Nazaire Elie Biron (1873-1952)

Portrait from the Souvenir of the New Hampshire Legislature, 1901.

  Today marks a return to New Hampshire with a profile on Nazaire Elie Biron, a resident of Manchester who served one term in his state's house of representatives. Born of French Canadian descent in Manchester on September 5, 1873, Nazaire E. Biron was the son of Theophile Georges (1852-1941) and Therese Frechette Biron (1854-1919). 

  A student at the Lowell Street and St. Augustine Parochial Schools of Manchester, Biron later studied at the Commercial College of Labaie du Febrve in Quebec, Canada before returning to Manchester, where he studied at St. Mary's Parochial School. Further education was obtained in Quebec at St. Hyacinth College and Laval University. 

  In the late 1890s, Biron followed in his father and brother's stead and joined the family bakery business, operating under the name T.G. Biron and Sons. He was thus employed until September 1900 when he began the study of dentistry in Manchester under Dr. A.J. Sawyer. In 1900 Biron was elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives from Manchester's 9th ward and sat on the Insurance committee during his term (1901-03).

  Following his service, Biron married Eugenie Perrault (1872-1965) in 1904 and had at least one son, Paul Emile George (1907-1991). Active in French fraternal circles in his city, Biron would serve a term as president of the Cercle Nationale and was the first secretary of the Court  St. Joseph, A.C.A. 

  Nazaire Biron returned to city politics with his service on the Manchester board of aldermen from 1913-15, and from 1925-1927 served on a three-member police commission for the city. Later, in 1936-37, Biron is recorded as the secretary of the New Hampshire Republican Party. Biron died in Manchester on June 7, 1952, aged 78, and was survived by his wife Eugenie, who, following her death at age 92 in 1965 was interred alongside him at the Mount Calvary Cemetery in Manchester. Far from a forgotten figure in that city, Biron is the namesake of the Nazaire E. Biron bridge in Manchester, completed in 1973.