A member of a noble family, Anne Robert Jacques Turgot, Baron de l'Aulne, administrator under Louis XV, comptroller general under Louis XVI, attempted to bring financial reform to France but was defeated by the privileged classes. A rather fat, shy, and awkward bachelor, his serious demeanor was tinged with humor, but he failed to convince the king of necessary reforms and died in public disgrace.

Turgot, the third son in an old and respected Norman family, was born on May 10, 1727, in Paris. His father, Michel-Étienne, held high office in Paris and was head of the city's municipality from 1729 until 1740. There were three careers open to young men of Turgot's status at the time: civil administration, the military, and the church. As the third son, with his two older brothers having taken the civil and military positions, Turgot was destined for the church. Accordingly, he entered the...