Hasan Âli Yücel

• Name — Hasan Âli Yücel • Office — Minister of National Education • Term Start — 28 December 1938 • Term End — 5 August 1946 • Predecessor — Saffet Arıkan • Successor — Reşat Şemsettin Sirer • Born — 17 December 1897 • Birthplace — Istanbul, Ottoman Empire • Died — 26 February 1961 (aged 63) • Place of death — Istanbul, Turkey • Party — Republican People's Party • Children — Can Yücel • Prime Minister — Celâl Bayar Refik Saydam Şükrü Saracoğlu • Alma Mater — Istanbul University • Office1 — Member of the Grand National Assembly • Term Start2 — 1 March 1935 • Term End2 — 24 March 1950 • Resting Place — Cebeci Asri Cemetery, Ankara

He was born in Istanbul in 1897. He graduated from Vefa High School. After graduating from Istanbul University Faculty of Literature, he started teaching on 19 December 1922. With the establishment of the Turkish Language Association on 12 July 1932, Hasan Âli Yücel was appointed as the head of the etymology branch.

Turkey's entry into UNESCO and foundation of State Conservatory (20 May 1940) has been a result of his efforts. The University Reform (establishment of Ankara University Faculty of Science, transformation of Higher Engineering School into Istanbul Technical University and establishment of Ankara University Faculty of Medicine), translation of world classics into Turkish and preliminary studies of İnönü Encyclopedia, the first official and copyrighted Turkish encyclopedia, were carried out during his ministry. As a result of four years of his efforts, the Law of Universities were enacted on 25 June 1946. With this law, the tight ties of higher education institutions with the Ministry were significantly loosened, existing institutions were brought to a structural integrity, thus giving universities an organic character. Ankara University was established as a result of this law.