António José de Almeida

Who was António José de Almeida?

António José de Almeida, GCTE, GCA, GCC, GCSE, son of José António de Almeida and his wife Maria Rita das Neves, was a Portuguese political figure. He served as the sixth President of Portugal from 1919 until 1923.

He studied medicine at the University of Coimbra becoming a medical doctor and 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 Republic proclamation, as interior minister he led the moderate wing of the Portuguese Republican Party, that opposed Afonso Costa. The moderates elected Manuel de Arriaga for first elected President, in 24 August 1911, defeating Afonso Costa's candidate, Bernardino Machado. António José de Almeida founded his own party, the Republican Evolutionist Party, that was in the opposition. On 12 June 1916 he became the 6th Minister for Finance and also the 96th Prime Minister of Portugal. Later, both the Republican 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.