Bartolomé Mitre
Bartolomé Mitre (1821-1906) was born in Argentina but grew up in Uruguay, where he began his career as a soldier and journalist. He became involved in various political conflicts in Uruguay and Argentina, leading to exile in Bolivia and Chile before his eventual presidency in Argentina.
Teaching trajectory
Mitre firmly believed in education as the cornerstone of a modern country, emphasizing statistics and geography. He served as the first chair of Statistics, teaching it to government officials briefly before his exile. He viewed statistics as fundamental for understanding a nation's population, power, wealth, and glory.
Political trajectory
Mitre joined the Colorado Party in Uruguay and supported the unitario faction in Argentina against the Rosista regime. He was exiled to Bolivia and Chile. He was President of Argentina from 1862 to 1868. During his presidency, he established the National Statistics Office, the Department of Engineers, the National Astronomical Observatory, and the Meteorological Office. He also founded the newspaper La Nacion.
Connections between both careers
Mitre's political career was deeply intertwined with his educational philosophy, particularly his belief in scientific organization and statistical knowledge. His presidency saw the establishment of crucial institutions like the National Statistics Office, directly reflecting his view that statistics and scientific bureaucracy were vital for national modernization and development, which he also taught to officials.
Contradictions
The report notes a tension between Mitre's 'prof' (statesman/leader) and 'professor' persona, highlighted by his nicknames. While 'Don Bartolo' implied familiarity and leadership, 'Divus Bartolus' was a sarcastic Latinized moniker from a political debate, suggesting an attempt at deification that Mitre and his publication 'La Nacion' did not tolerate, leading to a minister's resignation.
Sources
Thames, Juan. 2018. “Bartolomé Mitre, uno de los constructores de la Argentina moderna.” Infobae. https://www.infobae.com/opinion/2018/01/27/bartolome-mitre-uno-de-los-constructores-de-la-argentina-moderna/.
Frías, Susana. 2022. “Mitre vio en la estadística una oportunidad para conformar el país moderno.” Academia nacional de la historia de la república argentina. https://anh.org.ar/blog/2022/05/23/mitre-vio-en-la-estadistica-una-oportunidad-para-conformar-el-pais-moderno/#:~:text=Los%20desvelos%20de%20Mitre%20por,La.
Frías, Susana. 2022.
“Apodos y sobrenombres.” n.d. Revisionistas, la otra historia de los argentinos. Accessed July 6, 2026. https://www.revisionistas.com.ar/?p=14149. ** questionable sourcing**
“Revisionistas de Gral San Martín.” 2019. https://revisionistasdesanmartin.blogspot.com/2019/03/los-apodos-de-los-presidentes-1862-1943.html. **questionable sourcing**
“jote.” n.d. Wiktionary. Accessed July 6, 2026. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/jote.
La Nacion. 1926. “La amistad entre Don Benjamin Vicuna Mackenna y Don Bartolome Mitre.” La Nacion, January 25, 1926, 5. https://www.bibliotecanacionaldigital.gob.cl/colecciones/BND/00/PE/PE0001147_3299.pdf.
“Grupo La Nacion.” n.d. Media Ownership Monitor Argentina 2018. Accessed July 6, 2026. https://argentina.mom-gmr.org/en/owners/companies/detail/company//grupo-la-nacion-1/.
“La Argentina Del Centenario.” n.d. 104. Accessed July 6, 2026. https://elbibliote.com/resources/Temas/historia/091_112_hist_arg_jmrosa_argentina_del_centenario.pdf.