Ignacio L. Vallarta

(b. 9 October 1830, Guadalajara, Jalisco – d. 31 December 1893, Mexico City), he was son of Don Rafael Ignacio Vallarta y Villaseñor and of Doña Isabel Ogazón y Velázquez de Vallarta. He was a Mexican jurist and governor of the State of Jalisco (1872-76). His full name was Ignacio Luis Vallarta y Ogazón. He graduated from the University of Guadalajara with a law degree in 1854 and started to practice law the following year. He quickly became involved in the political scence when joined the Liberal Party. In 1856, He became private secretary of Jalisco's Governor Degollado. He and Degollado participated in the Constitutional Congress of 1856-57 as delegates for the State of Jalisco. Then, he fought in the Reform War on the side of Liberals, attending the convention that drafted the 1857 Constitution of Mexico; went into exile in San Francisco (U.S.A.) from 1864 to 1866. He served in Juarez's cabinet after the Mexican Republic's restoration, but resigned in 1868 because of disagreements between Vallarta and Jaurez's foreign minister Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada. He was elected governor of the State of Jalisco in 1871. During his governorship he was responsible for rebuilding the Government Palace, passage of the Public Education Law of 1874, and finishing work on the state penitentiary. He declined re-election when his term ended in 1876. In 1876 he was named Foreign Minister under Porfirio Diaz. In 1877 he was named President of the Supreme Court of Justice of Mexico, an office which he served concurrently with his role as Foreign Minister. He resigned from these positions in 1882, retiring into private law practice until his death in 1893. Vallarta's remains are interred at the "Rotonda de los Hombres Ilustres" Mexico City. The Mexican resort "Puerto Vallarta" (Jalisco's Pacific Coast) is named after him. The image on this article is from the Mexico's Foreing Ministers Gallery at "Secretaria de Relaciones Exteriores" Mexico City.