Philippe Bunau-Varilla

Philippe-Jean Bunau-Varilla
Philippe-Jean Bunau-Varilla in 1924
Personal details
Born(1859-07-26)26 July 1859
Paris, French Empire
Died18 May 1940(1940-05-18) (aged 80)
Paris, France
NationalityFrench
Known forPanama Canal

Philippe-Jean Bunau-Varilla (French: [filip ʒɑ̃ byno vaʁija]; 26 July 1859 – 18 May 1940) was a French engineer and soldier. With the assistance of American lobbyist and lawyer William Nelson Cromwell, Bunau-Varilla greatly influenced Washington's decision concerning the construction site for the Panama Canal. He also worked closely with President Theodore Roosevelt in the latter's orchestration of the Panamanian Revolution.