president for only 56 days, then he was deposed by General Léon Cantave.

After his presidency, he wrote his memoirs, called The 56 Days of Franck Sylvain (Les 56 jours de Franck Sylvain). He died in Port-au-Prince on 3 January 1987.

Notes and References

  1. News: Kennedy . Paul P. . PROVISIONAL HEAD IS NAMED IN HAITI; Franck Sylvain, Attorney, Is Eleced by Legislature After 5-Day Vacancy Interference Implied . . 8 February 1957.
  2. "Haïti, état civil, 1794-2012", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6FG8-VYD4 : 9 June 2022), Félix Etienne Franck Sylvain, 1907.