Pablo Cabanas Memorial Scholarship in Spanish
Pablo Cabanas (1923 - 1981)
Pablo Cabanas died suddenly on March 3, 1981, on the campus of the University of Victoria. It had been the centre of his life for the previous 14 years, and he was maintaining his usual daily schedule: teaching, researching and participating wholeheartedly in university affairs, up to the time of his death.
Pablo was born and educated in Madrid, where he obtained his doctorate in 1947. He also served on the faculty of the University of Madrid from 1942 to 1953. Subsequently he joined the faculty of the University of Nottingham in England and later he achieved a permanent position at the University of Durham where he remained until 1967.
He was appointed Professor of Spanish and Head of the Department of Hispanic and Italian Studies at the University of Victoria in 1968, a position he held almost continuously until his death.
Pablo was an accomplished scholar. His doctoral thesis on the myth of Orpheus in Spanish literature was awarded the Premio Menéndez y Pelayo in 1947. During his lifetime he wrote five books and more than 30 articles, and he was widely known as a reviewer. As well, Pablo was a poet in his own right.
While Pablo was above all a teacher and a scholar, he will always be remembered as a passionate soccer fan with a particular interest in the fate of Nottingham Forest and Atlético de Madrid.
This scholarship fund was established by members of the Department of Hispanic and Italian Studies in honour of Dr. Cabañas, who was deeply concerned about the welfare of students, including rising tuition costs. This scholarship fund exists thanks to the generous financial support of his department colleagues, his friends, and most importantly his son. The scholarship was first awarded in 1984 and is given to two students every year.