Suzanne Carrell

Suzanne Carrell (March 6, 1923 – April 21, 2019) was an American educator and recipient of the awards of the Order of Academic Palms, the Legion of Honor, and the National Order of Merit in honor for her service to France. She was the co-founder of the Jacksonville, Florida chapter of the Alliance Française and was a key member of the Congress of French Culture in Florida, based in Orlando.

Early life and education Carrell was born in Albi, France in 1923. After the Second World War, she studied at the University of Algiers, where she graduated with a Master's degree in foreign language and the humanities. In 1954, she became an instructor at Jacksonville University after moving to the city with her husband, who was an American Army captain.

Career In 1961, Carrell co-founded a local chapter of the Alliance Française in Jacksonville. By the following year, she facilitated the relocation of the existing Congress of French Culture in Florida to the Jacksonville University campus, where it would remain for several years. Carrell continued her work as the university expanded until, in 1974, she was finally granted the opportunity to head a new department devoted entirely to the study of the French language.