Author, philosopher, politician. Born 1881 in Oaxaca, Mexico; died 1959 in Mexico City. Graduated from law school in 1907. Vasconcelos, who served twice as Minister of Education and also held the position of Rector of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, exerted a profound influence on Mexican culture by promoting education for the lower classes and encouraging popular exposure to literature. He experienced his most productive years as an author during the 1930s, following an unsuccessful campaign for the presidency of Mexico in 1929.
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| Chronology | |
| 27 Feb 1881 | born in Oaxaca, Mexico, to Ignacio Vasconcelos and Carmen Calderón Conde |
| 1887 | moved with family to Piedras Negras, Coahuila |
| 1888 | entered English-language primary school in Eagle Pass |
| 1895 | returned with family to Mexico City; briefly attended Instituto de Toluca |
| 1896 | moved with family to Campeche; entered secondary school at Instituto de Ciencias |
| 1898 | graduated from Instituto de Ciencias in Campeche |
| 1899 | entered Escuela Nacional Preparatoria in Mexico; family moved back to Piedras Negras, where his mother died |
| 1901 | entered Escuela de Jurisprudencia in Mexico City |
| 1905 | graduated with thesis,"Teoría dinámica del derecho"; worked as secretary and as law clerk, in Durango and in Mexico City |
| 1906 | in Tlaxcala, married Serafina Miranda of Tlaxiaco, Oaxaca |
| 1907 | admitted to bar; published Teoría dinámica del derecho |
| 28 Oct 1908 | with friends, founded the anti-Díaz Ateneo de la Juventud |
| 25 Apr 1909 | formally joined anti-Díaz Partido Nacional Antireeleccionista in Mexico City; named one of its Secretaries and co-director of its weekly periodical El Antireeleccionista, soon suppressed by Díaz |
| 1910 | published anti-Díaz Gabino Barreda y las ideas contemporáneas, resulting in President Díaz' order for his arrest; escaped to New York, returning to Mexico City after three months |
| 5 Oct 1910 | immediately backed Francisco I. Madero's Plan de San Luis Potosí |
| 1911 | pursued in Mexico City by Díaz' police, Vasconcelos closed his law office and relocated to Washington, D.C., authorized to continue working there for Madero |
| July 1911 | upon Díaz' resignation and Madero's triumph, Vasconcelos returned to Mexico City and re-opened his office; named president of the Ateneo de la Juventud |
| 2 Sep 1911 | Partido Nacional Antireeleccionista changed by Madero to Partido Constitucional Progresiva, Vasconcelos made vice-President of its executive committee |
| 6 Nov 1911 | Madero assumed the presidency of the republic |
| Oct 1912 | rebellion of Félix Díaz broke out with clandestine support of Victoriano Huerta, supposedly Madero's supporter |
| Jan 1913 | Vasconcelos futilely warned Madero in person against Huerta |
| 18 Feb 1913 | Huerta named President |
| 22 Feb 1913 | Madero assassinated |
| 26 Mar 1913 | V. Carranza issued Plan of Guadalupe repudiating Huerta; Vasconcelos sent as Carranza's confidential agent to London, Paris |
| 1914 | Vasconcelos named Director of Escuela Nacional Preparatoria by Carranza |
| 8 Oct 1914 | Refusing to support Carranza unconditionally, Vasconcelos resigned directorship, was jailed; escaped to Aguascalientes |
| Nov 1914 | Convention of Aguascalientes named Gen. Eulalio Gutiérrez Presidente provisional de la República; Gutiérrez named Vasconcelos Minister of Public Instruction |
| 16 Jan 1915 | Gutiérrez and Vasconcelos escaped from Villistas in Mexico City |
| 20 Jan 1915 | Gutiérrez, declared no longer provisional president, escaped to United States |
| April 1915 | Gutiérrez sent Vasconcelos as his representative to Washington, D. C.; Vasconcelos subsequently resigned |
| Oct 1915 | U.S.A. officially recognized Carranza government in Mexico |
| Nov 1915 | Vasconcelos withdrew from public life |
| 1916 | published Pitágoras, una teoría del ritmo (Havana), Prometeo vencedor (Madrid); accepted post with Escuelas Internacionales, left for South America |
| 1917 | left Escuelas Internacionales, returned to New York |
| 1918 | earned living as corporate lawyer across U.S.; published El monismo estético (Mexico) |
| 1919 | abandoned professional life and relocated to California |
| 1920 | published Estudios Indostánicos and La caída de Carranza; de la dictadura a la libertad |
| 21 May 1920 | Carranza killed in Mexico; Vasconcelos returned to Mexico City |
| 9 June 1920 | Adolfo de la Huerta, named provisional president, appointed Vasconcelos Rector of Mexico's Universidad Nacional |
| 18 June 1920 | Vasconcelos began formal campaign against illiteracy |
| 1 Dec 1920 | Obregón assumed presidency and placed national presses at disposal of the National University; Vasconcelos began monthly journal El Maestro, continued forming Secretaría de Educación |
| 1921 | Vasconcelos traveled constantly in Mexico promoting education |
| 9 Feb 1921 | began publication of series of classic titles in translation |
| 15 Apr 1921 | started free-breakfast program in Mexico's public schools |
| 27 Apr 1921 | produced shield and motto for National University, "Por mi raza hablará el espíritu"; began arranging for his elected successor |
| 20 Sept 1921 | inaugurated Primer Congreso Internacional de Estudiantes |
| 3 Oct 1921 | announced Acta Constitutiva de Federación de Intelectuales Latinoamericanos, served as president of steering committee |
| 12 Oct 1921 | ceased to be rector of UNAM; immediately appointed Secretary of Public Education |
| 1922 | published Divagaciones literarias (Mexico), Orientaciones del pensamiento en México (Córdoba, Argentina); set up libraries throughout Mexico; subsidized "muralist movement" of Rivera, Orozco, Siqueiros; patronized national folk arts, founded a national Symphony, carried out first census of indigenous regions and languages; designated special ambassador to South America |
| 1923 | established beginnings of National Polytechnical Institute in Mexico City; developed "cultural missions" in rural towns; named Maestro de la Juventud by students of Colombia, Peru, and Panama |
| 1924 | published Ideario de acción (Lima), La revulsión de la energia; los ciclos de la fuerza, el cambio y la existencia (Mexico); resigned as Secretary of Public Education, accepting candidacy for governor of Oaxaca, where he was popularly elected; central government refused to recognize him in office; began collaboration with periodical El universal, started his review La antorcha |
| 1925 | published La raza cósmica (Barcelona); left Mexico for Europe via Cuba, traveled Spain, settled in Paris |
| 1926 | published Indología: una interpretación de la cultura iberoamericana and final issues of La antorcha; lectured by invitation in Central America and at the University of Chicago |
| 1927 | attended European anti-communist conference as Puerto Rican delegate; traveled Europe, lectured at University of Chicago |
| 1928 | continued as university lecturer across U.S., including political as well as academic topics; accepted nomination for president of Mexico from the Partido Nacional Antireeleccionista |
| 10 Nov 1928 | encouraged to return to public life, entered Mexico via Nogales |
| 1929 | published Tratado de metafísica (Mexico); campaigned along Mexico's Pacific coast, then central and northern states |
| 17 Nov 1929 | "unanimously chosen " President of the Republic, Vasconcelos was declared President-elect from Guaymas; opposed by both U.S. and central Mexican governments, returned to U.S., after issuing his Plan de Guaymas, advocating Mexican rebellion, from Nogales |
| 1930 | disillusioned with political efforts, left for Panama; lectured against U. S. imperialism and the Calles regime |
| 1931 | published Etica (Madrid), Pesimismo alegre (Madrid); went to Paris |
| 1933 | moved to Argentina; published Sonata mágica: cuentos y relatos (Madrid) |
| 1934 | published Bolivarismo y Monroismo: temas iberoamericanos (Santiago, Chile); in Chile, completed first volume of his autobiographical memoirs, Ulises criollo |
| 1935 | published Estética and first volume of Ulises criollo (Mexico); entered U.S.A., moved to New Orleans, then to San Antonio, Texas |
| 1936 | moved to Austin, Texas; completed and published La tormenta (Mexico), second of four volumes of Ulises criollo |
| 1937 | published Historia del pensamiento filosófico and Breve historia de México |
| 1938 | published El desastre, third volume of Ulises criollo |
| 1939 | moved to Mexico City; publishedEl proconsulado, completing Ulises criollo |
| 1940 | published Manual de filosofía and Páginas escogidas |
| 1941 | published Hernán Cortés, creador de la nacionalidad; first wife died |
| 1943 | married the pianist Esperanza Cruz |
| 1945 | published Lógica orgánica and El viento de Bagdad |
| 1946 | named director of Mexico's Biblioteca Nacional |
| 1952 | published Filosofía estética |
| 1955 | published Temas contemporáneas |
| 1957 | published En el ocaso de mi vida |
| 1958 | elected vice-president of the Federación Internacional de Sociedades Filosóficas; published Don Evaristo Madero and an expurgated edition of his autobiography |
| 30 June 1959 | died at his home in Mexico City |
The manuscripts comprise the first four of five volumes of his autobiography; the fifth is La flama: los de arriba en la Revolución, historia y tragedia, published posthumously.
The bound typescripts bear corrections, additions, and deletions by Vasconcelos which did not appear in the published first editions.
José Vasconcelos Manuscripts, 1935-1939, Benson Latin American Collection, General Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin.
The José Vasconcelos Manuscripts were purchased by the Benson Latin American Collection from Ediciones Botas in 1988.
Described by the Benson's Mexican Archives Project in June 1994.
The Chronology was compiled by Ann Lozano based on the Biographical Sources cited.
Prepared by the Mexican Archives Project, January 9, 1995.
