French Department Chair John D. Lyons received the Legion of Honor, France's most prestigious award, Friday. The ceremony took place in the front hallway of Carr's Hill, appropriately watched over by a large portrait of the Marquis de Lafayette, in front of an audience of about 50 people.
"The Consul Général [de France, Michel Schaffhauser,] gave a little speech in French about why they were giving [the Légion d'Honneur] to me," Lyons said. "Then he took out this little case that was holding the medal ... and pinned the medal on me. And then of course the ritual kiss on the cheek three times ... very French."
The Legion of Honor is the top French order presented to persons who have contributed to France in either military or civilian pursuits, according to Lyons. As the Commonwealth Professor of French and chair of the department for seven years, Lyons was recognized as a civilian for educating both undergraduate and graduate students.
"After all, you spend your whole life working to teach people about France and learn about France, then you get this [award] which is just amazing," Lyons said. "The only person I knew who had the Legion of Honor was the former chair of this department, [Douglas W.] "Bill" Alden, and he was a great scholar but he also ran an espionage order during the Second World War. I have not done any espionage."
According to Lyons, he almost did not get notification of his award. Sure that the letter he received from the French Embassy would be another invitation to an event that his schedule would not allow for, he was about to throw the letter away when a phone call stopped him.
"[The phone call was from] somebody from the Embassy congratulating me, and I said 'What for?,'" Lyons said. "I was actually holding the letter in my hand. It was a letter from the Foreign Affairs Minister informing me [of the award]."
Lyons recognized the role that the University's French program has played in helping him earn this honor.
"I have been at U.Va. for exactly 20 years now, and it is a fabulous department and I definitely would not have gotten the award if I had not come to U.Va.," Lyons said.
Interim College Dean Karen Ryan said Lyons' honor will have a positive effect on the University as a whole.
"It's a tremendous honor for the French Department," Ryan said. "Professor Lyons has built such a distinguished career here and established such wonderful contacts in France. It reflects very positively on the arts and sciences department more broadly."
Though Lyons has no official duties as a new Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur, he believes it is a great encouragement to continue his work with students.
"I keep working," Lyons said. "It seems to me that the award is not something that makes you stop and sit back. It makes you want to work twice as hard"
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