Aurelio Mario Gabriel Francisco García Menocal y Deop (December 17, 1866 – September 7, 1941) was the 3rd President of Cuba, serving from 1913 to 1921. His term as president saw Cuba's participation in World War I. Youth Born in Jagüey Grande, Matanzas, Cuba, García Menocal was thirteen when he was sent to boarding schools in the United States, first at the Chappaqua Mountain Institute in New York, and later at the Maryland Agricultural College. In 1884, he then went to Cornell University where he graduated in 1888 from the School of Engineering. While at Cornell University, he was a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity (Delta Chi Chapter). As a young man he was involved in Cuba's fight for independence from Spain. When Cuba did receive independence following the Spanish–American War, García Menocal became a leading conservative politician. First Term in Office (1913 - 1917) Mario García Menocal was elected president in 1912 and became known for his strong support of business and corporations. In late July 1914 the alliance the National Conservative Party (Cuba) had with a branch of the Liberal Party of Cuba was broken resulting in Menocal losing control of the Cuban Congress. On May 19, 1915, editor of newspaper La Tribuna, Enrique Mazas, was arrested on charges of libel against President Menocal. It is claimed that Mr. Mazas wrote an article against President Menocal demanding that he resign either from his position as President of Cuba or General Inspector of the Chappara Sugar Company. In essence, Mazas accused Menocal of using public funds to cover his travel expenses whenever he visited the Chaparra sugar mill (presently in Las Tunas Province) as inspector of the sugar mill. On September 20, 1916, President Menocal established the Cuban Naval Academy situated at the time in Castillo de Rubens near the Mariel harbour. On November 1, 1916, President Menocal was re-elected during the 1916 Cuban general election. The elections were highly disputed with many, including scholars such as Gerardo Castellanos, claiming they were outright fraudulent. Political infighting following the highly disputed elections resulted in civil strife and rebellion. On February 11, 1917, Commander Luis Solano rose up against Menocal, whereas the supreme chief of this rebellion was former President José Miguel Gómez. The rebellion proved unsuccessful largely as a result of internal divisions within the ranks, and the support provided to Menocal by then U.S. ambassador, William Elliot