Biography

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Photograph of Henri Gelan, class of 1893

Henri Gelan was born on September 13, 1863, in Bischweiler, Alsace, France. He spent his youth in Paris, before moving to Lynn, MA, when he was 20 years old. He entered the International Training School, now Springfield College, in the fall of 1891. There, he enrolled the secretarial program and participated in the first basketball game. However, after one year, he left the Training school to follow his calling and persue the ministry. 

Gelan attended the Newton Center, just west of Boston, to prepare himself to serve the church. He graduated the program in 1894, and immediatey took charge of a French-American church in Stryker Ohio. He went on to serve many more parishes in the north east, Canada, and Minnesota over a 16 year career in the ministry. He died at just 47 years old after fighting an illness for two weeks.

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