Wednesday, January 3, 2024
I met Adán in 1989, when I enjoyed my first sabbatical at the National University of Mexico. He had just published his massive guide of the Béxar Archives. We coincided almost daily at the Barker Texas History center as it was called then The Briscoe Center for American History. I realized then what a serious abd decicated researcher he was. Years later, in 2005, when I started another sabbatical, I was working on the deschifring of a 19th century short hand writing, included in the Diary of Angel Calderón de la Barca; when I told me him about it, he immediately responded: "We have at the BLAC several manuals of such kind; take a look at them". Sure enough, at the second one that I checked, I got the one I was looking for. That was Adán Benavides: a very helpful, immaginative and generous friend and colleague; indeed, he will always remain with us.
