Maria Patriarca with whom he had seven children. Between 1944 and 1946, he participated in the establishment of the Associazione Cattolica Lavoratori Italiani (ACLI), Italy's future Catholic trade union association. After 1944 and the collapse of fascism in Italy, Veronese was appointed the first lay President of Italian Catholic Action. In this capacity he would go on to hold many other prominent roles, including member of the Governing Board of the Foundation “Premi Roma” for youth, President of the Association of Refugee Intellectual in Italy, President of the Italian Central Institute of Credit, President of the “Consorzio di Credito per le Opere Pubbliche” and member of the Executive Committee of the Italian African Institute. Vittorino Veronese would later be removed as President of Italian Catholic Action in 1952 by Pope Pius XII in favour of Luigi Gedda. UNESCO As a well-known member the Italian Movement of Catholic graduates and Catholic Action, Veronese became active participant in the work of UNESCO after 1948. From 1952 to 1956 he served as a representative on UNESCO's executive board, and was elected as the board's chairperson between 1956 and 1958. He continued to hold this role until his appointment as UNESCO Director-General. He advocated for the importance of self-determination without discrimination in education as well as the importance of its inclusion of linkages to daily life. Veronese believed that education went along with the benefits of industrialization. As a UNESCO Director-General, Vittorino Veronese would lead member nations to sign the Paris Convention against Discrimination in Education in 1960. Also in 1960, 19 newly independent African nations (including Burkina Faso, Chad, Gambia, and Nigeria) were granted membership. Special emphasis was placed on the “elimination of illiteracy” within the new African member nations, which resulted in the Addis Ababa Conference of African Ministers of Education, held May 15–25 of 1961. This was the first educational conference held by African leaders where the focus was determined by member nations and general concerns of middle Africa. From 1960, Veronese led the start of the International Campaign to Save the Monuments of Nubia. Vittorino Veronese followed the socio-cultural lead of predecessor Luther H. Evans and inaugurated Evans’ proposed “Special Fund” for extra-budgetary collection to support the launch of 37 teacher training programs in developing countries. This allowed for the later progress of UNESCO with the support of the UNDP and UNICEF across the 60 members. After his work cementing