Daniel Cosío Villegas
Encyclopedia
Daniel Cosío Villegas was a prominent Mexican
economist, essayist, historian and diplomat.
Cosío Villegas was born in Mexico City
. After studying one year in engineering and two years of philosophy, he received a B.A. in Law from the National University (nowadays UNAM
) and took several courses in economics at Harvard
, Wisconsin
and Cornell
. Later on he received master's degrees from the London School of Economics
and the École libre de sciences politiques of Paris
(now Institut d'études politiques de Paris).
After working briefly for Excélsior
he joined José Vasconcelos
in the production of La Antorcha magazine. In 1929 he served as secretary general of the National University, counselor to the Bank of Mexico, director of the National School of Economics of the National University (1933 – 1934), director of El Trimestre Económico and founded the Fondo de Cultura Económica
, one of the most renowned publishing companies in Latin America
.
On April 2, 1951 he was admitted to the National College and from 1957 until 1963 he chaired El Colegio de México
, whose library now bears his name. Simultaneously, he was the Mexican Ambassador to the UN Economic and Social Council and became its president in 1959. He received the National Literature Award in 1971 and in 1976 he published Memorias (Memoirs).
On March 10, 1976, several weeks after publishing his memoirs, he died in Mexico City. Cosio Villegas was known for being a heavy smoker. He smoked all through his last days.
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
economist, essayist, historian and diplomat.
Cosío Villegas was born in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
. After studying one year in engineering and two years of philosophy, he received a B.A. in Law from the National University (nowadays UNAM
Unam
UNAM or UNaM may refer to:* National University of Misiones, a National University in Posadas, Argentina*National Autonomous University of Mexico , the large public autonomous university based in Mexico City...
) and took several courses in economics at Harvard
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
and Cornell
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
. Later on he received master's degrees from the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
and the École libre de sciences politiques of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
(now Institut d'études politiques de Paris).
After working briefly for Excélsior
Excélsior
Excélsior is a daily newspaper, founded by Rafael Alducin and published in Mexico City since 1917.During the 1950s and 1960s, the newspaper's editorial stance was of a relatively liberal bent, under the editorship of Julio Scherer...
he joined José Vasconcelos
José Vasconcelos
José Vasconcelos Calderón was a Mexican writer, philosopher and politician. He is one of the most influential and controversial personalities in the development of modern Mexico. His philosophy of "indigenismo" affected all aspects of Mexican sociocultural, political, and economic...
in the production of La Antorcha magazine. In 1929 he served as secretary general of the National University, counselor to the Bank of Mexico, director of the National School of Economics of the National University (1933 – 1934), director of El Trimestre Económico and founded the Fondo de Cultura Económica
Fondo de Cultura Económica
Fondo de Cultura Económica is the most important publishing house in Mexico and one of the most important ones in Latin America. It was originally established in 1934 by Daniel Cosío Villegas as a way to provide students of economics with books in Spanish on the subject...
, one of the most renowned publishing companies in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
.
On April 2, 1951 he was admitted to the National College and from 1957 until 1963 he chaired El Colegio de México
El Colegio de México
El Colegio de México, A.C. is a prestigious Mexican institute of higher education, specializing in teaching and research in the social sciences and the humanities...
, whose library now bears his name. Simultaneously, he was the Mexican Ambassador to the UN Economic and Social Council and became its president in 1959. He received the National Literature Award in 1971 and in 1976 he published Memorias (Memoirs).
On March 10, 1976, several weeks after publishing his memoirs, he died in Mexico City. Cosio Villegas was known for being a heavy smoker. He smoked all through his last days.
Selected works
- La cuestión arancelaria en México (The Tariff Issue in Mexico, 1932)
- La historiografía política del México moderno (The Political Historiography Study of Modern Mexico, 1953)
- Porfirio Díaz en la revuelta de La Noria (Porfirio Díaz in La Noria Riot, 1954)
- La República restaurada. La Vida política (The Restored Republic, The Political Life, 1955)
- Estados Unidos contra Porfirio Díaz (The United States against Porfirio Díaz, 1956)
- La Constitución de 1857 y sus críticos (The 1857 Constitution and its critics, 1957)
- El Porfiriato. Vida política exterior (Porfirio Diaz's term. Foreign Political Life, 2 volumes, 1960 and 1963)
- El Porfiriato. La vida política interior (Porfirio Diaz's term. Domestic Political Life, 2 volumes, 1970 and 1973)
- El sistema político mexicano (The Mexican Political System, 1972)
- La sucesión presidencial (The Presidential Succession, 1975)
- Historia Moderna de México (Modern History of Mexico, 5 volumes out of 10, 1955 – 1974)
- Memorias (Memoirs, 1976)
External links
- Daniel Cosío Villegas (El Colegio Nacional)