An architect, educator, and politician, Fernando Belaúnde Terry (born 1912) was twice elected president of Peru. In a country known for stagnant dictatorship, he sought to bring progress through democratic means.

Fernando Belaúnde was born in Lima, Peru, on October 7, 1912, to a distinguished family. His great-grandfather had been president, and an uncle was one of the country's foremost intellectuals. Rafael Belaúnde, Fernando's father, was a diplomat whose overseas assignments and dozen-year political exile caused the future president to spend most of his youth abroad. After attending high school in Paris, Belaúnde entered the University of Miami, where his father served on the faculty. Fernando later transferred to the University of Texas, which awarded him an architect's degree in 1935.

Belaúnde returned to Peru the following year and quickly climbed to the top of his profession. He taught architecture and urban...