O'Gorman, Edmundo, 1906-1995

Historian. Born 1906 in Mexico City; son of painter Cecil Crawford O'Gorman. Edmundo O'Gorman received a law degree in 1928 from the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico before deciding to become a scholar of Mexican history; he earned doctorates in philosophy and history in 1948 and 1951. From 1932 to 1952 he worked in the Archivo General de la Nacion, and wrote regularly for the Boletin del Archivo General de la Nacion.

He entered the Academia Mexicana de la Historia Correspondiente de la Real de Madrid in 1964 and served as director from 1972 to 1987, when he resigned due to his objection to its use of of such terms as the “discovery of America,” "encounter between two worlds,” and "cultural fusion.”

In recognition of his contribution to Mexican scholarship, O'Gorman received many awards and honors, such as the Premio UNAM a la Docencia en Humanidades (1986). He authored and co-authored many books and articles on Mexican history, most of which concern theEuropean discovery and conquest of Mexico, and the early colonial period.

Historian. Born 1906 in Mexico City; son of painter Cecil Crawford O'Gorman. Edmundo O'Gorman received a law degree in 1928 from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México before deciding to become a scholar of Mexican history; he earned doctorates in philosophy and history in 1948 and 1951. From 1932 to 1952 he worked in the Archivo General de la Nación, and wrote regularly for the Boletín del Archivo General de la Nación.

He entered the Academia Mexicana de la Historia Correspondiente de la Real de Madrid in 1964 and served as director from 1972 to 1987, when he resigned due to his objection to its use of of such terms as the "discovery of America," encounter between two worlds" and cultural fusion." In recognition of his contribution to Mexican scholarship, O'Gorman received many awards and honors, such as the Premio UNAM a la Docencia en Humanidades (1986). He authored and co-authored many books and articles on Mexican history, most of which concern the European discovery and conquest of Mexico, and the early colonial period.