Francisco Morales Padrón

Francisco Morales Padrón (1924 – 15 November 2010) was a Spanish historian recognized for his extensive research on the history of the Spanish Empire and aspects of 19th-century Spanish politics.

Life and career Padrón was born in Santa Brígida on Gran Canaria. Morales Padrón began his studies at the University of La Laguna and later moved to Seville, where he earned a degree in History of the Americas in 1949. Following his graduation, he held a scholarship at the Escuela de Estudios Hispanoamericanos and worked as an assistant in the library of José Antonio Calderón Quijano. In 1952, he completed his doctoral thesis in Madrid titled Jamaica española.

After obtaining his doctorate, Morales Padrón collaborated with the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and served as Professor of the Chair of History of Geographical Discoveries at the University of Seville from 1958 to 1988. He held the title of Emeritus Professor from 1988 until 2006. During his tenure at the university, he served as Vice Dean and Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters, as well as Vice Dean of the Escuela de Estudios Hispanoamericanos. In 1976, he began organizing the Canarian-American history colloquia at the Casa de Colón in Las Palmas, which became a leading center for Americanist research.

Morales Padrón frequently participated in international Americanist meetings in Europe and the Americas.

Awards and honors Morales Padrón was named an honorary son of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and a distinguished son of Santa Brígida. In 2004, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria for his role in modernizing the study of Canarian history. Other awards include the Can de Plata from the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, honorary membership in the Museo Canario, the Premio Canarias from the Government of the Canary Islands, the Ibn Jatib Humanities Prize from the Junta de Andalucía, the Alfonso X El Sabio plaque, the Order of Merit of the Republic of Peru, and the Order of Andrés Bello of Venezuela.