American teacher who developed new bilingual education programs in San Antonio, Texas. López published Barrio Teacher, a memoir of her family’s experiences with the Mexican Revolution, and her own experiences with the transition to the United States and struggles with the Great Depression.
When she was three years old, her family settled in San Antonio, Texas after fleeing during the Mexican Revolution. She attended local schools and earned her bachelor’s degree from Our Lady of the Lake University in 1934. López attended the University of Texas, finishing with a master’s degree in 1938.
She taught elementary school for over three decades in San Antonio. She coordinated bilingual programs for San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD) for thirteen years. López earned her doctorate from Nova University in 1976. After 1964, she developed her own bilingual program for the district before retiring from SAISD in 1980. That year she accepted a post to oversee the training program for bilingual education at Our Lady of the Lake University. She wrote textbooks and worked as a consultant.
Arcadia wedded Johnny Deleon López in 1942. They divorced in 1968. López died at her San Antonio home on 16 January 2007 at age 97. Her will created the Dr. Arcadia López Endowed Scholarship for bilingual pedagogy at the University of Texas-San Antonio.
Link to Wikipedia biography