Umberto Ricci

Umberto Ricci (1879–1946) was an Italian academic and economist who served as the minister of education in 1945 shortly after the end of the Fascist rule in Italy. He was a leading academic and worked at various universities.

Early life and education Ricci was born in Chieti on 20 February 1879. He obtained a diploma from the Ferdinando Galiani technical-commercial institute in Chieti. Following World War I Ricci was named as a member of the committee of technical experts, called the “commission for the revision of balances and the reduction of public expenditures”. In addition to his academic activities, Ricci was also an active politician and became a member of the Liberal Party. In March 1928 he was removed from his teaching post at the Italian universities due to his criticism of fascist economic policies. There he stayed until 30 October 1945 when he returned to Italy. He was about to leave Egypt for Italy to resume his post at the Sapienza University of Rome.