Nearly 250 members and friends of the Centro Español de Tampa gathered in the TECO Plaza building on November 23rd to honor our club’s founders.  Participants enjoyed a festive atmosphere, a fine meal, remarks given by the Honorary Vice Consul of Spain in Tampa, José Vivero, and the first D. Ignacio Haya lecture presented by Professor James Fernandez of New York University.

First Annual Ignacio Haya Address
Centro Español Founder’s Day Banquet
Tampa, Florida
23 November 2014
by Professor James D. Fernández

Good afternoon. I’d like to thank the Centro Español, its board and members, for the invitation to speak to you today. And I’d like to thank each and every one of you for joining us on this memorable occasion, and for listening to me, as you try to enjoy your meal. I consider it a privilege just to be here. Having the chance to deliver the Centro Español’s First Annual Ignacio Haya Address is an incredible honor, but it is also rather daunting: daunting to be addressing a crowd of tampeños about the history of Tampa, daunting to be introduced by Judge Emiliano J. Salcines, who is, by far, the most knowledgeable and articulate person on the planet when the topic is Spanish Tampa (and a dozen other topics as well!). …

Download the entire lecture here.