Bienvenido Gonzales was president of the University of the Philippines from 1939 to 1943 and again from 1945 to 1951.

BIENVENIDO GONZALES

Gonzales was a professor of animal husbandry at the University of the Philippines. He became the department head, and later dean of the College of Agriculture.

He was appointed the 6th president of the University of the Philippines in 1939, amidst opposition because of his animal breeding provenance. At 46 years old, he was the youngest ever to be named university president. His term was characterized by his open attitude to students and faculty and the encouragement of the use of Tagalog as a national language.

He encouraged the establishment of a UP College of Nursing. Upon the outbreak of World War II, he resigned from his position rather than serve under the Japanese. When the Philippine Commonwealth was re-established in 1945, Dr. Gonzales was reappointed as the 8th president.

Dr. Gonzales' second term was characterized by extreme difficulty and poverty. He made the decision to transfer the bulk of the university's operations to the then distant and barren area of Diliman, insisting that the bulk of new construction be located on the 493 hectare area donated by the Tuason Family. Amidst attacks from media and opposition figures, he persisted with his vision and succeeded in having the United States War Damage Commission pay P13 million for rehabilitation and construction.

22 November 1893

to 30 December 1953