AUSTIN, Texas (October 23, 1998) -- The papers of Dr. José Cárdenas, distinguished University of Texas alumnus, noted educator and founder of the Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA) in San Antonio, have been donated to the Mexican American Library Program located in the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection at The University of Texas at Austin. The Cárdenas Papers document his lifelong commitment to educational achievement and excellence for all children in Texas, particularly Mexican American children of South Texas and the Valley, and reflect his activities as founder and director of IDRA, the nonprofit research and public education organization established in 1973 to train and provide assistance in areas of bilingual and multicultural education, school finance equity, early childhood education, community involvement programs, and the design of computer-assisted instructional programs.

Dr. Cárdenas, a nationally recognized educator for over 40 years, has worked closely with a variety of state and federal legislatures as well as foundations, policy organizations, and community-based groups to promote bilingual and multicultural education. He is the author of several books, including All Pianos Have Keys and Other Stories(1994) which includes articles on his life along with personal anecdotes; Multicultural Education: A Generation of Advocacy(1995), an overview of the most significant issues in multicultural education; Texas School Finance Reform: An IDRA Perspective(1997) which documents the 28-year history of school finance in Texas; and most recently My Spanish-speaking Left Foot(1997) depicting the cultural influence of Mexico and the Spanish-speaking world for a Mexican American living in the United States.

"This is a magnificent collection of materials documenting the career of a major educational figure and the influential organization he founded," according to Harold Billings, Director of General Libraries. "These manuscripts, printed publications, and other personal papers as well as the records of the IDRA serve to document the evolution of educational thought within Texas and our nation at its critical juncture in the last quarter of the twentieth century. The receipt of this collection is a momentous occasion."

A reception celebrating the donation of this collection is scheduled for October 29 in the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection. The event, co-sponsored by the General Libraries and the Center for Mexican American Studies, will include brief comments by Dr. Cárdenas and Dr. María "Cuca" Robledo Montecel, Executive Director of IDRA.

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For more information contact:
Margo Gutiérrez, Mexican American & Latino Studies Librarian
Mexican American Library Program, Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection
(512) 495-4589
mgutierrez@mail.utexas.edu