Carlos Dávila

This article is about the Chilean politician. For other people, see Carlos Dávila (disambiguation).

In this Chilean name, the first or paternal surname is Dávila and the second or maternal family name is Espinoza.

Carlos Gregorio Dávila Espinoza (September 15, 1887 – October 19, 1955), was a Chilean political figure, journalist, chairman of the Government Junta of Chile in 1932, and secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS) from 1954 until his death in 1955.

Carlos Dávila
Secretary General of the Organization of American States
In office 1954 – October 19, 1955
Preceded by	Alberto Lleras Camargo
Succeeded by	José Antonio Mora
Provisional President of Chile
In office July 8, 1932 – September 13, 1932
Preceded by	Himself (Junta government)
Succeeded by	Bartolomé Blanche
President of Government Junta of Chile
In office June 16, 1932 – July 8, 1932
Preceded by	Arturo Puga
Succeeded by	Himself (non-Junta government)
Personal details
Born	Carlos Gregorio Dávila Espinoza (1887-09-15)September 15, 1887 Los Ángeles, Chile
Died	October 19, 1955(1955-10-19) (aged 68) Washington D.C., United States
Political party	Socialist Party
Spouses	Herminia Arrate ​ ​ (m. 1929; died 1941)​ Frances Adams Moore ​ (m. 1950)​

Early life

Dávila was born in Los Ángeles, Chile, to Luis Dávila and Emilia Espinoza. He graduated from the University of Santiago, Chile, (then called School of Arts and Crafts) in 1907. In 1911, he entered law school at the University of Chile, but dropped out three years later to work for newspaper El Mercurio, of Santiago. He left that paper in 1917 to establish La Nación of the same city, which he directed until 1927. In 1932, he founded the Chilean magazine Hoy.

Political career

From 1927 to 1931, Dávila served as Chilean ambassador to the United States. In 1929, he received an honorary LL.D. from Columbia University, and another the same year from the University of Southern California, in Los Angeles, California.

Socialist Republic of Chile

Main article: Socialist Republic of Chile

Dávila was a member of the Government Junta of Chile that controlled Chile from June 4 to July 8, 1932, serving as president of the Government Junta from June 16. On July 8, Dávila dissolved the Government Junta and assumed power as "Provisional President of Chile", calling new congressional elections. He served as provisional President of Chile until September 13, one of six people during that year to lead the country as President of Chile and/or President of the Government Junta.

Professor, journalist and international public service

In 1933, Dávila was visiting professor of international law at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, under the auspices of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Later he came to the United States and was associated for many years with the Editors Press Service, and acted as correspondent for numerous important South American newspapers. In 1941 he received the Maria Moors Cabot Award from Columbia University for his distinguished journalistic contribution in the service of the Americas. A prolific writer, Dávila is the author of "We of the Americas", published in 1949 and has contributed many analytical studies on politics and economics to leading American publications.

Dávila served on the Council of United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration from 1943 to 1946, and was Chilean representative to the Inter-American Financial and Economic Advisory Committee in 1940. In the same year, he became the author of the "Dávila plan", which created the Inter-American Development Commission, which became the Inter-American Council for Integral Development within the Organization of American States, when that body was created in 1948. In 1946, he served as a member of the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

Having contributed to the founding of the OAS, Dávila was chosen, in August 1954, as its secretary general.

Personal life

Dávila's first wife, Herminia Arrate de Dávila, died in Chile in 1941, and Dávila returned to the United States with their two daughters, Luz and Paz. In 1950, he remarried, this time to Frances Adams Moore of Massachusetts, a widow with a daughter, Dolly, by her first husband.

Dávila died on 19 October 1955, 14 months into his service as secretary general of the Organization of American States.

References

• OAS children's site
• "Carlos Dávila Espinoza: 1887-1944". Enciclopedia Escolar Icarito. (in Spanish)
• "'Progressive Socialism'". Time. 20 June 1932.