The Asociación Mexicana de Cultura A.C. was founded in March 1946 in Mexico City with the purpose of making higher education the engine of change in Mexico. Under that spirit, the association founded Insituto Tecnologico de Mexico (ITM), which opened its doors on july 1st, 1946. Later, the ITM aquire the universitarian autonomy to be recognized as Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM).

In the book Tiempo y memoria. Historia del ITAM, the historian Dra. Marta Eugenia García Ugarte relates that the founding of Insituto Tecnologico de Mexico is inserted in the political opening that was registered in the last years of the government of General Lázaro Cárdenas and, mainly, those of his successor, General Manuel Ávila Camacho, in the context of the transformation of the economy, politics and culture that caused the Second World War.

In that context, Mister Raul Bailleres summoned the entrepreneurs and bankers of Mexico City to create a cultural association:

Mr. Raúl was not afraid to take the step that was required to carry out his idea of creating a cultural association: to summon business elites to start a society that, with the name of “Asociación Mexicana de Cultura”, had the objective central to “initiate, promote, encourage, stimulate, sponsor or directly administer and direct all kinds of educational and cultural activities in Mexico City and in the country.”

Tiempo y memoria. Historia del ITAM

That is how the Asociación Mexicana de Cultura was founded in 1946, and its Board of directors was: President, Raúl Baillères; Vicepresidents, Evaristo Araiza y Mario Domínguez; Vocals, Luis Montes de Oca, Aarón Sáenz, Aníbal de Iturbide, Ernesto J. Amescua, Carlos Novoa y Pedro Maus. Mr. Noé Graham served as Secretary of the Board of Directors, as documented in the investigation of Dr. García Ugarte.

Later, and according to the historian, the Board of Directors approved that the Asociación Mexicana de Cultura establish an institute named “Instituto Tecnológico de México”, which openned its doors on July 1st, 1946. Its facilities were reduced to the 5th and 6th floors of a building on Calle de Palma Norte, in the center of the city.

Currently the General Statute of ITAM recognizes as the founding and sponsoring body of our Institute the Asociación Mexicana de Cultura, A.C.

Video: Dr. Marta Eugenia García Ugarte talks about the book « Tiempo y memoria. Historia del ITAM 1946-2016 »

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