Luis Martin

Luis Martín, Ph.D., emeritus professor of history, Southern Methodist University, died quietly at his home December 11, 2018, completing a life of great accomplishment and service to others. He has been described as a “history rock star,” based on his ability to fill auditoriums with devoted fans to hear him talk about whatever was on his mind, from the Spanish conquest of Peru, to Aristotle’s basic questions and daily life, to his childhood during the Spanish Civil War.

He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Sharon Spence Martín; his son Rafael Martín, daughter-in-law Reena, and their children Serena and Xavier; sister Manuela Martín Moreno; and extended family in Spain. But beyond those beloved family members are thousands of men and women who have loved and admired him as their teacher, friend, travel companion, counselor, and much more.

Luis was born in Seville, Spain on October 6, 1927. A Jesuit novitiate at age 17, he traveled the halls of academia to his ordination in 1959 and beyond until, at age 40, he entered secular life, carrying with him everything that had informed his clerical path. Some have said that he never left the priesthood, he simply enlarged his flocks.

In 1949 Luis earned a B.A. in classical studies from the College of San Luis Gonzaga in Puerto de Santa Maria, Spain. In 1952, he completed master’s-level study in philosophy at Recuerdo College in Madrid, Spain. Subsequently, Luis was assigned to the Jesuit mission in Japan, where he studied Japanese language and culture for four years. Next came a Licentiate in Sacred Theology (summa cum laude) at the divinity branch of Boston College, followed by post-graduate work at Laval University in Quebec, Canada, and at Manresa College in Saint Jerome, Canada.

In 1961, Luis entered Columbia University in New York to study Latin American history. He conducted dissertation research in the national archives of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Spain, and lectured at Instituto Riva-Aguero, Hauchipa College, and Universidad Femenina in Lima, Peru. He completed his doctorate in 1966.

Luis then returned to Japan as a visiting professor of Latin American History at Sophia University in Tokyo, and as director of the Ibero-American Center and of the Sophia University Latin American Seminars program. Next was a term as associate professor of history at the University of Puerto Rico. 1968 saw the beginning of his 25-year career as a professor of Latin American history at Southern Methodist University.

In 1973 Luis became an American citizen and the inaugural holder of the Edmond and Louise Kahn Endowed Chair in History. Luis’s service to SMU included developing and directing educational initiatives like the SMU-in-Spain program and the Master of Liberal Arts program. He conducted public lectures, led cultural tours of European and Latin American countries, and published scholarly works including 'The Intellectual Conquest of Peru, Scholars and Schools in Colonial Peru, The Kingdom of the Sun: A Short History of Peru', and 'Daughters of the Conquistadores: Women of the Viceroyalty of Peru'. SMU recognized Luis’s contributions with the Alumni Association Award for Faculty Excellence (inaugural awardee), the Rotunda Award for Outstanding Teaching (two-time winner), and the “M” Award (multiple times), the highest honor SMU can bestow on a student, faculty member, staffer, or administrator.

Beyond SMU, Luis advised many civic and cultural organizations and served for over a decade as a National Endowment for the Humanities panelist. He was a member of Leadership Dallas, earned a Dallas Historical Society Award for Excellence in Community Service, was named an Outstanding Educator of America, received a George Washington Honor Medal from the Freedom Foundation at Valley Forge, and was bestowed the medal of the Spanish Order of Civil Merit by King Juan Carlos I.

Following his retirement from SMU in 1993, Luis was recruited by Morton H. Meyerson to join Perot Systems to institute an Intellectual Fitness Center that used the humanities to foster employees’ development. Subsequently Charlie Feld shepherded Luis into humanities consulting with clients such as BNSF, Delta Airlines, and Federal Express. Luis also worked with the University of Texas at Dallas, lecturing in the community via its Center for Values and helping to establish its master’s program in Latin American studies.

In recent years Luis continued to lecture on Spain and Latin American history at SMU’s Meadows Museum, to lead small study groups on topics ranging from Cervantes to Catholicism, and to work on a companion volume to his 2014 memoir, 'Labyrinth of Memories: A Child in the Spanish Civil War'.

Truly one of a kind, the ever joyful, ever anarchic embodiment of loving kindness, Luis Martín will live on through countless fond memories and changed lives.

The family would like to express their gratitude to Dr. Alfredo Garcia, Digna Mejía, Dr. Robert Koster, Dr. Allen Rubin, Dr. Jorge Roman, Dr. Mark LeDoux, and Violeta Peña for their friendship and their care.

A memorial service will be held at SMU’s Umphrey Lee Center in the Mack Ballroom (3300 Dyer Street Dallas, TX 75205) at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, January 4.

Donations may be made to the Luis Martín Graduate Fellowships in History at SMU’s Dedman College, or to the Meadows Museum Education Fund.