Venceslau Brás

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Brás and the second or paternal family name is Pereira Gomes.

This article is about the Brazilian president. For the Brazilian city in Minas Gerais State, see Wenceslau Braz, Minas Gerais. For the Brazilian city in Paraná State, see Wenceslau Braz, Paraná.

Venceslau Brás Pereira Gomes (26 February 1868 – 15 May 1966) was a Brazilian politician who served as ninth president of Brazil between 1914 and 1918, during the First Brazilian Republic. Brás was born in Brasópolis (formerly São Caetano da Vargem Grande), Minas Gerais State. He became governor of that state in 1909, and in 1910 he was elected vice-president under Hermes Rodrigues da Fonseca. As the sixth vice president of Brazil, he also served as the President of the Senate. He was elected president in 1914 and served until 1918. His government declared war on the Central Powers in October 1917 during World War I. He was the longest-lived Brazilian president, reaching 98 years of age.

His Excellency Venceslau Brás
Official portrait, 1914
9th President of Brazil
In office 15 November 1914 – 15 November 1918
Vice President	Urbano Santos
Preceded by	Hermes da Fonseca
Succeeded by	Delfim Moreira
Vice President of Brazil
In office 15 November 1910 – 14 November 1914
President	Hermes da Fonseca
Preceded by	Nilo Peçanha
Succeeded by	Urbano Santos
Other offices held 1909–1910 President of Minas Gerais 1903–1909 Federal Deputy for Minas Gerais 1898–1902 Secretary of the Interior, Justice and Public Security of Minas Gerais 1892–1898 State Deputy of Minas Gerais 1890–1891 Mayor of Monte Santo
Personal details
Born	(1868-02-26)26 February 1868 Brasópolis, Province of Minas Gerais, Empire of Brazil
Died	15 May 1966(1966-05-15) (aged 98) Itajubá, Minas Gerais, Republic of the United States of Brazil
Political party	PRM
Spouse	Maria Carneiro Santiago ​ ​ (m. 1892; died 1925)​
Children	7
Parent(s)	Francisco Brás Pereira Gomes (father) Isabel Pereira dos Santos (mother)
Alma mater	Faculty of Law of Largo de São Francisco
Signature

Spelling of name

Throughout his life Brás spelled his name Wenceslau Braz, although there exist postage stamps with the spelling Wenceslao as well. The 1943 reform of Portuguese orthography stipulates that the names of deceased persons must be spelled according to standard Portuguese spelling rules. All Portuguese-language texts about Brás published after 1966 must therefore spell his name Venceslau Brás.

Legacy

• Presidente Venceslau, a municipality in the state of São Paulo

• 
  President Venceslau Brás and his cabinet in 1915: Marshal José Caetano de Faria (War), Augusto Tavares de Lima (Transportation), Lauro Müller (Foreign Affairs) and Admiral Alexandrino Faria de Alencar (Navy). Around him, senators, congressmen and journalists.
• 
  President Brás signs a declaration of war against the Central Powers in October 1917. At his side, the former president and then Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nilo Peçanha, and the governor of Minas Gerais and future president of the Republic, Delfim Moreira.
• 
  Former president Brás in 1961

See also

Brazil during World War I

External links

• Rafael Pinheiro de Araujo: Brás, Venceslau, in: 1914-1918-online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War.