PROFILE
| Full name: Manuel Dávila Flórez |
| Place of birth: Mompox, Bolivar, Colombia |
| Birthdate: 1851 |
| Date of death: April 1, 1924 |
BIOGRAPHY
Manuel Dávila Flórez was a Colombian professor and politician born in Mompox, Bolívar in 1851. During his academic and political life he held various positions, including: “Rector of the University of Cartagena”, “Minister of Public Instruction”, “congressman”. , “Secretary of Government and War”, among others.
Dávila was born and raised in a wealthy family that during the war of 1860 lost all his fortune, he completed his first studies in Pinillos de Mompox school, in 1872 he received a scholarship from the state of Bolívar, he began studies at the University cartagena, but he retired due to the arrival of a German pedagogue Julio Walner who came in order to found “The Normal School”, despite being offered a scholarship at said school, he rejected it since he opposed being under the direction of a Protestant.
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He then went to the “Colegio Esperanza” where he was a teacher and student at the same time, pursuing law studies that were validated by the University of Cartagena in 1978.
Dávila stood out for his fierce defense of the Catholic religion, always having it as a pillar of all his educational and political projects. An example of this was the introduction at the University of Cartagena of attendance at mass on Sunday and punishment for those who missed it.
Likewise, his thoughts can be seen reflected in the concerns he expressed about the existence of Darwinist works in the library of the University of Cartagena, and he tried to counteract the influence of said works by donating to it three texts by French Catholic authors who combated theories about Darwinism. the evolution.
Dávila was also a founding member of the Academy of History of Cartagena de Indias; in the year 1916 where he appears as its vice president.
EDUCATION
Dávila always had a great vocation for teaching, he taught in Cartagena, Mompox and Barranquilla, this led him to go through all the administrative positions in education at the time; From teaching, general director of public education in Bolívar (1886), position in which he normalized the use of primary education texts and the Regulations for Primary Public Instruction in the State of Bolívar, he was appointed rector of the University of Cartagena ( between 1887 and August 1891 and on the second occasion he was appointed as rector by the governor of Bolívar Ramon Rodriguez Diago up to one year before his death).
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During the Valencia presidency he was appointed Minister of public education.
Dávila also published several works, among which the following stand out: The decimal metric system, commercial code of the department of Bolívar and Letter on public instruction, channeling of the arm of the Magdalena river called the arm of Mompox. Beside Joaquín F. Vélez and Abel M. Isisarri, he carried out a long journalistic work in publications such as Heraldo and El Semanario Comercial of Barranquilla and in El Patriota, La Voz Nacional, El Eco de la Costa and Correo de Bolívar in Cartagena and in Bogotá he was one of the founders and editors of the Society.
POLICY
Dávila was of liberal origin and was a very active member of said party, but this changed when the murders of conservatives began to occur in Cartagena, to which was added the educational reform of that year, this made him declare himself conservative, since then He defended the values of said party.
He was head of the conservative party in the province of Mompox and member of its leadership in the Department of Bolívar, he also served as Magistrate of the Court, secretary of government and War, secretary of the Treasury, Governor and Civil and Military Chief of Bolívar and promoter Prosecutor of the Diocese of Cartagena.
I held the position of congressman in both chambers on several occasions; during the presidential term of Rafael Reyes He was persecuted and exiled, in 1910 he was a member of the constituent assembly.
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When Rafael Reyes left power and assumed the presidency provisionally Ramon Gonzalez Valencia In 1909, Manuel Dávila Flórez was appointed Minister of Public Instruction. He had a very active participation in politics until 1919, the year in which Marco Fidel Suarez visited the Atlantic Coast, with the aim of seeking a better understanding with the departments that had formed the Coastal League. Among Fidel Suarez's projects to achieve his purpose was the importation of wheat, a project with which Dávila did not agree and presented his resignation.
His greatest contribution to conservatism was from education; Among his most notable contributions is the proposal to modernize the University of Cartagena.
FAMILY
Davila Florez married Mrs. Manuela Nájera, he had two, Dominga Davila, a legitimate daughter, and Juana de Dios Dávila, a natural daughter born before his marriage.
DEATH
On April 1, 1924, Dávila died in Rome as a result of bronchopneumonia. He died without fulfilling the plans for the university reforms that he had proposed, which was his most important project. These were taken up by the student leaders and directors of the university.
His death struck a chord with a large part of Cartagena society, prompting various pronouncements in the city's newspapers and tributes from different entities and organizations at the local, departmental and national level.
TRIBUTES
Among the posthumous tributes to Manuel Dávila Flórez is the Bust erected by his students in the student square in front of the University of Cartagena and a commemorative plaque on its walls.
