Adolfo Alejandro Nouel

Adolfo Alejandro Nouel y Bobadilla (12 December 1862, Santo Domingo – 26 June 1937) was an archbishop, educator and interim president of the Dominican Republic.

"Monseñor Nouel" redirects here. For the province of the Dominican Republic, see Monseñor Nouel Province.

This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Nouel and the second or maternal family name is Bobadilla.

The Most Reverend Monsignor Adolfo Alejandro Nouel
Metropolitan Archbishop of Santo Domingo, Primate of America
Archbishop Nouel
Church	Roman Catholic Church
Archdiocese	Santo Domingo
See	Basilica Cathedral of Santa María la Menor
Appointed	20 August 1906
Quashed	11 October 1935
Predecessor	Fernando Arturo de Meriño
Successor	Ricardo Pittini
Other posts	President of the Dominican Republic (1912–1913)
Orders
Ordination	19 December 1885 by Fernando Arturo de Meriño
Consecration	16 October 1904 by Rafael Merry del Val
Personal details
Birth name	Adolfo Alejandro Nouel y Bobadilla
Born	(1862-12-12)December 12, 1862 Santo Domingo, Captaincy General of Santo Domingo, Spanish Empire
Died	June 25, 1937(1937-06-25) (aged 74) Ciudad Trujillo, District of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Nationality	Dominican
Denomination	Catholic Church
Residence	Santo Domingo
Parents	Carlos Rafael Nouel y Pierret, Clemencia Antonia Bobadilla y Desmier D’Olbreuse
Motto	Iustitia et Pax (Latin for '"Justice and Peace"')
Coat of arms

Early life and education

Nouel was born to Carlos Rafael Nouel y Pierret, a Dominican diplomat, law teacher, journalist, and businessman of French descent, and Clemencia Antonia Bobadilla y Desmier D’Olbreuse (daughter of President Tomás Bobadilla y Briones, of full Spanish descent and the first ruler of the Dominican Republic, with his wife of French noble origin María Virginia Desmier D’Olbreuse y Allard, from the Desmier of Olbreuse dynasty) in Santo Domingo. His great-grandfather, Barthelemy Pierret Grinet, was a French gunnery sergeant who arrived to the island on 29 January 1802 in the fleet commanded by General Leclerc, Napoleon’s brother-in-law.[1]

Ancestors of Adolfo Alejandro Nouel

16. Blaise Nouel Marien 8. François-Adolphe Nouel Naulin 17. Marie Naulin 4. Juan Bautista Adolfo Nouel y Gobert (b. 1806, d. 1859) 18. Pierre Gobert 9. Marie-Sophie Gobert Tessier 19. Marie-Louise Tessier 2. Carlos Rafael Nouel y Pierret (b. 1833, m. 1854, d. 1905) 20. Robert Pierret 10. Barthelemy Pierret Grienet 21. Marie-Louise Grienet 5. Juana Rosa Margarita Pierret y Grandier (b. 1800) 22. Jérôme Grandier Yerlin 11. María Margarita Grandier Champenoise 23. Pétronille Chapenoise 1. Adolfo Alejandro Nouel y Bobadilla (b. 1862, d. 1937) 24. Tomás Bobadilla y Mueses (m. 1779, d. 1872) 12. Vicente Bobadilla y Amaral (d. 1832) 25. Mauricia Francisca Amaral y Jiménez 6. Tomás Bobadilla y Briones (b. 1785, m. 1832, d. 1871) 26. Mateo Briones y Sánchez 13. Gregoria Justina Briones y Pérez 27. Dominga Pérez y Pérez 3. Clemencia Antonia Bobadilla y Desmier D’Olbreuse (b. 1835, m. 1854, d. 1876) 28. Charles Desmier D'Olbreuse 14. Bernard Desmier D’Olbreuse 29. Catherine Rasteau des Arnaulds 7. María Virginia Desmier D’Olbreuse y Allard (m. 1832,d. 1879) 15. Marie-Madeleine Allard

He began his studies in El Colegio El Estudio, of Santo Domingo, and afterward he studied at the Seminary of the Dominican Capital. Before going to study abroad, he was a student of Archbishop Fernando Arturo de Meriño. He went to Italy where he studied in the Colegio Latin Pio for ten years. He excelled in this school as one of the brightest students. In 1883 he received a doctorate in philosophy and bachelor's degree in theology and canon law from the Gregorian University. In 1885, accompanied by Monsignor Meriño, he returned to Santo Domingo and received the sacred order of priesthood in the Cathedral of Santo Domingo.

Priesthood

In 1888 he became the parish priest of San Juan. In 1890, he became parish priest of the Cathedral of Santo Domingo and vice-chancellor of the Conciliar Seminary of Santo Tomas de Aquino. In this seminary he taught Philosophy, Latin and Theology. Later he became parish priest of Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz in el Seibo, San Juan de la Maguana and finally of the parish in La Vega. In this city he initiated the building of a church the Town designated as "adopted son".

In 1903, he was elected deputy of the Province of La Vega. He traveled to Rome, in this year and was designated by Cardinal Merry de Val as Archbishop of Metymma and successor of Monsignor Merino whom he succeeded in the Archdiocese of Santo Domingo after his death on August 20, 1906.

Politics

He was inaugurated as provisional president of the Dominican Republic through a decree of the National Congress on November 30, 1912. His rise to office was due to the ongoing Civil War and the imperative that the presidential office be occupied by a neutral person, who inspired trust and respect, and could offer a stable peace. He resigned before the National Assembly, on April 13, 1913, after considering that he had achieved his purpose to bring peace to the country.

The invasion of the Dominican Republic by American troops, surprised him while he was in Rome where he had traveled for health reasons. He returned to Santo Domingo in 1920 and wrote a letter to the American Ambassador protesting the American intervention.

Writing

His literary work has not been published. Typed copies are kept by the Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo. He was in charge of editing the work of his father Historia Eclesiastica de la Arquidiocesis de Santo Domingo.

He was in the middle of revising several documents from el Archivo de Indias when he died in 1937.

Tributes

Monseñor Nouel Province was named for Adolfo Nouel.

References

1. Espinal Hernández, Edwin Rafael (3 December 2005). "Los descendientes de la flota de Leclerc". Cápsulas Genealógicas (in Spanish). Instituto Dominicano de Genealogía (Dominican Institute of Genealogy). Retrieved 27 September 2014.

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Fernando Arturo de Meriño	Archbishop of Santo Domingo 1906–1935	Succeeded by Ricardo Paolo Pittini
Political offices
Preceded by Eladio Victoria	President of the Dominican Republic 1912–1913	Succeeded by José Bordas Valdez
Academic offices
New institution	Chairman of the Dominican Academy of History 1927–1937	Succeeded by Cayetano Armando Rodríguez