Adolfo Diaz Papers / Latin American Library / Tulane University 23/03/08 10:43 PM

LATIN AMERICAN LIBRARY

TULANE UNIVERSITY

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA 70118

Manuscripts Collection 132

Adolfo Diaz Papers 1930-1947

163 pieces

COLLECTION GUIDE

Prepared by Philip S. MacLeod

October, 1998

Biographical Information and Collection Overview

Biographical Information

Adolfo Diaz was born in Costa Rica to Nicaraguan parents in July, 1875. The
family returned to Nicaragua when Diaz was five years old. As a longtime
opponent of Liberal dictator José Santos Zelaya, (1893-1909), Diaz was jailed
and exiled during the regime. He came to the forefront of Nicaraguan politics
during the Conservative Partyh's ouster of Zelaya in 1909. He provided funds
to the rebel movement's leader Juan Estrada and became Vice President in
1911. Diaz succeeded Estrada as President on May 9, 1911 serving out the
term. Adolfo was elected President in his own right in 1913 serving until
1916. Diaz again served as President between November 14, 1926 and
January 1, 1929 in the wake of the political unrest which resulted from the
unsuccessful coup attempt led by Emiliano Chamorro, another Conservative
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unsuccessful coup attempt led by Emiliano Chamorro, another Conservative

Party leader. Diaz ran unsuccessfully as the Conservative Party's Presidential
candidate in 1932. He never sought office again, but maintained contact with
many Nicaraguan political figures.

Between 1901 and 1910 don Adolfo worked in Bluefields as the Secretary for
the La Luz y Los Angeles Mining Company, an American company
incorporated in Delaware that mined gold at Siuna in Zelaya Province. Diaz
was in charge of the office and attended to everything concerning the mine
including purchases, the receipt and forwarding of bullion, transportation and
oversight of operations at the mine. In 1903 he also became an assistant to the
company's treasurer. Diaz continued his involvement with mining and
acquired the Potosí Mine, located near the La Luz holdings in 1914.

The La Luz holdings were destroyed during raids by the forces of Cesar
Augustín Sandino in 1928. Don Adolfo acquired control of several other
mines around La Siuna in 1930 and took charge of the attempt to revive gold
mining at the La Luz holdings in 1934 until that company sold its mines to the
Tonopah Mining Company of Nevada in 1936. Diaz continued to receive
concession payments from a company called La Luyz Mines Ltd. as late as
1944. In addition to these business ties, Diaz always enjoyed close relations
with the United States.

He was forced to rely on American troops to remain in power in 1912 and

1926. The Bryan-Chamorro treaty, granting the United States the right to
construct an inter-oceanic canal across Nicaragua, was signed in 1913 during
his second term as President. Diaz first visited the United States from June
1918 until July 1920 and returned between 1932 and 1934. Don Adolfo again
took up residence in the U.S. between 1936 and 1947, this time as a political
exile because he "had some fears for his personal safety and property in
Nicaragua" under the Somozo regime. New York City became his primary
residence, but he also stayed in Miami and New Orleans. He died in San José,
Costa Rica in 1964.

Collection Overview
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The majority of the collection consists of a variety of correspondence (letters

and telegrams) which detail Adolfo Diaz's personal and business affairs
between the years 1930 and 1947. The greatest part of the correspondence
deals with Diaz's relationship with the Laz Luz and Los Angeles Mining
Company. There are a number of letters from the company's President, J.
Gilmore Fletcher, who was also Diaz's personal friend. There are also letters
or copies of correspondence from other people involved with the La Luz
Mines including Telemaco Lopez, who served as a representative for the
company in Nicaragua, George Tower and M.B. Huston, officials of the
Tonopah Mining Company of Nevada, which toook over the La Luz
Concession, and Ernesto Solórzano Diaz, don Adolfo's nephew, who served
as his representative in Nicaragua. There are also several letters from different
lawyers detailing some of the mine's legal circumstances.

Other items of interest in the correspondence include several letters from

Emiliano Chamorro and other political figures that discuss the Nicaraguan
political situation after 1940. There are several letters that detail don Adolfo's
financial peoblems and arrangements to repay a loan he received from the
Banco Nacional de Nicaragua. Finally one letter contains a nine-page
attachment entitled "Señor Adolfo Diaz," which details his personal life,
personal affairs, business affairs and involvement with the La Luz mine.

The Diaz Papers also contain a series of thirteen notarial acts that gave don
Adolfo the rights to several mines around the La Luz holdings in Siuna. Also
of note in the collection are an undated report entitled "Potosi Group of
Mines," three miscellaneous items dealing with Nicaraguan politics and a
small group of photographs.

Arrangement of Collection

I) Correspondence 1930-1947
132 pieces

II) Notarial Documentation

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14 pieces

III) Miscellaneous Mining Documentation

3 pieces

IV) Miscellaneous Political Material

3 pieces

V) Photographs

10 pieces

See the printed collection guide for more detailed information.

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Last updated: March 8, 2000

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