Tancredo Neves

**Tancredo de Almeida Neves** <small>SFO</small> () (March 4, 1910 – April 21, 1985) was a Brazilian politician, lawyer, and businessman who was the President-elect of Brazil in 1985, but died before taking office.

## Early life

Tancredo Neves was born in São João del-Rei, Minas Gerais. He was of Austrian descent.

Neves studied at Colégio Santo Antônio, a Franciscan school. In 1928 he began studies at the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais where he earned a bachelor's degree in Law, in 1932 and was a public prosecutor in 1933.

## Political career

He was Minister of Justice and Interior Affairs from 1953 to 1954, Prime Minister from 1961 to 1962, Minister of Finance in 1962, and as Governor of Minas Gerais from 1983 to 1984.

During his time as a deputy, Neves was a critic of the military regimes of Humberto de Alencar Castelo Branco, Artur da Costa e Silva, Emílio Garrastazu Médici, Ernesto Geisel and João Figueiredo.

## President-elect and death

He was elected President of Brazil in 1985, but died before he took office.

Neves was supposed to be inaugurated as the Brazilian president on 15 March 1985, however the day before his vice president Jose Sarney became acting president after being sworn-in while Neves recovered from surgery. He died of diverticulitis at a São Paulo hospital on 21 April 1985, aged 75. It was also reported Neves had stomach cancer, but his diagnosis was kept secret.

## Infobox (officeholder)

- **honorific-prefix**: Excellency, His Excellency
- **name**: Tancredo Neves
- **image**: Tancredo Neves, 1983.jpg
- **office**: President of Brazil, President-elect of Brazil
- **term**: _Never sworn in_
- **vicepresident**: José Sarney
- **predecessor**: João Figueiredo
- **successor**: José Sarney
- **order2**: Prime Minister of Brazil#Prime Ministers of the United States of Brazil (1961–1963), Prime Minister of Brazil
- **term start2**: September 8, 1961
- **term end2**: July 12, 1962
- **president2**: João Goulart
- **predecessor2**: Position re-established
- **successor2**: Francisco de Paula Brochado da Rocha, Brochado da Rocha
- **order3**: List of Governors of Minas Gerais, Governor of Minas Gerais
- **term start3**: March 15, 1983
- **term end3**: August 14, 1984
- **vicegovernor3**: Hélio Garcia
- **predecessor3**: Francelino Pereira
- **successor3**: Hélio Garcia
- **order4**: Brazilian Senate, Senator for Minas Gerais
- **term start4**: February 1, 1979
- **term end4**: March 14, 1983
- **order5**: Chamber of Deputies (Brazil), Federal Deputy from Minas Gerais
- **term start5**: February 1, 1963
- **term end5**: February 1, 1979
- **term start6**: February 1, 1951
- **term end6**: February 1, 1955
- **order7**: Ministry of the Economy (Brazil), Minister of Finance
<small>_acting_</small>
- **term start7**: March 23, 1962
- **term end7**: May 9, 1962
- **president7**: João Goulart
- **primeminister7**: _Himself_
- **predecessor7**: Walter Moreira Salles
- **successor7**: Walter Moreira Salles
- **order8**: Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Brazil), Minister of Justice and Interior Affairs
- **term start8**: September 8, 1961
- **term end8**: October 12, 1961
- **president8**: João Goulart
- **primeminister8**: _Himself_
- **predecessor8**: José Martins Rodrigues
- **successor8**: Alfredo Nasser
- **term start9**: June 26, 1953
- **term end9**: August 24, 1954
- **president9**: Getúlio Vargas
- **predecessor9**: Negrão de Lima
- **successor9**: Miguel Seabra Fagundes
- **birth name**: Tancredo de Almeida Neves
- **birth place**: São João del-Rei, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- **death place**: São Paulo, São Paulo (state), São Paulo, Brazil
- **alma mater**: Faculdade de Direito da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, UFMG School of Law
- **children**: 3
- **spouse**: Risoleta Guimarães Tolentino
- **signature**: Tancredo Neves autógrafo.jpg