Charles Gilbert Tourret (22 December 1795 – 17 May 1858) was a French agronomist and politician who was Minister of Agriculture in 1848. He was instrumental in obtaining support for a new system of education of agricultural workers, farmers and proprietors. Early years Charles-Gilbert Tourret was born in Montmarault, Allier, on 22 December 1795. He entered the École Polytechnique in 1814 and graduated as an engineer of roads and bridges. He began a career as a senior official, but then turned to the study and practice of agriculture in his native department. This became his lifetime passion, and he became known as an expert in agronomy. Politician Tourret ran for election on 21 June 1834 for the college of Allier, Montluçon, but was defeated. He ran again for the same constituency on 4 November 1837 and was elected. He sat among the opposition. He was reelected on 2 March 1839. He resigned in 1842 to give his seat to General Amable de Courtais. He ran again on 1 August 1846 but was defeated. From 1842 to 1852 Tourret was a member of the general council on agriculture. After the revolution of 1848 Tourret joined the Republican group. For a period he acted as provisional head of government of Allier. He was returned for Allier to the Constituent Assembly in the elections on 23 April 1848. He was opposed to the institution of two chambers, and to the proposal to dissolve the Constituent Assembly before the organic laws had been passed. He opposed the expedition to Rome. Tourret was among the moderate Republicans in the Constitutional Commission. He was among 18 deputies charged with preparing a first draft of a new constitution. They met from 19 May 1848 to 17 June 1848. Tourret caused a proposal to guarantee savings banks to be rejected, due to fears raised by the near-bankruptcy of the state in February and March of that year. He opposed appointment of local officials by the executive in favor of election by municipal councils, a small step towards decentralization. Minister On 28 June 1848 General Louis-Eugène Cavaignac chose Tourret as Minister of Agriculture in his new cabinet. As minister, Tourret defended a law to establish a three-tier system of agricultural education. Farm schools would give a practical education to laborers and smallholders, including hands-on training. Regional schools would give a rather more theoretical education, with a solid practical foundation,