El Colegio Nacional (Mexico)

Last updated

El Colegio Nacional
Formation15 May 1943
PurposeAcademic
Location
Region served
Mexico
Membership40
Official language
Spanish-language
President
Luis Felipe Rodríguez Jorge [1]
Website colnal.mx

The National College (Spanish: Colegio Nacional) is a Mexican honorary academy with a strictly limited membership created by presidential decree in 1943 in order to bring together the country's foremost artists and scientists, who are periodically invited to deliver lectures and seminars in their respective area of speciality. Membership is generally a lifelong commitment, although it could be forfeited under certain conditions. It should not be confused with El Colegio de México , a public institution of higher education and research.

Contents

History

The college was founded on 8 April 1943. [2] with the purpose of promoting Mexican culture and scholarship in a number of different fields. Its motto is "Libertad por saber" (Freedom through knowing) and its emblem is an eagle taking off (symbolizing freedom of thought) above a flaming sun (representing wisdom). [3] The college's foundation decree, signed by General Manuel Ávila Camacho, limited membership to twenty Mexican-born citizens, who were supposed to deliver their lectures and or seminars in its official premises at Mexico City. A subsequent amendment signed by President Luis Echeverría in 1971 increased the limit to forty and members were given the choice of delivering both their lectures or seminars in places other than the capital. Those aged 70 and over were released, at their discretion, from that obligation. Naturalized Mexicans can also been appointed, provided that at least ten years had passed since they acquired citizenship. [4]

In 1995, President Ernesto Zedillo amended the rules so that naturalized Mexicans could be admitted to the college irrespective of the date on which they acquired citizenship.

Building

The property on which the Colegio sits used to belong to the Convent of La Enseñanza. When the convent was closed in 1863, due to the Reform Laws, this site first became the Palace of Justice. Later, the property was split to house the General Notary Archives and the Colegio. [5] The building took on its present appearance in 1871. During the presidency of Lázaro Cárdenas, the building was used by the Unified Socialist Youth Movement. [2]

The main access to the building is from Luis Gonzalez Obregon Street, between Rep. de Argentina and Rep. de Brazil Streets. This used to be the back entrance to the convent. The facade of the building has three levels and is covered in tezontle, a blood-red, porous, volcanic stone. The doors, windows and balconies are framed in chiluca  [ es ], a greyish-white stone. The windows and balconies have ironwork railings and window guards. [5] The main entrance leads to an entrance hall, which leads to a central patio. The ground floor of the patio is marked with pilasters while the upper level has columns. The main room in the building is the assembly hall, where debates take place, new members are initiated and congresses in the college's various specialities are conducted. [3]

The building houses a collection of nine gilded altarpieces that date from the end of the 17th century, with the largest of these dedicated to the Our Lady of the Pillar. Among the paintings on display are "The Assumption of Mary" and "The Virgin of the Book of Revelation Apocalypse", both done by Andres Lopez in 1779. [5]

Members

The first date is the admission date to The National College; the second is the date of death or resignation/expulsion.

Founders

Members admitted in the 20th century

Members admitted in the 21st century

Current members

This list includes the 37 members as of 2026. [29]

References

  1. ↑ Toche, Nelly (10 July 2025). "El endocrinólogo Carlos Aguilar Salinas es el nuevo integrante de El Colegio Nacional". El Economista (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 January 2026.
  2. 1 2 Galindo, Carmen; Magdelena Galindo (2002). Mexico City Historic Center. Mexico City: Ediciones Nueva Guia. p.  104. ISBN   968-5437-29-7.
  3. 1 2 Horz de Via, Elena (1991). Guia Oficial Centro de la Ciudad de Mexico. Mexico City: INAH-SALVAT. pp. 57–58. ISBN   968-32-0540-2.
  4. ↑ "El Colegio Nacional tiene 70 años de enriquecer la cultura mexicana". Excélsior (in Spanish). 29 July 2013. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 Bueno de Ariztegui, Patricia (1984). Guia Turistica de Mexico Distrito Federal Centro 3. Mexico City: Promexa. p. 79. ISBN   968-34-0319-0.
  6. ↑ "Leopoldo García-Colín" (in Spanish). El Colegio Nacional. 2007. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 27 December 2010.
  7. ↑ "Beatriz de la Fuente". El Colegio Nacional (in Spanish). 23 August 2023. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
  8. ↑ Espinosa, Pablo (21 June 2005). "Murió Beatriz de la Fuente; dio luz sobre el estudio de Mesoamérica". La Jornada (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 February 2025.
  9. ↑ "Linda Rosa Manzanilla Naim". El Colegio Nacional (in Spanish). 2 August 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
  10. ↑ "Linda R. Manzanilla – NAS". NAS. Retrieved 2 April 2025.
  11. ↑ "JAVIER GARCIADIEGO DANTAN". UNAM Global - De la comunidad para la comunidad (in Spanish). 10 November 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  12. ↑ Vicente Quirarte ingresará a El Colegio Nacional (in Spanish), 2 March 2016, retrieved 22 July 2025
  13. ↑ Vargas, Angel (25 February 2017). "Concepción Company es la integrante número 99 de El Colegio Nacional". La Jornada (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  14. ↑ "José Antonio de la Peña ingresará a El Colegio Nacional". El Universal (in Spanish). 22 March 2017. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  15. ↑ Tello, Judith Amador. "Julio Frenk Mora da su primera conferencia como miembro de El Colegio Nacional". Proceso (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  16. ↑ "Ingresa Christopher Domínguez Michael a El Colegio Nacional". El Universal (in Spanish). 4 November 2017. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  17. ↑ "Julia Carabias ingresa a El Colegio Nacional". La Jornada (in Spanish). 29 August 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  18. ↑ "Susana Lizano, nueva integrante de El Colegio Nacional". El Universal (in Spanish). 11 October 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  19. ↑ Vargas, Ángel (7 March 2021). "En su ingreso a El Colegio Nacional, Lomnitz analizó el vínculo entre la violencia y un tejido social rasgado". La Jornada (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 January 2026.
  20. ↑ "La viróloga Susana López Charretón ingresa a El Colegio Nacional". Aristegui Noticias (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  21. ↑ Arellano García, César (26 April 2021). "Arquitecto Felipe Leal es nuevo miembro de El Colegio Nacional". La Jornada (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 January 2026.
  22. ↑ "La compositora Gabriela Ortiz ingresará a El Colegio Nacional". Aristegui Noticias (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  23. 1 2 Lambertucci, Constanza (10 January 2023). "El Colegio Nacional de México elige a dos nuevos miembros: la escritora Cristina Rivera Garza y el investigador Carlos Coello Coello". El País México (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 January 2026.
  24. ↑ "Con una mirada al futuro demográfico de México ingresa Silvia Giorguli a El Colegio Nacional". Aristegui Noticias (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 January 2026.
  25. ↑ Villaseñor, Alexia (8 July 2025). "Necesaria, una ciencia comprometida con la justicia social: Aguilar Salinas". La Jornada (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  26. ↑ Nacional, El Colegio (8 July 2025). "Una sociedad enferma no puede educar, innovar ni prosperar: Carlos Aguilar Salinas, nuevo miembro de El Colegio Nacional". El Colegio Nacional (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  27. ↑ Olivares, Juan José (15 July 2025). "Alejandro González Iñárritu, nuevo miembro de El Colegio Nacional". La Jornada (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  28. ↑ "¡Luces, cámara, acción! Alejandro González Iñárritu, nuevo miembro de El Colegio Nacional". El Colegio Nacional (in Spanish). 15 July 2025. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  29. ↑ "Nuestros Integrantes" [Our members]. El Colegio Nacional (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 January 2026.
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