Used by permission from the Arizona Historical Society
Born in the historic barrio libre near downtown Tucson, Arizona on December
8, 1908, Maria Luisa Legarra Urquides’ greatest pride was her Mexican American
heritage and its Spanish language. Maria’s family had deep roots in Tucson;
she was a third generation Mexican American. She enjoyed the racial and
ethnic composition of her culturally diverse neighborhood which included
Chinese, Mexicans, Indians, and Euro-Americans, and identified strongly
from early childhood with the need to communicate, despite language and
cultural barriers.
Maria’s family made financial sacrifices so that she could attend Tempe
State Teachers College. In 1928, she was awarded a two-year teaching certificate
and was named Valedictorian of her class. Eventually she earned both a
bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in education from the University
of Arizona. Maria obtained her first teaching position at Davis Elementary
school in Tucson, with a 98% enrollment of Mexican and Mexican American
children; and Yaqui Indian children were enrolled. Her bilingual English-Spanish
skills enabled her to become successful in the classroom.
It was this same success that characterized Maria’s entire career as an
educator and as a humanitarian. As an educator, she became a leader in
spearheading a bilingual-bicultural approach to teaching language among
her students. In time, she became known as “the mother of bilingual education” for
her work in a new and emerging field of study at the national as well as
local level. As a humanitarian, she contributed her talents, skills, energy
and enthusiasm to projects that benefited the less fortunate and the under
represented. Maria was recognized by her peers and by her community for
her tireless efforts in mental health, continuing education, and human
relations.
In 1974, the Tucson Unified School District paid tribute to Maria by naming
the Urquides Elementary School in her honor.
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