Elizalde, J. M. (Joaquín Miguel), 1896-1965

Joaquín Miguel Elizalde y Díaz (August 2, 1896 – February 9, 1965) was a Filipino diplomat and businessman. He notably served as Resident Commissioner of the Philippines from 1938 to 1944 and, following Philippine independence, as Ambassador to the United States from 1946 to 1952.

Born in Manila, he was schooled in Spain, in Switzerland at Dr. Schmidt’s Institute in St. Gallen, and in London, England, at St. Joseph’s College and the London School of Economics. As the scion of one of the islands’ most respected families, Elizalde moved easily among the Filipino elite and, by his early 30s, had positioned himself as one of the Philippines’ captains of industry. From 1918 to 1934, he was a managing partner of Ynchausti y Cia, a trading company that his family founded in the mid-19th century. When Elizalde took over as president in 1934, it became Elizalde & Company, Inc. In 1934, as the islands began to ready for independence, he was appointed president of the National Development Company of the Philippines. Three years later, President Manuel L. Quezon tapped him as an economic adviser. He also had a seat on the National Economic Council, which he held until 1941 and then again from 1952 to 1953.

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