Paul Aldunate Phillips

Paul Aldunate Phillips (born 19 December 1909) was a Chilean lawyer, politician, and businessman, member of the Liberal Party.

He served as Deputy of the Republic for the 7th Departmental Grouping of Santiago (First District) for four consecutive legislative periods between 1945 and 1961.

Aldunate Phillips was honorary president of the Federación Atlética de Chile (Athletics Federation of Chile). He was a member of the Club de La Unión, Club de Tabacos, and Club de Polo y Equitación San Cristóbal.

Aldunate Phillips was born in Paris, France, on 19 December 1909, the son of Emilio Aldunate Bascuñán and Emilia Phillips Huneeus. His brother was the diplomat and officer Raúl Aldunate Phillips.

He completed his secondary education at the Instituto Andrés Bello in Santiago and later studied law at the University of Chile, obtaining his degree on 28 December 1933. His thesis was titled "Naturaleza jurídica del contrato de seguro de vida" ("Legal Nature of the Life Insurance Contract").^[1]

He married María Angélica Valdés Pereira in 1937, and they had eight children.

Aldunate Phillips was assistant and later full professor of Public Finance at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile in 1942.

He was manager of Sociedad Anónima Progreso Urbano and served as councillor of Línea Aérea Nacional (LAN Chile) and of the Banco Francés e Italiano for 14 years.

He held directorial positions in more than twenty-eight companies, including Fiat Chile S.A., Laboratorio Beta, Compañía Minera Schwager, Martini y Rossi, Compañía de Petróleos de Chile (COPEC), and Compañía Chilena de Tabacos. Earlier, in 1932, he had been property administrator at La Sudamérica Insurance Company.

He joined the Liberal Party and served as president of the Liberal Youth.

Elected Deputy for the 7th Departmental Grouping (Santiago, First District) for the 1945–1949 legislative period, he sat on the Permanent Commissions of Finance, Labor and Social Legislation, and Economy and Commerce.

Reelected for the 1949–1953 period, he served as replacement deputy on the Permanent Commissions of Internal Government, Constitution, Legislation and Justice, and Labor and Social Legislation, while integrating the Commission of Economy and Commerce.

He was again reelected for the 1953–1957 period, serving on the Permanent Commission of Finance, of which he was president. He maintained the same role during his fourth and final legislative period (1957–1961).

Among his parliamentary contributions, he was the author of the law that created the Caja Bancaria de Pensiones (Banking Pension Fund) and the law granting family allowances for students over 18 years old.

• BCN Profile