Barr Theo: Creating Julio de Arteche
{{Short description|Spanish businessman and banker}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Julio de Arteche
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| birth_name = Julio Francisco Domingo de Arteche y Villabaso
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1878|08|04|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Bilbao]], [[Biscay]], Spain
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1960|06|12|1878|08|04|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Las Arenas]], [[Getxo]], Spain
| resting_place =
| citizenship = Spanish
| known_for = President of [[Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria|''Banco de Bilbao'']]
| occupation = {{flatlist|
* Banker
* Businessman
}}
| module = {{Infobox officeholder
| embed = yes
| name = Julio de Arteche
| office = President of [[Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria|''Banco de Bilbao'']]
| term_start = 31 January 1942
| term_end = 12 July 1960
| predecessor = [[Víctor Artola]]
| successor = [[Gervasio Collar]] y Luis
| height =
}}
}}
'''Julio Francisco Domingo de Arteche y Villabaso''' (4 August 1878 – 12 July 1960<ref name=Ancestry>{{cite web |url=https://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/julio-de-arteche-y-villabaso-24-17cy4fb |title=Julio de Arteche y Villabaso, b.1878 d.1960 - Ancestry |website=www.ancestry.com |access-date=27 April 2024 }}</ref>) was a Spanish businessman and banker who served as the first non-rotating president of the [[Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria|''Banco de Bilbao'']].<ref name=Academia>{{cite web |url=https://dbe.rah.es/biografias/8189/julio-de-arteche-y-villabaso |title=Julio de Arteche y Villabaso - Real Academia de la Historia |trans-title=Julio de Arteche y Villabaso - Royal Academy of History |language=es |website=dbe.rah.es |access-date=27 April 2024 }}</ref>
He was a prominent businessman although he maintained a certain political activity in the early 1920s, being a [[Deputy minister|deputy]] for [[Markina-Xemein|Markina]] in 1923.<ref name=Info>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bilbaopedia.info/arteche-villabaso |title=Julio Arteche Villabaso |language=es |website=www.bilbaopedia.info |access-date=27 April 2024 }}</ref><ref name=Eusko>{{Cite web |url=https://aunamendi.eusko-ikaskuntza.eus/artikuluak/artikulua.php?id=eu&ar=14919 |title=Arteche y Villabaso, Julio de |language=eu |website=aunamendi.eusko-ikaskuntza.eus |access-date=27 April 2024 }}</ref> At the age of 25, he was appointed as a director of ''Banco Bilbao'', and remained link to it for six decades and from there to a multitude of companies.<ref name=Academia/><ref name=Info/> Among other things, he was the president of the administrative councils of ten companies and companies and the vice-president of three others.<ref name=Eusko/>
He was the first {{ill|Condado de Arteche|es|lt=Count of Arteche}} between 1950 and 1963.<ref name=Boe1>{{cite web |url=https://www.boe.es/datos/pdfs/BOE/1950/199/A03131-03131.pdf |title=DECRETO de 18 de julio de 1950 por el que se hace merced de los Títulos del Reino de Conde de Arruga y Conde de Arteche |trans-title=DECREE of 18 July 1950 for the mercy of the Titles of the Kingdom of Count of Arruga and Count of Arteche |language=es |publisher=[[Boletín Oficial del Estado]] |website=www.boe.es |date=18 July 1950 |access-date=27 April 2024 }}</ref> He was the brother of [[Antonio de Arteche|Antonio]], the first {{ill|Marquesado de Buniel|es|lt=Marquis of Buniel}}, deputy to the Cortes between 1905 and 1923 for [[Burgos]].
==Early and personal life==
Julio de Arteche was born on 4 August 1878 on {{ill|Calle de Luchana|es|lt=Luchana Street}} in [[Bilbao]], as the son of José Maria de Arteche y Osante, a liberal politician from Biscay, and Maria Elisa Villabaso Gorrita, the sister of [[José Luis de Villabaso]] Gorrita.<ref name=Ancestry/><ref name=Academia/><ref name=Banco>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbva.com/en/brief-history-bbva-xvii-leaders-banco-de-bilbao-1940s/ |title=A Brief History of BBVA (XVII): the Leaders of Banco de Bilbao in the 1940s |website=www.bbva.com |date=3 February 2024 |access-date=27 April 2024 }}</ref>
In 1902, Arteche married Magdalena Olábarri y Zubiría (1881–1969),<ref name=Ancestry/><ref name=Info/> daughter of {{ill|José María Olabarri Massino|eu|lt=José María Olábarri Massino}}, a member of one of the founding families of the Santa Ana de {{ill|Bolueta|es|lt=Bolueta}} steel company, and Manuela Zubiría e Ybarra, belonging to the powerful and influential Ybarra family group.<ref name=Academia/> The couple settled in [[Las Arenas]] and had six children: Magdalena, José María, María Victoria, Teresa, Isabel, and Francisco Javier.<ref name=Academia/><ref name=Info/>
==Professional career==
===First projects===
After completing his secondary education studies, Arteche began his higher education in 1894 at the [[University of Deusto]], where he performed engineering studies.<ref name=Academia/><ref name=Info/><ref name=Bio>{{Cite web |url=https://www.mcnbiografias.com/app-bio/do/show?key=arteche-y-villabaso-julio-de |title=Arteche y Villabaso, Julio de (1878-1960) |language=es |website=www.mcnbiografias.com |access-date=27 April 2024 }}</ref> He planned to become an industrial engineer, but abandoned his studies when he was just three classes short of a degree after being appointed as the Director of the ''Banco de Bilbao'' in 1903, at 25 years of age, thus being the youngest member of the board.<ref name=Academia/><ref name=Banco/><ref name=Madrid>{{Cite web |url=https://www.abc.es/archivo/periodicos/abc-madrid-19880127-59.html |title=Bilbao fue la primera entidad en establecer libretas de ahorro |trans-title=Bilbao was the first entity to establish savings books |language=es |website=www.abc.es |publisher=[[ABC (newspaper)|ABC]] |page=59 |date=27 January 1988 |access-date=27 April 2024 }}</ref> He "*****" this position mainly thanks to the influence of his uncle José Luis, who had been the managing director of {{ill|Banco del Comercio|es|lt=''Banco del Comercio''}} before becoming the chief executive officer (CEO) of ''Banco de Bilbao''.<ref name=Academia/><ref name=Banco/> He entered the board of the Banco de Bilbao on 31 December 1903 and remained there throughout his entire professional career and for the rest of his life until he died,<ref name=Academia/><ref name=Bio/><ref name=Banco/> except for a brief period in which the Basque Government of [[José Antonio Aguirre (politician)|José Antonio Aguirre]] relieved the directors of their positions.<ref name=Banco/>
The first time that Arteche achieved notoriety was on the occasion of the [[First World War]], when he was the president of the ''Agrupación de Sociedades Anónimas del Norte de España'' organization,<ref name=Eusko/><ref name=Info/><ref name=Bio/> taking an effective position in the decisions of the serious problems that arose after the war on the extraordinary profits and the change in fiscal taxes.<ref name=Eusko/><ref name=Bio/>
Between 1918 and 1920, Arteche took part in some of the main business initiatives of the Banco de Bilbao in those years.<ref name=Academia/> For instance, once the war was over, he participated in the process of its internationalization by collecting the assets of the former ''Mildred & Goyeneche'' house in [[London]] and repurposed it as the Bank's branch in London.<ref name=Info/><ref name=Bio/> He also had a prominent role in the process of nationalization of the securities of the large Spanish [[railway]] companies,<ref name=Academia/><ref name=Info/><ref name=Eusko/><ref name=Bio/> which in Bilbao acquired particular importance due to the interest among local businessmen in improving the [[Port of Bilbao|port's]] communication routes with the interior of the [[Iberian Peninsula]].<ref name=Academia/> As a result of this process, an important part of the capital of the ''[[Compañía de los Caminos de Hierro del Norte de España]]'' (Norte) passed into Bilbao hands and several local businessmen joined its Board of Directors, including Arteche, who was representing the interests of the ''Banco de Bilbao''.<ref name=Academia/> Both he and his uncle played a very active role in ''Consortium of Saltos del Duero'' and the ''Sociedad Hispano-Portuguesa de Transportes Eléctricos'', two companies launched by the Banco de Bilbao to carry out the necessary procedures and works with which the most important hydroelectric business of the moment would be launched: the {{ill|Saltos do Douro|es|lt=''Saltos do Douro''}}.<ref name=Academia/><ref name=Eusko/>
At the beginning of the 1920s, the figure of Julio de Arteche was consolidated within the Board of the ''Banco de Bilbao'', and he combined his position there with his membership on the boards of this bank and its subsidiary, ''Banco del Comercio'', and that of the ''Compañía de Ferrocarriles del Norte'', Arteche was president of the ''Hispano-Portuguesa de Transportes Eléctricos'' and the director of such representative companies of the Biscayan economy, such as ''Papelera Española'', ''Compañía Marítima del [[Nervión]]'', ''Alambres de Cadagua'', and ''Compañía de los Ferrocarriles de [[Santander, Spain|Santander]] a Bilbao''.<ref name=Academia/><ref name=Info/><ref name=Bio/>
===President of Banco de Bilbao===
In January 1941, during a critical period in which ''Banco de Bilbao'' needed to adapt to the complicated circumstances in which Spain found itself after the [[Spanish Civil War]] and also to strict government measures, the then CEO José Manuel Figueras resigned and [[Víctor Artola]] was appointed as his successor,<ref name=Banco/> and in the following year, on 31 January 1942, in the first Annual General Meeting since 1936, the General shareholders approved the reform of the entity's statutes, with the most important change being to set aside the tradition of rotating the chairmanship of the board of directors on an annual basis and then unanimously appointed the 64-year-old Arteche as its first permanent president, abandoning the rotating nature that this position had until then.<ref name=Academia/><ref name=Info/><ref name=Bio/><ref name=Banco/> The professional partnership of Artola as CEO and Arteche as Chairman was decisive in allowing ''Banco de Bilbao'' to successfully negotiate the difficult years of the 1940s, and together, they turned the bank into an entity with a national presence without sacrificing international ambitions.<ref name=Banco/> From the moment he became chairman, Arteche's activity was marked by the modernization that he introduced in the ''Banco de Bilbao'' and by the effective participation that he and the entity he presided had in a good number of companies in very diverse productive sectors.<ref name=Academia/><ref name=Bio/>
Regarding the first aspect, Arteche piloted the modernization of the Bank of Bilbao, creating its central administration in the 1940s and opening its foreign service in 1945, while developing a territorial network of offices throughout Spain.<ref name=Academia/><ref name=Info/><ref name=Banco/> Regarding the second aspect, he promoted and undertook the development of economic sectors of the first magnitude, becoming the president of such relevant companies as ''Iberduero'', ''Nitratos de Castilla'', ''La Papelera Española'', ''Cellophane Española'', ''Constructora Nacional de Maquinaria Eléctrica'', and the Spanish Society of Electromechanical Constructions (SECEM).<ref name=Academia/><ref name=Info/><ref name=Bio/><ref name=Banco/> In this last task, Arteche, like so many other representatives of private business interests, had to confront the statist policy promoted by [[Juan Antonio Suanzes]] during his first stage at the head of the ''[[Instituto Nacional de Industria]]'' (INI), seeking to make compatible the private interests that it represented with the actions of the public institute.<ref name=Academia/>
Arteche was also a member of the Board of the [[Bank of Spain]] as a representative of the Superior Banking Council, and held the vice presidency of two large companies located in two strategic sectors: communications and automotive: the National Telephone Company of Spain ([[Telefónica]]) and the Spanish Society of Touring Cars ({{Lang-es|Sociedad Española de Automóviles de Turismo}}, [[SEAT]]).<ref name=Academia/><ref name=Info/><ref name=Bio/><ref name=Banco/> He also served as a director in ''Naviera Vizcaina'', Aeronautical Construction Association, Minas Riotinto company, and the Asturian Bank for Industry and Commerce.<ref name=Eusko/>
Those who knew him emphasized his great ability to maintain relationships and his fine diplomatic skills.<ref name=Banco/> His economic and financial contribution from business management positions resulted in his permanence in the governing bodies of the Banco de Bilbao for 56 years (1903–1960), more than half a century of a life that lasted for 81 years, and was reflected in the ideal of its business work: continuous development, the constant search for economic modernity.<ref name=Academia/>
==Outside of business==
To his business personality, the Count of Arteche added social, literary, cultural, religious, and political concerns that offer a more complete dimension of his person.<ref name=Academia/> In his cultural aspect, his participation in the Bilbao gathering of the Golden Lion with local personalities such as Dr. Areilza and [[Julio Eguileor]] stood out.<ref name=Academia/> His activities in museum boards and cultural works in his surroundings were also known.<ref name=Academia/>
His [[faith in Christianity]], on the other hand, manifested itself in the form of a special pious work, highlighting his visits to the [[Abbey of Santo Domingo de Silos|monastery of Silos]], whose maintenance he generously supported.<ref name=Academia/> He was even distinguished with the grand cross of the Royal [[Order of Isabella the Catholic]].
==Sporting career==
In 1902, the 24-year-old Arteche and his younger brother Antonio were among the members of [[Real Club Marítimo del Abra and Real Sporting Club|Sporting Club de Bilbao]], being the no. 25 and 26 respectively.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.eusko-ikaskuntza.eus/PDFAnlt/vasconia/vas33/33159190.pdf |title=Del ya chting a la vela, de los caballitos a la piscina. La sociabilidad de las élites y sus espacios: Club Marítimo del Abra - Real Sporting Club de Bilbao. |trans-title=From yachts to sailing, from horseback riding to swimming. The sociability of the elites and their spaces: Club Marítimo del Abra - Real Sporting Club de Bilbao. |language=eu |website=www.eusko-ikaskuntza.eus |author=Eduardo J. Alonso Olea |date=2003 |access-date=27 April 2024 }}</ref> His love for recreational boating, [[hunting]], and [[shooting]] was evident.<ref name=Academia/>
==Politic career==
In the [[1923 Spanish general election]]s for deputies to the Cortes on 30 April 1923, Arteche presented himself as a candidate for the [[Monarchist Action League|Monarchist League]] in the district of [[Markina-Xemein|Markina]] in [[Biscay]], which he won,<ref name=Academia/><ref name=Eusko/><ref name=Bio/><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.congreso.es/en/web/gues...mostrarDetalle&_historicodiputados_nume=52393 |title=ARTECHE Y VILLABASO JULIO FRANCISCO DOMINGO . 52. Elecciones 29.4.1923 - Congreso de los Diputados |trans-title=ARTECHE AND VILLABASO JULIO FRANCISCO DOMINGO. 52. Elections 4/29/1923 - Congress of Deputies |language=es |website=www.congreso.es |access-date=27 April 2024 }}</ref> but his political work was cut short on the following 12 September following the [[1923 Spanish coup d'état|coup d'état]] by [[Miguel Primo de Rivera|Primo de Rivera]].<ref name=Bio/>
==Noble title and death==
On 18 July 1950, the Spanish State of [[Francisco Franco]], in recognition of his work, granted him the aristocratic title of {{ill|Condado de Arteche|es|lt=Count of Arteche}} because "with his effort and intelligence has been working tirelessly for the growth of the industry and the national economy".<ref name=Academia/><ref name=Boe1/> At 70 years of age, he returned to school and completed the three courses that he had put on hold at age 25, thus becoming an engineer while in his 70s,<ref name=Academia/><ref name=Bio/><ref name=Banco/> which gives an idea of his firm character.<ref name=Academia/>
Arteche held both the noble title and the chairmanship of ''Banco de Bilbao'' until he died at his home in [[Las Arenas]], [[Getxo]] on 12 July 1960, just before his 82nd birthday.<ref name=Ancestry/><ref name=Academia/><ref name=Banco/> His mortal remains were buried in [[Balmaseda]].<ref name=Academia/> He was succeeded in the ''Banco de Bilbao'' by Gervasio Collar y Luis<ref name=Madrid/> and in his noble title by his son José María de Arteche y Olabarri in a letter dated 22 March 1963, who thus became the second Count of Arteche.<ref name=Boe2>{{cite web |url=https://www.boe.es/boe/dias/1962/07/20/pdfs/A10150-10150.pdf |title=Carta de Sucesión |trans-title=Letter of Succession |language=es |publisher=[[Boletín Oficial del Estado]] |website=www.boe.es |date=22 March 1963 |access-date=27 April 2024 }}</ref>
==Legacy==
Two days after his death, the local press reported on the posthumous awarding of the Gold Medal of Vizcaya and the Town of Bilbao, announcing that a street or town would be named after him, and in fact, this square is still visible today in a small avenue in the Conde de Arteche, located at one of the links of [[Gran Vía de Don Diego López de Haro|Bilbao's Gran Vía]] with the [[Doña Casilda Iturrizar Park]], a short distance from the [[Bilbao Fine Arts Museum]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://bilbao.callejero.net/alameda-conde-arteche.html |title=Alameda Conde Arteche |language=es |website=bilbao.callejero.net |access-date=27 April 2024 }}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:de Arteche, Julio}}
[[Category:1878 births]]
[[Category:1960 deaths]]
[[Category:Spanish bankers]]
[[Category:Spanish businesspeople]]
[[Category:Spanish politicians]]
[[Category:Spanish sportspeople]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Bilbao]]
Okumaya devam et...
{{Short description|Spanish businessman and banker}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Julio de Arteche
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| birth_name = Julio Francisco Domingo de Arteche y Villabaso
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1878|08|04|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Bilbao]], [[Biscay]], Spain
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1960|06|12|1878|08|04|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Las Arenas]], [[Getxo]], Spain
| resting_place =
| citizenship = Spanish
| known_for = President of [[Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria|''Banco de Bilbao'']]
| occupation = {{flatlist|
* Banker
* Businessman
}}
| module = {{Infobox officeholder
| embed = yes
| name = Julio de Arteche
| office = President of [[Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria|''Banco de Bilbao'']]
| term_start = 31 January 1942
| term_end = 12 July 1960
| predecessor = [[Víctor Artola]]
| successor = [[Gervasio Collar]] y Luis
| height =
}}
}}
'''Julio Francisco Domingo de Arteche y Villabaso''' (4 August 1878 – 12 July 1960<ref name=Ancestry>{{cite web |url=https://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/julio-de-arteche-y-villabaso-24-17cy4fb |title=Julio de Arteche y Villabaso, b.1878 d.1960 - Ancestry |website=www.ancestry.com |access-date=27 April 2024 }}</ref>) was a Spanish businessman and banker who served as the first non-rotating president of the [[Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria|''Banco de Bilbao'']].<ref name=Academia>{{cite web |url=https://dbe.rah.es/biografias/8189/julio-de-arteche-y-villabaso |title=Julio de Arteche y Villabaso - Real Academia de la Historia |trans-title=Julio de Arteche y Villabaso - Royal Academy of History |language=es |website=dbe.rah.es |access-date=27 April 2024 }}</ref>
He was a prominent businessman although he maintained a certain political activity in the early 1920s, being a [[Deputy minister|deputy]] for [[Markina-Xemein|Markina]] in 1923.<ref name=Info>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bilbaopedia.info/arteche-villabaso |title=Julio Arteche Villabaso |language=es |website=www.bilbaopedia.info |access-date=27 April 2024 }}</ref><ref name=Eusko>{{Cite web |url=https://aunamendi.eusko-ikaskuntza.eus/artikuluak/artikulua.php?id=eu&ar=14919 |title=Arteche y Villabaso, Julio de |language=eu |website=aunamendi.eusko-ikaskuntza.eus |access-date=27 April 2024 }}</ref> At the age of 25, he was appointed as a director of ''Banco Bilbao'', and remained link to it for six decades and from there to a multitude of companies.<ref name=Academia/><ref name=Info/> Among other things, he was the president of the administrative councils of ten companies and companies and the vice-president of three others.<ref name=Eusko/>
He was the first {{ill|Condado de Arteche|es|lt=Count of Arteche}} between 1950 and 1963.<ref name=Boe1>{{cite web |url=https://www.boe.es/datos/pdfs/BOE/1950/199/A03131-03131.pdf |title=DECRETO de 18 de julio de 1950 por el que se hace merced de los Títulos del Reino de Conde de Arruga y Conde de Arteche |trans-title=DECREE of 18 July 1950 for the mercy of the Titles of the Kingdom of Count of Arruga and Count of Arteche |language=es |publisher=[[Boletín Oficial del Estado]] |website=www.boe.es |date=18 July 1950 |access-date=27 April 2024 }}</ref> He was the brother of [[Antonio de Arteche|Antonio]], the first {{ill|Marquesado de Buniel|es|lt=Marquis of Buniel}}, deputy to the Cortes between 1905 and 1923 for [[Burgos]].
==Early and personal life==
Julio de Arteche was born on 4 August 1878 on {{ill|Calle de Luchana|es|lt=Luchana Street}} in [[Bilbao]], as the son of José Maria de Arteche y Osante, a liberal politician from Biscay, and Maria Elisa Villabaso Gorrita, the sister of [[José Luis de Villabaso]] Gorrita.<ref name=Ancestry/><ref name=Academia/><ref name=Banco>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbva.com/en/brief-history-bbva-xvii-leaders-banco-de-bilbao-1940s/ |title=A Brief History of BBVA (XVII): the Leaders of Banco de Bilbao in the 1940s |website=www.bbva.com |date=3 February 2024 |access-date=27 April 2024 }}</ref>
In 1902, Arteche married Magdalena Olábarri y Zubiría (1881–1969),<ref name=Ancestry/><ref name=Info/> daughter of {{ill|José María Olabarri Massino|eu|lt=José María Olábarri Massino}}, a member of one of the founding families of the Santa Ana de {{ill|Bolueta|es|lt=Bolueta}} steel company, and Manuela Zubiría e Ybarra, belonging to the powerful and influential Ybarra family group.<ref name=Academia/> The couple settled in [[Las Arenas]] and had six children: Magdalena, José María, María Victoria, Teresa, Isabel, and Francisco Javier.<ref name=Academia/><ref name=Info/>
==Professional career==
===First projects===
After completing his secondary education studies, Arteche began his higher education in 1894 at the [[University of Deusto]], where he performed engineering studies.<ref name=Academia/><ref name=Info/><ref name=Bio>{{Cite web |url=https://www.mcnbiografias.com/app-bio/do/show?key=arteche-y-villabaso-julio-de |title=Arteche y Villabaso, Julio de (1878-1960) |language=es |website=www.mcnbiografias.com |access-date=27 April 2024 }}</ref> He planned to become an industrial engineer, but abandoned his studies when he was just three classes short of a degree after being appointed as the Director of the ''Banco de Bilbao'' in 1903, at 25 years of age, thus being the youngest member of the board.<ref name=Academia/><ref name=Banco/><ref name=Madrid>{{Cite web |url=https://www.abc.es/archivo/periodicos/abc-madrid-19880127-59.html |title=Bilbao fue la primera entidad en establecer libretas de ahorro |trans-title=Bilbao was the first entity to establish savings books |language=es |website=www.abc.es |publisher=[[ABC (newspaper)|ABC]] |page=59 |date=27 January 1988 |access-date=27 April 2024 }}</ref> He "*****" this position mainly thanks to the influence of his uncle José Luis, who had been the managing director of {{ill|Banco del Comercio|es|lt=''Banco del Comercio''}} before becoming the chief executive officer (CEO) of ''Banco de Bilbao''.<ref name=Academia/><ref name=Banco/> He entered the board of the Banco de Bilbao on 31 December 1903 and remained there throughout his entire professional career and for the rest of his life until he died,<ref name=Academia/><ref name=Bio/><ref name=Banco/> except for a brief period in which the Basque Government of [[José Antonio Aguirre (politician)|José Antonio Aguirre]] relieved the directors of their positions.<ref name=Banco/>
The first time that Arteche achieved notoriety was on the occasion of the [[First World War]], when he was the president of the ''Agrupación de Sociedades Anónimas del Norte de España'' organization,<ref name=Eusko/><ref name=Info/><ref name=Bio/> taking an effective position in the decisions of the serious problems that arose after the war on the extraordinary profits and the change in fiscal taxes.<ref name=Eusko/><ref name=Bio/>
Between 1918 and 1920, Arteche took part in some of the main business initiatives of the Banco de Bilbao in those years.<ref name=Academia/> For instance, once the war was over, he participated in the process of its internationalization by collecting the assets of the former ''Mildred & Goyeneche'' house in [[London]] and repurposed it as the Bank's branch in London.<ref name=Info/><ref name=Bio/> He also had a prominent role in the process of nationalization of the securities of the large Spanish [[railway]] companies,<ref name=Academia/><ref name=Info/><ref name=Eusko/><ref name=Bio/> which in Bilbao acquired particular importance due to the interest among local businessmen in improving the [[Port of Bilbao|port's]] communication routes with the interior of the [[Iberian Peninsula]].<ref name=Academia/> As a result of this process, an important part of the capital of the ''[[Compañía de los Caminos de Hierro del Norte de España]]'' (Norte) passed into Bilbao hands and several local businessmen joined its Board of Directors, including Arteche, who was representing the interests of the ''Banco de Bilbao''.<ref name=Academia/> Both he and his uncle played a very active role in ''Consortium of Saltos del Duero'' and the ''Sociedad Hispano-Portuguesa de Transportes Eléctricos'', two companies launched by the Banco de Bilbao to carry out the necessary procedures and works with which the most important hydroelectric business of the moment would be launched: the {{ill|Saltos do Douro|es|lt=''Saltos do Douro''}}.<ref name=Academia/><ref name=Eusko/>
At the beginning of the 1920s, the figure of Julio de Arteche was consolidated within the Board of the ''Banco de Bilbao'', and he combined his position there with his membership on the boards of this bank and its subsidiary, ''Banco del Comercio'', and that of the ''Compañía de Ferrocarriles del Norte'', Arteche was president of the ''Hispano-Portuguesa de Transportes Eléctricos'' and the director of such representative companies of the Biscayan economy, such as ''Papelera Española'', ''Compañía Marítima del [[Nervión]]'', ''Alambres de Cadagua'', and ''Compañía de los Ferrocarriles de [[Santander, Spain|Santander]] a Bilbao''.<ref name=Academia/><ref name=Info/><ref name=Bio/>
===President of Banco de Bilbao===
In January 1941, during a critical period in which ''Banco de Bilbao'' needed to adapt to the complicated circumstances in which Spain found itself after the [[Spanish Civil War]] and also to strict government measures, the then CEO José Manuel Figueras resigned and [[Víctor Artola]] was appointed as his successor,<ref name=Banco/> and in the following year, on 31 January 1942, in the first Annual General Meeting since 1936, the General shareholders approved the reform of the entity's statutes, with the most important change being to set aside the tradition of rotating the chairmanship of the board of directors on an annual basis and then unanimously appointed the 64-year-old Arteche as its first permanent president, abandoning the rotating nature that this position had until then.<ref name=Academia/><ref name=Info/><ref name=Bio/><ref name=Banco/> The professional partnership of Artola as CEO and Arteche as Chairman was decisive in allowing ''Banco de Bilbao'' to successfully negotiate the difficult years of the 1940s, and together, they turned the bank into an entity with a national presence without sacrificing international ambitions.<ref name=Banco/> From the moment he became chairman, Arteche's activity was marked by the modernization that he introduced in the ''Banco de Bilbao'' and by the effective participation that he and the entity he presided had in a good number of companies in very diverse productive sectors.<ref name=Academia/><ref name=Bio/>
Regarding the first aspect, Arteche piloted the modernization of the Bank of Bilbao, creating its central administration in the 1940s and opening its foreign service in 1945, while developing a territorial network of offices throughout Spain.<ref name=Academia/><ref name=Info/><ref name=Banco/> Regarding the second aspect, he promoted and undertook the development of economic sectors of the first magnitude, becoming the president of such relevant companies as ''Iberduero'', ''Nitratos de Castilla'', ''La Papelera Española'', ''Cellophane Española'', ''Constructora Nacional de Maquinaria Eléctrica'', and the Spanish Society of Electromechanical Constructions (SECEM).<ref name=Academia/><ref name=Info/><ref name=Bio/><ref name=Banco/> In this last task, Arteche, like so many other representatives of private business interests, had to confront the statist policy promoted by [[Juan Antonio Suanzes]] during his first stage at the head of the ''[[Instituto Nacional de Industria]]'' (INI), seeking to make compatible the private interests that it represented with the actions of the public institute.<ref name=Academia/>
Arteche was also a member of the Board of the [[Bank of Spain]] as a representative of the Superior Banking Council, and held the vice presidency of two large companies located in two strategic sectors: communications and automotive: the National Telephone Company of Spain ([[Telefónica]]) and the Spanish Society of Touring Cars ({{Lang-es|Sociedad Española de Automóviles de Turismo}}, [[SEAT]]).<ref name=Academia/><ref name=Info/><ref name=Bio/><ref name=Banco/> He also served as a director in ''Naviera Vizcaina'', Aeronautical Construction Association, Minas Riotinto company, and the Asturian Bank for Industry and Commerce.<ref name=Eusko/>
Those who knew him emphasized his great ability to maintain relationships and his fine diplomatic skills.<ref name=Banco/> His economic and financial contribution from business management positions resulted in his permanence in the governing bodies of the Banco de Bilbao for 56 years (1903–1960), more than half a century of a life that lasted for 81 years, and was reflected in the ideal of its business work: continuous development, the constant search for economic modernity.<ref name=Academia/>
==Outside of business==
To his business personality, the Count of Arteche added social, literary, cultural, religious, and political concerns that offer a more complete dimension of his person.<ref name=Academia/> In his cultural aspect, his participation in the Bilbao gathering of the Golden Lion with local personalities such as Dr. Areilza and [[Julio Eguileor]] stood out.<ref name=Academia/> His activities in museum boards and cultural works in his surroundings were also known.<ref name=Academia/>
His [[faith in Christianity]], on the other hand, manifested itself in the form of a special pious work, highlighting his visits to the [[Abbey of Santo Domingo de Silos|monastery of Silos]], whose maintenance he generously supported.<ref name=Academia/> He was even distinguished with the grand cross of the Royal [[Order of Isabella the Catholic]].
==Sporting career==
In 1902, the 24-year-old Arteche and his younger brother Antonio were among the members of [[Real Club Marítimo del Abra and Real Sporting Club|Sporting Club de Bilbao]], being the no. 25 and 26 respectively.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.eusko-ikaskuntza.eus/PDFAnlt/vasconia/vas33/33159190.pdf |title=Del ya chting a la vela, de los caballitos a la piscina. La sociabilidad de las élites y sus espacios: Club Marítimo del Abra - Real Sporting Club de Bilbao. |trans-title=From yachts to sailing, from horseback riding to swimming. The sociability of the elites and their spaces: Club Marítimo del Abra - Real Sporting Club de Bilbao. |language=eu |website=www.eusko-ikaskuntza.eus |author=Eduardo J. Alonso Olea |date=2003 |access-date=27 April 2024 }}</ref> His love for recreational boating, [[hunting]], and [[shooting]] was evident.<ref name=Academia/>
==Politic career==
In the [[1923 Spanish general election]]s for deputies to the Cortes on 30 April 1923, Arteche presented himself as a candidate for the [[Monarchist Action League|Monarchist League]] in the district of [[Markina-Xemein|Markina]] in [[Biscay]], which he won,<ref name=Academia/><ref name=Eusko/><ref name=Bio/><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.congreso.es/en/web/gues...mostrarDetalle&_historicodiputados_nume=52393 |title=ARTECHE Y VILLABASO JULIO FRANCISCO DOMINGO . 52. Elecciones 29.4.1923 - Congreso de los Diputados |trans-title=ARTECHE AND VILLABASO JULIO FRANCISCO DOMINGO. 52. Elections 4/29/1923 - Congress of Deputies |language=es |website=www.congreso.es |access-date=27 April 2024 }}</ref> but his political work was cut short on the following 12 September following the [[1923 Spanish coup d'état|coup d'état]] by [[Miguel Primo de Rivera|Primo de Rivera]].<ref name=Bio/>
==Noble title and death==
On 18 July 1950, the Spanish State of [[Francisco Franco]], in recognition of his work, granted him the aristocratic title of {{ill|Condado de Arteche|es|lt=Count of Arteche}} because "with his effort and intelligence has been working tirelessly for the growth of the industry and the national economy".<ref name=Academia/><ref name=Boe1/> At 70 years of age, he returned to school and completed the three courses that he had put on hold at age 25, thus becoming an engineer while in his 70s,<ref name=Academia/><ref name=Bio/><ref name=Banco/> which gives an idea of his firm character.<ref name=Academia/>
Arteche held both the noble title and the chairmanship of ''Banco de Bilbao'' until he died at his home in [[Las Arenas]], [[Getxo]] on 12 July 1960, just before his 82nd birthday.<ref name=Ancestry/><ref name=Academia/><ref name=Banco/> His mortal remains were buried in [[Balmaseda]].<ref name=Academia/> He was succeeded in the ''Banco de Bilbao'' by Gervasio Collar y Luis<ref name=Madrid/> and in his noble title by his son José María de Arteche y Olabarri in a letter dated 22 March 1963, who thus became the second Count of Arteche.<ref name=Boe2>{{cite web |url=https://www.boe.es/boe/dias/1962/07/20/pdfs/A10150-10150.pdf |title=Carta de Sucesión |trans-title=Letter of Succession |language=es |publisher=[[Boletín Oficial del Estado]] |website=www.boe.es |date=22 March 1963 |access-date=27 April 2024 }}</ref>
==Legacy==
Two days after his death, the local press reported on the posthumous awarding of the Gold Medal of Vizcaya and the Town of Bilbao, announcing that a street or town would be named after him, and in fact, this square is still visible today in a small avenue in the Conde de Arteche, located at one of the links of [[Gran Vía de Don Diego López de Haro|Bilbao's Gran Vía]] with the [[Doña Casilda Iturrizar Park]], a short distance from the [[Bilbao Fine Arts Museum]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://bilbao.callejero.net/alameda-conde-arteche.html |title=Alameda Conde Arteche |language=es |website=bilbao.callejero.net |access-date=27 April 2024 }}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:de Arteche, Julio}}
[[Category:1878 births]]
[[Category:1960 deaths]]
[[Category:Spanish bankers]]
[[Category:Spanish businesspeople]]
[[Category:Spanish politicians]]
[[Category:Spanish sportspeople]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Bilbao]]
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