Conrado Benitez

Conrado Francia Benitez (November 26, 1889 – January 4, 1971) was a Filipino statesman, writer, and educator. He founded the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement and was one of the drafters of the 1935 Constitution of the Philippines.

Early life and education Benitez was born on November 26, 1889, in Pagsanjan, Laguna. He studied at the Philippine Normal School and graduated valedictorian. In 1911, he was sent to the United States as a government pensionado and enrolled at the University of Chicago where he acquired his M.A, and his Ph.D. Back in the Philippines, he studied law at the University of the Philippines. He was a member of the Upsilon Sigma Phi fraternity.

Career

He taught history and economics at the Philippine Normal College. Later, he founded the College of Business Administration of the University of the Philippines, and became its first dean. He was also one of the founding trustees of the Philippine Women's University, the first university for women in Asia. He was the first chairman and co-founder of the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM) and trustee of the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR) - both of which were dedicated to people living in the rural areas. For a time, his 1926 textbook History of the Philippines was widely used in Philippine public schools.

In 1937, US President Franklin D. Roosevelt made him member of the Filipino-American joint committee charged with formulating economic plans in preparation for the country's independence. In 1938, he was appointed assistant executive secretary to the President Manuel Quezon.

Freemasonry

Benitez entered freemasonry in November 1914, where he was elected Junior Warden. In 1936, he was elected Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of the Philippines. His contemporaries include Jose Abad Santos, Trinidad H. Pardo de Tavera, Manuel L. Quezon, Francisco A. Delgado, Frederic H. Stevens, Teodoro M. Kalaw, and Manuel Camus. In 1961, Benitez was duly elected as the second Sovereign Grand Commander of the Philippine Supreme Council.