Passy, << pah SEE, >> Frederic (1822-1912), a French economist and pacifist, was awarded the 1901 Nobel Peace Prize for founding a French peace organization.
Passy promoted free trade, believing that drawing nations together as partners in commerce would avoid antagonism and war. In 1867, he established the Ligue Internationale et Permanente de la Paix (International and Permanent Peace League). Later, he became one of the three presidents of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, which he had helped to set up. This organization, made up of presidents throughout the world, sought peaceful solutions to international conflicts, particularly in situations where arbitration (the settlement of a dispute by a third party) seemed desirable. See Inter-Parliamentary Union .
Passy was born in Paris, where he lived all his life. He studied law before entering the civil service as an accountant in the State Council and, later, studied economics.
In 1857, a collection of his essays was published as Melanges Economiques (Economic Mixtures). From 1881 to 1889, he served in the French Chamber of Deputies (national parliament).
