The Roberto C. Goizueta Pavilion
The Roberto C. Goizueta Goizueta Pavilion, home of the University of Miami Libraries' Cuban Heritage Collection, is a bright 10,000 square-foot space on the second floor of the Otto G. Richter Library, located on the University's Coral Gables campus.
The Pavilion's Exhibition Gallery highlights the Cuban Heritage Collection's significant holdings. The gallery, inspired by Cuban colonial interiors, features Espejo de Paciencia, an impressive mural by renowned Miami based Cuban artist Humberto Calzada, as well as a portrait of Roberto C. Goizueta by Rossin. Visitors to the Pavilion can enjoy these and other works from one of the gallery's four Cuban-style rocking chairs designed by Camilo Furniture, which provided all the furnishings.
The Pavilion's spacious Reading Room includes the Fanjul Gallery as well as computer stations for access to online research materials pertaining to Cuban studies. Also set up for educational programs and presentations, this space can accommodate up to 80 seats.
Finally, the Pavilion includes a fully appointed Conference Room with capacity for 24 persons. Named in honor of the late philanthropist Elena Díaz-Versón Amos, the room is frequently used for meetings and presentations of the University of Miami community. On display are several treasures from the Cuban Heritage Collection as well the painting Amanecer en la Atlántida by Cuban exile artist Gustavo Acosta, generously donated by Mrs. Olga C. Goizueta. For information on room use of the Elena Díaz-Versón Amos Conference Room, click here.
The Roberto C. Goizueta Pavilion provides an attractive and functional environment for the nation's premier research collection for Cuban studies and the world's most comprehensive collection of Cuban exile and Cuban-American materials.
Roberto C. Goizueta
"My story boils down to a single, inspiring reality ... the reality that a young immigrant could come to this country, be given a chance to work hard and apply his skills, and ultimately earn the opportunity to lead not only a large corporation, but an institution that actually symbolizes the very essence of America and American ideals."
Roberto C. Goizueta in a speech given at Independence Day ceremonies at Monticello, Virginia, 1995
A Cuban refugee who lived, relished, and, indeed, embodied the American dream, Roberto C. Goizueta served as chairman of the Board of Directors and chief executive officer of The Coca-Cola Company from March 1, 1981 until his death on October 18, 1997. Born in 1931 in Cuba, Mr. Goizueta attended the Colegio de Belén in Havana and later Cheshire Academy in Connecticut, where he learned English. Majoring in chemical engineering, he graduated from Yale University in 1953, and one year later he joined the technical department of The Coca-Cola Company in Havana. In 1960, after the Communist regime of Fidel Castro assumed power in Cuba and nationalized all private businesses, Mr. Goizueta made a momentous decision. With his wife, Olga, and their children, he left Cuba for Miami. This experience changed his life and his outlook forever.
Within 30 years of leaving Cuba, Mr. Goizueta was leading an American company that symbolizes freedom around the world - The Coca-Cola Company. Throughout his career, the creation of value for the Company's share owners was his passion. During his 16 years as chairman and chief executive officer, the Company's value increased from $4 billion to $145 billion. Upon his death, Fortune Magazine named The Coca-Cola Company "America's Most Admired Corporation" for a second consecutive year.
Roberto C. Goizueta was more than a business leader. He was the ideal citizen who believed that every person who enjoys freedom and opportunity has a duty to cherish, protect, and nurture it. He strived to make America stronger, not only through his inspirational and exceptional business leadership but also through his generous philanthropic contributions.
In 1992, Mr. Goizueta established The Goizueta Foundation to provide financial assistance to educational and charitable institutions. In creating The Goizueta Foundation, he sought to acknowledge his indebtedness to this country and to continue the commitment to philanthropic endeavors that has symbolized the leadership of The Coca-Cola Company for more than a century. Based in Atlanta, the foundation aims to support educational programs that have a long-term impact in the community.
One such educational endeavor is the Cuban Heritage Collection of the University of Miami Libraries. In 1999, The Goizueta Foundation, led by Olga C. de Goizueta, made a challenge grant of $2.5 million to the University of Miami toward the building of a new home for the Cuban Heritage Collection. With additional support from the late Elena Díaz-Versón Amos and the Fanjul family, the Cuban Heritage Collection's Roberto C. Goizueta Pavilion was completed in the fall of 2002. Fittinlgy, it is dedicated on January 28, 2003, a date that commemorates the 150th anniversary of the birth of Cuban patriot José Martí. From its new location, the Cuban Heritage Collection is able to continue to carry out its mission of collecting, preserving, and making accessible materials related to Cuban, Cuban exile, and Cuban American history and culture. It is a privilege for the collection to be doing so in the name of a man whose life, mission, and presence so influenced this community, this nation, and our world: Roberto C. Goizueta.
Virtual Tour of the Pavilion - Take a virtual tour of the Roberto C. Goizuela Pavilion
Elena Díaz-Versón Amos
The daughter of Cuban journalist and author Salvador Díaz-Versón and Teresa Bana, philanthropist Elena Díaz-Versón Amos was born in Cuba in 1926 and came to the University of Miami in 1944 as an exchange student in a pre-law program. While at the University, she met John B. Amos of Enterprise, Alabama, whom she married in 1945 in Coral Gables. Ten years later, with their son John Shelby II and daughter María Teresa, the Amoses moved to Columbus, Georgia. There Mr. Amos founded the American Family Corporation, now the American Family Life Assurance Company (AFLAC).
Elena Díaz-Versón Amos was chairperson and founder of The John and Elena Amos Foundation. Through this foundation and often through her own personal contributions, Mrs. Amos supported various local and national organizations, humanitarian and Cuban causes, and institutions of higher education, including the University of Miami, where her late husband established the Charlton W. Tebeau Chair in American History.
Her interests in higher education and Cuban issues united in her support of the Cuban Heritage Collection. She was a founding member and co-chair of the Amigos of the Cuban Heritage Collection, a group that raises funds and provides support for the collection. In 1994, when the collection was still housed in the Richter Library's Special Collections Division, Mrs. Amos made an anonymous donation of $1 million towards the construction of a new home for the library's Cuban materials, a home that was realized by The Goizueta Foundation in the Roberto C. Goizueta Pavilion.
In March 2000, Mrs. Amos received the University of Miami's Presidential Order of Merit, an award that recognizes the notable achievements of outstanding individuals. Mrs. Amos passed away two months later on May 3. For her enduring moral and financial support of the Cuban Heritage Collection, the Roberto C. Goizueta Pavilion's conference room is named after Elena Díaz-Versón Amos.
The Fanjul Family
Sugar is in the blood of the Fanjul family. In 1936, Alfonso Fanjul, Sr. married Lillian Gómez-Mena. Through this marriage was forged an alliance that included interests in ten sugar mills and three distilleries as well as major real estate holdings throughout Cuba. When the family's holdings were seized by the Castro regime in 1959, the Fanjul family found refuge in the United States, where Alfonso Fanjul, Sr. launched a new sugar venture near Lake Okeechobee in 1960.
Mr. Fanjul was joined in his new endeavor by his two eldest sons, first by Alfonso "Alfy" and later by José "Pepe." Today, along with younger brothers Alexander and Andrés, Alfy and Pepe Fanjul head the Florida Crystals Corporation, one of the country's largest sugar cane growers, millers, and refiners.
Based in Palm Beach County, the Fanjul family has played a significant role in community affairs. With their sister Lian Fanjul de Azqueta, Alfy and Pepe Fanjul are founding members of New Hope Charities, which provides educational and health services to low-income families in Pahokee, Florida. As individuals and through the family's companies, the Fanjul family supports various charitable and educational organizations, including the University of Miami. Alfy Fanjul is a member of the University's Board of Trustees, and the Fanjul family has kindly donated to the Amigos of the Cuban Heritage Collection and the Roberto C. Goizueta Pavilion., in which their generosity is recognized with the Fanjul Gallery.
