Adina de zavala education
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by Erin Murrah-Mandril, UT Arlington.
Adina de Zavala was dubbed “the angel of the Alamo” when she barricaded herself in the Alamo building in 1908 to save it from demolition. She specifically occupied the long barracks, also known as the convento, where much of the fighting of the Alamo battle occurred. De Zavala refused to give the keys to her rival in the Daughters of the Republic of Texas (DRT), Clara Driscoll, who wanted to demolish that part of the building in order to emphasize the chapel that has since become the iconic emblem of the Alamo battle. This ‘second battle of the Alamo’ splashed across national news and became a centerpiece of Adina de Zavala’s biography for years to come.
Though de Zavala, like Bowie and Travis, ultimately lost her battle over the Alamo, she left the DRT and went on to preserve the Spanish Governor’s Palace and numerous missions in the San Antonio area. She also collected troves of archival material throughout her life. She understood the importance of archiving Texas history and was well versed in Texana archives far and wide. I
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Adina De Zavala
Bio
Adina De Zavala was a preservationist whose best known contribution was saving the Alamo as a historic site. She was the granddaughter of Lorenzo de Zavala, a vice president of the Republic of Texas, and Emily West de Zavala.
The family lived in Galveston before moving to a ranch near San Antonio around 1873. De Zavala taught in Terrell and later San Antonio. Around 1889, she and other San Antonio women began meeting to discuss Texas history. In 1903, the group affiliated with the Daughters of the Republic of Texas (DRT). One of their primary goals was to save a portion of the Alamo from commercial exploitation and possible destruction.
De Zavala enlisted Clara Driscoll, one of the DRT's members, to help. In 1905, the Texas Legislature authorized the state to purchase the property from Driscoll, and the Alamo was turned over to the DRT to maintain as a historic shrine.
Disputes among DRT factions about preservation procedures led to De Zavala's imprisoning herself inside the Alamo for several days. Her position, that the or
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Adina Emilia de Zavala
American teacher and historical preservationist
Adina Emilia De Zavala | |
|---|---|
Adina De Zavala, c. 1910 | |
| Born | (1861-11-28)November 28, 1861 Harris County, Texas, US |
| Died | March 1, 1955(1955-03-01) (aged 93) San Antonio, Texas, US |
| Occupation(s) | Teacher Historian Preservationist |
| Known for | Saving the Alamo Long Barrack Fortress |
Adina Emilia De Zavala (November 28, 1861 – March 1, 1955) was an American teacher, historian and preservationist of Texas history. Her efforts led to saving the Alamo Long Barrack Fortress for future generations. She was born to Augustine De Zavala (originally de Zavala),[1] son of Lorenzo de Zavala, the first Vice President of the Republic of Texas. Adina's mother Julia Tyrrell De Zavala was born in Ireland. In 1994, Recorded Texas Historic Landmark Marker number 86 was placed at Alamo Plaza to honor De Zavala.[2] In 2008, Texas Historical marker number 15124 was placed in St. Mary's Cemetery to honor De Zavala's contributions to Texas.[3]
Family background and edu
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