Anthony "Tony" López Papers
Content Description
The Anthony López Papers offer insight into the personal and professional life of a vibrant and charismatic leader in the Puerto Rican community, from his collegiate elected official days through his tenure as Executive Director of ASPIRA of New York, Inc. As such, this collection complements the Records of ASPIRA of New York, Inc. and the Antonia Pantoja Papers held at Centro.
Although small in volume, the collection features several highlights including documentation of López’s early experiences in leadership positions, ASPIRA of New York, Inc. organizational records during a critical fiscal period as well as a sizeable collection of family photographs dating back to the 1930s.
The materials in this collection span from 1932 to 2001, with the bulk of the papers concentrating on the years 1995 to 1998. The collection consists of letters, clippings, flyers, memoranda, minutes, reports, photographs, proposals, programs, newsletters and notes. The folders are arranged alphabetically within each series while documents are arranged chronologically from oldest to most recent. The majority of the documents are in English, however, a few are either fully or partially in Spanish.
Dates
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1995-1998
- Creation: 1932-2001
Creator
- López, Anthony (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Open to researchers with some restrictions.
Biographical / Historical
Anthony López has been a committed advocate and ally of Latino, and specifically Puerto Rican, youth throughout his career. His participation in youth mentoring and leadership development programs as a teenager proved to be a formative experience that not only encouraged him to strive for academic excellence and professional success in his own life, but also compelled him to redirect that energy and those achievements toward work that would ensure that other Puerto Rican youth have access to academic and career opportunities as well.
Born and raised in the South Bronx and the oldest of five children, Anthony López attended City As School High School in 1981. During this time, he also participated in Project Double Discovery, an academic enrichment program at Columbia University that combines academic tutoring and mentoring, college and career counseling and personal development workshops to support low-income youth with a desire to attend college. López credits Project Double Discovery with instilling in him a drive to learn and grow personally, academically and professionally, arming him with the skills necessary to reach these goals andencouraging him to challenge the race, class and gender barriers that youth of color encounter in their daily lives.
He went on to attend Binghamton University, part of the State University of New York, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology in 1986 as well as the New School for Social Research in 1990. In addition, he completed the Institute for Not-for-Profit Management Middle Management Program at Columbia University in 1994.
López launched his professional career as Director of the Career Beginnings Program for the Double Discovery Program at Columbia University between 1986 and 1987. From 1987 to 1990, he was the National Director of Support Services for the “I Have A Dream” Foundation, an organization he then led from 1990 to 1992.
For the next six years, López worked at ASPIRA of New York, Inc., first as Director of Program Operations from 1992 to 1994 and then as Director of Development from 1994 to 1996. From 1996 to 1998, he served as Executive Director of ASPIRA of New York, Inc., where he focused his efforts on building a stronger organization by streamlining fiscal practices in addition to overseeing the implementation of the organization’s programmatic goals.
Extent
1.5 Cubic Feet (3 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Spanish; Castilian
Abstract
The Anthony López Papers highlight the life and work of a charismatic community leader, with a demonstrated commitment to educational opportunity and leadership development for Latino youth, as evidenced by his years at ASPIRA of New York, Inc., among other organizations. The collection consists of letters, clippings, flyers, memoranda, minutes, reports, photographs, proposals, programs, newsletters and notes.
Arrangement
The collection is divided into the following series: I. Biographical and Personal Information II. Correspondence III. Organizations IV. Photographs V. Artifacts
Other Finding Aids
Other version of this finding aid was created as part of Ventana Al Pasado: Building a Latino/Hispanic Online Research Collection. The New York State Archives and Centro de Estudios Puertorriqueños received funding for this project from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Spanish language version of the finding aid is available (see external documents section.)
Processing Information
Processed with a grant from a congressional directed initiative sponsored by Congressman José Serrano and administered by the Institute for Museum and Library Services. Funding was also provided by the Council of the City of New York.
Subject
- Pantoja, Antonia (Person)
- State University of New York at Binghamton (Organization)
- National Congress of Puerto Rican Rights (Organization)
- Puerto Rican Legal Defense & Education Fund (New York, N.Y.) (Organization)
- I Have A Dream Foundation (Organization)
Cultural context
Topical
- Advertising fliers
- Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
- Community development -- New York (State) -- New York
- Community organization -- New York (State) -- New York
- Corporate minutes
- Corporation reports
- Discrimination in education -- Law and legislation -- New York (State) -- New York
- Education, Bilingual -- Law and legislation -- New York (State) -- New York
- Education, Bilingual -- New York (State) -- New York
- Hispanic American students -- New York (State) -- New York
- Hispanic American youth -- New York (State) -- New York -- Social conditions
- Hispanic Americans -- Education -- New York (State) -- New York
- Hispanic Americans -- New York (State) -- New York
- Leadership development
- Minority youth -- Education -- United States
- Multicultural education -- New York (State) -- New York
- Notes (Cataloging)
- Photographs
- Proposal writing for grants
- Publications
- Puerto Ricans -- Education -- New York (State) -- New York
- Puerto Ricans -- Education -- United States
- Puerto Ricans -- New York (State) -- New York
- Puerto Ricans -- Social conditions -- New York (State) – New York
- Title
- Anthony "Tony" López Papers
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Melisa Ribas with the assistance of Christopher Medina
- Date
- September 2007
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Sponsor
- Processed with a grant from a congressional directed initiative sponsored by Congressman José Serrano and administered by the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Funding was also provided by the Council of the City of New York.
Repository Details
Part of the Archives of the Puerto Rican Diaspora Repository
Silberman Building, Hunter College
2180 Third Ave. Rm. 122
New York New York 10065
centro.library@hunter.cuny.edu
