The triumph of the Cuban revolution on the last day of the previous year was seen as a new model of anti-imperialist vindication. Its impact on Latin America provoked a variety of responses. Throughout the year, the Mexican government celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Revolution and the 150th anniversary of the insurgency.

The electric power industry was nationalized on September 27th. President López Mateos began developing a more autonomous foreign policy and sought to strengthen relations with different countries through his foreign travels or by inviting foreign leaders to Mexico.

In UNAM, the Center for Literary Studies, the University Cinematheque and the Health Center were established. Campus 7 of the National Preparatory High School, located on Guatemala Street, in downtown Mexico City, was founded.

Doctor Carrillo Flores finished his presidential term, and the issue of succession caused some uneasiness. Doctor Ignacio Chávez was appointed to the Governing Body of the UNAM.

Ignacio Chávez became University president on February 13th, and Doctor Roberto L. Mantilla Molina became Secretary General. The number of days in the school year was immediately increased. University Radio became a dependency of the Office of Cultural Outreach. Once more, Theater in Coapa won the Xavier Villaurrutia Prize with their production of “El Periquillo Sarniento.”

The new General Exam Code was established, requiring a minimum of 65 percent attendance to be able to take an ordinary exam and 50 percent for an extraordinary. The required entrance examination for schools and colleges was established became compulsory even for those students who had graduated from the National Preparatory High School.

The student population had grown considerably by this year: 66 thousand 879 students, out of which 55 thousand 426 were male and 11 thousand 444 were female. The sophomore total was 22 thousand 455. The bases for the exercise of the University Council commissions were established.

López Mateos’ foreign policy strengthened and U.S. president John F. Kennedy visited Mexico, as did Indonesia’s Ahmed Sukarno. The latter had distinguished himself at the Bandung Conference, where the use of the term “Third World” was born.

The National Liberation Movement gained supporters. This was an independent political organization with no electoral goals whose members were previous government personnel, opposition leaders and eminent intellectuals. The Organization of American States isolated Cuba, but Mexico kept its diplomatic ties with the island. The U.S. complained about the installation of Soviet atomic bases in Cuba.

The University acquired some land in Coyoacán, the former property of the Mier and Pesado foundation. Campus 6 of the National Preparatory High School would later move to the newly built facilities at this location. The Code for Researchers at the Service of the University was approved, as was the reform project for the University General Statute. The General Legal Office and the Office of the Presidency were created.

The University president handed the incorporation of UNAM workers to ISSSTE, which had been created in 1960. The Aristos University Gallery was founded inside the building of the same name, located on Insurgentes Avenue. The University Club made it to the First Division ranks of professional soccer.

Among the various administrative changes and the creation of new University dependencies, the founding of the University Center for Cinematographic Studies (CUEC) and the Anthropology Section of the Institute of Historical Research should be mentioned.

The latter had anthropologists of international renown such as Pedro Bosch Gimpera, Mauricio Swadesh, Paul Kirchoff, Juan Comas, Eduardo Noguera and Santiago Genovés among its ranks, and was located in the ground floor of the College of Sciences building. The General Administrative Office was established and strung a number of dependencies together, including the Personnel Department. The General Legal Office was renamed General Office of Legal Studies.

The Teaching Staff at the Service of UNAM Statute was approved. On his trip to Mexico, French president Charles de Gaulle visited the University and attended a ceremony at the Auditorio Justo Sierra. Among other important visitors were Marshal Josip Broz Tito, from Yugoslavia, and Rómulo Betancourt from Venezuela. Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, the Minister of Government, was PRI’s chosen presidential candidate. 

The Director established a time limit of compliance for professors in the UNAM who had not finished their professional degrees.  The increased demand for professional degrees in areas that did not have this requirement, as in the College of Philosophy and Literature, was impressive. 

The Press Department became the Press and Information Office.  The writer Rosario Castellanos was its coordinator, also a professor in the College of Philosophy and Literature.  The Department of Data Processing was created.  The new study program for the National Preparatory School was approved, which from then on would be a three-year program. 

The Mexican president inaugurated the installations at campuses No. 4, 6 and 7 of the National Preparatory School, in Tacubaya, Coyoacán y La Viga, respectively.  The University Theater department won first prize at the International Theater festival held in Nancy, France, with the play Divine Words by Ramón del Valle Inclán, directed by Juan Ibáñez. 

The first union association of professors was formed under the name Teacher’s Union of the UNAM (SPUNAM whose general secretary was Félix Barra García.  Gustavo Díaz Ordaz was sworn in as president of Mexico on December 1st. His election was carried out having virtually no opponents.  The candidate of the National Action Party (PAN) was José González Torres.

Dr. Ignacio Chávez was elected for four more years as of the UNAM.  The regulations for the divisions of Higher Education in the School of Chemical Sciences and Trade and Administration were approved and hence promoted to the category of Colleges.  Dr. Chávez inaugurated buildings on two new campuses of the National Preparatory School, No. 8 in Mixcoac and No. 9 in North Insurgentes. 

The Statutes for Administrative Personnel in the UNAM were approved.  It was agreed that retired teachers would not be able to obtain Emeritus status.  The General Office of Publications was separated from the Cultural Dissemination Office,  while the Health Center became Medical Services. 

Mid-year, medical doctors initiated a national strike.  Hospital services were interrupted to pressure authorities so that interns and residents could obtain better working conditions.  This movement was the object of severe repression.

A group of students at the School of Law led a protest against the director, César Sepúlveda, for changing internal exam regulations.  The Secretary General, Mantilla Molina, also a lawyer, gave his support to the director Sepúlveda. 

The movement grew and began to receive support from students from other schools and colleges, until reaching a University strike, which, even though it did not have full support in the University, did reach its objectives.  On April 26th, students invaded the Rectory and harassed the Rector, who they forced to resign under violent terms. 

The Board of Regents did not accept this resignation.  In support of Dr. Ignacio Chávez, a large number of teachers resigned.  The University being paralyzed, at the beginning of May, Director Chávez presented his resignation once more, this time from his home.  The Board of Regents named the engineer Javier Barros Sierra as rector.

He was former director of the School of Engineering and Secretary of Public Works in Adolfo López Mateos’ cabinet.  The Secretary General in the UNAM was Fernando Solana, a public administrator.  Dr. José Gaos, Emeritus Professor from the College of Philosophy and Literature, and among the professors who resigned, maintained his position as a show of solidarity to Dr. Chávez. 

The Commission for Administrative Studies and the Office for Faculty and Teachers were created.  A confrontation between the university community and the local government at the State University of Michoacán, San Nicolás de Hidalgo, favored the resignation of the rector, Dr. Elí de Gortari. 

The Director Barros Sierra delivered a statement with regard to University autonomy.  The new General Exam Regulations were approved allowing for automatic admission to students of the National Preparatory School into the schools and colleges of the University. 

A new grade scale was established replacing the traditional decimal, to state if the students did not pass (NA), received average (S), good (B) or excellent (MB).  In professional and degree exams, the lauda were eliminated in order to indicate if the student was suspended, approved or if he was granted honorary mention. 

Some departments were promoted to the category of General Offices:  Temporary Courses, Social Service, and Intercultural Relations and Exchanges. The Foreign Language Center (CELE) and the Center for Translators of Classical Languages were created.  The Office for New Methods in Teaching was also created. 

This year, 86,805 students were registered in the UNAM.  Among these, 23,230 were sophomore students.  Articles within the Statutes for Teaching Personnel and the Regulations for Researchers in the UNAM were modified.  The latter moved up to the category of Statute. 

The General Rules for Higher Education of the University was approved, and consequently the Council of Doctorates was transformed into the Council of Graduate Studies.  Nine new master study programs were approved in Sociology, Political Science, Public Administration and International Relations in the College of Political and Social Sciences; in the College of Chemistry, the masters´ in Chemical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Chemical Nuclear Engineering, Industrial Pharmaceutical Administration (medicine control) and Pharmacy (pharmaceutical preparation), and the bachelor’s in Trade and Administration in the College of Business Administration. 

In Architecture, the bachelor’s in Industrial Design was approved.  New academic and administrative areas were created:  the Center for Hispanic Linguistics, the Nuclear Laboratory, the Institute for Bibliographic Research, which would oversee the National Library and Newspaper Library; the Institute of Astronomy, which would include the National Astronomical Observatory; the Department of Ocean Sciences and Limnology, within the Institute of Biology; the General Office of Study Revalidation and the General Office of Acquisition and Inventory. 

The Institute of Economic Research was separated from the National School of Economy.  The Center for Philosophical Studies was transformed into the Institute of Philosophic Research.  The Institute of Medical Biological Studies became the Institute for Biomedical Research. 

The Institute for Comparative Law changed its name to the Institute of Legal Research.  The General Office for Physical Education became Sports and Recreational Activities.  Intercultural Relations and Exchanges changed its name to the Inter-institutional Collaboration Office. 

The Personnel Department was transformed into a General Office.  The Press and Information office became the Press and Relations Office.  Social Services became the General Office of Vocational Orientation and Social Services.  The Technical Department of Libraries became the General Office of Libraries.  

The year began with reforms in the regulation of administrative work and with the instrumentation of the agreements related with the conversion of the National School of Political and Social Sciences to College.  With these actions, as in other Colleges, short degrees were created, which would, in the long run, have little acceptance. 

Among them, those of technician in municipal administration, technician in tourism and technician in politics of external trade. Architecture, on the other hand, established the master in urbanism and in restoration of monuments. Dentistry founded its specialties in paradontics and orthodontics. 

The campuses of the preparatory schools, besides the numbers that identified them, beginning on Februrary 3rd, would bear the names of illustrious University professors, 1, Gabino Barreda; 2, Erasmo Castellanos Quinto; 3, Justo Sierra; 4, Vidal Castañeda y Nájera; 5, José Vasconcelos: 6, Antonio Caso; 7, Ezequiel A. Chávez; 8, Miguel E. Schultz, and 9, Pedro de Alba. 

Many of them were placed on campuses.  From the previous year, students not accepted for admittance into the National Preparatory School organized themselves under the name Popular High School and occupied unused classrooms in the College of Philosophy and Literature and in the stairways located at the rear of the building.  Volunteer teachers gave them classes. 

In February of this year, the Director accepted that this high school be granted the status of incorporated school (of the UNAM), that later on was located in unoccupied buildings belonging to the UNAM, like the Old School of Trade and Administration in Liverpool, and the School of Chemical Sciences, in Tacuba; where until recently first year Chemistry classes had been held, and which were moved to the main campus (University City).

On July 22nd, a fight occurred between students at the Vocational School #2 of the National Polytechnic Institute and those at the private high school, Isaac Ochoterena, in the Ciudadela.  The following day, in reprisal, university preparatory students stoned the Vocational School #2. On the 26th, a student demonstration which commemorated the Cuban Revolution collided with another organized by the National Federation of Technical Students (FNET) that was protesting against police intervention during the fight between students from the Vocational School #2 and the preparatory students. 

The demonstration was severely repressed by the police.  During the following days confrontations between police and students took place.  On the 29th, the police and army surrounded the campuses of the National Preparatory School and of the National Polytechnic Institute. With a bazooka shot, a colonial door of the Preparatory School 1 was destroyed. 

Campuses 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the National Preparatory School were taken by public forces; later, Preparatory 1, 2 and 3 were returned to the UNAM.  On July 30th, on the main campus, the Director Barros Sierra lowered the Mexican flag to fly at half-mast and the transmissions of Radio UNAM ended early, in sign of mourning.  The police abandoned the facilities of Preparatory School 5. 

On August 1st, the Director headed a protest march that began in University City (CU), ran along Insurgentes Avenue to Félix Cuevas, turned on Félix Cuevas towards Coyoacán Avenue, and returned by University Avenue back to the starting point, concluding with a speech by the engineer Barros Sierra.  The President Díaz Ordaz, in a speech delivered in Guadalajara, offered his outstretched hand to those who wanted to accept it. 

The next day, the National Strike Council (CNH) was formed.  On August 5th, a heavily attended student demonstration left Zacatenco and continued until Santo Tomás.  The UNAM announced that all the schools and colleges were in classes, except for Political Sciences.  On August 13th, the first student demonstration was held in the downtown plaza of the Zócalo, which began at the National Museum of Anthropology. 

The student movement outlined 6 points in accordance with popular demand, among them, the dismissal of the chief and assistant chief of police, General Cueto Ramírez and Colonel Mendiolea Cerecero, respectively, and the repeal of article 145 and 145 bis of the Penal Code in which the crime of social dissolution was sanctioned.

The University Council established 8 points, which coincided in general with those of the students.  They joined the student movement of the National Conservatory and of the Normal School.  The CNH declared that the National Federation of Technical Students (FNET) did not represent the student body.  On August 22nd, the government declared that it had complete disposition to dialogue with student representatives.  Teachers and students responded affirmatively, provided that the dialogue be carried out in the absence of the press, radio and television. 

On the 27th, a demonstration left the National Museum of Anthropology and reached the Zócalo, where students remained in the square and raised a red and black flag to half-mast, which was then lowered.  In the early morning hours,  those who remained there were removed by the police.  The following day, there was an act of atonement for the national flag, which state workers attended. 

A new clash between students and public forces occurred.  Army commands took up guard near University City and Zacatenco campus.  On September 1st, the president threatened to put a stop to the student movement.  On the 7th, a meeting took place in Tlatelolco.  Two days later, the Director of the UNAM urged the community to return to normality, without renouncing their aims.  Opinion was divided on the rector’s stance. 

On September 13th, a silent procession took place along the Paseo de la Reforma.  Popular groups joined the procession.  On September 18th, the army occupied University City and arrests were made.  It should be mentioned that research and administrative activities were not interrupted, as well as some cultural events; only the classes were suspended.  On the 19th, the Director protested against the military occupation, which lasted 12 days. 

The Chamber of Deputies, led by Luis Farías, attacked the Director Barros Sierra, who presented his resignation, but it was not accepted.  The Board of Regents specifically requested that he remain at the head of the University.

On October 1st, research, and administrative activities resumed, with those of cultural dissemination only partially.  The National Strike Council (CNH) decided to maintain the school strike.  The following day, October 2nd, a new meeting took place in the Square of the Three Cultures in Tlatelolco. 

After a bright burst of light, the army opened fire on the Chihuahua Building, where the CNH supposedly was.  In the same way, they fired out into the multitude, resulting in a heavy balance of many dead, wounded and detained.  Days later, the CNH announced that in spite of the repression, the movement would continue.  At this time, many of its leaders had been detained. 

On October 12th, the XIX Olympic Games were inaugurated in University City and in order for this to take place, a vacational period was instated.  After the closing ceremonies on the games, university activities went back to normal.  The number of detainees, between students and teachers, was considerable.

The student strike officially ended on December 4th.  The Director refused to accept a vote of confidence that the University Council granted him in the December 20th session.  Master and Ph.D Programs were approved in Biology, Mathematics, Physics and Geology, and the Master´s in Geophysics. 

Bachelor degree programs were also approved for Painting, Sculpture, and Engraving.  The same happened in specialty courses in roadways and sanitary engineering; the Master´s in Engineering specializing in control and power; the Master´s and Ph.D. in Research Operations, Master´s in Physical Engineering of locations and specialization courses in design and construction of irrigation works and drainage. 

Finally, a report was approved containing the demands which the University presented based on the student strike.

The Director quickly succeeded in getting the university community back to normal in terms of academics and culture.  Among the issues approved by the University Council, the granting of diplomas for university merit for 25, 35, and 50 years of teaching and research stands out. 

The definitive names for degrees awarded by the College of Political and Social Sciences were established; as well as the Bachelor´s program in Social Work.  The College of Medicine presented new specialization courses in its division of superior studies: Work Medicine, Master´s in Pharmacology, and specialization in Clinical Immunology and Allergies.

In Architecture, a specialization course was approved in prefabrication and industrialization of buildings.  Medical Services moved up a category to General Office and the School of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnology was promoted to College. 

In the Presidential Address in September, Gustavo Díaz Ordaz assumed full responsibility for his policy towards the student and popular movement of the previous year.  The main leaders of the movement were still detained:  Luis González de Alba, Gilberto Guevara Niebla, Tomás Cervantes Cabeza de Vaca, Sócrates Campos Lemus.

Also professors, Fausto Trejo, Heberto Castillo, Elí de Gortari y José Revueltas, among others were taken into custody.  The presidential succession was decided in favor of the Secretary of State, Luis Echeverría Alvarez, who launched an exhaustive electoral campaign. 
 
New courses and graduate programs were approved by the University Council:  the specialization in Medical Genetics, the Master´s and Ph.D. in Physiology, the College of Medicine, in Biochemistry, and in the College of Chemistry, plus a specialization course in Hydrology in Engineering.

In Law, they would offer specialization courses in penal sciences, public finances, social rights, private rights, constitutional rights and administrative rights. Veterinary science, on the other hand, presented specialization courses in zootecnology of birds, Master´s in Veterinary and Ph.D. in Veterinary Sciences.