Jean-William Hérivel may have been the first Haitian to study Christian Theology at the Université de France–Académie de Paris (Facultè de théologie protestante de Paris). In July 9, 1887, at 4:00 pm–two years after Joseph Anténor Firmin, the first Black anthropologist, published in Paris and in 1885 “De l’égalité des Races Humaines (Anthropologie Positive)–Mr. Hérivel defended his thesis and was awarded a Bachelier en théologie (B.A., Theology).

Hérivel’s thesis, “Haiti: Au Point de Vue Religieux” (Haiti: A Religious Perspective) was published the same year in the prestigious “Alencon: Imprimerie Typographique F. Guy. The thesis is about 41 pages; French theologian Ed. Vaugher served as the supervisor of the thesis, and F. Lightenberger was the Dean of the School.

I have a hardcopy of this important work in my home library. Here are a few pictures from the text: