Augusto Arruda
Augusto Rebelo Arruda, the pioneer and great promoter of tourism on the island of São Miguel, passed away on 22 January 1964, at his residence in Fajã de Baixo, Ponta Delgada, at the age of 75. He was born on 25 February 1888 in Ponta Delgada. He held a Bachelor of Laws from the Faculty of Law of the University of Coimbra, practiced law, and served as a notary public in Ponta Delgada. In 1919, he was elected as a Member of Parliament for the Republican Conjunction list; in 1921, he was a candidate for the National Reconstitution Action Party; and in 1925, he was elected by the Portuguese Republican Party. In the city of Ponta Delgada, he also held the positions of Mayor (1919–1922) and President of the General District Board (1925). During his political activity in local government, he spearheaded significant works in the city, such as the installation of the telephone network inaugurated in 1924, the construction of the Tagus Oil Company fuel depots to supply maritime navigation, and the municipalisation of meat and electricity services. As a Member of Parliament, he advocated for the renewal of the concession for beet sugar production. With the establishment of the military dictatorship, he withdrew from political activity. In 1933, alongside Vasco Bensaúde and other Micaelenses, he founded the Sociedade Terra Nostra, dedicated to the development of tourism on the island of São Miguel. He served as the company’s managing director and transformed Furnas into a true tourist hub, where he built the Terra Nostra Hotel. He was also the lawyer for the Bensaúde group. He was a founder of the Sociedade Açoriana de Transportes Aéreos (SATA) and delivered the keynote speech at the inaugural flight ceremony on 15 June 1947, at what was then the Santana Airfield. As one of the largest pineapple producers in São Miguel, the pineapple trade owed him its most comprehensive exploitation, through the introduction of new packaging processes and the first canned preserves. He served as the Consul of Turkey in Ponta Delgada. For his services to the development of tourism and to the city of Ponta Delgada, his name was given to a city street, perpetuating his legacy within the local urban space. In 1989, he was posthumously decorated by the government with the insignia of Grand Officer of the Order of Merit.
The Funeral
His funeral took place at his residence, where the body lay in state, proceeding by hearse to the family vault at the São Joaquim Cemetery. The Parish Priest of Fajã de Baixo, Father José Ribeiro Martins, presided over the funeral, leading a college of priests from various parishes. The casket was literally covered in floral wreaths. The funeral procession was joined by civil, military, and naval authorities, the presidents of the General Board and the City Council, the consular corps in honour of the representative of Turkey, and a delegation representing the commander of the United States Air Forces at Lajes Base. The mourning was led by the District Chief, Eng. Vasconcelos Raposo, with the following shifts organised for the pallbearing:
1st: Eng. Abel Férin Coutinho, João Luís da Câmara Melo Cabral, João Augusto Rebelo Melo Cabral, and Carlos de Aguiar Machado
2nd: Eng. Emiliano Arruda de Castro Carneiro, Hildeberto Torres, Hugo de Lacerda, and António de Aguiar Machado
3rd: Dr António Manuel de Medeiros Franco, Paulo Lacerda, and the dedicated employees Ernesto Furtado Ferreira and Duarte Pereira Araújo.
At the entrance of the vault, speeches were delivered by Dr Francisco Carreiro, as President of the Regional Tourism Commission of the Islands of São Miguel and Santa Maria, and by the journalist Dinis Silva, who spoke regarding the political career of the deceased.
