Daniel Cosio Villegas

Daniel Cosío Villegas was a prominent Mexican economist, essayist, historian, and diplomat. He was born in Mexico City in 1898 and studied law, engineering, and philosophy at the National University (now UNAM). He also took courses in economics at Harvard, Wisconsin, and Cornell, and received master's degrees from the London School of Economics and the École libre de sciences politiques of Paris. He worked as a journalist, secretary general of the National University, counselor to the Bank of Mexico, director of the National School of Economics, and president of the UN Economic and Social Council. He founded the Fondo de Cultura Económica, one of the most renowned publishing companies in Latin America, and El Colegio de México, a prestigious center for research and higher education. He was also a member of El Colegio Nacional and received the National Literature Award in 1971. He wrote extensively on Mexican history, politics, and economics, and was known for his critical and independent views. He published several books, such as La cuestión arancelaria en México, La historiografía política del México moderno, El Porfiriato, El sistema político mexicano, La sucesión presidencial, and Memorias. He died in Mexico City in 1976.