Erasmo Castellanos Quinto

He won the 1947 Mexican Cervantist Society Prize, continentally convened competition, for which he has since been called "The first Cervantist in America"; and also won the first Belisario Domínguez Medal.

• Name — Erasmo Castellanos Quinto • Honorific Prefix — Professor • Born — 27 March 1879 • Birthplace — Santiago Tuxtla, Veracruz, Mexico • Died — 11 December 1955 • Place of death — Mexico City • Burial Place — Panteón Jardín ("Garden Cemetery") • Monuments — Statue at the National Preparatory School No. 2, Mexico City, Statue in Santiago Tuxtla, Veracruz, Mexico • Education — Escuela de Jurisprudencia de Orizaba, Jalapa University, Veracruz, Mexico • Occupation — Higher education teacher • Years Active — 1903-1955 • Employer — National Autonomous University of Mexico • Known for — His knowledge and teaching about Miguel de Cervantes works, Classics and universal literature master works. • Notable Works — Del fondo del abra (From the bottom of the opening) poetry book. • Title — First Cervantist in America • Spouse — Gabriela de la Torre (m. 1904-1947h) • Awards — Mexican Cervantist Society Award 1947 • Honours — Belisario Domínguez Medal 1954, National Autonomus University of Mexico Professors Medal 1955.

Erasmo Castellanos Quinto was the firstborn of Erasmo Castellanos González and Juana María Quinto Mendoza. He was born on the Cruztitán ranch, owned by his maternal grandfather, in Santiago Tuxtla, Veracruz, Mexico. He began his primary education at the Escuela Real in his hometown. At eight, due to family economic troubles, he was taken to be educated under his uncle Leando Castellanos González protection, to the then called "The city of bridges and joyful waters", or too "The rainy city", the mystical and cultured city of Orizaba, Veracruz, Mexico, where he finished the elementary education at the Escuela Cantonal Modelo, school where he also completed his preparatory level. In 1900, while still a student, he replaced the poet, short story writer and narrator Rafael Delgado as Greek and Latin professor at the Colegio Preparatorio de Orizaba, thus beginning his teaching vocation. Previously, Delgado, driven by the admiration that the knowledge and learning attitude that the young Castellanos inspired in him, had dedicated his story Justicia popular to him, and a sonnet in which he urged him to know the classics as a foundation to delve into great literature.

He completed his professional studies at Escuela de Jurisprudencia de Orizaba (Orizaba School of Jurisprudence), making them possible by working in his uncle's business, getting up at six in the morning to sweep it, spending hours behind the counter until it was time to attend school, where he was a lawyer and teacher Silvestre Moreno Cora outstanding student, from who he took example of love for teaching and literature. Upon returning, he continued working until closing time. At all sleeping time, Erasmo invariably made income and expenses business balance, until he took his professional exam before State of Veracruz Justice Superior Court to whom he presented his thesis entitled "Cheques" (Checks), in Xalapa City, obtaining his law Xalapa University degree on November 30, 1903, studies that he would later endorse in Mexico City. He later migrated to Mexico City, where he practised his profession in the law office of attorney Luis Gutiérrez Otero [13], who had recommended him Porfirio Díaz, then President of Mexico. During this period, he held Sunday meetings in his home where literary and musical topics were enjoyed and discussed, attended by, among other personalities, Amado Nervo, Luis G. Urbina, Ricardo Castro, Rafael Ángel de la Peña and Ezequiel A. Chávez. After a period of professional practice, he abandoned the law when he realized the harshness that his work implied in various cases, an aspect with which he, as a humanist and because he valued compassion for belonging to the Third Order of Saint Francis, did not agree, so he chose to continue teaching and cultivating literature. In 1904, in Mexico City, he married Miss Gabriela de la Torre, Daughter of a distinguished Tuxtla native, local deputy of Veracruz and political leader of the Canton of Orizaba. All his life he would affectionately call her "Bella Gabriela" (Beautiful Gabriela).

• Illustration — Erasmo Castellanos Quinto sculpture at the National Preparatory School campus number 2 The Castellanos Quinto great work was immaterial, intangible: he studied and taught great literature as a supreme intellectual endeavor, therefore, the only way to attempt any recovery of it is through testimonies: Leonardo Pasquel wrote: Álvaro Gálvez y Fuentes described: Leonardo Pasquel also commented: • Illustration — Castellanos Quinto taught his class at the Amado Nervo classroom, at the first floor corridor end, at the Old College of San Ildefonso. Armando Valdés Peza y Mauricio Ocampo Ramírez testified: Salvador Novo reviewed: Bernardo Claraval recalled: Andrés Henestrosa praised: Arturo Arnaiz y Freg referred: Ricardo Garibay recalled: Finally, Roberto Oropeza Martínez, his disciple, who worked tirelessly to leave a mark of the Master's poetry, teachings and life, recounted:

Ricardo Garibay described him: Andrés Henestrosa painted him: Yolanda Cabello explained: "The Bachelor" Álvaro Gálvez y Fuentes characterized him: Ruy Pérez Tamayo drew him: Eduardo Miñúzuri explained in detail: Ricardo Garibay pointed out: • Illustration — House where Erasmo Castellanos Quinto lived as a rented house until his death. Avenida Revolución 291, Tacubaya, Mexico City. Leonardo Pasquel described the bullying effects on him: Horacio Zuñiga also deplored:

• Illustration — A stray dog and cat attached to the legs of Professor Castellanos Quinto, a detail with which the sculptor Ernesto Tamariz perpetuated the affection with which the abandoned animals reciprocated the food and the affection with which the teacher assisted them, regardless of the work that it represented for him. A significant part of Erasmo Castellanos's personality was his great love for animals, especially dogs and cats. Ricardo Garibay described this affection in detail:

He was an Academia Mexicana de la Lengua (Mexican Academy of the Language) member. An institution composed of professionals and intellectuals from diverse knowledge areas in Mexico who, in addition to their field of expertise, were Spanish language connoisseurs and scholars, particularly the ways of speaking and writing it in Mexico. Also acknowledged as notable, professor Castellanos Quinto was proposed and elected by the academics as Academy Corresponding Member at the December 28, 1919 session, occupying that position on March 20, 1920. Subsequently, on July 4, 1928, he was elected Academy's Full Member to occupy chair VII, but, reluctant to shine, after some time - more than four years - without him appearing to address his formal acceptance speech - although he did actively participate with other activities and speeches in other sessions - the Academy agreed in its January 4, 1933 assembly, that Castellanos Quinto should resume his role as corresponding member, electing the historian Mariano Cuevas S. J. to occupy the full member's chair that professor Castellanos, at that time, abstained from taking. Twenty-five years later, for his endless and outstanding brilliance and merits in Spanish language and great literature knowledge, he was again nominated and elected as an Academy Full Member, that time accepting, pronouncing his induction lecture on June 12, 1953, occupying the XIX chair,.. Unfortunately, the Academy couldn't got his inaugural speech to publish it.

In 1946, his students Roberto Oropeza Martínez Enrique Vázquez Domínguez and Orlando Carrera, persuaded their teacher to give a recital of his own poetry entitled "Erasmo Castellanos Quinto", to which the poet and techer agreed because box office money, little or much, would go to the "Ten Million Campaign" for the Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico City (University City) build. This idea was supported by Mexico Cervantine Society. The recital was so successful that it was repeated three times, the last one at the Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico's main stage, where the professor and poet was accompanied by voice and piano in the background. Although the new campus began operating in March 1954, Erasmo Castellanos never taught there, having ceased to be a Faculty of Philosophy and Letters professor in 1953, cause his age.

Leonardo Pasquel his former student described teacher Castellanos Quinto death: • Illustration — Erasmo Castellanos Quinto's grave at Panteón Jardín (Garden graveyard) fila (row) 2, fosa (pit) 55, Mexico City Andrés Henestrosa commented: Horacio Zúñiga wrote: Finally, Horacio himself, on master's death occasion, recalled how when his mother died his former teacher Castellanos accompanied him until his house and said to him:

• Illustration — National Autonomous University of Mexico seal in the Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso. Mural painting attributed to Jean Charlot, 1923. On July 31, 1906, in Mexico City, he joined the teaching staff at the Escuela Nacional Preparatoria (National Preparatory School, senior high school) - then in the New Spain building Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso- as an assistant professor to the poet Amado Nervo, whom he would replace by teaching National Language while Nervo traveled through various countries fulfilling diplomatic and literary commitments. This was done through a competition in which the then already prestigious intellectuals Ángel del Campo (Micrós), Luis G. Urbina and Victoriano Salado Álvarez also participated, among others, whom he surpassed. By letter dated August 7, 1906, Justo Sierra Méndez, Minister of Education, congratulated him for having succeeded in the Spanish exam. On July 1, 1907, he obtained the tenure of that chair, and in time he would become a full professor of Castilian Literature, General Literature, Selected Literary Productions Annotated Readings, and Masterpieces Analysis. On April 6, 1909 - also by Justo Sierra agreement - Ezequiel A. Chávez appointed him the School deputy director until March 1, 1912. In 1910, he was also interim director, temporarily replacing the famous positivist Porfirio Parra, and in 1912, temporarily replacing Antonio Caso. • Illustration — Sign at the entrance to the National Preparatory School when it was in the Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso During the Mexican Revolution, the Villista and Zapatista armies occupied the Mexican capital as Aguascalientes Convention forces, Castellanos officially took over the direction of the National Preparatory School on March 18, 1914. forced by Pancho Villa so that the School would not close, a position from which he was removed on June 14, 1915, by the engineer Félix Fulgencio Palavicini, Convention government Instruction Minister "for not having behaved in a revolutionary manner during the Victoriano Huerta's dictatorship" and having continued to teach his lessons. His eminent teaching at the National Preparatory School would be lavished for almost fifty years, even in very difficult social and personal times, until his death prevented it. For example, during the armed conflict that began in 1910 against Porfirio Díaz dictatorship. In February 1913, during the armed fighting of Ten Tragic Days in Mexico City, teacher Castellanos continued teaching at the Preparatory School with few students in attendance, or he attended and did not teach at all because no one could make it, all of this without receiving payment and taking great detours to avoid bullets. He did the same in 1929 and 1930, when the Preparatory School's budget was reduced, so students petitioned the University Council to pay his salary. In response, the Council agreed that he would be paid his salary and reimbursed for any unpaid wages he had earned. In 1947, on the day of Bella Gabriela's death, his beloved wife, overcome with grief, showed up at the Preparatory School and taught his classes, because he was a teacher, his students would be waiting for him, and '"I could not leave unfinished the Iliad and Odyssey explanation, precisely, in the white cows and black cows passage: the humanity days and nights" he exclaimed taking off his bowler hat as a greeting to his stupefied students who knew his pain.'

• Illustration — Casa de los Mascarones interior, Mexico City, where Castellanos taught his Cervantine Courses In 1922 Castellanos joined the Escuela Nacional de Altos Estudios (National School of Advanced Studies), Humanities Division (later Philosophy and Letters Faculty) of the National University of Mexico (Autonomous after 1929) at that time on Licenciado Verdad Street, downtown Mexico City, and after at the colonial Casa de los Mascarones until 1954. There he was Spanish Language and Literature professor, Cervantine Literature and General Literature, a subject that included Greek and Latin classics. There were his Spanish Language and Literature fellow teachers Alfonso Reyes and Pedro Henríquez Ureña. And Julio Jiménez Rueda and Eduardo Nicol of Spanish Literature and Cervantine Courses like him. His lessons at this institution continued until 1953, three academic years before his death. About his classes at the Faculty, Roberto Oropeza Martínez wrote: Roberto Oropeza Martínez: