Scope and Content Note
The papers of Eugenio María de Hostos (1839-1903) and Eugenio Carlos de Hostos (1879-1959) span the years 1865-1990, with the bulk of the material dating from 1870 to 1959. The papers are primarily in Spanish, but also in English and French, and are organized in two series, one dedicated to the father, Eugenio María de Hostos, and the other for the papers of the son, Eugenio Carlos de Hostos.
Eugenio María de Hostos was a Puerto Rican nationalist, writer, educator, and reformer. Born in Puerto Rico and educated in Spain, he also lived at times in the Dominican Republic, Chile, and New York City, moving frequently throughout his life depending on changing political circumstances. He was dedicated to the goal of an independent Puerto Rico, first from Spain and later from the United States, and the formation of a union of Antillean states to include Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic. His papers contain correspondence with Caribbean nationalists such as Ramón Emeterio Betances and Gregorio Luperón as well as with various political organizations. Also included are family correspondence, microfilm of a diary, photographs, writings, and other papers. The news clippings, primarily published after his death, celebrate de Hostos’s legacy.
Eugenio Carlos de Hostos was the son of Eugenio María de Hostos. After a military education in Chile, the younger de Hostos became an officer in the Porto Rico Regiment of Infantry. This regiment had begun under Spanish rule and was incorporated into the U.S. Army after the Spanish-American War of 1898. In 1920 the name of the regiment became the 65th Regiment, U.S. Infantry. During World War I, the regiment was assigned to Panama to guard the canal against possible German attack. Material in the Porto Rico Regiment of Infantry file contains items relating to the military service of de Hostos and to his regiment in general, including correspondence, orders, news clippings, and photographs. De Hostos’s military career included work for the Army Intelligence Service traveling undercover in Colombia, Guatelama, and Panama to identify German activities in those countries during the war. His confidential reports are in this file, along with correspondence with Luis Muñoz Rivera, Puerto Rico’s resident commissioner in Washington, D.C.
In 1935, Eugenio Carlos de Hostos and his wife Mignon purchased an old castle and the surrounding estate in Sotomayor, Pontevedra, in the northwest corner of Spain, which would be their home for the remainder of their lives. The Sotomayor file documents management of the castle and in particular the restoration work the de Hostoses undertook. Also included are items concerning civilian life during the Spanish Civil War.
A large part of the Eugenio Carlos de Hostos series is composed of family papers. The file contains primarily correspondence, but also includes photographs, news clippings, and miscellanous papers. Both de Hostos and his wife corresponded regularly with their far-flung families living in the Dominican Republic, England, New York City, Puerto Rico, and Spain.
The rest of the series includes files on Eugenio Carlos de Hostos’ writings and editorial projects, mostly concerning the life and writings of his father, a file from his work as a representative of the Curtiss-Wright Export Corp in Spain in the mid-1930s, biographical material, photographs, and general correspondence. Notable correspondents include Juan Bosch and Federico Henríquez i Carvajal.
Additional material in the Eugenio Carlos de Hostos series includes correspondence, lists of catalogued books, family papers, financial records, legal papers, photographs, postcards, and Spanish ration books dating from 1943. Family papers consist of correspondence among de Hostos, MacCormick, and Noble family members, Sara de Hostos' school excercise books, and several diaries of Josefa "Mignon" de Hostos MacCormick. The financial records include documents submitted to various Spanish government agencies, bills and receipts, insurance policies, and bank records. Photographs document the 1958 wedding of Gloria de Alvear y de Hostos, granddaughter of Eugenio Carlos, and the 1939 centennial commemoration of the birth of Eugenio María de Hostos in San Juan, Puerto Rico.