Author, Colonial Governor. Gaston Joseph was born into a French family in Alsace-Lorraine, who refused to speak German even when the German Empire government strongly discouraged the French language and culture in favor of High German. As a child, his family left their hat factory in Alsace-Lorraine to relocate to Paris. After serving three years in the military, he was assigned in 1909 to be a geographer cartographer in the country of Ivory Coast in West Africa or Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire. On March 2, 1912, he married Marguerite Maginot, the sister of Andre Maginot, who eventually became Secretary of War for France. He was rapidly promoted becoming the administrator by 1916. During this time, he was ordered to send military to fight against the indigenous residents of the country, and began to write about the culture of the country. He published in the French language the following books: "On Prehistory in Ivory Coast" in 1913; "A Collection of 53 Photographs" in 1917; "Koffi: True Romance of a Black" in 1922 and for this novel, based on a true story, received the Grand Prize for colonial literature in 1923; and "Ivory Coast in 1944." He published a total of eight books about the Ivory Coast, which documented the country's history. The photographer, which he took of Africa art in the early 20th century, are on display at the British Museum. In 1917, he was appointed chief of staff to the Governor General of Côte d'Ivoire. In 1920 he was appointed the governor of the new country formed by the League of Nations in Central Africa, French Cameroon. As a French official in Africa in 1925, he became one of the most essential decision-makers of French colonial policy as director of personnel, director of cabinet, director of indigenous affairs, director of political affairs of the Ministry of the Colonies, serving two decades. In March of 1926, he appointed to the position of director of cabinet at the Ministry of Colonies. For his service, on August 30, 1938 he was honored with the Commander of the Legion of Honor. He served two terms as the governor of the French Colony of the country of Ivory Coast. In 1895 the Ivory Coast became a part of French West Africa , and it remained so until 1958 . Serving during World War II, his first term was August 26, 1943 to August 16, 1945. In 1942 the Vichy government of the Nazi Party was established in the Ivory Coast, and he held a governmental office. On September 23, 1940 being loyal to the country, he issued an order to defend the country against any invaders, not realizing that would be the English and Gaullist troops. There is much debate about what his order actually meant. By 1943 with little opposition, the Allied Army had returned French West Africa to the Charles de Gaulle's France, the Vichy government resolved, and he was made governor, but later was suspended from his duties. In July of 1946, his Commander of the Legion of Honor was removes but reinstated on August 30, 1947. The 78-page file about his reinstatement of the Honor of Legion sheds light on his role in the Vichy government. After the war, many social reforms were established. There were no elections in the country. By 1945 the French had abolished forced labor on the indigenous residents. He had concerns about the French landowner retaining laborers. Governmental reforms were established by late 1946, which granted French citizenship to all African "subjects" under the colonial control of the French. At this point, representing indigenous seat of the National Congress, Félix Houphouët-Boigny, a leader of the indigenous people, requested him to serve a second term. His second term was post-war from February 20, 1947 to January 29, 1948, serving as the first governor after the country was called the Ivory Coast Territory as an overseas territory of France. Upon retirement, he returned to France, where he died at age 92.