georgios Frangoudis

Georgios Frangoudes (Greek: Γεώργιος Φραγκούδης) (Limassol, 1869 – Athens, 7 August 1939) was a Cypriot lawyer, social scientist, journalist, newspaper publisher, writer, historian, politician and one of the co-founders and first director of Panteion University.

Early life and education Frangoudes was born in Limassol in 1869, the son of Socrates Frangoudes (Σωκράτης Φραγκούδης) (1869–1939), of the well known Frangoudes family of Limassol. His family arrived in Limassol from Trieste in the 1770s, ultimately originating in Kefalonia. His mother was Zoe Pilavaki (Ζωή Πιλαβάκη), from another historic family of Limassol, also with roots from Eptanisa. Socrates was a member of the Legislative Council of Cyprus, representing the district of Paphos. Later he became the first director of the Ottoman Bank's branch in Limassol. Georgios had three siblings Aikaterini Palaiologos, Nicholas Frangoudes and Augusta Frangoudi Evangelides. He was first cousin, from his father's side, of Menelaos and Nicholas Frangoudis and Simos Menardos.

He went to the Co-educational School of Limassol (Αλληλοδιδακτικό Σχολείο) and studied under important teachers of the time including, Demetrios Nicolaides, Andreas Themistocleous and Aristotelis Palaiologos. After finishing this school at 15, he went to Athens in 1884 in order to get a high school diploma. In 1885 at the age of 16 he began studying law at the University of Athens, graduating in 1890. Then he studied political science at the École libre des sciences politiques in Paris and then he went to London to learn English.

Journalist As a journalist he published fiery pro enosis articles in 1898-1899 for the Limassol newspaper Αλήθεια, Later, he founded in Limassol the first daily newspaper of Cyprus, Φώς (26 April 1920 - 6 May 1920). For his journalism in Μεταρύθμισις he was imprisoned in Athens in 1904. and the construction was completed by 1930.

He is the co-founder of the university along with Alexandros Pantos. Pantos bequeathed 450,000 drachmas in his will saying that a school of social sciences should be founded and named after him, placing the Greek state and specifically the Greek prime minister as the guard of the money. He was a member of the masonic Zenon lodge founded in Limassol in 1893 and played a key role in the dissemination of Greek nationalism.

Although in his early years he was a staunch proponent of enosis. His ideology was influenced by the Party of Radicals (Ionian Islands). He was a collaborator of Eleftherios Venizelos, Frangoudes historical works give a glimpse of the life on the island in the end of the 19th century.

Personal life Frangoudes was an avid trekker, he trekked Cyprus, Greece, Asia Minor, various European countries (Paris-Brussels), Africa and America. Hermes and Zoe both studied political sciences and then worked in Panteion. Zoe worked at Panteion as an administrative officer and director of the library until 1998. Hermes worked at first as a writer until 1941 where he left due to the Second World War, where he participated in the Greek resistance, in 1945 he returned to Cyprus. He had a house in Agios Theros in Karpasia, where he hid wanted fighters of EOKA. During the intercommunal fight in 1964 he volunteered in the Cypriot Army and during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 he held the rank of an officer. Three of his own children fought in the 1974 war Georgios, Stephanos and Socratis. Georgios works as an editor.

He spent the last years of his life in Kallithea. There is a bust of Frangoudes and Pantos outside of the Frangoudes museum at Panteion University, that was created in 2014. In 2015 Frangoudes was commemorated by a stamp from the Cyprus Post.