Afonso Augusto Moreira Pena (; 30 November 1847 – 14 June 1909), often referred to simply as Afonso Pena, was a Brazilian lawyer, professor and politician who served as the 6th president of Brazil from 1906 until his death in 1909. Before his political career, Pena had been an attorney and legal scholar. He was the first president of Brazil to die in office. Pena began his political career in 1874 with an election to the Provincial Assembly of Minas Gerais. In the succeeding years, he reconciled legislative work with some periods occupying ministries—Ministry of War (1882), Agriculture (1883 to 1884) and Justice (1885). As president of the provincial assembly of Minas Gerais, Pena inaugurated the new capital Belo Horizonte. After the proclamation of the Republic, he was president of Minas Gerais between 1892 and 1894. It was during his administration that Belo Horizonte was set for the future state capital (which at that time was Ouro Preto). He ran in the presidential election of 1894, but lost by a large margin to Prudente de Morais. In 1902 Pena became Vice President to Francisco de Paula Rodrigues Alves. As Vice President, he also served as the President of the Senate. He was elected president in 1906 and served until his death in 1909, a few days after the passing of his son Álvaro Pena. Afonso Pena was the first Brazilian president to advocate intervening in the coffee economy. The federal government started to buy production surplus, thus maintaining the high price of coffee in international markets. Pena also promoted the expansion of railroads and immigration. The reorganization of the Brazilian Army and Navy was done by ministers Hermes da Fonseca and during the Pena administration. Pena also supported Cândido Rondon's expeditions in the Amazon rainforest. Early life and education Born on 30 November 1847 in Santa Bárbara do Mato Dentro, currently the municipality of Santa Bárbara, Minas Gerais, Pena was the seventh of twelve children of Domingos José Teixeira Penna and Anna Moreira Teixeira Penna; being his mother's firstborn, as she was his father's second wife. Domingos was a Portuguese immigrant from São Salvador da Ribeira de Pena and in the new country he owned land, a gold mine and a large number of slaves. While initially following a military career in the National Guard, Domingos later abandoned it; his earnings were sufficient to provide the family with a standard