Armando Samper Gnecco

Armando Samper Gnecco
Colomnbian Minister of Agriculture
In office
31 October 1969  7 August 1970
President Carlos Lleras Restrepo
Preceded by Enrique Peñalosa Camargo
Succeeded by Javier Emilio Valderrama
In office
7 August 1966  26 July 1967
President Carlos Lleras Restrepo
Preceded by José Mejía Salazar
Succeeded by Enrique Blair Fabris
Personal details
Born 9 April 1920
Bogotá, Cundinamarca, Colombia
Died 14 September 2010 (aged 90)
Bogotá, D.C., Colombia
Nationality Colombian
Spouse(s) Jean Kutschbach (1945–2010)
Children Marta Samper Kutschbach
Belén Samper Kutschbach
Mario Samper Kutschbach
Cristián Samper Kutschbach
Alma mater Cornell University
Profession Agronomist
Religion Roman Catholic
This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Samper and the second or maternal family name is Gnecco.

Armando Samper Gnecco (9 April 1920 – 14 September 2010)[1] was a Colombian agronomist and engineer. He served as Minister of Agriculture of Colombia, was a founding member and first Director of the International Center for Tropical Agriculture, General Director of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (1960–1966), Dean of Jorge Tadeo Lozano University (1971),President of the National Corporation for Forest Research and Development of Colombia, CONIF (1974–1978), and President of the Executive Board and General Director of the Colombian Sugarcane Research Center, Cenicaña (1978–1990).[2][3]

He finished his secondary studies at the Gimnasio Moderno in Bogotá then moved to the United States to attend University of Maryland, College Park. From there he transferred to Cornell University where he graduated in 1943 with a B.Sc. in Agricultural Economy.[1]

Personal life

Armando was born on 9 April 1920 in Bogotá to Daniel Samper Ortega and María Amalia Gnecco Fallón. He married on 26 July 1945 to Jean Kutschbach, whom he met during his studies in Cornell University, and with whom he had four children, Marta, Belén, Mario, and Cristián.[1]

References