Rafael Altamira y Crevea

Rafael Altamira y Crevea (1866 to 1951) was a Spanish historian and jurist born in Alicante, regarded as one of the most significant Spanish historians of the twentieth century. His best known work, Historia de Espana y de la Civilizacion Espanola, published in 1899, became a standard account of Spanish history and civilization. In 1898, working with colleagues at the University of Oviedo's law school, he helped establish a University Extension program that brought university teaching to people without access to higher education. He lectured widely in Argentina, Peru, the United States, France and England, and served as a judge on the Permanent Court of International Justice at The Hague, where he was known as an advocate for international peace and dialogue. His humanitarian work earned him a Nobel Peace Prize nomination in 1933, the same year he became a foreign honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.