René Cassin

René Cassin (1887-1976), French jurist and Nobel laureate, born in Bayonne, and educated at the universities of Aix-en-Provence and Paris. For more than 40 years Cassin combined the three careers of jurist, diplomat, and educator. He was a member of the French delegation to the League of Nations from 1921 to 1938, served in the cabinet of the Free French government-in-exile during World War II, joined the French Constitutional Council in 1960, and became a member in 1959 and president in 1965 of the European Court of Human Rights. Cassin was the principal author of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948; he also served as president of the UN Human Rights Commission from 1954 to 1956. He was a founder of the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Cassin was awarded the Grand Cross of the French Legion of Honor. He received the 1968 Nobel Peace Prize for his role in fostering the UN declaration on human rights (see Nobel Prizes).