Alberto M. Olivares
2 linear feet
A2017-043
1890-1945 (unknown)
Alberto M. Olivares, Ph.D. is a first generation American of Mexican descent. His parents immigrated to the United States from Mexico in the 1920s settling in Eagle Pass, Texas, where Dr. Olivares was born on January 27, 1942. He earned a B. S. in chemistry at Texas A&M University in 1964. The same year, he married Norma Torralba of Eagle Pass, Texas. They have two grown children, Theresa (Ruben) Riojas, a counselor, and Alberto H. (Destiny) Olivares, a dentist, and four grandchildren. Dr. Olivares was employed as a research chemist for Shell Chemical Company in Deer Park, Texas from 1964 until 1967. He then returned to his alma mater, Texas A&M, where he earned a Ph.D. in chemistry in 1972.
While working on his dissertation, he accepted a position in 1971 as Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Texas A&I University, Kingsville, Texas. Dr. Olivares’ research investigations in the liquid-liquid extraction of the Lanthanides using arsenic acids led to several journal publications and theses. At A&I, he was promoted to Associate Professor in 1974 and in 1981 to Dean of the College of Graduate Studies. He continued to teach and during his tenure to serve as chairman of the graduate council, chairman of the institutional review board for the protection of human subjects, chairman of search committees for two college deans, and he twice served as faculty representative on the University System of South Texas (USST) Board of Directors in search of presidents for the university. Dr. Olivares received the Texas A&I Alumni Association Distinguished Research Award, was invited to spend a summer at The Ohio State University Department of Chemistry as a visiting Scholar, and served eleven years as Councilor of the South Texas Section of the American Chemical Society.
Civic involvement was another focus for Dr. Olivares. He served as Kingsville Noon and Morning Lions Club president, served as member of the Kingsville Civil Service Board, served as vice chairman of the Christus Spohn Kleberg Health Care Foundation, served as member and Faithful Navigator of the Kingsville Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus, and served twice as president of the Kingsville Sembradores de Amistad. After 37 years of service, Dr. Alberto Olivares retired in August 2008 as Emeritus Professor of Chemistry and Dean of the College of Graduate Studies from Texas A&M University-Kingsville.
The collection includes correspondence, photographs of past ceremonies and commencements at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, awards and plaques, and documents from his time as Dean of the College of Graduate Studies. A DVD of his Retirement Celebration, an invitation, a copy of a tribute from his sister and photographs of the event are included.
The collection includes correspondence, photographs of past ceremonies and commencements at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, awards and plaques, and documents from his time as Dean of the College of Graduate Studies. A DVD of his Retirement Celebration, an invitation, a copy of a tribute from his sister and photographs of the event are included.
South Texas Archives, James C. Jernigan Library, Texas A&M University-Kingsville
Open for Research
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Alberto M. Olivares Collection, A2017-043.XXXX- South Texas Archives, James C. Jernigan Library, Texas A&M University-Kingsville
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A2017-043 – Gift from Dr. Olivares
In 2017 Lori Atkins processed the collection and created the finding aid, Daniel Thacker created the EAD document and uploaded all files to the South Texas Archives website.