Jose Eleuterio Gonzalez

José Eleuterio González was a Mexican physician and philanthropist who dedicated his life to serving the people of Monterrey, Nuevo León. He was orphaned at a young age and received his education in Guadalajara and San Luis Potosí. He moved to Monterrey in 1833 to accompany his friend and patient Fray Gabriel María Jiménez, who was suffering from tuberculosis. He worked as a practitioner at the Hospital del Rosario, the only hospital in the city, and later became its director. He also taught the first medical classes in Nuevo León, training many students who would become prominent doctors. He founded the Autonomous University of Nuevo León (UANL) and the Hospital Universitario José Eleuterio González, which bear his name today. He was also involved in politics and served as governor of Nuevo León three times, during which he promoted public education, civil rights, and social welfare. He was known as Gonzalitos, a nickname given by the people who admired him. He died in 1888 and left his estate to the School of Medicine and the Hospital Civil. He is considered one of the most illustrious figures of Nuevo León and a pioneer of medicine in Mexico.