Francisca Fernández-Hall Explained

Francisca Fernández-Hall
Birth Name:Francisca Fernández-Hall Zúñiga
Birth Date:12 April 1921
Birth Place:Guatemala City, Guatemala
Death Place:Guatemala City, Guatemala
Occupation:engineer, diplomat
Years Active:1947–1981

Francisca Fernández-Hall Zúñiga (12 April 1916 – 27 November 2001) was a Guatemalan engineer and diplomat. She was the first woman to graduate from the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, the first woman in all of Central America to earn an engineering degree, the first woman to be accepted and to attend the Instituto Militar de Engenharia of Brazil, and the first female ambassador for Guatemala.

Early life

Francisca Fernández-Hall Zúñiga was born on 12 April 1921[1] [2] in Guatemala City, Guatemala, to the writer Francisco Fernández-Hall and Concepción Zúñiga Becker. She was one of five siblings, including Alicia, Haroldo,[3] María Teresa Fernández-Hall de Arévalo,[4] and Francisco Fernández-Hall, who was a journalist, teacher at the Colegio de San José de los Infantes, and served as Director of the Museum of History and Fine Arts.[5] Their mother died in 1926 and the children were raised by their father, who never remarried.

Education

She earned a Bachelor of Science and Letters and a Master of Education before applying to the engineering faculty at the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, where she was rejected. Initially, she wanted to study law, but could not meet the entrance requirements.[6] She enrolled in the mathematics department and, after scoring a perfect score on an exam three months later, was admitted to the engineering program. She had the highest grade point average and graduated with her Civil Engineering degree in 1947, the first woman in all of Central America to earn a mathematics degree and graduate as an engineer from the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala.[7] [8] She won a scholarship to study engineering at the Instituto Militar de Engenharia (Military Engineering Institute) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the first woman ever accepted or to attend, graduating in 1950 with a Construction Engineering degree.[9]

Career

While she was working on her engineering degree, Fernández-Hall taught at Colegio Belga and the Instituto Normal Central para Señoritas Belén. When she moved to Brazil to continue her studies, she joined the foreign service and served as Cultural Attache for Guatemala.

After graduation, she had a lengthy diplomatic career, representing Guatemala in Greece, Israel and Costa Rica. She was the first female ambassador of Guatemala[10] and was listed as the Chargé d'affaires to Israel in 1956 in the government yearbook.[11] While serving as ambassador in 1959, she helped musician Jorge Sarmientos launch his international career,[12] and in 1960 she met Golda Meir.[13] She attended and spoke on "the current status of engineers and scientists" at the first International Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists in New York in 1964.[14] In 1975 Fernández-Hall transferred to Costa Rica,[15] where she served until 1981.[16] While in Israel, she served as Dean of the foreign diplomatic corps.[17]

Fernández-Hall died on 27 Nov 2001 and was buried in the General Cemetery in Guatemala City.[18]

Awards

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Morang. J. Mujeres y la Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala. Periódico Digital ECC. Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala. 19 June 2015. Guatemala City, Guatemala. Spanish. 9 July 2014.
  2. Web site: Francisca Fernandez Hall 1916 - 2001 BillionGraves Record. 2021-10-13. BillionGraves. en.
  3. Web site: Fernández-Hall Zúñiga. Francisca. Estado Actual del Abastecimiento de Agua en Guatemala. Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala. 25 June 2015. Guatemala City, Guatemala. 5. Spanish. 20 July 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190720073629/http://www.bd.cdmujeres.net/sites/default/files/documentos/publicaciones/5._tesis_estado_actual_del_abastecimiento_del_agua_en_guatemala_.pdf. dead.
  4. Mayorga. Roberto. Una mujer de valía. Revista D. 3 June 2012. 410. 25 June 2015. Prensa Libre. Guatemala City, Guatemala. Spanish. https://web.archive.org/web/20120809070456/http://especiales.prensalibre.com/revistad/2012/06/03/lector.shtml. 9 August 2012. dead.
  5. Web site: Chaulón Vélez. Mauricio José. La Hermandad del Señor Sepultado del templo de Santo Domingo, en la Ciudad de la Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción, y sus niveles de relación con grupos de poder político y económico durante el siglo XX. Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala. 25 June 2015. Guatemala City, Guatemala. Spanish.
  6. Borrayo. Ana Patricia. Mujeres pioneras en la educación superior: primera mitad del siglo XX. Revista Mujeres y Universidad. November 2005. 1. 1. 41. 4 July 2015. Instituto Universitario de la Mujer de la Universidad de San Carlos. Guatemala City, Guatemala. Spanish. 4 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304085938/http://www.digi.usac.edu.gt/iumusac/sistemas/docs/Revista2005.pdf. dead.
  7. Web site: Chajón. Anibal. La Universidad de San Carlos en la Historia de Guatemala. 47. Alta Vera Paz. Centro de Estudios Folklóricos. 3 July 2015. Guatemala City, Guatemala. Spanish. 30 October 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201030165259/http://www.altaverapaz.com/av/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Historia-USAC.pdf. dead.
  8. Web site: Maldonado Batres. Miriam Ileana. Acciones con enfoque de género que promueve la Universidad de San Carlos (2000-2004). November 2005. 15. 4 July 2015. Instituto Universitario de la Mujer de la Universidad de San Carlos. Guatemala City, Guatemala. Spanish. 4 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304064257/http://www.digi.usac.edu.gt/iumusac/sistemas/docs/accionesgenero.pdf. dead.
  9. Web site: Concludentes de 1950 Conclusive 1950. Instituto Militar de Engenharia. 25 June 2015. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Portuguese. 3 February 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180203064203/http://www.ime.eb.br/1954-a-1950.html. dead.
  10. Web site: Iversen Christensen. Martin. Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership. 1. 25 June 2015. Content of www.guide2womenleaders.com: ...first female ambassadors for each country.... https://web.archive.org/web/20150703052016/http://www.guide2womenleaders.com/index.html. 3 July 2015. dead.
  11. Book: Israel Government Year-book. 1956. Government Printer. Israel. 308. 2 July 2015.
  12. News: Roldán. Ingrid. El maestro Jorge Sarmientos anuncia su retiro como director de orquesta. 25 June 2015. Prensa Libre. 18 February 2001. Guatemala City, Guatemala. Spanish.
  13. United States. Foreign Broadcast Information Service. FBIS white book. Daily Report: Foreign Radio Broadcasts. 1960. 241–245. 72. 2 July 2015.
  14. Web site: The Woman Engineer Vol 9. 2021-10-13. twej.theiet.org.
  15. Web site: Iversen Christensen. Martin. Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership. Guide 2 Women Leaders. 25 June 2015.
  16. Book: Amnesty International. Report: First Special Meeting of the Inter-American Board of Agriculture. 1982. Instituto Interamericano de Cooperacion para la Agricultura (IICA) Biblioteca: Centre Interamericano de Documentación e Información Agrícola. San José, Costa Rica. 61. 25 June 2015.
  17. News: Memorial Day Observances Precede Israel's Celebration of Independence. 25 June 2015. Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 2 May 1968. Jerusalem.
  18. Web site: Gularte. William. Viaje a la historia en el Cementerio General. El Periódico. 25 June 2015. Guatemala City, Guatemala. Spanish. 30 October 2014. 14 June 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150614062856/http://www.elperiodico.com.gt/es/20141030/pais/4116/Viaje-a-la-historia-en-el-Cementerio-General.htm. dead.
  19. Web site: Emprendedores. Prensa Libre. 25 June 2015. Guatemala. Spanish. https://web.archive.org/web/20150714215932/http://servicios.prensalibre.com/pl/domingo/archivo/revistad/2006/junio06/040606/personajes11.html. 14 July 2015. dead.
  20. Reconocimiento al mérito. La Cuerda. December 2001. Año 4. 41. 25 June 2015. Asociación La Cuerda. Guatemala City, Guatemala. Spanish. 4 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304122223/http://lacuerdaguatemala.org/descargas/2001/laCuerda41.doc. dead.

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