Dr.Roberto A.Galván - Professor Emeritus
Dr. Roberto A. Galván was born in San Antonio, Texas, on February 25, 1923. He attended high school and junior college there. His academic accomplishments include an A.A. degree in 1943 from San Antonio Junior College, a B.A. degree cum laude in Spanish from Trinity University in 1948, a M.A. degree in Spanish from the University of Texas at Austin in 1949, and a Ph.D. in Romance Philology from Tulane University in1954.
He has been a professor at Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas, Southwest Texas Junior College, Uvalde, Texas, and finally at Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas. Every year, the Department of Modern Languages of Texas State University offers the Roberto A scholarship. Galván for undergraduate or graduate students in Spanish.
In the 1960s, he participated in the Civil Rights movement in the United States, where he committed to the multiracial youth community through university education in Texas.
In 1964, Dr. Roberto A. Galván became the first Latino Ph.D. to be hired at what was then Southwest Texas State College. Throughout his career, he has excelled in the areas of education, publication, and service.
Professor Galván’s career as an educator spans over half a century. Most of his career covers his tenure at Texas State University, which has undergone three name changes since his arrival. Dr. Galván served as coordinator for the Spanish Department for eleven years and served as interim chair of the Department of Modern Languages three times. He advised five student organizations, including Sigma Delta Pi, the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society, and the Association of Mexican American Students. He also served as the interim director of the Bilingual–Bicultural Education Program for two years. In addition, Dr. Galván obtained scholarships for both the Spanish and the Music departments.
In 1968, Dr. Galván was honored as a Minnie Stevens Piper Professor. In 1973, the Assistant Commissioner for Bilingual Education presented Dr. Galván with a Dedication and Excellence in Teaching and Profession Award. He was also presented with the Alumni Association Distinguished Teacher Award in 1976 and awarded the Service in Excellence Award by the College of Liberal Arts for his service to the university. In addition to his service at Texas State University, Dr. Galván has published numerous articles concerning Spanish linguistic usage in Texas and other Spanish speaking areas. Dr. Galván has also published an anthology of poems in Spanish and has written over 200 poems, both in English and in Spanish, which have been published in the U.S., Ireland, and Latin America. In addition, Dr. Galván has coauthored two dictionaries and a monograph and has contributed to the Diccionario de la Lengua Española, the official dictionary of the Spanish language. He currently serves as a corresponding member of the Mexican Academy and a member of the North American Academy of the Spanish Language.
Dr. Galván’s service to the San Marcos community includes participation in the San Marcos Noon Lions Club since1981. He was awarded the Melvin Jones Fellowship for his service, the highest award given by the Lions International Club. In addition, the club funds an annual $1,000 scholarship in his name for students majoring or minoring in Spanish.
As a retiree, Dr. Galván currently resides in San Marcos where he continues his activities in support of the community.
Among his publications are:
The Dictionary of the Spanish of Texas (1975) - along with Richard V. Teschner.
Chapter 13 of The Emplumeca Quetzal: A Chicano Anthology.
The Dictionary of Chicano Spanish. – along with Richard V. Teschner.
Revised edition (1977) and two subsequent reissues of the same title in 1991 and 1995.
