Orlando Carvalho (1910-1998)
Another friend from Belo Horizonte. This fine gentleman was a full-time professor at the Federal University of Minas Gerais in the modern city of Belo Horizonte. The latter was the state capitol, which had been transferred years earlier from the historic city of Ouro Preto. That city, with its many steep hills, was thought too confining for the locale of a modern administrative center. This transfer of capital cities was a precedent for the later transfer of the capital of Rio to Brasilia. This was no coincidence, for the later move of the national capital was carried out by President Kubitschek, himself a Mineiro.
Professor Carvalho was, in addition to his academic duties, also the editor of the leading political science journal, the regularly published (not so easy in those days of roaring inflation) Revista de estudos políticos. He kindly asked me for a contribution. Fortunately I had one up my sleeve. It had already been published back home. That was no problem. His staff would translate it. They did and I am happy to say it got favorable notice. It was about the latest book of Brazil’s most famous historian, Gilberto Freyre. He would be the subject of my later scholarship.
Professor C. was an amazing companion. He was an incurable gossip. Within hours of my arrival he was vouchsafing to me untold secrets about the locals.
Then, after all, what is political science if not gossip?
Further Readings
Carvalho, Orlando. Problemas fundamentaes do municipio. São Paulo: Companhia Editora Nacional, 1937.
Carvalho, Orlando. A união europeia. Coimbra: Faculdade de Direito, Curso de Estudos Europeus, 1994.
Carvalho, Orlando. Ensaios de sociologia eleitoral. Belo Horizonte, Brasil: Universidade de Minas Gerais, 1958.
Orlando Carvalho was born in Pouso Alegre, Minas Gerais. In 1938, he worked as Professor of Constitutional Law at the School of Law at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG). In 1956, he established the Revista brasileira de estudos políticos, which focused primarily on the study of political science in Brazil. In 1971, Carvalho led the Special Committee on Complementary Laws to the Constitution of the State of Minas Gerais. Later, in 1986, President José Sarney appointed him to the Interim Commission for Constitutional Studies. In 1997, the mayor of Belo Horizonte awarded Carvalho the Centenary Medal for his involvement in the education of the city’s people.