Political career
In 1934, Filho entered politics, being elected federal deputy, being removed due to the coup of the Estado Novo, which returned him to journalism. One of the founders of the PSD, he was re-elected to the same post, after the end of the Vargas Era, in 1945, in successive terms until 1966, when he became incompatible to run for the state government – in an election along the lines of the Military Regime, whose installation in the country he had supported – having been, since 1964, Extraordinary Minister for Affairs of the Civil Cabinet of the exception regime.
On 3 September 1966, he was elected, indirectly, by the Legislative Assembly, taking office the following year.
After the period of government, already by the Arena, he was elected to the Senate, where he chaired the Foreign Relations Commission and the Federal Senate itself, in the 1979–80 biennium. He died in 1990, when he was serving his second term as a senator, having also integrated the PDS and PMDB.
Filho was the only person to integrate all three Constituent Assemblies of the 20th Century (1934, 1946 and 1987–88).
Academic career
Filho became a Professor of Private International Law and History of Brazil at the Federal University of Bahia. As a historian, he published a number of books.
He was a member of the Historical and Geographic Institute of Bahia; the Academia de Letras da Bahia; meritorious member of the Brazilian Historical and Geographic Institute; corresponding member of the International Academy of Portuguese Culture, the Academy of Sciences of Lisbon and the Portuguese Academy of History.
He was elected to the Brazilian Academy of Letters on 8 April 1954, the third member of Chair 22, whose patron is José Bonifacio. He took office on 15 April of the following year, received by Menotti Del Picchia.
