Carlos Saavedra Lamas

Argentine academic and politician

Born: November 1, 1878 · Died: May 5, 1959

Famous Persons

Who was Carlos Saavedra Lamas?

Carlos Saavedra Lamas (1 November 1878 – 5 May 1959) was an Argentine academic and politician who served as Argentina's foreign minister from 1932 to 1938. A legal scholar specializing in labor legislation and international law, he also served as rector of the University of Buenos Aires. Saavedra Lamas was born in Buenos Aires into a family descended from an early Argentine patriot, and he later married a daughter of Argentine president Roque Sáenz Peña. He studied at Lacordaire College before entering the University of Buenos Aires Faculty of Law, where he earned a doctorate in law summa cum laude in 1903.

Historical significance

As foreign minister, he drafted the 1933 Treaty of Nonaggression and Conciliation and helped mediate an end to the Chaco War between Bolivia and Paraguay, work for which he was awarded the 1936 Nobel Peace Prize, becoming the first Latin American recipient of the prize. He became known both as a scholar of labor legislation and international law and, later, as Argentina's foreign minister, where he was credited with drafting international agreements and leading diplomatic mediation efforts.

Sources and further reading

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MLA

“Carlos Saavedra Lamas.” thisDay, thisday.info/people/carlos-saavedra-lamas/. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

APA

Carlos Saavedra Lamas. (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved November 9, 2026, from https://thisday.info/people/carlos-saavedra-lamas/

Chicago

“Carlos Saavedra Lamas.” thisDay. Accessed November 9, 2026. https://thisday.info/people/carlos-saavedra-lamas/.

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