António José de Almeida

António José de Almeida
Almeida, c. 1920-22
6th President of Portugal
In office
5 October 1919 – 5 October 1923
Prime MinisterAlfredo de Sá Cardoso
Francisco Fernandes Costa
Domingos Pereira
António Maria Baptista
José Ramos Preto
António Maria da Silva
António Granjo
Álvaro de Castro
Liberato Pinto
Bernardino Machado
Tomé de Barros Queirós
António Granjo
Manuel Maria Coelho
Carlos Maia Pinto
Francisco Cunha Leal
António Maria da Silva
Preceded byJoão do Canto e Castro
Succeeded byManuel Teixeira Gomes
Prime Minister of Portugal
In office
16 March 1916 – 25 April 1917
PresidentBernardino Machado
Preceded byAfonso Costa
Succeeded byAfonso Costa
Ministerial positions
1917–1917Minister of Finance
1916–1917Minister of the Colonies
1916–1916Minister of the Interior
1916–1916Minister of Education
1916–1916Minister of Finance
1916–1916Minister of the Colonies
1910–1911Minister of the Interior
Personal details
Born(1866-07-27)27 July 1866
Vale da Vinha, Portugal
Died31 October 1929(1929-10-31) (aged 63)
Lisbon, Portugal
Political partyPortuguese Republican
Evolutionist
Republican Liberal
SpouseMaria Joana Queiroga
ChildrenMaria Teresa
OccupationPolitician
ProfessionPhysician
Signature

António José de Almeida, GCTE, GCC, GCA, GCSE (Portuguese pronunciation: [ɐ̃ˈtɔniu ʒuˈzɛ ðɨ alˈmɐjðɐ]; 27 July 1866 – 31 October 1929), was a Portuguese politician who served as the sixth president of Portugal from 1919 to 1923.

Early career

Born in Penacova to José António de Almeida and his wife Maria Rita das Neves, Almeida studied medicine at the University of Coimbra and became a medical doctor. During his term as Minister for the Interior, he was the founder of both the University of Lisbon and the University of Porto in 1911. He was one of the most eloquent republican tribunes, and, after the 5 October 1910 revolution, as interior minister[1] he led the moderate wing of the Portuguese Republican Party, that opposed Afonso Costa. The moderates elected Manuel de Arriaga for first elected President, on 24 August 1911, defeating Afonso Costa's candidate, Bernardino Machado.

António José de Almeida founded his own party, the Evolutionist Party, that was in the opposition. On 12 June 1916 he became Minister for Finance and also Prime Minister of Portugal. Later, both the Evolutionist Party and the Republican Union, Manuel de Brito Camacho's party, joined to form the new Republican Liberal Party, in 1919, that went on to win the legislative elections.

Presidency

On 6 August 1919, António José de Almeida was elected the 6th President of the Republic, and was the only President of the First Republic, that completed the full four years mandate. He faced the greatest political instability of the regime and almost resigned. He was also remembered for his voyage to Brazil, in 1922, during the centennial of that country's independence from Portugal, where he was noted as a brilliant speaker.

Personal life

He married on 14 December 1910 to Maria Joana de Morais Perdigão Queiroga, daughter with her younger sisters Antónia and Catarina of Joaquim José Perdigão Queiroga (b. Évora) and first wife Maria Cândida de Morais and half-sister of Perdigão Queiroga. On 27 December 1911 they had an only daughter Maria Teresa Queiroga de Almeida, married to medical doctor Júlio Gomes da Cunha de Abreu.

Honours

Notes and references

  1. ^ "With the proclamation of the Republic and the installment of the first provisional government, which was led by Teófilo Braga with António José de Almeida as Interior Minister and Afonso Costa as Minister of Justice, all of whom were freemasons" A Shortened History of Freemasonry in Portugal, Petrestones Review
  2. ^ a b c d "CIDADÃOS NACIONAIS AGRACIADOS COM ORDENS PORTUGUESAS – Página Oficial das Ordens Honoríficas Portuguesas". www.ordens.presidencia.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2017-08-07.
Political offices
Preceded by Prime Minister of Portugal
1916
1916–1917
Succeeded by
Preceded by President of Portugal
1919–1923
Succeeded by