José Benjamin Zubiaur

José Benjamín Zubiaur (1856–1921) was an Argentine educator. Promoter of sport, physical education, and the modern Olympic movement. He was one of the thirteen original members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). He was the rector of the Concepción del Uruguay College and Director at the Escuelas de la provincia de Corrientes. After 1915 he was Director of Education, Ministry of Education. He was characterized by their innovative teaching ideas to expand education to all social sectors, including content such as physical education, industrial education, practical activities, etc. as well as methods like night school, rural schools, education both sexes combined, and so on.

Born in Paraná, Entre Ríos Province, Argentina completed his secondary education at the Concepción del Uruguay College. In 1877 he was promoter and first president of the Educationist Association "The Fraternity", composed by students of the college.

In 1879, when he was 23 years old, one year after receipt of bachelor, he founded the "Benjamin Franklin" School in order to implement their innovative ideas in education.

He obtained the title of attorney at the Buenos Aires University. In 1886, he founded with other educators and students the magazine "La Educación".

In 1889 the Argentine government appointed him, along with Alejo Peyret, to represent his country at the Paris Exposition. He participated in the International Congress for the Propagation of Physical Exercise in Education, which organizer was the Baron Pierre de Coubertin, future inspirer of the modern Olympic Games. There, Zubiaur met Baron de Coubertin, who appointed him to integrate in 1894 the first International Olympic Committee, the unique representative of a Spanish-American country, a position in which he served until 1907.

Baron Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games mentioned him in his Olympic Memories:

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