Papers of Luis Leal, a former writer, researcher, and Professor Emeritus of Chicana and Chicano studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Luis Leal (September 17, 1907 – January 25, 2010) was a Mexican-American writer, researcher, and Professor Emeritus of Chicana and Chicano studies at the UC Santa Barbara. Leal was born and raised in Linares, Mexico during the Mexican Revolution. After he graduated high school, he immigrated to the United States and settled in Chicago, Illinois to attend Northwestern University in 1927. Over the next decade, Leal studied English, attended classes, and became a naturalized U.S. citizen. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Spanish from Northwestern University in 1940 and a Master's in Spanish from the University of Chicago in 1941. In 1943, he was drafted and served in the U.S. Army until World War II ended in 1945. After he returned from the Phillipines, Leal continued his studies and earned a Ph.D. in Spanish and Italian from the University of Chicago in 1950.

34 Linear Feet; (19 cartons, 7 flat boxes)

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The collection is open for research.