Gonzalo Abad Grijalva (August 1, 1910 – June 13, 2009) was an

Ecuadorian Ecuadorians ( es, ecuatorianos) are people identified with the South American country of Ecuador. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Ecuadorians, several (or all) of these connections exist and are collect ...

educator who served as Ecuador's Minister of Education and was a delegate of

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

Biography

He was born in Chone,

Manabí Province Manabí () is a province in Ecuador. Its capital is Portoviejo. The province is named after the Manabí people. Demographics Ethnic groups as of the Ecuadorian census of 2010: *Mestizo 66.7% * Montubio 19.2% * Afro-Ecuadorian 6.0% *White 7 ...

, Ecuador, on August 1, 1910. His parents were Carlos Abad Piedra and Matilde Grijalva Macías. In 1924 he studied at the Juan Montalvo Normal School (high school) in Quito. In 1930 he enrolled at the

Central University of Ecuador , image = Escudo de la Universidad Central del Ecuador.png , caption = , alt = , motto = ''Omnium Potentior est Sapientia'' , established = , type = National university , president = , ...

to become a mathematics and physics teacher. Based on his good grades, the Ecuadorian government awarded him a scholarship to pursue his graduate studies at the

Free University of Brussels University of Brussels may refer to several institutions in Brussels, Belgium: Current institutions * Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), a French-speaking university established as a separate entity in 1970 *Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), a D ...

and then at the

Teachers College at Columbia University Teachers College, Columbia University (TC), is the graduate school of education, health, and psychology of Columbia University, a private research university in New York City. Founded in 1887, it has served as one of the official faculties and ...

, New York. In 1942 he married María Luisa. In 1961 he was appointed the Minister of Education by the government of Carlos Julio Arosemena Monroy (in office: 1961–1963). In 1963 he received the Order of Merit (Grand Cross) from the Ecuadorian government. In 1972 he replaced

Oswaldo Guayasamín Oswaldo Guayasamín (July 6, 1919 – March 10, 1999) was an Ecuadorian painter and sculptor of Kichwa and Mestizo heritage. Biography Early life Guayasamín was born in Quito, Ecuador, to a native father and a Mestiza mother, both of Kichwa de ...

as the President of the

House of Ecuadorian Culture La Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana (''The House of Ecuadorian Culture'') is a cultural organization founded by Benjamín Carrión on August 9, 1944, during the presidency of Dr Jose Maria Velasco Ibarra. It was created to stimulate, to direct and ...

, after Guayasamín had a disagreement with General Vicente Anda Aguirre, the minister of education during the dictatorship of

Guillermo Rodríguez Lara Guillermo () is the Spanish form of the male given name William. The name is also commonly shortened to 'Guille' or, in Latin America, to nickname 'Memo'. People *Guillermo Amor (born 1967), Spanish football manager and former player *Guillermo Ar� ...

(in office: 1972–1976). He resigned from the post after 6 months due to the lack of funds necessary to accomplish many projects. In 1976 he married Jeannine Rouseau Contaud. He was the Ambassador of Ecuador to Paris from 1979 to 1983,Représentants diplomatiques de l’Equateur en France
/ref> appointed by the administration of President

Jaime Roldós Aguilera Jaime Roldós Aguilera (5 November 1940 – 24 May 1981) was 33rd President of Ecuador from 10 August 1979 until his death on 24 May 1981. In his short tenure, he became known for his firm stance on human rights. Early life and career Roldós ...

(in office: 1979–1981). He died on June 13, 2009.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grijalva, Gonzalo Abad 1910 births 2009 deaths People from Chone, Ecuador Central University of Ecuador alumni Free University of Brussels (1834–1969) alumni Teachers College, Columbia University alumni Ambassadors of Ecuador to France Ecuadorian diplomats