María Goyri facts for kids
María Amalia Vicenta Goyri (born August 29, 1873, died November 28, 1954) was an important Spanish expert in language and literature, a researcher, a teacher, and a champion for women's rights. She made history in 1896 by becoming the first Spanish woman to earn a degree in Philosophy and Letters. Later, in 1909, she was the first woman to get her doctorate from a Spanish university, the University of Madrid. She was married to Ramón Menéndez Pidal, another famous scholar.
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Early Life and Education
María Goyri was born in Madrid to a Basque family. She spent her early childhood in Algorta, a small village by the sea. She later moved back to Madrid with her mother, Amalia Goyri, who was a strong and cultured seamstress.
Because María was often sick, her mother taught her at home. They often had lessons outdoors in the Buen Retiro Park to help with her health. Going against what was common at the time, her mother enrolled María in a gym. When María was twelve, she started business classes. There, she found she loved studying grammar.
In 1887, she decided to become a teacher and enrolled in a school for governesses. By 1890, she and another student, Carmen Gallardo, started attending classes at the University of Madrid.
In 1892, María got special permission to officially enroll as a female student. This was very unusual! She had to follow strict rules: she couldn't wait in the hallway before class and had to wait in an office. Her professor would then walk her to her own desk, which was placed near his. After class, she was escorted out the same way.
One of her teachers was Marcelino Menéndez Pelayo, a very respected Spanish historian. In her first year, she heard Emilia Pardo Bazán speak about "The Education of Men & Women." This talk criticized some thinkers for being anti-feminist and praised others for supporting women's education. When Concepción Arenal spoke about women's rights and duties, María bravely stood up to defend her when others attacked her views.
María Goyri earned several important degrees: she became a normal school professor in 1893, got her degree in philosophy and letters in 1896, and completed her Doctor of Philosophy in 1909.
María met Ramón Menéndez Pidal when her professor, Menéndez Pelayo, took her to hear Ramón give a lecture. Ramón was a university professor who studied the history of languages. They discovered they had many interests in common. María became his student and then his assistant.
They got married in 1900. For their honeymoon, they traveled to the places mentioned in the Poem of the Cid, which is the oldest Spanish epic poem.
María and Ramón had three children: Ramón (who died young), Jimena, and Gonzalo.
They dedicated their lives to studying philology (the study of language in historical and cultural context) and preserving old Spanish history and ballads. María also worked with an organization called Protectorado del Niño Delincuente (Child Delinquent Protectorate). This group, started in 1916, aimed to help prevent young people under 16 from being put in jail.
In 1918, when the Instituto Escuela (High School Institute) was created, María taught language and literature there. She also served on the board of the Patronato del Centro para Ampliación de Estudios (Board for Advanced Studies) from 1933. She taught at the Institute of Free Education, combining physical exercise with intellectual studies, until the Spanish Civil War began.
Challenges During the Civil War
María and Ramón were at their country house when the Civil War started suddenly. They were with their daughter Jimena, her husband, and their son. Their area was controlled by soldiers who had risen against the government. After their town was bombed, they had to flee to other cities for safety.
The war was very difficult for María Goyri. Even though she was on the side of Francisco Franco's forces, she continued to support her liberal ideas. This included equal rights for women in all areas, especially education. Records from the time show that María and her family were watched closely by Franco's government. One report even called her "very persuasive and one of the most dangerous people in Spain." It said she was "without doubt one of the more robust roots of the revolution."
After the war, the Free Institute of Education and other schools that promoted liberal ideas were banned. Teachers were forbidden from promoting women's equality in education.
Later Life and Legacy
Despite these challenges, María continued her research. She spent her later years collecting and saving different versions of old oral ballads. These important historical documents are now kept at the Fundación Ramón Menéndez Pidal. This foundation is a non-profit center dedicated to historical and language studies. It is located in Madrid and is considered a "National Treasure" of Spain.
María Goyri passed away on November 28, 1954, in her hometown of Madrid.
Her niece was the writer and activist María Teresa León. Her grandson, Diego Catalán, later led the "Fundación Ramón Menéndez Pidal." Today, streets in several Spanish cities, like Alicante, Cordoba, Granada, and Guadalajara, are named after her.
See also
In Spanish: María Goyri para niños
