Félix Evaristo Mejía (September 27, 1866 – July 1, 1945) was a

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...

writer, diplomat, and educator. He was a member of the Union Nationalist group representing an important role in the struggle for Dominican sovereignty against

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

military intervention (1916–1924). In the Superior Institute of Teacher Education Salomé Ureña there is a site that bears his name.

Early life

Mejía was born on September 26, 1866, in

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Santo Domingo, formerly known as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city of the Dominican Republic and the List of metropolitan areas in the Caribbean, largest metropolitan area in the Caribbean by population. the Distrito Na ...

. He studied at the Colegio San Luis Gonzaga, from where he went to the School of Santo Domingo, becoming director of the latter, a position he held subsequently in public education. In 1884, he went into exile in

Caracas, Venezuela Caracas ( , ), officially Santiago de León de Caracas (CCS), is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, and the center of the Metropolitan Region of Caracas (or Greater Caracas). Caracas is located along the Guaire River in the northern p ...

, in opposition to the dictatorial

Ulises Heureaux Ulises Hilarión Heureaux Leibert (; October 21, 1845 – July 26, 1899) nicknamed Lilís, was Presidents of the Dominican Republic, president of the Dominican Republic from September 1, 1882 to September 1, 1884, from January 6, 1887 to Februar ...

. In Venezuela, he devoted himself to teaching, shortly after returning to the Dominican Republic, where he continued his career as a teacher.

Career

In 1890, on his return to

Santo Domingo Santo Domingo, formerly known as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city of the Dominican Republic and the List of metropolitan areas in the Caribbean, largest metropolitan area in the Caribbean by population. the Distrito Na ...

he had to replace his teacher Eugenio Maria de Hostos in the direction as head of the school. As the general superintendent of education, Félix Evaristo had the opportunity to contribute his ideas to the progress of Dominican culture during the period characterized by violence, uncertainty and growing political and economic aggression by the

in the country. School organization of the time and its relative expansion is due largely to his activity with secular and positivist orientation of Hostos guy who had bequeathed Hostos. Also, many of his published mainly in the fields of history and literature, as well as its activity as an organizer and owner of the first Dominican library, the Library Selecta, works especially addressed his heartfelt desire to fill bibliographic needs as a means of contributing to the intellectual and moral formation of the Dominican youth.

Personal life

Mejía was married to Natalia Pérez Ricart, with whom he had three children; Ofelia, Gustavo and Publio. His son Gustavo was also a prominent Dominican writer.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mejia, Felix Evaristo 1866 births 1945 deaths 20th-century Dominican Republic writers Dominican Republic male writers Dominican Republic people of Canarian descent Dominican Republic people of Portuguese descent Dominican Republic people of Spanish descent Writers from Santo Domingo White Dominicans