sentences:  In its early days, both Roman Catholics and liberals worked together within the organisation, even Jean-Baptist David was a member of the Willemsfonds.When in 1870, the Roman Catholic Church opposed the non-denominational status of public education, the Willemsfonds sided with the liberals and the Roman Catholics, such as Jean-Baptist David left the organisation, and they founded the Davidsfonds in 1875.Until 1976, the presidents of the Willemsfonds would come from Ghent, such as its first president Jules de Saint-Genois (1813–1867), Ferdinand Snellaert, Prudens van Duyse, Frans Rens, Jacob Jan Heremans, and Julius Vuylsteke, to name a few.