The founding of the cultural seminar in Guadalajara

Abstract

The article reconstructs, using correspondence, institutional reports and historical records, the process through which the Guadalajara Correspondence Office of the Seminario de Cultura Mexicana was founded between 1945 and 1957. The author examines the early efforts of Vito Alessio Robles, who identified José Cornejo Franco as the ideal figure to assemble the first group of local intellectuals, as well as the steps that led to the appointment of the initial five correspondents in October 1945. Through a historical–documentary methodology grounded in letters, telegrams and archival material from the Seminario, the article shows how, beginning in 1946, conferences, concerts and exhibitions were organized with support from the University of Guadalajara and state authorities, though the formal establishment of the Correspondence Office was delayed due to a limited membership base and the death of Ángel Zárraga. The study describes the consolidation of the group after the First Cultural Week in 1951, the integration of twelve members on August 27 of that year, and the contributions of figures such as José Montes de Oca, Enrique García Ruiz and Mathias Goeritz. It also highlights the decisive role of Agustín Yáñez, who promoted the reorganization and expansion of the project by encouraging interdisciplinary activities and collaboration with educational institutions. The article concludes that the Guadalajara Correspondence Office emerged from sustained collective efforts, the cultural leadership of Cornejo Franco and a shared vision of intellectual service.