Ricardo Lancaster-Jones

Ricardo Lancaster-Jones y Verea, MA, BE, KHS, was a Mexican historian, diplomat, scholar, professor, art collector and sugarcane entrepreneur who made significant contributions toward the study of the haciendas of the State of Jalisco (Mexico) in the twentieth century.

He was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, the second largest city in Mexico; studied in both Mexico (Instituto de Ciencias, Guadalajara, Jalisco and Escuela Libre de Ingenieros, Guadalajara, Jalisco) and the United States (St Charles College, Grand Coteau, Louisiana and University of Dayton, Ohio). He got a Topographical Engineer degree at the Escuela Libre de Ingenieros (1928) and a Bachelor of Engineering (BE) degree at the University of Dayton (1929). As the eldest child of his family, he entered the sugarcane business in 1930 at Ingenio Santa Cruz y El Cortijo (a sugar refinery located in Zapotiltic, Jalisco), where he made significant contributions until 1942. Two years later, in 1944, he became member of the Board of Directors of Ingenio Tamazula (a sugar refinery located in Tamazula de Gordiano, Jalisco). In 1946 he was founding member of Sociedad de Ingenieros y Arquitectos de Guadalajara (Guadalajara Engineers and Architects Society); being its General Manager (1949).

His enthusiasm about the past made him to became Professor of History at the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters of the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara in 1965. In 1973 he got a MA degree in Latin American Studies at the University of New Mexico.

He spoke fluently Spanish, English, French, Italian and Latin; and was also a recognized author in the academic circles of Mexico, South America, Spain, United Kingdom and United States; places where he published numerous articles for newspapers and specialized magazines; as well as prologues and introductions for different authors. He wrote about History, Biography, Literature, Genealogy, Heraldry and Fine Arts.

Diplomat:
• 1945: Advisor of Cultural Affairs to the United States Consulate in Guadalajara, Jalisco.
• 1946: Consul of the Republic of El Salvador (1946–69) in Guadalajara, Jalisco.
• 1950: United Nations' Delegate to the State of Jalisco. From 1953 to 1960, he was Secretary General of its Regional Committee.
• 1950-52: He organized–along with the first Mexican Cardinal Jose Garibi y Rivera, the Nueva Galicia's Chapter (Intendencia de Nueva Galicia) of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, being its General Secretary (since 1952).
• 1950: Co-founder and third President (1958–66) of the Asociación Consular de Guadalajara (Consular Association of Guadalajara). During his presidency the city of Guadalajara, Jalisco made a sisterhood for the first time with a foreign city, in this case it became a sister city of Downey, California (United States) by an act dated on 26 August 1960.
• 1961: Vice president of the first Reunión Nacional de Cónsules, celebrated on 18–20 November 1961 in Veracruz (México).

Honorary degrees:
• 1954: Ph.D. Honoris Causa by University College London, England
• 1956: D.Lit. Honoris Causa by Ministerial Training College, Sheffield, England
• 1956: D.Lit. Honoris Causa by Colegio Universitario de San Andrés, Havana, Cuba
• 1963: Honorary Citizen of New Orleans, United States

Awards:
• 1951: Medalla de la República (Mexico)
• 1952: Knight of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem (Holy See)
• 1954: Red Cross Silver Medal (Japan)
• 1956: José María Vigil award on literary merit by the Congress of the State of Jalisco (Mexico)
• 1956: Medalla al Mérito Consular (Colombia)
• 1956: Medalla de Compostela by the Congress of the State of Nayarit (Mexico)
• 1956: Cross of Merit of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem (Holy See)
• 1956: Gold Papal Lateran Cross (Holy See)
• 1961: Gold Medal of the Columbus Association from UNESCO

His biographical notes had been written by:
• 1972: Lucien F. Lajoie, author of Who is Who in Mexico.
• 1983: Raquel Moreno Pérez–a Guadalajara's journalist who published the article ¿Quién fue el Ingeniero Ricardo Lancaster-Jones? in Boletín del Archivo Histórico de Jalisco.
• 1983: Gabriel Agraz García de Alba, who lectured in Mexico City: Evocación de Ricardo Lancaster-Jones y Verea. An essay that was published by the Academia Mexicana de Genealogía y Heráldica. (1)
• 1986: Ramiro Villaseñor y Villaseñor, in his book: Las Calles Históricas de Guadalajara. (2)
• 1990: Ramiro Villaseñor y Villaseñor, who also added interesting bibliographical references about the works of Ricardo Lancaster-Jones y Verea in his book: Bibliografía General de Jalisco.

Nowadays, the name of Ricardo Lancaster-Jones y Verea is listed among the Illustrious People of the State of Jalisco at its official webpage. (3)

(1) http://openlibrary.org/b/OL1342817M/
(2) http://openlibrary.org/b/OL2255082M/
(3) http://e-local.gob.mx/work/templates/enciclo/jalisco/hist.htm