María Cadilla
Encyclopedia
Dr. Maria Cadilla de Martinez (December 21, 1884-August 23, 1951), was a writer
, educator, women rights activist and one the first women in Puerto Rico to earn a doctorates degree.
, Puerto Rico
where she was born. There she received her primary and secondary education. As a child she showed an interest for writing stories and she enjoyed going to school. In 1902, she graduated form high school and enrolled in the University of Puerto Rico
.
In 1906, Cadilla earned her Bachelors Degree in Arts and Education. She taught school in some of the towns surrounding the San Juan
metropolitan area. After a short period of time, Cadilla went to the United States
where she earned her teachers degree. Upon her return to the island, she attended the Academy of Francisco Oller
and took classes in plastic arts. The Atheneum of Puerto Rico awarded her a prize for one of her works in 1914. Cadilla earned her Masters Degree in the University of Puerto Rico and then went to Spain
where she attended the Central University of Madrid. Among her professors were the Spanish writer Americo Castro and poet Damaso Alonso. She earned her Doctorates Degree in 1933 with the thesis "La Poesia Popular de Puerto Rico" (The Popular Poetry of Puerto Rico).
.
Cadilla was a member of the Academy of History of Puerto Rico and of the Dominican Republic
; the folklore societies of Mexico
and Uruguay
and of the Academy of History of France
. She received awards and recognitions from Puerto Rico, Argentina
, The United States and India
. Maria Cadilla died on August 23, 1951 in her hometown Arecibo.
Library dedicated December 21, 2002 to Maria Cadilla in its Universal Human Rights Month.
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, educator, women rights activist and one the first women in Puerto Rico to earn a doctorates degree.
Early years
Cadilla lived with her parents in the northwestern town of AreciboArecibo
Arecibo may refer to:*Arecibo, Puerto Rico, a municipality located by the Atlantic Ocean*Arecibo Observatory, a very sensitive radio telescope located approximately south-southwest from the city of Arecibo...
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
where she was born. There she received her primary and secondary education. As a child she showed an interest for writing stories and she enjoyed going to school. In 1902, she graduated form high school and enrolled in the University of Puerto Rico
University of Puerto Rico
The University of Puerto Rico is the state university system of Puerto Rico. The system consists of 11 campuses and has approximately 64,511 students and 5,300 faculty members...
.
In 1906, Cadilla earned her Bachelors Degree in Arts and Education. She taught school in some of the towns surrounding the San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
metropolitan area. After a short period of time, Cadilla went to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
where she earned her teachers degree. Upon her return to the island, she attended the Academy of Francisco Oller
Francisco Oller
Francisco Manuel Oller y Cestero was a Puerto Rican visual artist. Oller is considered to be the only Latin American painter to have played a role in the development of Impressionism.-Early years:...
and took classes in plastic arts. The Atheneum of Puerto Rico awarded her a prize for one of her works in 1914. Cadilla earned her Masters Degree in the University of Puerto Rico and then went to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
where she attended the Central University of Madrid. Among her professors were the Spanish writer Americo Castro and poet Damaso Alonso. She earned her Doctorates Degree in 1933 with the thesis "La Poesia Popular de Puerto Rico" (The Popular Poetry of Puerto Rico).
Educator
When Cadilla returned to Puerto Rico, she was hired by her Alma Mater. There she taught history and literature. She would also travel to her hometown where she was named to the position of school principal. Cadilla dedicated many hours of her spare time investigating Puerto Rico's folkloreFolklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
.
Written works
The following are some of Cadilla's written works:- Cuentos a Lilliam (1925)
- Cazadera en el Alba (1933)
- La Poesia Popular de Puerto Rico (1933) (The Popular Poetry of Puerto Rico)
- La Campesina de Puerto Rico (1937) (The farmwomen of Puerto Rico)
- Costumbres y tradiciones de mi tierra (1938) (Customs and traditions of my land)
- Cuentos y Juegos infantiles de Puerto Rico (1940) (Children's Stories and games from Puerto Rico)
- Alturas Paralelas (1941)
- Hitos de la Raza (1945), This book won an award from the Puerto Rican Institute of Culture.
- Rememorando el Pasado Historico (1946)
Women rights activist
Cadilla was also a women's rights activist. She belonged to the Civic League of Puerto Rico and the Association of Women Voters. As a member of these organizations, she fought for the women's right to vote.Cadilla was a member of the Academy of History of Puerto Rico and of the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
; the folklore societies of Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
and of the Academy of History of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. She received awards and recognitions from Puerto Rico, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, The United States and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Maria Cadilla died on August 23, 1951 in her hometown Arecibo.
Tributes
Arecibo honored her memory by naming a school and an avenue after her. Ohio State UniversityOhio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
Library dedicated December 21, 2002 to Maria Cadilla in its Universal Human Rights Month.
Further reading
- 'Women, Creole Identity, and Intellectual Life in Early Twentieth-Century Puerto Rico; By Magali Roy-Féquière, Juan Flores, Emilio Pantojas-Garcia; Published by Temple University Press, 2004; ISBN 1592132316, 9781592132317