Second Director-General, UNESCO (1948-52). Under his direction, UNESCO first began to plan the construction of the new headquarters complex in Paris. Torres Bodet had served as Head of the Libraries Department of the Mexican Ministry of Education from 1922-1924. He then was appointed Professor of French Literature at the University of Mexico. In the 1940s, Torres Bodet held a number of government positions, including Under-secretary for Foreign Affairs (1940-43), Minister of Education (1943-1946) and Minister of Foreign Affairs (1946-1948).