Américo de Deus Rodrigues Tomás

Educated at Liceu do Carmo (1905-1906), Liceu da Lapa (1906-1911), and Liceu Pedro Nunes (1911-1912); attended the Faculty of Sciences in Lisbon (1912-1914), but left before graduation and entered the Navy Academy (1914-1916); after the completion of studies, was promoted to guarda-marinha (1917); as navy officer, participated in World War I and was promoted to second lieutenant (1918); joined the hydrographic service of the Portuguese navy ministry (1919-1936), where he pursued a successful career, including promotions to first lieutenant (1922) and captain-lieutenant (1931); served on several committees for hydrography and navigation; after promotion to capitão-de-fragata (1939), was appointed (1940) president of the National Board of Merchant Navy; promoted to capitão-de-mar-e-guerra (1941); appointed navy minister (6 Sep 1944 - 10 May 1958); rear admiral (1951); was selected by the ruling National Union (União Nacional) to contest the presidential election of 1958; elected President of the Republic (1958); distanced from active political involvement and proved himself close ally of António de Oliveira Salazar; refused to support the coup of Botelho Moniz (11 Apr 1961), aimed at toppling the Salazar regime; reelected to the office (1965) by electoral college, which replaced popular vote in 1959; was engaged in selection of successor to Salazar, Marcelo Caetano (1968); promoted to admiral (1970); reelected as President of the Republic (1972); deposed in the course of the Carnation Revolution (1974) and sent to exile; lived in Brazil (1974-1978); returned to Portugal in July 1978. Biography source: [7][8]