Paul McCue Books

Guy Biéler was born on 26 March 1904 in Beurlay (17), France, the son of Jean-Louis and Hélène (née Wursten) Biéler. His father, a Swiss Protestant clergyman, had left Switzerland when he received his first posting to Beurlay, some 25 kilometres south-east of Rochefort, close to the western seaboard of France. In 1907 the family moved back to Lutry in Switzerland for another posting and expanded to three daughters and two sons. Guy, as he was known in the family, was the eldest. Biéler attended the Collège Classique Cantonal in Lausanne, Switzerland but his performance at school was affected by the death, in 1918, of his father in the global influenza epidemic. His authoritarian grand-father, Daniel, took over as head of the family. Also a clergyman, Daniel wanted his grandsons to follow his calling, but furious rows erupted with the boys and first the younger brother (René-Maurice) and then Guy himself left home to shake off their grand-father’s control.  Biéler studied psychology at the University of Geneva and had gone on to attend the Institut Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Ecole des Sciences de l’Education where he gained his Certificat d’Etudes in 1924, equipping him, at the age of 20, with the means to follow a teaching career. He therefore made good his escape from his grand-father’s domineering personality when he left for Canada on the SS Antonia in September 1924, much to the despair of his mother who had now seen two sons leave the family in bitterness......[Remainder of case study is complete - contact author for further details].

Copyright  © Paul McCue 2014