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María Luisa Dehesa Gómez Farías was the first woman in Mexico to graduate as an architect. Born in 1912 in Veracruz, she enrolled in the Academia de San Carlos in 1933 and graduated in 1937. Despite the gender barriers of her time, she built a successful career in public works and residential design. Her life marked an important milestone in the history of women in architecture in Latin America.

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The first woman architect in Mexico and Latin America

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María Luisa Dehesa was born on June 30, 1912, in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico. She was the daughter of Juan Dehesa y Gómez, a lawyer and politician, and Carmen Gómez Farías, who came from a notable family with ties to Mexican liberalism. Her family supported her education and played an important role in shaping her interest in the arts and architecture.

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María Luisa Dehesa began her architecture studies at the age of 21 in 1933 and completed them in 1937.

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Founded on November 4, 1781, the Academia de San Carlos in Mexico City was the first art school in the Americas, established during the Enlightenment with the support of King Charles III of Spain.

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In 1933, María Luisa Dehesa enrolled in the Academia de San Carlos, part of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).

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After finishing school, Dehesa married Manuel Millán, and together they had four children. She joined the Department of Public Works in Mexico City and served for almost 50 years in various divisions, mainly designing single-family homes and apartment buildings.

María Luisa balanced her family life with a long and successful professional career.

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1937: A Historic Year for Mexican Architecture

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1937: A Historic Year for Mexican Architecture

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The Academia de San Carlos had existed for over 150 years before a woman graduated in architecture. One of its most significant milestones came in 1937, when María Luisa Dehesa became the first woman to graduate as an architect from the school

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María Luisa Dehesa passed away on March 11, 2009, in Mexico City.

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Arellano, M. (2022, octubre 3). Un homenaje a María Luisa Dehesa: la primer mujer arquitecta de México. ArchDaily México. https://www.archdaily.mx/mx/989800/un-homenaje-a-maria-luisa-dehesa-la-primer-mujer-arquitecta-de-mexico-y-latinoamerica

Estrada, G. (2022, marzo 7). María Luisa Dehesa: la primera arquitecta titulada de México. Architectural Digest México. https://www.admagazine.com/articulos/maria-luisa-dehesa-la-primera-arquitecta-titulada-de-mexico

López Correa, V. (2022, octubre 3). María Luisa Dehesa: La primera arquitecta de México y América Latina. México Desconocido. https://www.mexicodesconocido.com.mx/maria-luisa-dehesa-la-primera-arquitecta-en-mexico.html

Wikipedia contributors. (2025, septiembre 15). María Luisa Dehesa Gómez Farías. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mar%C3%ADa_Luisa_Dehesa

Facebook contributors. (2016, enero 28). Nacida en Xalapa, Veracruz, María Luisa Dehesa Gómez Farías es reconocida por ser la primera mujer arquitecta titulada en México. Museo Nacional de Arquitectura INBA. https://www.facebook.com/MUNARQINBA/posts/nacida-en-xalapa-veracruz-mar%C3%ADa-luisa-dehesa-g%C3%B3mez-far%C3%ADas-es-reconocida-por-ser-/1132444862250037/

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María Luisa Dehesa was the first woman to earn an architecture degree in Mexico back in 1933. She spent over 35 years designing homes and apartments while working in public service for the government. She also took on leadership roles in the Pension Department, which later became ISSSTE. Beyond her work, she helped found the Federation of Mexican University Women and was part of the International Union of Women Architects.