Jules Charles-Roux was born in Marseille on November 14, 1841. The Charles-Roux were a wealthy family that had lived for more than a century in this city. Jules spent his childhood in his father’s soap factory, and he found that the business suited his tastes.
 
As the sole male inheritor of the family’s fortune, his destiny was to take over the reigns of his father’s factory. First, he completed studies in science at the university in Marseille, taking courses from a renowned Parisian chemist named Eugène Chevreul.  

He had the required skills to run the factory at the tender age of 21, and when his father died, he took over control of the factory. Teaming up with his brother-in-law in 1877, he completely modernized the plant. In very little time, his production came to represent 10% of the total output of soap in Marseille. 

                                 
                                             Compagnie Transatlantique, Louis Le Breton

He led an active campaign for the recognition of his profession, and he received several medals and international awards to crown his flourishing activity. In the early 1900s, he was promoted to the presidency of several shipping companies, including the General Transatlantic Company, commonly nicknamed the “French Line.”

This company was created in 1855 by the Pereire Brothers, offering transatlantic passenger transportation on ships like the Normandie and the France. Jules Charles-Roux was named President of the line in 1904 in order to reorganize and correct its financial situation. He also assumed control of several other companies linked to shipping transportation and he became President of the Central Committee of Shipping Outfitters of France from 1910 to 1917. 

His political career was relatively brief. He was elected to the Municipal Council in 1887 and he became the General Councilor in 1895. His influence remained important and he was considered the spokesman for economic liberalism. 

                    
                 Family in Madagascar                      People from Dahomey
                                 Collections of New York Public Library

As an ardent promoter and defender of colonization, he served as an essential activist in its favor. He supported French expansion in Tunisia, Dahomey and Madagascar. He was the founder of several colonial committees and President of the Geography Society of Marseille.
 
For the Universal Exposition of 1900 in Paris, the largest ever convened and attracting 51 million visitors, he saw to the construction of an area devoted to the colonies. Six years later, as General Commissioner, he oversaw the creation of the extraordinary first Colonial Exposition of Marseille. Nearly 2 million people visited the attraction.

                                          

 Jules Charles-Roux was an undeniable patron of the arts. He helped further the careers of his friends Gallieni and Lyautey, and he actively supported contemporary local painters like Torrents, Suchet and Ricard.

Charles-Roux became one of the pillars of the artistic circles of Marseille, organizing painting exhibits, conferences and concerts. As an ardent advocate for Provençal identity, he also provided financial support to a number of museums. An author as well, he wrote several books about Provence, including the remarkable work Souvenirs of the Past, the Artistic Circle of Marseille.