Raymond Patenôtre
Raymond Patenôtre | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date United States |
| Died | June 19, 1951 (aged 50) Rambouillet, France |
| Occupation(s) | Politician, newspaper publisher |
| Known for | French Chamber of Deputies member (1928–1936), newspaper ownership, involvement with Vichy regime media |
Raymond Patenôtre (July 31, 1900 – June 19, 1951) was a French politician and newspaper publisher born in the United States, and the son of Jules Patenotre des Noyers, a French diplomat. He came into a substantial inheritance from his mother, who was the heiress of Colonel James Elverson, proprietor of the Philadelphia Inquirer. To minimize tax liabilities, Patenôtre eventually sold this newspaper. His portfolio included ownership of multiple regional publications such as La Sarthe, L’Écho républicain de l’Ouest, Le Régional de l’Ouest, Le Petit Var, and Petit Niçois.
In 1933, he played a key role in establishing the French Committee for the Defense of Jewish Rights in Central and Eastern Europe, aiming to counteract anti-Semitic propaganda and discriminatory laws. During World War II, his newspapers based in Lyon and Nice endorsed the Vichy regime and its concept of "the New Europe" aligned with German dominance. Between 1928 and 1936, Patenôtre held a seat in the French Chamber of Deputies representing Seine-et-Oise.
His media outlets were instrumental in advancing Pierre Laval's political trajectory; Laval later became Prime Minister under Vichy France and was executed for treason after the war. Following liberation, Patenôtre was arrested in December 1944 amid efforts to purge collaborators. While he underwent judicial investigation, his newspaper editor Albert Lejeune was executed for collaboration despite attempts to shift blame onto Patenôtre.
In October 1945, he secured victory in a cantonal election in Rambouillet, earning a position on the General Council of the department. In July 1948, both he and his mother faced indictment by a U.S. Federal Grand Jury on charges related to tax evasion following the sale of the Philadelphia Inquirer. His mother admitted guilt in 1949 and settled with a $2 million civil penalty; however, charges against Patenôtre were dropped due to his poor health.
Patenôtre passed away from a stroke at age 51 in 1951 at his home in Rambouillet.