Primo Feliciano Velázquez

Primo Feliciano Velázquez Rodríguez (6 June 1860 – 19 June 1953) was a Mexican journalist, attorney and historian who specialized in regional history. He was a translator of Nahuatl and Latin and a connoisseur of local literature. In 1946-1948, he published the definitive ''Historia de San Luis Potosí'' (''History of San Luis Potosi'') in four volumes.

Velázquez was born in Santa Maria del Rio, San Luis Potosi to Octaviano Velázquez and María de la Concepción Rodríguez. He was twelve years old when he was enrolled at the Seminary of San Luis Potosi (Seminario Conciliar Guadalupano Josefino), and he graduated in 1878, took an advanced degree in 1879, and passed his law examination there in October 1880. Subsequently, he assumed the Latin chair and the Civil Law chair there.

In 1883, he published ''La Voz de San Luis'' (''The Voice of San Luis''), a series of broadsides to celebrate the centennial of the birth of Agustín de Iturbide. The next year, he joined with Ambrosio Ramirez and Juan N. Ruelas to found the newspaper ''El Estandarte'' (''The Standard'') in San Luis Potosi which proceeded to publish articles critical of the government, as well as literary and historical articles, written mostly by Velázquez. Velázquez espoused Christian social doctrine in his editorials, and encouraged others to submit articles on local history and folklore. ''El Estandarte'' was very successful going from biweekly to daily in 1890 and continuing to be published until the end of 1911.

Velázquez made his home a gathering point for those interested in the history of San Luis Potosi, and impromptu seminars were regular occurrences. He was a pioneer in archaeological research in San Luis Potosi, not only excavating himself, but encouraging the work of others.

Velázquez belonged to a number of organizations, local, national, and international, among them were: Academia Mexicana de la Historia, Real Academia de la Lengua, and Sociedad Mexicana de Geografía y Estadística.

Selected works

* 1945 ''Códice Chimalpopoca: Anales de Cuauhtitlán y leyenda de los soles'' translated direct from the Nahuatl by Primo Feliciano Velázquez, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Imprenta Universitaria, Mexico City, Reviewed: Barlow, R. H. (1947) "Review" ''The Hispanic American Historical Review'' 27(3): pp. 520-526; and Brotherston, Gordon (1997) "Review" ''Bulletin of Latin American Research'' 16(2): pp. 252-253
* 1946/1948 ''Historia de San Luis Potosí'' Sociedad Mexicana de Geografía y Estadística, Mexico City,
*"D. Joaquín Garcia Icazbalceta" ''Memorias de la Academia Mexicana de la Historia: Correspondiente de la Real de Madrid'', II, pp. 101–157

Notes

References

* Meade, Joaquín (1954) "Datos biograficos del licenciado don Primo Feliciano Velázquez" ("Biographical data on lawyer don Primo Feliciano Velázquez")''Memorias de la Academia Mexicana de la Historia'' January–March 1954

External links

Biography of Primo Feliciano Velázquez from the Academia Mexicana de la Historia
in Spanish

Brief biography of Primo Feliciano Velázquez, with photographs
in Spanish

{{DEFAULTSORT:Velazquez, Primo Feliciano
Historians of Mexico
Mexican essayists
Male essayists
19th-century Mexican journalists
Male journalists
Mexican ethnographers
20th-century Mexican historians
Linguists from Mexico
Mexican Mesoamericanists
Historians of Mesoamerica
Translators from Nahuatl
20th-century Mesoamericanists
19th-century newspaper publishers (people)
1860 births
1953 deaths
20th-century translators
20th-century essayists
20th-century Mexican male writers
19th-century Mexican historians
20th-century Mexican journalists