Jorge Basadre

Jorge Basadre
Jorge Basadre in 1930.
Born	February 12, 1903 Tacna, Peru
Died	June 29, 1980 Lima, Peru
Occupation	Historian
Spouse(s)	Isabel Ayulo Lacroix
Children	Jorge Basadre Ayulo
Parents	Carlos Basadre Forero (father) Olga Grohmann Pividal (mother)

Jorge Basadre Grohmann (February 12, 1903 – June 29, 1980) was a Peruvian historian known for his extensive publications about the independent history of his country. He served during two different administrations as Minister of Education and was also director of the Peruvian National Library.

Jorge Basadre was born to Carlos Basadre Forero and Olga Grohmann Pividal in Tacna, which was then under Chilean occupation. He started his education in the Saint Rose Lyceum of Tacna in 1908 but changed to the German School of Lima when his family moved to this city in 1912. He undertook his final year of secondary education at Our Lady of Guadalupe National School in 1918.

In 1919, Basadre entered the National University of San Marcos where he graduated as a Ph.D. in Humanities in 1928 and in Law in 1935. While studying, he also worked at the Peruvian National Library from 1919 up to 1930. He undertook postgraduate studies in the United States, Germany and Spain between 1931 and 1935.

Back in Peru, Basadre became director of the Central Library at San Marcos University, which he reorganized between 1936 and 1942. After a fire in the Peruvian National Library on May 9, 1943, Basadre was named its director and put in charge of its reconstruction. His work here included rebuilding the book collection and organizing the publishing of the Library magazine, Fénix. For a short period in 1945 he was named Minister of Education by president José Luis Bustamante y Rivero. He was elected to the presidency of the Instituto Histórico del Perú (Historic Institute of Peru) for the period 1956-1962. Peruvian president Manuel Prado Ugarteche named him Minister of Education a second time in 1956, a post he held until his resignation in 1958.