Chauveau, Pierre Joseph Olivier

Chauveau, Pierre Joseph Olivier (pyĕr zhôzĕf` ôlēvyā` shōvō`), 1820–90, French Canadian educator and politician, prime minister of Quebec (1867–73), b. Quebec. He became superintendent of education (1855) in Lower Canada. During his tenure normal schools were established and separate schools were created for English-speaking and French-speaking students. With the achievement of confederation (1867), Chauveau became the first prime minister of the province of Quebec. He also held the portfolios of minister of education and provincial secretary. In 1873 he was appointed to the Canadian Senate, of which he was speaker (1873–74). In 1878 he became professor of Roman law at Laval Univ. Chauveau wrote the novel Charles Guérin (1852), several biographies, poetry, and essays, including L'Instruction publique du Canada (1876).