Manuel Olivencia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Manuel Olivencia
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Olivencia in 2006
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| Born |
Manuel Olivencia Ruiz
25 July 1929 |
| Died | (aged 88) Seville, Spain
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| Alma mater | University of Bologna |
| Occupation | Lawyer, professor |
| Awards | Creu de Sant Jordi Award (1990) |
Manuel Olivencia Ruiz (born July 25, 1929 – died January 1, 2018) was an important Spanish lawyer. He was also a professor, an economist, and worked as a diplomat. He taught at the University of Seville and helped organize a big event called Seville Expo '92.
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Growing Up
Manuel Olivencia was born in Ronda, Spain, on July 25, 1929. He spent his childhood in Ceuta. His father was also a lawyer, which might have inspired him. Manuel studied very hard and graduated with honors from the University of Bologna in 1953.
His Career
Manuel Olivencia decided early on that he wanted to be a lawyer. However, he loved teaching even more.
Teaching and Leadership
He became a professor of commercial law at the Complutense University of Madrid. In 1960, he moved to the University of Seville to teach commercial law. One of his famous students there was Felipe González, who later became the Prime Minister of Spain.
At the University of Seville, Olivencia was a leader. He was the dean (head) of the law school from 1968 to 1971. Then, he became the dean of the economics school from 1971 to 1975.
Working for the Government
Olivencia also worked for the Spanish government. He was an Undersecretary of Education and Science during a time when Spain was changing to a democracy. He also advised the Bank of Spain and was on the board of RTVE, a big Spanish TV and radio company.
Organizing Expo '92
One of his biggest jobs was being the Commissioner General for the 1992 Universal Exposition of Seville (Expo '92). This was a huge international fair, like a world's fair. He worked on it from 1984 to 1991. Olivencia said that getting everything ready in time was a major challenge.
Awards and Recognition
For his great work on Expo '92, he received the Creu de Sant Jordi Award. This is a very important award from Catalonia, a region in Spain. In 2005, he joined the Royal Academy of Jurisprudence and Legislation, which is a group of top legal experts.
In December 2017, Juan Ignacio Zoido honored Olivencia with a special award. It was given to him for his "life dedicated to public service." In 2012, Seville named him an "Adoptive Son" for his contributions to the city through Expo '92.
Legal Writings
Throughout his career, Olivencia wrote more than 200 books and articles. These were about different parts of mercantile law, which is the law about businesses and trade. Many of his writings were collected into five volumes of legal studies.
Later Life and Death
Manuel Olivencia passed away on January 1, 2018, in Seville. He was 88 years old. He died from breathing problems after falling in December 2017. He had four children, but sadly, one of them died before him in 2014.
Honors and Awards
Manuel Olivencia received many important honors during his life:
- Great Crosses of the Order of Alfonso X the Wise
- Great Crosses of the Military Merit
- Great Crosses of St. Raymond of Peñafort
- Great Crosses of Isabella the Catholic
- Golden Cross of Merit of Austria
- Creu de Sant Jordi Award of Catalonia
- Favorite Son of Ronda (his hometown)
- Adoptive Son of Seville (where he did much work)
- Gold Medal of the City of Ceuta (where he grew up)
