Universidade do Brasil

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Universidade do Brasil was created on September 7, 1920, by President Epitácio Pessoa, in the city of Rio de Janeiro, the former capital district of Brazil. Initially it was named Universidade do Rio de Janeiro, then it was renamed Universidade do Brasil, on July 5, 1937. On December 17, 1945, the University achieved the status of full autonomy under the Brazilian Ministry of Education. In 1965 it was renamed to Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, according to the federal university system devised by the military government of Humberto de Alencar Castelo Branco. At year 2000, the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro requested to the Brazilian justice the possibility of call again the university as Universidade do Brasil, because the second name was imposed by the military authority of Brazilian government at the time. The request was accepted and today is possible to call with both forms the university.

On the occasion of its foundation in 1920, the University was formed by joining three independent higher learning schools:

• Faculdade de Medicina (Faculty of Medicine, the former Academia de Medicina e Cirurgia, which was created in 1808 by a decree of King D. João VI)
• Escola Politécnica (Polytechnic School)
• Faculdade Nacional de Direito (National Faculty of Law)

To these, other units were gradually created an incorporated, such as the Escola Nacional de Belas Artes (National School of Fine Arts) and the Faculdade Nacional de Filosofia (National Faculty of Philosophy).

A beautiful set of buildings of neoclassical design - originally constructed to be a sanatorium - was then set to lodge the new University, located at Avenida Pasteur, in the Flamengo district of the city, near the Praia Vermelha (Red Beach).