He was one of the founders of the Institut armoricain de recherches historiques.

On the Liberation, he was director of the cabinet of Victor Le Gorgeu, Commissaire régional de la République for the four Breton départements.

He was mayor (MRP) of Rennes from 1953 to 1977, president of the conseil général d'Ille-et-Vilaine from 1966 to 1976, député of the 1st constituency of Ille-et-Vilaine from 1958 to 1968, senator for Ille-et-Vilaine from 1970 to 1977.

[1] Author of several works of history, he notably studied the behaviour of Breton nationalists during the Second World War through documents of the German military administration, recovered from the surroundings of the hôtel Majestic.

On 10 May 1993, Rennes renamed its avenue de Crimée the avenue Henri-Fréville after him, and a Metro station in the town (line A) is also named after him.