John Baptist de La Salle was born on April 30, 1651, in Rheims, France. The son of aristocratic parents, La Salle had the opportunity for an excellent education and went on to be ordained a priest. He fully intended to work among the wealthy people of his area throughout his career.
He was a French educator and founder of the Brothers of the Christian Schools (sometimes called the de La Salle Brothers), the first Roman Catholic congregation of male nonclerics devoted solely to schools, learning, and teaching