Miguel de la Madrid Hurtado, President of Mexico. Oratory champion of all Mexico City secondary schools, 1949; Vice President of the Law Student Society, National Autonomous University, when Porfirio Muñoz Ledo was president.
Background
De la Madrid Hurtado, Miguel was born on December 12, 1934 in Colima, Colima, Mexico. Studied general theory of the state at National Autonomous University under José López Portillo. Thesis committee included Mario de la Cueva, Jesús Reyes Heroles, Antonio Martinez Bdez, and Adolfo Christlieb Ibarrola.
Uncle Alfonso de la Madrid is the grandson of Porfirista governor of Colima, Enrique O. de la Madrid. Cousin of Fernando Fernández Hurtado, his political mentor, and director general of the Bank of Mexico, 1970-1976. Son of lawyer and notary Miguel de la Madrid Castro and Alicia Hurtado daughter of lawyer Luis Cordero Bustamante and Delia Tapia Labardini.
First political mentor was José Ricardo Zevada, who recruited him to public life. Student of John Kenneth Galbraith, Calvin Blair, Don K. Price and Arthur Smithies at Harvard. Daughter Margarita married Guillermo Jimenez Losada.
Education
Primary and secondary studies in Mexico City. Preparatory studies from the Cristóbal Colón School. Law degree with honorable mention from the National School of Law, National Autonomous University, 1952-1957, thesis on “Economic Thought of the 1857 Constitution”.
Second highest GPA of his law school generation (9.9). Master of Arts degree in Public Administration from Harvard University, 1964-1965. Professor of Constitutional Law at the National School of Law, United Nations AM, on leave since 1968.
Career
President of Mexico, 1982-1988. Member of Institutional Revolutionary Party since 1963. Advisor to the Administration of the Bank of Mexico, 1960-1965.
Subdirector General of Credit of the Secretariat of the Treasury, 1965-1970. Subdirector of Finances of Petróleos Mexicanos, 1970-1972. Director General of Credit of the Secretariat of the Treasury, 1972-1975.
Subsecretary of Credit of the Secretariat of the Treasury, 1975-1976. 1976-1979; Secretary of Planning and Programming, 1979-1982. Employed in the Legal Department of the National Bank of Foreign Commerce, 1953-1957.
Worked briefly for the Mining Chamber of Mexico with José Campillo Sainz. Secretary of the Mexican delegation to the First Annual Reunion of the Inter-American Economic and Social Council of the Organization of American States, 1962. Attended many international economic conferences, 1963-1969.
Author of various articles.
Religion
Roman Catholic
Membership
Oratory champion of all Mexico City secondary schools, 1949. Vice President of the Law Student Society, National Autonomous University, when Porfirio Muñoz Ledo was president.
