Spanish Banker

(January 1, 1916 – May 16, 2010)

He was born on January 1, 1916, in Águilas, Murcia.

He was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Miguel Hernández University on October 7, 1997.

At the age of twelve, he began working as an office boy at the International Bank of Commerce in his hometown.

During the following years, he gradually rose through the ranks: fourth-level manager, chief operating officer of the main office, branch inspector, and director of the bank in Vigo, Elche (1947), and Zaragoza (1949).

In 1950, he moved to Madrid to become deputy director of the bank’s main office. In 1958, he became managing director, and in 1962, he was appointed general manager. In 1965 he became a board member of Banco Central, and in 1971 he became its CEO. In November 1973, following Villalonga’s death, he was appointed his successor as chairman of the board, while continuing as CEO and chief executive of the institution.

In 1977, he was appointed senator by royal decree to the Constituent Cortes, a position he held until 1979, the date of the first legislative elections. In 1991, he negotiated the merger with Banco Hispanoamericano. Alfonso Escámez served as president of the new entity until December 1992.

A letter bomb addressed to him and sent by the terrorist group ETA exploded on June 27, 1995, at the Post Office as it was being returned. The mail carrier handling the package was injured in the incident.

He received an honorary doctorate in Economics from the University of Murcia in October 1987. On March 27, 1990, he was awarded an honorary doctorate in Law by the Complutense University of Madrid, at the proposal of the Department of Philosophy of Law. In August 1992, he was awarded an honorary doctorate in Economics by the University of Puerto Rico. On December 30, 1991, he was granted the title of Marquis of Águilas by King Juan Carlos. In June 1988, he was elected a full member of the Geneva Association, an international forum for economic studies. In April 1991, he was sworn in as a member of the Royal Deputation of San Andrés de los Flamencos.

A self-taught man, he possessed a vast musical knowledge and was one of Spain’s greatest art collectors. He contributed to the book Studies on the Constitution, presented in February 1995, which was compiled from the papers presented at a seminar on the Constitution held in February 1991.

Alfonso Escámez died in Madrid on May 16, 2010.