Finding Biographical Information

Mexico

Mexican biographies included in Spanish, Portuguese 280864 , and Latin American Biographical Archive. General and historical encyclopedias with biographical content are especially useful for Mexico. These include:

Diccionario Porrúa de historia, biografía y geografía de México. 6. ed. corr. y aum. México, D.F. : Editorial Porrúa, c1995. 4 v.
Widener | RR 3677.7

Musacchio, Humberto, 1943- Diccionario enciclopédico de México / Humberto Musacchio. 1a ed. México, D.F. : A. Léon, Editor, 1989. 4 v.
Widener | WID-LC | F1204 .M95 1989   NIS

Bibliography

Iguiniz, Juan B. Bibliografia biografica mexicana. Instituto de Investigaciones Historicas. Serie bibliografica, 5. [l ed.]. Mexico, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Instituto de Investigaciones Historicas, 1969.
LOCATION: Widener: WID-LC F1205.Z99 I39 x, 1930
--Analyzes more than 1,300 collective biographical works, listed by editor, in its Libros y Folletos section.  Periodicals are analyzed in Periódicos y Revistas section (included as Revistas, Magazines, etc. in the main (Repertorios Biograficos) section in 1st ed). Both sections have many new entries. Additional new names in Adiciones and Nuevas Adiciones sections are not included in the otherwise exhaustive name index. Enlargement of the 1930 edition.

Woods, Richard Donovon. Autobiographical writings on Mexico : an annotated bibliography of primary sources. Jefferson, N.C. : McFarland & Co., 2005.
--Lists over 1900 autobiographies, memoirs, collections of letters, diaries, interviews, and autobiographical novels.  About 75% of the works are by native-born Mexicans and include citation, genre, author’s life dates, period covered, available translations into English, and annotation.  Writings of foreigners include citation and annotation only.  Appendix lists works chronologically.  Author, title and subject indexes.  Earlier ed. 1988.  Submitted

Woods, Richard Donovon. Mexican autobiography: an annotated bibliography = La autobiografia mexicana: una bibliografia razonada. Bibliographies and indexes in world history, no. 13. New York: Greenwood Press, 1988.
LOCATION: Widener: WID-LC CT553.Z99 W66 x, 1988

Collective Biography

Beristain de Souza, Jose Mariano. Biblioteca hispano americana septentrional; o, Catalogo y noticias de los literatos que o nacidos o educados, o florecientes en la America Septentrional Espanola, han dado a luz algun escrito, o lo han dejado preparado para la prensa, 1521-1850. Coleccion Daniel. [3. ed.]. Mexico, Editorial Fuente Cultural [1947-51].
LOCATION: Dumbarton Oaks (P-C): Z1412.B53

Camp, Roderic Ai. Mexican political biographies, 1884-1935. 1st ed. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1991. LOCATION: Widener: WID-LC F1233.5.C28 1991 Moved   NIS
--Includes presidents, cabinet officers, senators, justices, governors, party leaders, ambassadors, military commanders, etc.  Alphabetically-arranged entries cover a wealth of information and end with list of source abbreviations keyed to bibliography at front of the book. Appendixes list Supreme Court justices, federal deputies, senators, ambassadors, presidents, etc.  Bibliographic essay. Continued by Camp's Mexican political biographies, 1935-1993. 160277 Spanish-language version: Biograficas politicos Mexicanos, 1935-1988. 

See also Vazquez Gomez’s Dictionary of Mexican rulers, 1325-1997 331035 which is indexed in Biography and genealogy master index

Garcia Granados, Rafael. Diccionario biografico de historia antigua de Mejico. Publicaciones del Instituto de Historia; 1. ser., no. 23. [Primera serie prehispanica; no. 7]. Mexico: Instituto de Historia, 1952-1953 [i.e. 1955].
LOCATION: Widener: SA 3799.19 Library has: 3 v.
--Information on Aztec (v. 1-2) and Christianized (v. 3) native Mexicans summarized from contemporary Spanish and indigenous sources. Coverage from before the Spanish conquest through 17 century. Omits Yucatan.  Vol. 3 contains a bibliography, detailed name (with name form variant cross-references), and geographical indexes, dynastic tables, etc. Full text in Spanish, Portuguese 280864 , and Latin American Biographical Archive. 2nd ed. (1995) is a reprint with new preface on Garcia Granados and the compilation of his Diccionario.

Garca Granados, Rafael. Diccionario biografico de historia antigua de Mjico. 2nd ed. 3 v. Mjico : Universidad Nacional Autnoma de Mxico, 1995 Descriptor: Indians of Mexico -- Biography -- Dictionaries. Geographic: Mexico -- History -- To 1810 -- Sources. 

Hillerkuss, Thomas. Diccionario biografico del occidente novohispano: siglo XVI. [Zacatecas]: Universidad Autonoma de Zacatecas, Centro de Docencia Superior: Ediciones Cuellar, 1997-
LOCATION: Widener: WID-LC F1205.H63 1997x Library has: v. 1
--Articles on Spaniards in 16th century Mexico from a sentence to 3-pages in length with references to manuscripts and published books.  Over 2100 persons covered in the A-C  volume.  Published thus far: v. 1. A-C -- v. 2. D-G

Sierra, Carlos J., 1933- Diccionario biografico de Campeche / Carlos Justo Sierra. 1. ed. M?co : Ediciones de la Muralla, 1997. 314 p.
Widener | Harvard Depository | CT557.C36 S54 1997    OK In
--Includes 441 living and deceased persons, largely 19th-20 century, of a wide range of professions.  Full text in Spanish, Portuguese , and Latin American biographical archive.

Some other states have published their own collective biographies:

Diccionario biografico de Chiapas 286778

Nuevo diccionario biográfico de Coahuila, 1550-2005

Personajes de Colima 286869

Diccionario biografico hidalguense

Diccionario biografico de Nuevo Leon

Diccionario biografico de Puebla

Biografías sinaloenses (prontuario 1530-1998). 2a. ed.

Diccionario biografico de Tamaulipas

Diccionario biografico de Tlaxcala

Diccionario de yucatecos ilustres

Tovar, Aurora. Mil quinientas mujeres en nuestra conciencia colectiva : catlogo biogrfico de mujeres de Mxico / Aurora Tovar Ramrez. 1. ed. Mexico : Documentacin y Estudio de Mujeres, 1996. xiv, 767 p. Widener | WID-LC | CT3295 .T68 1996

Includes about 1500 women born before 1925, both Mexicans and non-Mexicans connected with Mexico. Introduction discusses Mexican biographical sources and includes a list of 310 to which the biographies are keyed. Cross-references from alternatives name forms and pseudonyms. Name index and subject index with occupations.    NIS

Contemporary

Camp, Roderic Ai. Who's who in Mexico today. Westview special studies on Latin America and the Caribbean. Boulder: Westview Press, 1988.
LOCATION: Widener: Harvard Depository

Camp, Roderic Ai. Who's who in Mexico today. 2nd ed. Boulder: Westview Press, 1993.
LOCATION: Widener: RR 1540.7
--Summary biographies of over 400 men and women prominent in business, government, and cultural activities.  Special attention to military figures, clergy, opposition political leaders, and women.  Articles are keyed to a list of sources at the front. For earlier coverage see Who's notable in Mexico (1972) with brief information on about 1200 figures.

Musacchio, Humberto, 1943- Quién es quién en la política mexicana : diccionario. 1. ed. Barcelona, España ; México, D.F. : Plaza [&] Janés, 2002. xix, 432 p.  Widener

Diccionario biografico de Mexico. 1a ed. Monterrey, N.L. :Editorial Revesa, [c1968-1974] 3 v
Widener | WID-LC | CT553 .D53 1968x   Full text (1968) in Spanish, Portuguese  and Latin American biographical archive.

Who's notable in Mexico. v. 1- 1972- [Mexico City] Who's Who in Mexico.
LOCATION: Widener: WID-LC CT556.W48

CENTRAL AMERICA

Contemporary

Quién es quién en Centro América y Panamá, (diccionario biográfico) s. l. v. 1954. ports.
Widener | SA 3898.05
--Continues: Hombres (quien es quien) diccionario biografico centroamericano. 1944. Guatemala, Editorial Istmo.
Widener | SA 3898.05 Earlier Widener | RR 1541.2 Latest

Costa Rica

Collective Biography

Creedman, Theodore S. Historical dictionary of Costa Rica. Latin American historical dictionaries; no. 16. 2nd ed. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1991. LOCATION: Widener: WID-LC F1542.C7 1991

Malavassi V., Guillermo (Malavassi Vargas), Diccionario biografico de Costa Rica / Guillermo Malavassi V. y Pedro Rafael Gutierrez. San José, Costa Rica : Universidad Autónoma de Centro América, 1992. 259 p.
Widener | RR 1542.4
--Biographies of about 1100 persons, living and deceased, 16th century to the present.  Emphasis on the 16th –19th centuries.  Includes non-Costa Ricans significant in Costa Rican history.  Articles keyed to a terminal bibliography. Who's who in Costa Rica may be consulted for persons circa 1980.   NIS

Who's who in Costa Rica  OK In ZA

Zeledon C., Elias. Surcos de lucha: libro biografico, historico y grafico de la mujer costarricense. Heredia, Costa Rica: Instituto de Estudios de la Mujer, Universidad Nacional, 1997.
LOCATION: Widener: Harvard Depository CT3297.Z45 1997    OK In
--About 450 biographies, many with portraits, together with historical and pictorial material on women in Costa Rica.  NIS

Who's who in Costa Rica, 1979-1980: professions, commerce, government. Bilingual ed. San Jose, C. R.: Lubeck; Chicago: Snyder Pub. Co., c1979.
LOCATION: Widener: WID-LC F1542.7 L83 1979x 

El Salvador

Collective Biography

Garcia, Miguel Angel. Diccionario historico-enciclopedico de la Republica de el Salvador. San Salvador, Tipografia "La Luz," 1927-
LOCATION: Widener: SA 4802.5 Library has: v.1-6   NIS

Martinez Penate, Oscar. El Salvador, diccionario: (personajes, hechos historicos, geografia e instituciones). 1. ed. San Salvador, El Salvador: Editorial Nuevo Enfoque, 2000.
LOCATION: Widener: WID-LC F1482.M37 2000
--Numerous short biographical sketches, many with portraits and with works listed, of deceased and living persons. Includes cultural as well as government and military figures.  Terminal bibliography of general books.          NIS 

Guatemala

Collective Biography

Haeussler Yela, Carlos C. (Carlos Cristián), 1909- Diccionario general de Guatemala : historia, geografía, bibliografía, economía, epigrafía, espeliología, iconografía, himnología, apéndice centroamericano, notas y noticias. [Guatemala City : s.n., 1983] (Guatemala, Guatemala : Impresos Malumbres) 3 v. (vi leaves, 1807 p.)
Widener | WID-LC | F1462 .H34 1983     NIS
--Largely a biographical dictionary of living and deceased persons. Articles have short lists of works and references to biographical literature. Some death dates not given in main articles are collected in the Necrologia in vol. 3 (pp.1779-1782).  More extensive than Diccionario histórico biográfico de Guatemala or 100 personajes históricos de Guatemala  

Diccionario histórico biográfico de Guatemala.Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala : Asociación de Amigos del País, Fundación para la Cultura y el Desarrollo, 2004. 975 p.
Widener  |  WID-LC    |  F1462 .D534 2004x

José A. Móbil’s 100 personajes históricos de Guatemala (1979) includes biographies arranged by birth date (1474-1927), many with portraits, some with autographs. Cultural as well as governmental, business, and military figures.   NIS 

Honduras

Collective Biography

Enciclopedia hondurena ilustrada: de personajes historicos y figuras contemporaneos. 1. ed. Tegucigalpa, D.C., Honduras, C.A.: Graficentro Editores, 1994.
LOCATION: Widener: WID-LC CT602.E53 1994 Library has: 4 v.
--Vols 1-3 are a biographical dictionary of roughly 2000 living and deceased Hondurans. Many portraits, some in color. Vol. 4 covers historical topics and events.
--Mario Argueta’s Diccionario historico-biografico hondureno very largely overlaps in coverage but its roughly 165 articles are often longer. Full text in Saur Spanish, Portuguese 280864 , and Latin American biographical archive.

Argueta, Mario. Diccionario historico-biografico hondureno. 1. ed. Tegucigalpa, D.C., Honduras, C.A. : Editorial Universitaria, 1990. 205 p.
Widener | WID-LC | F1502.7 .A74 1990 

Nicaragua

Collective Biography

Nicaraguan biographies : a resource book. Rev. ed. Washington, D.C. : U.S. Dept. of State, Bureau of Public Affairs, [1988] 98 p. (Special report ; no. 174 )
Widener | WID-LC | F1528 .N518x 1988
--Over 500 biographies grouped into sections on the Sandinista regime, the resistance, and the Society, which includes human rights workers, religious, cultural, business and labor, and political figures. Birth and death dates not always given. Some portraits. Largely persons active in the late 1970s-1980s but with a short (3 p.) historical section. Full text in Spanish, Portuguese 280864 , and Latin American biographical archive.

Quién es quién en Nicaragua (1986)
--Includes about 120 biographies, most with portraits, of Sandanistas and Contras from a Contra perspective. Includes entries on organizations, newspapers, etc.

Jirón, Manuel, 1935- Quién es quién en Nicaragua. [San José] : Ediciones Radio Amor, [1986] 497 p.,
Widener | WID-LC | CT616 .J57 1986    NIS 

Panama

Collective Biography

Panamen~os ilustres. Jorge Conte-Porras [Conte-Porras, Jorge]. 1a ed,  2004. 489 p., cm. Instituto Nacional de Cultura (INAC), Panama´.  (9962601770). Date Added: 12/27/2006. ProductID = 333530.    Just politics

Conte Porras, J. (Jorge) Diccionario biográfico ilustrado de Panamá. 2a ed. [Panamá?] : Editorial Diego de Almagro, 1986. 158 p.
Widener | WID-LC | CT622 .C66 1986   NIS
--About 300 short biographies of deceased persons with portraits. Emphasis on 20th century but some earlier. Includes professional, cultural figures, scientists. Rev. ed. of Diccionario biográfico de Panamá (1975).

Zentner, Federico. Nombres y apellidos de forjadores de la patria / por Federico Zentner, Jr. Panamá, R.P. : Ministerio de Educación, República de Panamá, 1984. 294 p. NIS
Widener | WID-LC | CT626 .Z46 1984
--Almost 300 biographies with portraits.  Governmental emphasis but with some cultural figures. Short terminal bibliography.  Articles arranged alphabetically under major topics.  Terminal list of entries. 1st edition: 1973.