IN MEMORIAM

Seymour Menton

Professor of Spanish and Portuguese

UC Irvine

1927 - 2014

Distinguished scholar and professor of Latin American Literature at UC Irvine, and beloved husband, father, brother, and mentor to several generations of students, Seymour Menton passed away peacefully at his home in Irvine, surrounded by his loving family.

 

In a long and distinguished career, Seymour traveled widely throughout the world, meeting authors and lecturing on the literature of Latin America. After teaching at the University of Kansas, he came to UC Irvine in 1965 as founding chair of the department of foreign languages, recruiting faculty and creating a lasting legacy of excellence at the university. His published works include book-length studies on the literature of Guatemala, Colombia, Cuba, and Mexico, all of which were revised and updated in later editions. Other books cover the Historical Novel in Latin America, Magic Realism in painting, and the literature of Brazil and Costa Rica. He also published a textbook, two critical editions, two translations, and a book of original short stories. His anthology of the Latin American short story, first published in 1964, was republished in its tenth updated edition in 2010.

 

His numerous awards and honors include the Order of the Aztec Eagle, the highest award from the Mexican government to a foreigner, for his contributions to the world-wide understanding of Mexican literature; the Order of Miguel Angel Asturias, given by the Guatemalan government, and the Order of Andres Bello and the Order of Francisco de Miranda from the government of Venezuela.

 

His outstanding teaching was recognized by the Distinguished Faculty Lecturer Award. The UC Irvine Spanish Department Conference Room is named in his honor. His passions for tennis, singing, and story-telling were well-known. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Cathy, sons Tim and Allen, and many loving relatives, friends, colleagues, and students.

 

 

Luis F. Avilés

Department of Spanish and Portuguese