Lyceum of the Philippines University

Lyceum of the Philippines University prides itself on its long and rich tradition of academic excellence through the legacy of its founder, Dr. Jose P. Laurel. The only Philippine President to have served in all three branches of government, Dr. Laurel was a successful lawyer, legislator, constitutionalist, jurist, writer, scholar, statesman, philosopher, and above all, an educator. Dr. Laurel’s concern for education was his most abiding passion. A graduate of top educational institutions such as University of the Philippines College of Law, Escuela de Derecho, University of Santo Tomas and Yale University, he possessed unassailable credentials as an educator. During the Second World War, as the leader of the nation during the darkest period in its history, he introduced educational policies that emphasized character and upheld national morale. The inspiration to establish a school came to him in the early 1920s while a student at Yale. Three decades later, along with some of his close friends, he turned this dream into reality. With the aim of becoming a center of academic excellence in the Philippines and the Far East, Lyceum of the Philippines University (as it is now known) formally opened its doors to the public on July 7, 1952.