William (Memo) Martinez, Jr., Chair, Modern Languages & Literatures, 1961-2010
Dr. William Martínez, Jr., 1961-2010
William (Memo) Martínez, Jr., Chair of Modern Languages and Literatures, recipient of the Cal Poly Distinguished Teaching Award in 2001 and the College of Liberal Arts’ Service Award in 1998, and beloved professor and colleague, passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, December 23, 2010 in Valladolid, Spain.
Memo earned his Ph.D. in 1993 in contemporary Latin-American poetry from the University of California, Irvine. He also had an M.A. in Spanish-American literature and a B.A. in Spanish with a minor in cultural urban anthropology and a concentration in civil engineering from San Diego State University. He came to Cal Poly in September 1993 where he set a high standard for himself as a college professor in all of the facets that entails: teacher, scholar, citizen of the academy, and more. Among his many accomplishments were the chairmanship of the department from 2000-2006 and from 2009-present, and a number of research publications and presentations in two main areas of interest–Latin American literature and poetry and teaching Spanish language at the undergraduate level. Throughout the years, he generously volunteered his time and energy to serve on numerous committees at the college and university level. He was a founding member of Cal Poly’s Chicana Latino Faculty Staff Association and served as an advisor for various student clubs and organizations. He also served as a Scholar in Residence for the San Luis Obispo Arts Council from 1997-2000.
A strong proponent of international education, Memo started and maintained the Cal Poly summer language program in Mexico and participated in and fortified Cal Poly’s Spain Study Abroad program in Valladolid, Spain. He was also very active statewide via CSU International Programs, serving as the Academic Council chair in 2001-2003 and as the campus representative to the Council. He also helped develop study abroad programs in Chile and China.
Memo was dedicated to his students and to his craft. He wrote in his teaching statement, “I have always had an inclination towards reading, especially poetry. I believe that different poetic movements are the souls of the period from which they came. The idea of how any language functions can well be illustrated by how poetry functions. This is perhaps, the most telling reason why I love to teach. Like poetry, every day becomes a new reading, a reading that modifies my environment, my students but mostly myself.”
His dedication to his teaching, to the ways that poetry can provide opportunities for self-reflection, and to the importance of international education are well reflected in the portion of a stanza from Pablo Neruda’s poem, “Muchos Somos” (“We Are Many”), that graces Memo’s Web page (http://www.cla.calpoly.edu/~wmartine/). Its English translation is: When this problem has been thoroughly explored, I am going to school myself so well in things that, when I try to explain my problems, I shall speak, not of self, but of geography.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the Modern Languages and Literatures Department with the designation “For the W. Martinez, Jr. Memorial Fund.” The funds will be used to establish an award/scholarship for Cal Poly students who wish to study in Spain.
The Celebration of Life for William Martinez, Jr. was held on Saturday, February 5, 2011 at 1:00 p.m. in building 3, room 213 (Business Rotunda) with a reception immediately following . His passing is a profound loss for all of us in the college.