Nava, Julian, 1927-

Julian Nava was born in Los Angeles in 1927 to a Mexican immigrant family of eight children. After serving in the U.S. Naval Air Corps he went on to college, ultimately receiving a doctorate in history from Harvard University in 1955. Nava's career has combined military service, 12 years of elected public office in greater Los Angeles, diverse civic and business involvements as well as the promotion of foreign trade and representing our country as U.S. Ambassador to Mexico under Presidents Carter and Reagan. Nava has been professor of history at California State University, Northridge since 1957, a published author, editorial writer at home and abroad for newspapers, as well as book reviewer and lecturer. He has consulted for school districts and universities in the United States and abroad in the area of cross cultural program development. He has lived and taught in Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Spain and Colombia. As a Latin American specialist, he is a Board Member Emeritus of the U.S. Mexico Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the Board of Trustees of Pomona College, his alma mater. As an extension of academic life, he has undertaken production of video productions that advance international understanding, those include: Song of the Baque, Voices of Cuba as well as television specials on Estonia, China and Serbia.