An author and politician, Joaquin Balaguer (born 1907) served seven nonconsecutive terms as president of the Dominican Republic between 1960 and 1996.

Joaquin Balaguer y Ricardo was born on September 1, 1907. He received most of his education in the Dominican Republic, graduating with a law degree from the national university in Santo Domingo. He also did advanced studies in France.

Gains Prominence during Trujillo Regime

During the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo Molina, Balaguer gained recognition both as a scholar and as a government official. His particular fields of scholarly research were history and international affairs, and he wrote a number of books on these topics.

Soon after completing his education, Balaguer went to work in 1932 for the Dominican government, rising through the ranks. By the 1940s he was in the diplomatic service and served as ambassador, first to Colombia and then to Mexico. Following these appointments he became secretary to the president...