A Lifetime of Giving: Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long
THE CENTENNIAL of the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection in 2021 is cause for joyful celebration. The Benson’s partnership with the Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies (LLILAS), initiated in 2011, ushered in a decade of innovative and forward-looking initiatives that have made Benson’s resources more widely available to the world, and have led to groundbreaking collaborations with partner archives throughout the Americas.
The considerable resources that allowed LLILAS Benson Latin American Studies and Collections to be conceived and imagined exist in large part because of the generosity and commitment of the late Teresa Lozano Long and her husband Joe R. Long, whose pledge of a $10 million endowment to the Institute of Latin American Studies in 2000 was nothing short of transformative. The Longs’ vision has helped support pioneering collaborations between librarians and scholars that have increased worldwide access to the Benson’s treasures and resources through digital scholarship and international scholarly exchange.
The Castañeda Legacy
The acquisition of the private library of the late Mexican senator, historian, and bibliophile Genaro García in 1921 led to the establishment of the Latin American library at the University of Texas. As the steward of this foundational collection, Mexican historian and author Dr. Carlos E. Castañeda was instrumental in making these documents available to scholars and students, thus leaving an indelible mark on the study of Mexican history and setting the library on its path of excellence. Read more Benson history.
The rare materials in the García Collection are now being digitized, thanks to a generous gift made in honor of Dr. Castañeda’s daughter, Consuelo Castañeda Artaza, and her three sons. Digitization of the vast collection will make this trove of historical documents—many of them rarely seen—available worldwide to anyone with access to a computer. The implications for teaching, learning, and research are truly remarkable.
Benson Centennial Endowment
In honor of the 2021 Centennial of the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection, Drs. Fernando Macías Garza and Adriana Pacheco Roldán have made a generous donation, establishing the Benson Centennial Endowment. Friends of LLILAS Benson are invited to join in the giving to sustain this treasured collection for generations to come.
“If we want to face the future, we must learn about our past,” the couple said. “For almost 100 years, the Benson Latin American Collection has been a place to keep our memories and our heritage. As we say in Spanish, you are the padrinos, the godfathers and godmothers, of the Benson Centennial Endowment launch, and we invite you to join our efforts: Give now, give later, spread the word. Make the Benson Collection part of your lives so that it may thrive for another 100 years.”
Empower the Benson with Your Gift! Your support of the Benson Collection can play a transformational role in our second century. To learn how you can contribute to the Benson Centennial Endowment, contact Hannah Roberts at h.roberts@austin.utexas.edu or visit benson100.org.
