Student, next to President Daisy Cocco De Filippis and Provost Shiang-Kwei Wang, singing "Happy Birthday" to Don Eugenio Maria de Hostos in Japanese.
Today, January 11, 2024, marks what would have been our College’s namesake’s 185th birthday. Born in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, on January 11, 1839, Eugenio María de Hostos was a pioneering educator, patriot, philosopher, sociologist.
Hostos Community College made history when it was named after Don Eugenio, making it the first college in the U.S. to be named after a Puerto Rican. In a message to the College marking his birthday, President Daisy Cocco De Filippis expressed her reverence for the fearless activist who led the charge for equity in education and civil rights.
“On the occasion of the 185th birthday of this trailblazing Puerto Rican educator, writer, and humanist, we reaffirm our dedication to the man and his example,” she said. “We will always draw inspiration from his ideas and rely on his moral compass as a defender of equal rights. Like Hostos, we passionately believe that education is not something reserved for the rich, the privileged, the few. It is something for anyone who chooses to seek it.”
In celebration of Don Eugenio’s birthday, we share with you reflections from Professor Marcos Reyes Davila, a biographer of Eugenio María de Hostos, on the man and his legacy.
The College will further mark the occasion today, January 11, at 2 p.m. in the C-Lobby with cupcakes.