Fabián García

Fabián García (January 20, 1871 – August 6, 1948) was a Mexican-American horticulturist who has been described as "the father of the New Mexican food industry". Among other things, he helped to develop new varieties of chile peppers, pecans, and onions that are still grown in New Mexico. For example, in 1921, he introduced the "New Mexico No. 9", a strain of chile pepper which became the genetic ancestor of all New Mexico chiles.

Early life and education García was born in Chihuahua, Mexico, on January 20, 1871, to Ricardo García and Refugio Romero de García. He became an orphan at the age of two. He then moved to the U.S. Territory of New Mexico with his paternal grandmother, Jacoba García. He originally lived in the Mimbres Valley in the southwestern part of the state, but he and his grandmother later moved to the Mesilla Valley. In 1889, he became a naturalized citizen of the United States, and in 1890, he began taking classes at the New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts (NMA&MA, now known as New Mexico State University). García was a member of the school's first graduating class in 1894, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree that year.

Academic career García became the first director of the Agricultural Experiment Station at New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts in 1913 or 1914. For many years, he was the only faculty member of Mexican descent at the college. three years after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. as are the university's Center for International Programs, Garcia Hall, and the building containing their Center for International Programs.

The Fabián García Collection, consisting of his papers, correspondence, manuscripts, notebooks, speeches and additional materials, is held in the New Mexico State University Library Archives and Special Collections. The archive also contains his professional papers, business documents, and a selection of photographs.