• Born: December 7, 1878, Tours, France
• Marriage: Melanie PHILIPS in 1903
• Died: July 10, 1964, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio, USA at age 85 ^{1 2}

  General Notes:

Emile emigrated from France to America in 1905 and became a naturalized American citizen in 1911.

Dr. De Sauze, was a Professor of Modern Languages and Literatures and director of the foreign language program for the Cleveland Public Schools. He was a pioneer of teaching methods which focused on hearing, saying, writing and then seeing the foreign language. Emile B. deSauze Elementary school in Cleveland, Ohio was named after him.

Title: DE SAUZE, EMILE BIALS The encyclopedia of Cleveland history
Alternate title: The dictionary of Cleveland biography
Creator: Grabowski,John J.; Van Tassel, David D. (David Dirck), 1928-
Date: 7/15/1997
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/2186/ksl:ech-dseb
Summary: DE SAUZE, EMILE BIALS (7 Dec. 1878-11 July 1964), director of foreign languages for the CLEVELAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS from 1918-49 and developer of the conversational teaching method, was born in Tours, France and graduated from the University of Poitiers (1900) before coming to the U.S. in 1905 and receiving a Ph.D. from St. Joseph College. He came to Cleveland in 1918. The de Sauze method, or "Cleveland Plan," emphasized listening and speaking as well as reading and writing, using the target language exclusively in the classroom, a departure from the traditional grammar-translation method. Under de Sauze's direction, his textbook Cours pratique de Francais (lst ed. 1919) was the beginning text, later supplemented by advanced-level readers de Sauze either authored or edited from 1924-39. During the 1920s, French was added to the curriculum for gifted elementary school children, with classwork, entirely oral and in French, based on active participation. De Sauze trained his teachers, contributing to his method's success. He founded, and for many years directed, the School of French of Western Reserve University, as well as the Demonstration School of Foreign Languages where, during the summer, educators from all over the world came to observe his methodology. He founded the MAISON FRANCAISE, a cultural organization for the Cleveland Francophone community. De Sauze died in Cleveland. His wife, Melanie Philips, whom he married in 1903, and their daughter, Marcelle (Mrs. Oliver J. Deex), preceded him in death.

MAISON FRANCAISE DE CLEVELAND was organized to promote Franco-American cultural activities. The group was founded by Emile B. deSauze in 1918. It was registered as a nonprofit organization by its first president, Paul D. Wurtzburger, and in 1923 it became affiliated with the French Alliances of the U.S. In 1995 the organization's membership stood at 207. Its main activities centered around the encouragement of the study of the French language; a goal fostered by the organization's gifts of monetary prizes to students in Cleveland secondary schools. The group also publishes a newsletter, Le Tambour, and hosts monthly lectures, musical programs, and films, all in French.

  Noted events in his life were:

• He appeared on the census on April 29, 1910 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - District 442.

The following deSauze family members are on this page.
Emile B. deSauze, Head, Age 32
Melanie, Wife, Age 36
Marcelle, Daughter, Age 5

• He appeared on the census on January 5, 1920 in Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio - District 405.

The following deSauze family members are on this page.
Emile B. de Sauze, Head, Age 42
Melanie, Wife, Age 37
Marcelle, Daughter, Age 15

• He appeared on the census on April 12, 1930 in Cleveland Heights, Cuyahoga, Ohio - District 571.

The following deSauze family members are on this page:
Emile B. deSauze, Head, Age 52
Melanie P., Wife, Age 45

Emile married Melanie PHILIPS in 1903. (Melanie PHILIPS was born about 1884 in Pennsylvania and died on September 30, 1946 in Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio, USA ^{3 4}.)