Leal, Luis, 1907-2010

Mexican writer, critic. Director of the Research Center for Chicano Studies at U.C. Santa Barbara and Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois, Urbana, Leal has achieved a record of distinction as Professor of Spanish-American literature and has authored numerous books and hundreds of journal articles dealing with Latin American and Chicano literature. Especially noteworthy articles on Chicano literature include "Mexican American literature: a historical perspective, " and "The problem of identifying Chicano literature."

Mario T. Garcia is Professor of History and Chicano Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

BIOGRAPHY

Luis Leal was born in Linares, Nuevo León, México on 17 September 1907. At the time of the mexican revolution, he emigrated to the United States, and established his residence in Chicago, where he continued his education.

On september 1936 he married Gladys Clemens. From this marriage they had two sons, Antonio and Luis Alonso.

In 1943 LuisLeal joined the United States Army, and was sent to the Pacific for two years. After his service in the Philippines at war's end, he continued his doctoral work at the University of Chicago and won his degree in Philosophy and Belles Lettres in 1950.

In 1951, he served as President of the Chicago Chapter of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP), in 1952 he served as President of the Chicago Society of Romance Language Teachers, and in 1953, as Chairman of a Spanish section for the South Central Modern Language Association (the SCMLA).

Luis Leal held a number of teaching positions. From Instructor, Assistant Professor and Associate Professor at the University of Chicago, University of Illinois, Visiting Professor at UCSB and UCLA, Visiting Professor/Lecturer at the University of Chicago, University of Arizona, University of Wisconsin, National University of Mexico, Middlebury College, University of Arizona NDEA Institute, Guadalajara, México, and Stanford Univeristy.

Surrounded by mexican ambience, Doctor Luis Leal lives in Santa Bárbara with his gentle wife. His house like his heart continues open to share with disciples and friends the literary topics, memories of classrooms and the destiny of man.