Junto a la torre. Jornadas de un programa universitario, 1942-1962

What Luis Muñoz Marín has been to Puerto Rican polities, Jaime Benítez has been to Puerto Rican higher education—leader, innovator, philosopher, activist. Benítez began in Río Piedras in 1931 at the age of 23 as an instructor in social sciences, fresh from Georgetown University with an LL.M. Thirteen years later, an associate professor of political science, he succeeded Rexford Guy Tugwell as Chancellor of the University of Puerto Rico. This book includes Benítez’ speeches and papers reflecting his philosophy of education and program of development for his University. He instituted a reforma universitaria in 1942, aimed at upgrading and accrediting Puerto Rican higher education, freeing the University from shackling pressures of political and cultural interest groups, strengthening a true casa de estudios aimed at serving all the people of Puerto Rico, especially the youth. Now, two decades later—when a new reforma universitaria seeks to curb the personalism of the Chancellor, to align the university with nationalism, Hispanism, or Americanism, to turn university policy formation over to the faculty or to the students or to the dominant political party—this collection of essays by Benítez is at once an apologia pro vita sua, a history of the maturation of the University of Puerto Rico, and a program for the future based on the high ideals and goals of its present chancellor. Both Latin Americanists and educationists should read this book.