He was an eloquent professor and very fond of young people, and played an important part in the revival of higher studies in France after 1871.

His learning was displayed in his public lectures and his addresses, in his private lessons, where he taught a small number of pupils the historical method, and in his books, where he wrote ad probandum at least as much as ad narrandum: class-books, collections of articles, intermingled with personal reminiscences (Questions d'enseignement national, 1885; Etudes et étudiants, 1890; A propos de nos écoles, 1895), rough historical sketches (Vue générale de l'histoire politique de l'Europe, 1890), etc.

With his friend Alfred Rambaud he conceived the plan of L'Histoire générale du IVe siècle à nos jours, to which, however, he contributed nothing.

[4] He edited the Histoire de France depuis les origines jusqu'à la Révolution (1900–1912), in which he carefully revised the work of his numerous assistants, reserving the greatest part of the reign of Louis XIV for himself.

When the école normale was joined to the university of Paris, Lavisse was appointed director of the new organization, which he had helped more than any one to bring about.