Landulfo Alves was an agronomist who was educated in the USA and became a politician, having served as federal intervener in Bahia from 1938 to 1942, in the context of the , and later as senator of the Republic from 1951 to 1954. His investments in agriculture and education left important legacies for scientific activities in Bahia. Despite these achievements, historians may not have fully grasped his importance in the development of Bahia, especially in science. Seeking to fill this void, this paper addresses questions which have received little exploration in historiography: how did his education motivate his initiation into the public sphere and influence his political choices? What were his investments in the state? Was he an isolated case, or was he in line with the development policies of his time? As a result, we hope that this work will provide new historiographical approaches to Landulfo Alves’ contributions to science and higher education in Bahia.