Vitelio Ruiz: A Gentleman of Language
The Excelencias Group brings you details on the life of an indispensable figure in Santiago de Cuba’s culture from the 20th and 21st centuries: Julio Vitelio Ruiz Hernández, a gentleman of language.
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He was born in the “hot land” on April 28, 1928. Oscar Ruiz, bricklayer, and María Josefa Hernández Osorio, elementary school teacher, were his parents. The father passed away when he was just a kid, so he lived with his mother and sister. However, life has given him the privilege of raising a wonderful family along with Eloína Miyares, his lifetime partner.
Vitelio has witnessed the most important moments in the lives of his eight sons and has also suffered the loss of two of them. His older son, who was named after him, expresses what his father has meant to him and his brothers: a paradigm as a teacher, father, human being and revolutionary. He is a cultural guide and we’ve been lucky of receiving such a wonderful education, of course, accompanied by our mother Eloína Miyares.
Throughout his life, patience, the unhurried way his speaks, responsibility and voracious interest in knowledge have characterized his personality and made him stand out as a pedagogue in Santiago de Cuba and overseas.
Vitelio entered the Eastern Elementary School for Teachers at the age of 15 and he graduated four years later, despite of his interest in medicine. He was a brilliant student and athlete, and he ranked 1 in several competitions.
Meanwhile, young Eloína was hoping to have a relation with Julio Vitelio. Time was in charge of sealing such a pure feeling since November 27, 1952, to date.
This couple shares every space: both personal and work-related, and they have been given the Work Hero and Heroine of the Republic of Cuba Order, so they are the only marriage with this title in the whole country.
In 1952 Vitelio got his PhD in Pedagogy at the Havana University, although he already was an experienced elementary school teacher, Spanish professor at the first Rural Worker’s Faculty and he had developed other pedagogical activities that consolidated his career.
Vitelio studied at the International Office for Spanish Studies, where he graduated as Linguistic Researcher. On the other hand, he was appointed researcher at the Literature and Linguistics Division of Cuba’s Science Academy in Santiago de Cuba, where he was the director through 1995. He presently stands a Permanent Researcher of the Applied Linguistics Center and he was named Honorary Director.
Julio Vitelio Ruiz Hernández has organized and headed National Scientific Plenaries on Applied Linguistics for radio and television broadcasters, as well as International Symposiums on Social Communication. Along with Eloína Miyarez Bermúdez and other specialists from the Applied Linguistics Center, he has published Theoretical-Practical Orthography, Consonant System in Cuba, VAL-CUBA Vaccine, Active-Functional Lexicon for Cuban Students and Integral Orthography, just to mention some.
Vitelio Ruiz lost his sight over a decade ago because of glaucoma, but the research spirit remains sharp. His editorial projects are now linked to the National Association of Blind People (ANCI is the Spanish acronym) in an effort to take applied linguistics to blind children and people.
So much wisdom has been recognized and Vitelio has been given the highest Science distinction in Cuba: "Carlos J. Finlay Order", as well as "Lázaro Peña" Order both 2nd and 1st grade, Distinction for National Culture and Cuban Education, National Pedagogy Award, José María Heredia Plaque and many other. He has confessed that the love of children and young people is his best prize.
