José María Mata

José María Mata Reyes (13 November 1819 – 25 February 1895) was a 19th-century liberal politician and diplomat from Mexico who served for two months as minister of Finance in the cabinet of Benito Juárez (1860–1861),^[1][3] three months as minister of Foreign Affairs in the cabinet of Porfirio Díaz (1878),^[4] as envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of Mexico to the United States (1859–1860),^[5][6] as congressman in the Chamber of Deputies, and as municipal president of Martínez de la Torre, Veracruz.^[2][1]

José María Mata
Tomb of José María Mata at the Rotunda of Illustrious Persons
Envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of Mexico to the United States
In office 28 April 1859 – 13 August 1860
Preceded by	Ignacio Mariscal
Succeeded by	José Tomás de Cuéllar
Minister of Finance
In office 29 October 1860 – 20 November 1860[1]
In office 22 April 1861 – 2 May 1861[1]
President	Benito Juárez[1]
Preceded by	Guillermo Prieto
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 20 June 1878 – 1878
President	Porfirio Díaz
Preceded by	Ignacio L. Vallarta
Personal details
Born	José María Mata Reyes (1819-11-13)13 November 1819 Xalapa, Veracruz[2]
Died	25 February 1895(1895-02-25) (aged 75) Martínez de la Torre, Veracruz[1]
Resting place	Dolores Civil Cemetery, Mexico City 19.407°N 99.204°W / 19.407; -99.204
Nationality	Mexican
Political party	Mexican Liberal Party (in Spanish: Partido Liberal Mexicano)[2]
Spouse(s)	A daughter of Melchor Ocampo, Josefina Ocampo ​ ​ (m. 1856⁠–⁠1887)​ and Flavia Torre ​ (m. 1890)​ [2]
Education	San Juan de Letrán College

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Mata and the second or maternal family name is Reyes.

Aside from his political and diplomatic activities, Mata served as a militiaman during the Mexican–American War and as a general in the army commanded by Porfirio Díaz during the French intervention in Mexico.^[1]

Works

• Memoria de Hacienda (1868).^[7]