Petras Vileišis (Lithuania) was an engineer, public figure, highest level constructor of roads, railroads and bridges, well known specialist of the installation of the bridge piers foundation, one of the first Lithuanian entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship ideologist.
In 1904, he built the printing house for publishing Lithuanian books and the bookstore of the Lithuanian books; from December 1904 to March 1909, he published the first legal Lithuanian newspaper “Vilniaus žinios”. Vileišis funded the publishing of approximately 100 Lithuanian publications.
In 1904, he was one of the initiators of the Great Seimas of Vilnius, founder of the Lithuanian Scientific Society (LMD), from 1907 – a member of the board of LMD.
Vileišis was the chairman of the committee for the construction of the new War Museum building; he worked as the Head of the Engineer Corps at the Ministry of Transport and Communications.
The title of Honorary Doctor was awarded for life-long literary activities.
In 1926, P. Vileišis was awarded the title of Honorary Doctor-Engineer by the Technical Faculty of the University of Lithuania, honouring the engineer’s merits.
