Luis Bográn Barahona was a President of Honduras, who served two consecutive presidential terms from 30 November 1883 to 30 November 1891. He was born in the northern Honduran department of Santa Bárbara on 3 June 1849 to Saturnino Bográn Bonilla and Gertrudis Barahona Leiva. He was a member of a prominent and wealthy political family. The last name "Bográn" derives from the French surname "Beaugrand". Luis Bográn was half-brother and first cousin of future president Francisco Bográn and first cousin of future president Miguel Paz Barahona.
Background
After successfully completing his secondary school studies in his home town, a young Luis Bográn pursued a law degree at the University of San Carlos in Guatemala, and later pursued a career in the military. Bográn reached the rank of General within a few years, after successful military campaigns against Salvadoran military adversaries attempting to infiltrate national territory. He married Teresa Morejon Ferrera in 1878. Soon after, he became involved in politics, and later became ex-president Marco Aurelio Soto's protégé. His two consecutive terms as president were considered to be very prosperous for the nation. He is known for greatly expanding the educational system by establishing a number of learning institutions around the country, attracting considerable foreign investment, improving the infrastructure of the capital city, and encouraging research and investigation of the ancient Mayancity ofCopán. As a strong supporter of Francisco Morazán's ideal, President Bográn was a unionist and attempted to bring about, with the help of then Guatemalan President Justo Rufino Barrios, the unification of the five Central American states. Ultimately, the unionist agenda was defeated as the ultra-conservative power elites in these states successfully thwarted unification attempts. Luis Bográn died in Guatemala city, Guatemala on 9 July 1895.
Luis Bográn is renowned in Honduras for greatly expanding the educational system throughout the major cities and towns of Honduras. He founded the Escuela de Artes y Oficios, the Academia Científico-Literario, and the Tipografia Nacional. He also attracted substantial foreign investment, especially into the agricultural arena, which resulted in job creation and economic development of the northern coast. He improved the infrastructure of the capital city, Tegucigalpa. President Luis Bográn also initiated the process of research and investigation in the ruins of the ancient Mayan city of Copan by inviting foreign universities to study the artifacts and architecture left behind by the Mayans. He was also one of the founding members of the Partido Nacional de Honduras, PNH.
