Rafael de la Colina Riquelme, Member of the Consulate in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Background
De la Colina Riquelme, Rafael was born on September 20, 1898 in Tulancingo, Hidalgo, Mexico. Attended National Preparatory School with several members of the famous “Seven Wise Men of Mexico” which included Vicente Lombardo Toledano, Teófilo Olea y Leyva, Alfonso Caso. Father, Manuel de la Colina, a school teacher and supporter of Madero.
Mother, María Riquelme Palacio. Grandfather, Rafael B. de la Colina, founder of the Scientific and Literary Institute of Hidalgo.
Education
Preparatory studies at the National Preparatory School. Bachelor of Science from National Autonomous University, 1916. Master of Science from National Autonomous University.
Never taught because of career outside the country in the foreign service.
Career
Member of the Consulate in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1918-1922. Vice Consul, St. Louis, Missouri, 1922, and Eagle Pass, Texas, 1922-1923. Chief of the Administrative Department of the Consular Division of the Secretariat of Foreign Relations, 1923-1924.
Consul, Boston, Massachusetts, 1924-1925, New Orleans, 1925-1928, Laredo, Texas, 1928-1930, and Los Angeles, 1930-1932. Head of the Consular Department, Secretariat of Foreign Relations, 1932-1933. Head of the License Bureau, Federal District, Secretariat of Foreign Relations, 1933.
Consul General, San Antonio, Texas, 1934-1935, New York, 1936-1943. Minister, Washington, D.C., 1943-1944. Rank of Ambassador, 1944.
Ambassador to the United States, 1949-1952. Ambassador to the United Nations, 1952-1958. Ambassador to Canada, 1958-1962.
Ambassador to Japan, 1962-1964. Ambassador to the Organization of American States, 1965-1976, 1976-1982, since 1982. Assistant Secretary General at the Inter-American Conference on War and Peace, 1945.
Technical adviser of the Mexican delegation to the United Nations, San Francisco, 1945. Envoy attached to the Mexican Embassy, Washington, D.C., 1946. Delegate from Mexico to the First General Assembly of the United Nations, 1947.
Private Secretary to General Cándido Aguilar, 1917-1918, reached rank of Lieutenant.
