Eugenio Garza Sada

Eugenio Garza Sada
Memorial to Garza Sada at the Monterrey campus
Born	(1892-01-11)January 11, 1892 September 17, 1973(1973-09-17) (aged 81)
Occupation	Businessman, philanthropist
Known for	Founder, Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education

Eugenio Garza Sada (January 11, 1892 – September 17, 1973) was an industrialist in the city of Monterrey, Mexico best known for founding the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (ITESM in Spanish) school system in the country. Garza was born into a business family, with his father founding the Cuauhtémoc Brewery in Monterrey in 1890. After Garza graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), he began to work at the brewery, working his way up in the company to eventually take over as director after his father died. Garza and his brother Roberto grew the company into a conglomerate and instituted various innovations including benefits and social services for employees. Garza’s inspiration for founding ITESM came from his experience at MIT, as well as the desire to decrease Mexico’s dependence on foreign expert help. He remained the head of ITESM’s board until his death in 1973, as a result of a failed kidnapping attempt.

Eugenio Garza Sada was born on January 11, 1892 in Monterrey, Mexico. He was the fourth of children of Isaac Garza Garza and Consuelo Sada Muguerza de Sada. Both parents came from highly influential business families. His paternal grandfather, Juan de la Garza Martinez, was mayor of Monterrey in the mid 19th century, building the Templo del Roble church in 1853. His father founded the Cuauhtémoc Brewery along with José Calderón Muguerza in 1890 with the help of foreign capital. His birth and early upbringing coincided with the industrialization that was taking place under the Porfirio Díaz regime at the end of the 19th century and very early 20th.

Garza’s upbringing was religious and conservative, initially attending Marist schools. It also revolved around the brewery business, visiting his father at the plant often. He attended primary school at the Colegio de San Juan in Saltillo, Coahuila, two days away from the family home. He attended middle school in Monterrey at the Colegio Hidalgo. Their religious background also led the family to a history of philanthropy, especially supporting hospices such as Melitón Villareal and León Ortigosa in Monterrey, which Eugenio continued later in his life. In 1909, Monterrey experience severe flooding. The Garza house, which survived, became a shelter for the homeless and the company helped with reconstruction efforts.