De Lesseps, << duh LEHS ehps, >> Ferdinand Marie (1805-1894), was a French canal builder and diplomat. In 1854, Said Pasha, ruler of Egypt, invited him to start preparatory work on the Suez Canal. De Lesseps’ plans provided for a canal without locks, extending from Port Said to Port Tewfik, connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Gulf of Suez and the Red Sea. The company he organized started work on the Canal in 1859, and completed it 10 years later (see Suez Canal).
De Lesseps was born on Nov. 19, 1805, in Versailles. From 1825 until his resignation in 1849, he worked in the French consular and diplomatic service. He was a member of the French Academy and the Academy of Science. At 74, De Lesseps reluctantly agreed to head the French company formed to build the Panama Canal (see Panama Canal (The French failure)). He died on Dec. 7, 1894.
