Nicanor "Nick" Baptista Reyes Sr. (born Nicanor Reyes Icasiano; January 2, 1894 – February 9, 1945) was a Filipino educator. He was the founder and first president of the Far Eastern University in Manila, Philippines.

Biography

Nicanor Reyes was born to Francisco Reyes and Macaria Baptista in Trozo, Manila. He earned an A.B. in 1915 from the University of the Philippines, a bachelor's degree in Commercial Science from New York University in 1917, and a Master of Arts degree in Business Administration from Columbia University the following year. He received his Ph.D. in Accountancy from Columbia - the first Filipino to do so, which was also the first degree of its kind to be awarded by Columbia. Reyes was married to Amparo de Leon Mendoza and had five children.

Death

Towards the end of the Pacific War, during the Battle of Manila, the retreating Japanese forces killed Reyes and members of his family: his wife, and two youngest children on February 9, 1945 at their residence along Taft Avenue. Their remains are buried at the Manila Memorial Park.

Legacy