Remembering Antonio Jorge

Professor Emeritus Antonio Jorge, who started at FIU in 1978 as a professor in the Department of International Relations with a joint appointment in the departments of economics, political science, sociology and anthropology, died Feb. 7. 

“He was one of the most classically educated people that I ever met,” said Brian Nelson, professor emeritus in the Department of Politics & International Relations. “He had a wide-ranging general knowledge in any field, and we had conversations that crossed  discipline lines that went on for hours.” 

By the time he arrived at FIU, Jorge was already a prominent economist and social scientist, serving as president of the Cuban College of Economists both in Cuba and in the United States, chief economist of the National Association of Manufacturers in Havana, and Vice Minister of Finance and Chief Economist of the Cuban government.

After leaving Cuba in the early 1960s, Jorge taught at Merrimack College in Andover, MA, Villanova University in Pennsylvania, the University of Miami, and St. Thomas University, where he also served as provost.

As a significant scholar on Cuba and an important voice in the Cuban exile community, Jorge’s academic contributions pushed the university community’s understanding of Latin American economies. He authored or edited 20 books and numerous academic articles, essays, and monographs in areas including the external debt and the economic development of Latin America, foreign investment and international trade, and modernization and social change. After retiring from FIU in 2007, Jorge continued his service to the university by offering his expertise on numerous panels and media interviews.

“Dr. Jorge has had a profound effect on FIU’s remarkable journey through his intellect and insightful views about society,” said Raul Moncarz, adjunct professor in the Department of Finance and Real Estate and former Biscayne Bay Campus provost.