Fernando Iglesias Calderón

Fernando Iglesias Calderón was a historian and Liberal politician from a family closely associated with nineteenth century Mexican public life. Born in Mexico City in 1856, he was the son of José María Iglesias. He opposed Porfirio Díaz, led the Liberal Party after Madero's rise, and served in the Senate in 1912–1913 and again in the 1920s. ¹

In 1920 he went to Washington as the new Mexican government's special representative, seeking the restoration of formal relations. During an August meeting, he discussed oil rights and foreign claims with Undersecretary Norman Davis and pressed to present his credentials. Davis explained that accepting them would amount to recognition, which the United States was not yet prepared to grant. ²

His historical writing defended and reassessed the Liberal Reform era. Books examined alleged betrayals by Juárez, Maximilian's conduct, and American policy during the French intervention. He preserved the family papers and library: the papers entered Mexico's National Archives, while the library went to the Pan American Institute of Geography and History. He also served on a German-Mexican claims commission in 1931 and died in 1942. ^{3, 1}