Israel Cavazos Garza facts for kids

Israel Cavazos Garza (born January 2, 1923 – died November 5, 2016) was a famous Mexican historian, writer, and teacher. He wrote many books about history, including A Brief History of Nuevo Leon. He was part of the Mexican Academy of History. His work mainly focused on the history of northeastern Mexico, especially the state of Nuevo León.

Early Life and Education

Israel Cavazos Garza was born in Guadalupe, Nuevo León, a city near Monterrey. He finished high school in Monterrey. Later, he studied at El Colegio de México in Mexico City. There, he learned from many important teachers like Silvio Zavala and José Gaos.

A Career in History

Cavazos Garza started his historical research very young, at 18 years old. He began by studying old documents in the archives of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Monterrey.

From 1944, he worked at the Municipal Archive of Monterrey. An archive is a place where old records and documents are kept. He later became the director of this archive.

He also helped start and direct the Alfonso Reyes University Library from 1952 to 1962. From 1955 to 1975, he was in charge of the General Archive of the State of Nuevo León. Because of his great work, he was named "Honorary Life Director" in 1976.

Cavazos Garza also helped organize the Regional Museum of Nuevo León, called "El Obispado." He was an advisor there for 35 years. He led the history department at the Autonomous University of Nuevo León (UANL) from 1959 to 1976. He also worked as a researcher at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.

Teaching History

Israel Cavazos Garza was also a dedicated teacher. He taught at the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters at UANL. He was a founding professor for history classes at several schools, including the College of Agriculture and the Jose Eleuterio Gonzalez High School. He even became the principal of Excelsior College. For seven years, he taught about the history of northeastern Mexico at "Arte A.C." in Monterrey.

A Recognized Historian

In 1955, Cavazos Garza joined the Nuevoleonesa History Society. He was its president from 1967 to 1971. He also became a member of many important history groups, like the National Academy of History and Geography in 1965.

In 1978, he became a member of the Mexican Academy of History. He was also part of the Science Advisory Council for the President of Mexico.

He traveled to many national and international conferences. He represented Mexico at a UNESCO meeting in Mendoza and attended archivist meetings in Ottawa. He also went to history congresses in Guatemala and Costa Rica.

Research and Books

On March 7, 1994, Israel Cavazos Garza celebrated 50 years of research at the Municipal Archive of Monterrey. He also wrote important parts for the Encyclopedia of Mexico.

He wrote 12 essays on local topics and 20 articles for special history magazines. He also helped publish 18 works by other authors or important historical documents.

Key Historical Works

Israel Cavazos Garza wrote many important books. Some of his well-known works include:

• Mariano Escobedo el glorioso soldado de la República (1949)
• El muy ilustre Ayuntamiento de Monterrey, desde 1596 (1953)
• Breve historia de Nuevo León (1995)
• Diccionario biográfico de Nuevo León (1984)

Awards and Honors

Israel Cavazos Garza received many awards for his hard work and contributions to history.

• In 1957, he won first place in a contest about the history of the Civil College of Nuevo León.
• The National Academy of History and Geography gave him the "Las Palmas Academicas" award in 1968.
• He received the "Serafin Peña Medal" from the town of Guadalupe.
• He also won the "Jose Escandon Medal."
• In 1982, the city of Monterrey honored him with the "Diego de Montemayor Medal." They also named him a remarkable citizen.
• The government of Nuevo León gave him the Medal of Civic Merit in 1986.
• One year later, a local government in Spain, Ezcaray, gave him an award for his research.
• The Banamex Cultural Development Institution gave him and his wife the "Atanasio G. Saravia" award in 1986. This was for his book Protocolos de Monterrey.
• The Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education gave him an award and a diploma for his work as a researcher.
• In August 1992, the local government of Monterrey named him the official chronicler of the city. A chronicler is someone who records historical events.
• He won the National Prize for Arts and Sciences in 1995, which is a very high honor in Mexico.
• In 2009, the Government of Spain gave him the "Commander of the Order of Isabella the Catholic" award.

See also

In Spanish: Israel Cavazos Garza para niños