Colonial governors could reach the top without an Ecole Coloniale credential

Evidence

Jules Carde (1923-1930) was born on June 3, 1874. Like Van Vollenhoven, he grew up in the French colony of Algeria. Carde was the only governor general of West Africa of his generation not to attend the Ecole Coloniale; rather, he began his career in the prefecture of Alger and then entered the colonial service. His first posting was to Madagascar in 1898. The fact that Carde did not have an Ecole Coloniale or a law degree did not count against him in his bid for high office. Instead, it may have made him more ambitious, for Carde rose quickly through the ranks of the colonial hierarchy. — Alice L. Conklin, A Mission to Civilize_ The Republican…, 696

Categorization

• QUESTION: Was Carde’s non-Ecole path an anomaly or reflective of a broader flexibility in who headed the federation?