Luis Cruz Ocampo
Luis David Cruz Ocampo (5 June 1890 – 1973) was a Chilean politician who served as a minister.
Biography
Cruz Ocampo was born in Concepción in 1891, the son of Luis David Cruz and Justina Ocampo. He married Amelia López de Heredia, with whom he had four children: Álvaro, Ximena, Amelia and Valentina Cruz.
He attended the Conciliar Seminary of Concepción and subsequently studied law at the state-sponsored law course then maintained by the University of Chile in Concepción. He qualified as a lawyer in 1914 and later travelled to France, where he pursued further studies in international law and philosophy.
He served as Secretary-General of the University of Concepción and played an active role in its establishment as a member of the executive committee of the Pro-University of Concepción Committee. In 1920, he drafted the university's first statutes. The following year, together with other professionals, he devised a system of prize-linked donations that became a precursor to the present-day Lotería de Concepción, providing financial support for the newly established university.
In 1924, Cruz Ocampo was also one of the founders of Atenea. A professor of philosophy, public international law and legal history, he was responsible for establishing the University of Concepción's central library and served as its director from 1926 to 1939. The library was later named in his honour in recognition of his contribution to the institution.
Cruz Ocampo briefly served as Minister of Public Education during the administrations of Carlos Dávila in 1932 and Gabriel González Videla in 1952.
From 1939 to 1945, he served as Chilean ambassador to the Holy See.
The government of President Juan Antonio Ríos subsequently appointed Cruz Ocampo as Chile's first ambassador to the Soviet Union. He served in Moscow from 1946 to 1949. During his posting, his eldest son, Álvaro, married Soviet citizen Lidia Lesina. Soviet authorities prevented her from leaving the country, resulting in a diplomatic dispute between Chile and the Soviet Union. The episode contributed to the severing of diplomatic relations between the two countries; relations were eventually restored in 1964 during the presidency of Eduardo Frei Montalva.
After returning to Chile, Cruz Ocampo served as legal adviser to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1956, he headed the Chilean delegation to the Specialized Conference on the Preservation of Natural Resources.
Cruz Ocampo died in Concepción. His funeral was held on 18 August 1973.