Erasmo Castellanos Quinto
Erasmo Castellanos Quinto was a Mexican professor, poet and lawyer. He was considered the most important specialist in the Miguel de Cervantes' work study of his time in Mexico, a scholar on Classics and universal literature masterworks. He dedicated his whole life to senior high school and college education about this knowledge. He won the 1947 Mexican Cervantist Society Prize, continentally convened competition, for which he has since been called "The first Cervantist in America"; and olso won the first Belisario Domínguez Medal. He had a unique personality for which, unwittingly, he was also known.
Early years
Erasmo Castellanos Quinto was the firstborn of Erasmo Castellanos González and Juana María Quinto Mendoza.He was born on the Cruztitán ranch, owned by his maternal grandfather, in Santiago Tuxtla, Veracruz, Mexico. He began his primary education at the Escuela Real in his hometown. At eight, due to family economic troubles, he was taken to be educated under his uncle Leando Castellanos González protection, to the then called “The city of bridges and joyful waters”, or too “The rainy city”, the mystical and cultured city of Orizaba, Veracruz, Mexico, where he finished the elementary education at the Escuela Cantonal Modelo, school where he also completed his preparatory level.
In 1900, while still a student, he replaced the poet, short story writer and narrator Rafael Delgado as Greek and Latin professor at the Colegio Preparatorio de Orizaba, thus beginning his teaching vocation. Previously, Delgado, driven by the admiration that the knowledge and learning attitude that the young Castellanos inspired in him, had dedicated his story Justicia popular to him, and a sonnet in which he urged to him to know the classics as a foundation to delve into great literature.
Professional studies
He completed his professional studies at Escuela de Jurisprudencia de Orizaba, making them possible by working in his uncle's business, getting up at six in the morning to sweep it, spending hours behind the counter until it was time to attend school, where he was a lawyer and teacher Silvestre Moreno Cora outstanding student, from who he took example of love for teaching and literature. Upon returning, he continued working until closing time. At all sleeping time, Erasmo invariably made income and expenses business balance, until he took his professional exam before State of Veracruz Justice Superior Court to whom he presented his thesis entitled “Cheques”, in Xalapa City, obtaining his law Xalapa University degree on November 30, 1903, studies that he would later endorse in Mexico City.He later migrated to Mexico City where he practiced his profession in the attorney Luis Gutiérrez Otero's law office where he entered recommended by Porfirio Díaz, then President of Mexico. During this period he held Sunday meetings in his home where literary and musical topics were enjoyed and discussed attended by, among other personalities, Amado Nervo, Luis G. Urbina, Ricardo Castro, Rafael Ángel de la Peña and Ezequiel A. Chávez. After a period of professional practice, he abandoned the law when he realized the harshness that his work implied in various cases, an aspect with which he, as a humanist and because he valued compassion for belonging to the Third Order of Saint Francis, did not agree, so he chose to continue teaching and cultivating literature.
In 1904 in Mexico City he married Miss Gabriela de la Torre, Daughter of a distinguished Tuxtla native, local deputy of Veracruz and political leader of the Canton of Orizaba. All his life he would affectionately call her "Bella Gabriela".
At the Mexico's National Preparatory School
On July 31, 1906, in Mexico City, he joined the teaching staff at the Escuela Nacional Preparatoria - then in the New Spain building Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso- as an assistant professor to the poet Amado Nervo, whom he would replace by teaching National Language while Nervo traveled through various countries fulfilling diplomatic and literary commitments. This was done through a competition in which the then already prestigious intellectuals Ángel del Campo, Luis G. Urbina and Victoriano Salado Álvarez also participated, among others, whom he surpassed. By letter dated August 7, 1906, Justo Sierra Méndez, Minister of Education, congratulated him for having succeeded in the Spanish exam. On July 1, 1907, he obtained the tenure of that chair and in time he would become a full professor of Castilian Literature, General Literature, Selected Literary Productions Annotated Readings, and Masterpieces Analysis.On April 6, 1909 - also by Justo Sierra agreement - Ezequiel A. Chávez appointed him the School deputy director until March 1, 1912. In 1910 he was also interim director, temporarily replacing the famous positivist Porfirio Parra, and in 1912 temporarily replacing Antonio Caso.
During the Mexican Revolution, the Villista and Zapatista armies occupied the Mexican capital as Aguascalientes Convention forces, Castellanos officially took over the direction of the National Preparatory School on March 18, 1914. forced by Pancho Villa so that the School would not close, a position from which he was removed on June 14, 1915, by the engineer Félix Fulgencio Palavicini, Convention government Instruction Minister "for not having behaved in a revolutionary manner during the Victoriano Huerta's dictatorship" and having continued to teach his lessons.
His eminent teaching at the National Preparatory School would be lavished for almost fifty years even in very difficult social and personal times, until his death prevented it. For example, during the armed conflict that began in 1910 against Porfirio Díaz dictatorship. In February 1913 during the armed fightings of Ten Tragic Days in Mexico City, teacher Castellanos continued teaching at the Preparatory School with few students in attendance, or he attended and did not teach at all because no one could make it, all of this without receiving payment and taking great detours to avoid bullets. He did the same in 1929 and 1930 when the Preparatory School's budget was reduced, so students petitioned the University Council for payment of his salary. In response, the Council agreed that he would be paid his salary, but also that he would be reimbursed for any unpaid wages he had earned. In 1947, on the day of Bella Gabriela's death, his beloved wife, overcome with grief, showed up at the Preparatory School and taught his classes, because he was a teacher, his students would be waiting for him, and '"I could not leave unfinished the Iliad and Odyssey explanation, precisely, in the white cows and black cows passage: the humanity days and nights" he exclaimed taking off his bowler hat as a greeting to his stupefied students who knew his pain.'
At the Mexico's National School of Advanced Studies
In 1922 Castellanos joined the Escuela Nacional de Altos Estudios, Humanities Division of the National University of Mexico at that time on Licenciado Verdad Street, downtown Mexico City, and after at the colonial Casa de los Mascarones until 1954. There he was Spanish Language and Literature professor, Cervantine Literature and General Literature, a subject that included Greek and Latin classics. There were his Spanish Language and Literature fellow teachers Alfonso Reyes and Pedro Henríquez Ureña. And Julio Jiménez Rueda and Eduardo Nicol of Spanish Literature and Cervantine Courses like him. His lessons at this institution continued until 1953, three academic years before his death. About his classes at the Faculty, Roberto Oropeza Martínez wrote : :His classes
The Castellanos Quinto great work was immaterial, intangible: he studied and taught great literature as a supreme intellectual endeavor, therefore, the only way to attempt any recovery of it is through testimonies:Leonardo Pasquel wrote:
Álvaro Gálvez y Fuentes described:
Leonardo Pasquel also commented:
Armando Valdés Peza y Mauricio Ocampo Ramírez testified:
Salvador Novo reviewed:
Bernardo Claraval recalled:
Andrés Henestrosa praised:
Arturo Arnaiz y Freg referred:
Ricardo Garibay recalled:
Finally, Roberto Oropeza Martínez, his disciple, who worked tirelessly to leave a mark of the Master's poetry, teachings and life, recounted:
His personality
Ricardo Garibay described him:Andrés Henestrosa painted him:
Yolanda Cabello explained:
"The Bachelor" Álvaro Gálvez y Fuentes characterized him:
Ruy Pérez Tamayo drew him:
Eduardo Miñúzuri explained in detail:
Ricardo Garibay pointed out:
Leonardo Pasquel described the bullying effects on him:
Horacio Zuñiga also deplored:
His love for dogs and cats
A significant part of Erasmo Castellanos's personality was his great love for animals, especially dogs and cats. Ricardo Garibay described this affection in detail:Awards
1947 Mexico's Cervantes Society Prize, which held a competition for the best Cervantes research produced in the Americas during the Cervantes fourth centenary birth, offered a diploma and ten thousand Mexican pesos as prize. The call allowed submit the work by the author or by another person on her or his behalf, possibility that Francisco Pimentel, an Erasmo Castellanos friend, used to present "The Enchanters’ Triumph" a Castellanos work—printed by himself—without his prior consent or knowledge. Forty-two texts were received. The award ceremony took place at the Palacio de las Bellas Artes, with attendance of numerous intellectuals, academics, diplomatic representatives from several countries, and public. Because it was one of his main knowledge fields, the master, among the crowd, also attended. At the moment, the winner's name was announced: Erasmo Castellanos Quinto. The acclaim was thunderous, but for Erasmo Castellanos, the situation was confusing, unexpected, and shocking. Already recovered, and on stage, the teacher explained that he was sorry but he had not submitted any work, that obtaining that prize had not been and was not his wish, that it should have been won by a young Cervantes scholar, not an elder like him. He did not accept it despite the many pleas he received, including from the poet Carlos Pellicer. He left the stage and left, causing confusion, but later, much greater admiration and veneration for his person. He never accepted the prize but, since then, he was and is known as El Primer Cervantista de América.1954 Belisario Domínguez Medal of Honor. Created by the Mexican Senate in 1953 to be awarded to Mexican women or men who have distinguished themselves by their science or virtue to an eminent degree, as Homeland or humanity servants. Awarded in 1954 for first time, Castellanos Quinto was the first recipient of that award. The teacher description that was made in solemn session in which the Senate awarded him the Medal, says:: "...we found the teachr Castellanos Quinto in one of the most modest homes in our country, surrounded by his friends, two or three venerable old men like himself, and four or five stray dogs he was able to save with his own help and with his professorship salary, so they wouldn't die of hunger. This selfless man, who didn't even have a suit suitable for appearing before the Senate; this wise Mexican man, deserving all our applause and all our respect, honors us with his presence..."1955 Medal awarded by the National Autonomous University of Mexico professors to Erasmo Castellanos Quinto for his meritorious teaching and literary work, which was awarded to him a few days before his sudden death by Professor Rafael Cordero Amador, his fellow since 1922, the master having told him upon receiving it “...with a soft, broken voice: 'Cordero Amador: Homer, Virgil, Horace, Dante, Shakespeare and Cervantes are watching this scene from heaven’ and tears rolled down his cheeks...”Academic
He was an Academia Mexicana de la Lengua member. An institution composed of distinguished professionals and intellectuals from diverse knowledge areas in Mexico who, in addition to their expertise field, are great Spanish language connoisseurs and scholars, particularly the ways of speaking and writing it in Mexico.Also acknowledged as notable, professor Castellanos Quinto was proposed and elected by the academics as Academy Corresponding Member at the December 28, 1919 session, occupying that position on March 20, 1920.
Subsequently, on July 4, 1928, he was elected Academy's Full Member to occupy chair VII, but, reluctant to shine, after some time - more than four years - without him appearing to address his formal acceptance speech - although he did actively participate with other activities and speeches in other sessions - the Academy agreed in its January 4, 1933 assembly, that Castellanos Quinto should resume his role as corresponding member, electing the historian Mariano Cuevas S. J. to occupy the full member's chair that professor Castellanos, at that time, abstained from taking.
Twenty-five years later, for his endless and outstanding brilliance and merits in Spanish language and great literature knowledge, he was again nominated and elected as an Academy Full Member, that time accepting, pronouncing his induction lecture on June 12, 1953, occupying the XIX chair,.. Unfortunately, the Academy couldn't got his inaugural speech to publish it.
His contribution to [Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico City]
In 1946, his students Roberto Oropeza Martínez Enrique Vázquez Domínguez and Orlando Carrera, persuaded their teacher to give a recital of his own poetry entitled "Erasmo Castellanos Quinto", to which the poet and techer agreed because box office money, little or much, would go to the "Ten Million Campaign" for the Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico City build. This idea was supported by Mexico Cervantine Society. The recital was so successful that it was repeated three times, the last one at the Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico's main stage, where the professor and poet was accompanied by voice and piano in the background. Although the new campus began operating in March 1954, Erasmo Castellanos never taught there, having ceased to be a Faculty of Philosophy and Letters professor in 1953, cause his age.His death
Leonardo Pasquel his former student described teacher Castellanos Quinto death:Andrés Henestrosa commented:
Horacio Zúñiga wrote:
Finally, Horacio himself, on master's death occasion, recalled how when his mother died his former teacher Castellanos accompanied him until his house and said to him:
Published works
The work to which Castellanos Quinto devoted his life was—as already mentioned— great literature study and teaching, so his printed work was limited, although this doesn't diminish its literary value. This is what has survived:Del fondo del abra. Lyrical poems, published in Mexico in 1919 by Castellanos Quinto himself, who, in the prologue to the original edition, written by the humanist Luis G. Betancourt, Latin literature professor at the Advanced Studies School of the National University of Mexico says Castellanos Quinto published his youth poems book forced by his friends, because otherwise the teacher would never have made them known. In the colophon, which the master Castellanos wrote in Latin, he says "Typis editus ac perfectus apud auctorem. VIII Id. APR. Anno Dni. MCMXIX. Carmen Foncerrada exornavit." That in English means: " Printed, published, and completed by the author. April 8, Lord's year 1919. Carmen Foncerrada decorated it." Leaving it on record that -as it was- the printing, outside of everything common or customary that is to give it to a printing house or a publishing house, was done by himself with extreme care and quality in a manual printing press, with very beautiful titles and vignettes made by -as has been said- the artist Foncerrada, producing a true bibliographic gem, to which the professor Milton Alexander Buchanan, of the Italian and Spanish Department at University of Toronto, to whom professor Castellanos gave a copy with autograph dedication labeled that volume with its ex libris that says: "Keep as a precious jewel" for its literary content and unique and artistic edition. A fragment of a poem is transcribed from this book:
La nueva interpretación de las siete murallas del noble castillo del Limbo published and printed in Mexico in 1937 also by Maestro Castellanos Quinto himself, "Work testimony to the Castellanos Quinto depth knowledge had about The Divine Comedy -Eneas Rivas Castellanos tells us-. The Limbo Castle is, Dante according, the place where immortals are kept, who, being pagans, are considered worthy of praise. Castellanos gives us a well-founded interpretation not only Dante Alighieri's work but also of his sources, focusing on the place immortals occupy in the rewards and punishments distribution after life.
Poesía Inédita a posthumous book, a compilation by his loyal disciple and follower, published by the Librería Porrúa in 1962, in which - Oropeza tells us in the prologue - "everything that was not included in the only poems book published by Erasmo Castellanos: Del fondo del abra is gathered here It is the disciple everlasting gratitude, the still adolescent admiration, fortunately, which brings us to this honor appointment with the one who no longer exists but scattered in those who collected some of his dust particles...", that is, his poems obtained from the professor's manuscripts that were provided to Oropeza by his relatives and people who were in charge of his few possessions -except his extensive library-, among them, in the portfolio that his student Campanella gave him, his invaluable poems written throughout his years "Some with complete clarity and order - Oropeza continues - but most of them scattered across cards, notes on sheets of paper and in many cases repeated in countless variations." which were a challenge for him to identify the final versions. From this collection of poems, a fragment of the:
A los cadetes de Chapultepec. Poetry delivered by Erasmo Castellanos on the distribution of prizes and rewards awarded to the students of the Colegio Militar de México, on December 5, 1909, in the Chapultepec Forest monumental roundabout. Today the only existing copy of this eleven-page printout is in the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign library.
Tributes
- On May 3, 1958, the Federal District Department authorities, Mexico City Government today, named the street that was previously called "Calle de la Universidad" after professor Erasmo Castellanos Quinto. Centro Histórico de la Ciudad de México.
- On the occasion of the National Preparatory School centennial celebration on February 3, 1968, its campus number 2, then located in the building on Licenciado Verdad and República de Guatemala Streets, Historic Center of Mexico City, was named Erasmo Castellanos Quinto. In 1978, it was moved to its new buildings at 1418 Río Churubusco Avenue, Carlos Zapata Vela Neighborhood, Iztacalco Municipality, Mexico City, preserving the professor's name.
- Erasmo Castellanos Quinto sculpture by Humberto Peraza, 1975, located at Plaza Cervantina in Santiago Tuxtla, Veracruz, Mexico, on 450 city foundation anniversary.
- Erasmo Castellanos Quinto statue by Ernesto Tamariz also from 1975, originally erected in the Plaza de Loreto in the Mexico City Historic Center, moved in 1993 to the Preparatory School No. 2 esplanade that bears his name, monument today popularly known among students as “The Erasmo" for being a reference point in their school.
- Erasmo Castellanos Quinto sculpture donated by the State of Veracruz government, placed on Paseo de la Reforma Avenue near Peralvillo, Mexico City, stolen on an unknown date for its bronze to be trafficked.
- Avenue named after Erasmo Castellanos Quinto, in the El Centinela and Educación neighborhoods in the Coyoacán borough, Mexico City.