Juan Jorge Matute (or Juan Jorge Matute Villaseñor, with the additional last name, as he was often referred to beyond the AA records) was born in 1942 to the famous Mexican engineer, professor, and public servant, Jorge Matute Remus (1912-2002). He studied Civil Engineering at the University of Guadalajara in Mexico from 1962 to 1967 and was president of his student class. In their final year, Matute and his student colleagues led a notable effort to fundraise for, design, and oversee the construction of the “Aula Magna” [Main Hall], a new auditorium for the Faculty of Engineering, because they truly felt gratitude towards their school and wanted to give back. Matute was amongst three people responsible for construction management. The initiative that was met by much enthusiasm and appreciation not only from the publicly funded university but also from various construction companies that donated materials and furnishings. The building was completed in the summer of 1969. That year, Matute enrolled at Architectural Association in London where he is recorded as joining the Department of Planning and Urban Development and was subsequently awarded a post-graduate certificate from the AA’s Department of Tropical Architecture in 1970. According to the AA Membership records, Juan Jorge returned to Guadalajara, Mexico, residing there until at least 1979. Little is known about his subsequent career, but Matute tragically passed away in a traffic accident in 1992. The following year, his mother, Esmeralda Villaseñor, founded a small library in Guadalajara in his memory – where a plaque to the left of the building entrance bears his name. 20 years later, in 2013, she donated the library consisting of over 8,000 titles it to the Guadalajara City Council.

Sources

• Architectural Association Student Register 1945‐1972, AA Archives
• Architectural Association Diploma Roll Book, 1964-75, AA Archives
• AA Membership List 1974, 1979
• Aula Magna, gen. 1962-67, Facultad de ingenieria, Universidad de Guadalajara, https://diving.cucei.udg.mx/sites/default/files/varios/aula_magna_gen._1962-67_facultad_de_ingenieria_universidad_de_guadalajara_2.pdf, accessed 19 July
• Donan a Guadalajara la biblioteca 'Esmeralda Villaseñor' [The 'Esmeralda Villaseñor' library is donated to Guadalajara.], EL INFORMADOR, December 17, 2023, https://www.informador.mx/Cultura/Donan-a-Guadalajara-la-biblioteca-Esmeralda-Villasenor-20131217-0050.html, accessed 19 July
• Ancestry, California, U.S., Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists, 1882-1959