Émile Laurens

Émile Laurens was a French politician born on 29 January 1884 in Réquista, Aveyron and died on 16 June 1940 in Blois, Loir-et-Cher. He was recognized as having died for France.

He replaced the former and future Prime Minister Camille Chautemps as the Radical deputy for Loir-et-Cher after a a 1935 by-election where he narrowly beat the militant agrarian leader Henry Dorgères in the second round of voting He served as Under-Secretary of State to the Prime Minister's Office from 18 January 1938 to 13 March 1938 in the Fourth Chautemps Government.

In February 1940, Maurice Olivier, then mayor of Blois, resigned for health reasons, and Émile Laurens was appointed as his replacement.

On 16 June 1940 He was fatally wounded during the Battle of France when the German army bombarded the Town Hall in the Foix district in Blois, where he resided with his family.

A street name in the center of Blois commemorates Laurens today, located west of Place de la Résistance.