José Freitas Nobre (24 March 1921 – 19 November 1990) was a Brazilian lawyer, journalist, politician, and professor. He served in various positions in São Paulo politics, including as vice-mayor and city councilor, and later as a federal deputy for the state of São Paulo from 1972 to 1987. He was a member of the Brazilian Democratic Movement (MDB). He is the namesake for the official full name of São Paulo–Congonhas Airport (São Paulo/Congonhas–Deputado Freitas Nobre Airport).
Early Life and Education
Born in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil, he was the son of Manoel Aprígio Nobre and Letícia Freitas Nobre. He graduated from the University of São Paulo law school in 1948. In 1970, he earned a doctorate from the Faculty of Law of Paris under the supervision of Fernand Terrou.
Career
Before entering politics, Freitas Nobre worked as a lawyer specializing in freedom of speech and freedom of the press. He was a professor at the University of São Paulo School of Communications and Arts and served as president of the Sindicato de Jornalistas Profissionais do Estado de São Paulo (the journalists' union of São Paulo state). He was also a local spiritist leader.
He was first elected vice-mayor of São Paulo in 1961, serving under mayor Prestes Maia until 1965. After his term ended, he was unable to run for mayor due to the dissolution of democratic governance by the Brazilian military dictatorship. He was elected as a federal deputy from São Paulo in the early 1970s, becoming a leader of the MDB in the Chamber of Deputies and vice-president of the chamber. He was one of the strongest voices against the military dictatorship in the chamber.
After retiring from politics, he returned to lecturing and was nominated in 1990 for a titular professorship, but died before the nomination was considered.
Personal Life and Legacy
He had four children: Clovis, Olga Maria, Marcos Nobre, and Marcelo Rossi. An auditorium in the National Congress Palace is named after him. On 25 May 2017, the Brazilian federal Senate approved a proposal to rename São Paulo–Congonhas Airport to São Paulo/Congonhas–Deputado Freitas Nobre Airport in his honor, which was signed into law by then-president Michel Temer on 16 June 2017.
