JCB Mourns Two Renowned Historians of Mexico: Miguel León-Portilla (1926-2019) and R. Douglas Cope (1955-2019)

Earlier this month, the community of Mexican historians – in Mexico and the United States – lost two towering figures in colonial Mexican history. The renowned Mexican anthropologist and historian Miguel Léon-Portilla passed away on October 1, 2019, at the age of 93, and R. Douglas ("Doug") Cope, a professor of history at Brown University and long-time friend of the John Carter Brown Library, passed on October 6 at the age of 64. While the wounds of their passing are still too fresh for us to provide a full description of their association with the JCB at this time, memorial services and remembrances are currently being planned. We mourn with their families, friends, and all of those for whom colonial Mexican history is dear at the passing of these generous giants – friends, in perpetuity, of our community.