Adolfo Ruiz Cortines

Adolfo Ruiz Cortines
President of Mexico
In office December 1, 1952 – November 30, 1958
Preceded by	Miguel Alemán Valdés
Succeeded by	Adolfo López Mateos
Born	December 30 1890(1890-12-30) Veracruz, Veracruz
Died	December 30 1973 (aged 83) Mexico City
Nationality	Mexican
Political party	Institutional Revolutionary Party
Spouse	María Dolores Izaguirre

Adolfo Ruiz Cortines (December 30 1890 – December 3 1973) was President of Mexico from 1952 to 1958, representing the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). He is perhaps best remembered for granting women the right to vote in presidential elections.

Life

Ruiz was born in the port of Veracruz, Veracruz, and there he completed his early education. His father died when he was an infant, and he quit school at the age of 16 in order to work in a textile mill and as an accountant to support his family. In 1912, he moved to Mexico City, and as a supporter of Francisco I. Madero, he fought against the political rise of Victoriano Huerta. He joined the military in 1914, primarily working as an administrator. In 1921 he began working in the Office of Social Statistics, and from 1926-1935 he served as director of that office. From 1937 to 1940, he served as a federal deputy, and then from 1944-1948, as governor of Veracruz. He worked for the presidential campaigns of Manuel Ávila Camacho (1940) and Miguel Alemán Valdés (1946). In 1948 he became the Secretary of Government under Alemán, replacing Héctor Pérez Martínez, who died of a heart attack while serving. Ruiz then succeeded Alemán as president in 1952. Following his term, he became a consulting economist for the government, serving until 1967. He died six years later.

Presidential term

As president, Ruiz attempted to promote national unity, honest government, and a lower cost of living. He established minimum prices for various crops, thereby improving price stability and increasing production. He invested heavily in communications and transportation, as well as public education. In April 1954, he oversaw a severe devaluation of the peso. However, he is perhaps best known for being the president who increased the political rights of women, granting the right to vote and the right to be elected. Historians consider him to be one of the most honest and least corrupt presidents in Mexican history. He enjoyed a good working relationship with contemporary U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

References

• (Spanish) Mexican government biography
• Online biography
• Camp, Roderic A. Mexican Political Biographies. Tucson, Arizona: University of Arizona, 1982.

Mexican Post-Revolution Presidents

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