Zay, Jean

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ZAY, JEAN

ZAY, JEAN (1904–1944), French socialist politician. Born in Orleans, Zay joined the Radical Socialist Party in his youth and was elected a deputy in 1932. He became undersecretary of state in 1936 and was appointed minister of national education in Léon *Blum's Popular Front government in the same year. He held this position in successive governments until 1940, despite bitter criticism of his support for the republican cause in Spain. Following the fall of France, Zay was arrested and held in prison, and was summarily executed on June 20, 1944.

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