The French Ministry of National Education, Teaching, and Research has promoted John C. O'Neal, professor of French, to the rank of "officier" in the Ordre des Palmes Académiques. He was named a "chevalier" (or knight) in 1998. (The three ranks in this order are "chevalier," "officier," and "commandeur.") Founded in 1808 by Napoleon, the order originally recognized teachers but later included other figures in the fields of letters, the arts, and the sciences. The promotion signed by the French minister of education, Gilles de Robien, and dated February 1, 2007 awards O'Neal for his "services rendus à la culture française" (services rendered to French culture). The envelope containing the promotion arrived recently via the French embassy for cultural services in New York City.
