University of Santo Tomas
Unibersidad ng Santo Tomás
190px Seal of the University of Santo Tomás
Latin: Pontificia et Regalis Sancti Thomæ Aquinatis Universitas Manilana
Motto	Veritas in Caritate
Motto in English	Truth in Charity
Established	April 28, 1611
Type	Pontifical, Royal, Private
Religious affiliation	Roman Catholic, Dominican
Chancellor	Very Rev. Fr. Bruno Cadoré, OP, S.Th.D
Vice-Chancellor	Very Rev. Fr. Gerard Francisco P. Timoner III, OP
Rector	Rev. Fr. Herminio V. Dagohoy, OP
Secretary General	Rev. Fr. Florentino A. Bolo Jr., OP, JCL
Students	41,653 (as of 2010)[1]
Undergraduates	31,179
Location	Sampaloc, Manila, Philippines
Campus	21.5 hectares, Urban
Former names	Colegio de Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario, Colegio de Santo Tomás de Manila
Hymn	"The UST Hymn"
Colors	Gold and white
Nickname	Growling Tigers (formerly "Glowing Goldies")
Mascot	Tiger
Affiliations	ICUSTA, IAU, ASAIHL, UAAP, among others.
Website	www.ust.edu.ph
The logo of University of Santo Tomas

The Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippines (UST, Filipino: Unibersidad ng Santo Tomas, Spanish: Universidad de Santo Tomás, colloquially, "Ustê") is a private, Roman Catholic university run by the Order of Preachers in Manila. Founded on 28 April 1611 by archbishop of Manila Miguel de Benavides, it has the oldest extant university charter in the Philippines and in Asia^[2][3] and is one of the world's largest Catholic universities in terms of enrollment found on one campus.^[4][5] UST is also the largest university in the city of Manila. As a Pontifical University in Asia,^[6] UST is the only university to have been visited by two popes three times: once by Pope Paul VI on Nov. 28, 1970, and twice by Pope John Paul II on Feb. 18, 1981 and January 13, 1995.^[7]

The University is composed of several autonomous faculties, colleges, schools and institutes, each conferring undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate degrees, and the basic education units. Several degrees have been accredited by the Commission on Higher Education as Centers of Excellence and Centers of Development.

The Patron of the University is St. Thomas Aquinas, while St. Catherine of Alexandria is the Patroness.^[8]

Prominent Thomasians include saints, Philippine presidents, heroes, artists, scientists, professionals and religious figures, who have figured prominently in the history of the Philippines. The athletic teams are the Growling Tigers, members of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines and are consistent winners of the Overall Championship.

History[link]

The foundation of the University is ascribed to Miguel de Benavides, O.P., the third Archbishop of Manila. He came to the Philippines with the first Dominican mission in 1587. He went on to become bishop of Nueva Segovia, and was promoted archbishop of Manila in 1601. Upon his death in July 1605, Benavides bequeathed his library and personal property worth 1,500 pesos to be used as the seed fund for the establishment of an institution of higher learning. Fr. Bernardo de Santa Catalina carried out Benavides’ wishes and was able to secure a building near the Dominican church and convent in Intramuros for the College.

In 1609, permission to open the College was requested from King Philip III of Spain, which only reached Manila in 1611. On April 28, 1611, notary Juan Illian witnessed the signing of the act of foundation by Baltazar Fort, OP, Bernardo Navarro, OP, and Francisco Minayo, OP. Fort, appointed that year to the post of Father Provincial, was its first Rector.^[9]

The Colegio de Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario was established on April 28, 1611, from the Benavides's library. Later renamed Colegio de Santo Tomás, it was elevated by Pope Innocent X to a university on November 20, 1645 in his brief, In Supreminenti.^[3] This made the university the second royal and pontifical institution in the Philippines, after the Jesuit's Universidad de San Ignacio which was founded in 1590 but closed in 1768 following the expulsion of the Society of Jesus from the Philippines.

Its complete name is The Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippines (Spanish: A La Real y Pontificia Universidad de Santo Tomas de Aquino Universidad Católica de Filipinas).^[10] It was given the title "Royal" by King Charles III of Spain on 1785; "Pontifical" by Pope Leo XIII on 1902 in his constitution, Quae Mari Sinico, and the appellative "The Catholic University of the Philippines" by Pope Pius XII in 1947.^[3]

The university was located within the walled city of Intramuros in Manila. It was started by the Spanish Archbishop of Manila in the early 17th century as a seminary for aspiring young priests, taking its name and inspiration from Saint Thomas Aquinas, a Dominican theologian. The first courses offered by the Colegio de Santo Tomás were canon law, theology, philosophy, logic, grammar, the arts, and civil law. In 1871, it began offering degrees in Medicine and Pharmacy, the first in colonized Asia.^[3]

At the beginning of the 20th century, with the growing student population, the Dominicans bought land at the Sulucan Hills in Sampaloc, Manila and built its 215,000 square meter campus there in 1927 with the inauguration of its Main Building. Also that year, it began accepting female enrollees. In the last four decades, the university grew into a full-fledged institution of higher learning, conferring degrees in law, medicine and various academic letters. The university has graduated Philippine national heroes, presidents, and even saints.^[3]

During World War II, the Japanese converted the campus into an internment camp for enemy aliens, mostly Americans, living in the Philippines. More than 4,000 foreigners survived under difficult conditions in the internment camp for 37 months from January 1942 until February 1945 when the camp was liberated by American soldiers.^[11]

Since its establishment in 1611, the University's academic life was interrupted only twice: from 1898 to 1899, during the Philippine Revolution against Spain, and from 1942 to 1945, during the Japanese occupation of the country. In its long history, the university has been under the leadership of more than 90 Rectors. UST's first Filipino rector was Fr. Leonardo Legaspi, O.P. who served UST from 1971 to 1977. Its current rector is Fr. Rolando V. de la Rosa, O.P.^[3]

In recognition of its achievements, a number of important dignitaries have officially visited the university, among them, during the last three decades: His Holiness Pope Paul VI on 28 November 1970; His Majesty King Juan Carlos I of Spain in 1974 and 1995; Mother Teresa of Calcutta in January 1977 and again in November 1984; His Holiness Pope John Paul II on 18 February 1981 and 13 January 1995 (as part of the World Youth Day 1995).^[3]

On the 2010–2011 academic year, UST had 41,653 students enrolled.^[1]

The University seal[link]

The seal of the University of Santo Tomas is a shield quartered by the Dominican Cross. Superimposed on the cross is the sun of Saint Thomas Aquinas, patron of Catholic schools, after whom the university is named. The sun is actually made similar to the Sun of May.

60px
Some of the elements present in the University Seal: Left to right: Emblem of the papacy, crowned by the Papal Tiara, seal of the Spanish Kingdom of León showing the lion rampant, and the seal of Manila showing the sea lion.

Encircling the Dominican cross are:

• On the upper left is the papal tiara, indicating that the UST is a pontifical university.
• The upper right shows the lion derived from the seal of Spain, indicative of royal patronage throughout the greater part of the university's centuries-old existence.
• The lower left is occupied by the sea lion taken from the seal of the City of Manila, the national capital, symbolizing the Republic of the Philippines.
• The rose on the lower right is a symbol of the Blessed Virgin Mary under whose patronage the university was placed from its very beginnings.

The symbols are rendered in gold (except for the Dominican cross which is black and white), and are set on a field of light blue, the Marian color.^[12]

The Tongues of Fire is the official logo for the Quadricentennial celebration of the university. This logo features the outline of the UST Main Building Tower as a concrete symbol of the stability, integrity and 400 years of existence of the university. From the cross of the Main Building emanate four tongues of fire that spell out U, S, and T. The tongues of fire reference the future of the university, some ideals, and are reminiscent of the stripes of the Tiger, the school's mascot. The Quadricentennial logo was designed by Dopy Doplon, a Thomasian.^[13]

Campus[link]

Aerial view of the campus

UST Quadricentennial Square

Fountain of Wisdom

The University sits on an almost perfect square of 21.5 hectares bounded by España Boulevard, P. Noval, A.H. Lacson and Dapitan St, in Sampaloc, Manila. The University transferred to its present campus in 1927 when the Dominicans deemed the Intramuros Campus inadequate for the University's growing population. The first structures in the campus were the imposing Main Building, the Santisimo Rosario Parish, the UST Gym (once the largest gym in the country), and the Arch of the Centuries.

The campus at present boasts a mixture of old and new architecture with the inclusion of the UST multi-deck carpark which houses the Alfredo M. Velayo College of Accountancy, and the proposed UST Sports Complex, the second modern sports facility to be constructed by a UAAP member school.

Other new structures include the Beato Angelico Building which houses the College of Architecture and College of Fine Arts and Design, the Plaza Mayor, the UST Quadricentennial Square and Alumni Park, Thomas Aquinas Research Complex and the UST Tan Yan Kee Student Center.

The UST Manila campus was declared a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines on 24 May 2011. Four of the University's structures are also declared National Cultural Treasures by the National Museum: Main Building, Arch of the Centuries, Santissimo Rosario Central Seminary, as well as the Grandstand and its open spaces. UST is the first and only university campus to have been named a National Historical Landmark and the only learning institution in the Philippines as location of National Cultural Treasures.^[14]

The University has started to develop upcoming campuses in Santa Rosa City (60 hectares), General Santos City (80 hectares), and Negombo, Sri Lanka, (5 hectares).^[15] The University is also in the process of establishing a presence in Mongolia.^[16] In 2011, the University celebrated its 400th founding anniversary, and it is projected that the new campuses will be operational by then.^[17]

Academics[link]

Aside from the basic and major subjects, all undergraduate students are required to take 15 units (tuition-free) of Theology classes. The students are also required to attend 4 physical education classes, and a choice from among ROTC, civil welfare training service, and literacy training service.

Basic education[link]

The UST Elementary School used to offer primary education for children in the K-12 levels,^[21] but before the Quadricentennial Celebration of the University, the school started denying applications from the K-Level, until the last batch of Grade 6 students who would graduate on AY 2010–2011 are left. The UST Elementary School, after finishing the last batch of its students in the UST Sampaloc Campus, will be transferred to the new UST Campus in Santa Rosa City, Laguna.

UST has two secondary institutions: The UST High School and the UST Education High School which serves as a laboratory for the College of Education.^[22][23]

All students of these institutions undergo Citizenship Advancement Training, while the students from first to third year level of the UST High School undergo scouting under the Boy Scouts of the Philippines for the boys and the Girl Scouts of the Philippines for the girls. The scouting program aims to instill nationalism and discipline among the students while the Citizenship Advancement Training aims to introduce students to the National Service Training Program that college students undergo.

Undergraduate studies[link]

The different faculties, colleges and institutes of the University were created at different times in the University's history. The "Faculties" were founded before the American occupation of the early 20th century, while the "Colleges" were founded during and after American rule. The "Institutes" and "Departments" are found within their mother faculties/colleges. Some Institutes that attained enough enrollment were separated from their mother faculties/colleges and were made into colleges in their own right.

Faculties[link]

The degree programs for undergraduate studies were first offered in 1611, where the Faculties of Sacred Theology and Philosophy were founded.^[24][25] The Faculty of Canon Law was founded in 1733.^[26] These three original faculties are now known as the Ecclesiastical Faculties, to distinguish them from the Secular Faculties and Colleges that were founded later. The Eccesiastical Faculties are housed at the Seminary and at the Santisimo Rosario Parish.

The Faculty of Medicine & Surgery together with the Faculty of Pharmacy were founded on the same year in 1871. The Faculty of Pharmacy offers Bachelor of Science degrees in Biochemistry, Medical Technology, and Pharmacy. The Faculty of Medicine & Surgery is located at the St. Martin de Porres building, while the Faculty of Pharmacy is located at the Main Building.^[27]

The Faculty of Philosophy and Letters was founded in 1896. It was merged with some programs of the College of Liberal Arts in 1965 hence renaming the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters as the Faculty of Arts and Letters (the College of Liberal Arts was renamed the College of Science). The Faculty of Arts and Letters offers the Bachelor of Arts (AB) degrees, in Asian Studies, Behavioral Science, Communication Arts, Economics, English Language Studies, History, Journalism, Legal Management, Literature, Philosophy, Political Science, and Sociology. The Faculty of Arts and Letters is located in the St. Raymond de Peñafort building. Its students are known as "Artlets" (previously "Philets"). The departments of Literature and Philosophy are Centers of Excellence.^[28]

In 1907, the Faculty of Engineering was founded. Currently it offers the Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electronics and Communications Engineering, Industrial Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. Computer Science, Information Management, and Information Technology degrees were transferred to it from the College of Science. In 2007, Bachelor of Science in Information Systems was offered replacing the Information Management program. The department of Electronics and Communications Engineering is named as one of the Centers of Excellence by the Commission on Higher Education. The Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering programs, on the other hand, are the Centers of Development. Engineering is located at the Roque Ruaño building, named after the priest-engineer Roque Ruaño, O.P. For practical purposes, the building is called the "Engineering building."^[29]

Colleges[link]

The College of Education, which was founded in 1926, offers the Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education major in Pre-School or Special Education, Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education with majors in Computer Technology,Biology-Chemistry, Biology-General Science, Social Studies, English, Mathematics, Physical Education, Health and Music, Religious Education, or Social Guidance, the Bachelor of Library and Information Science, the Bachelor of Science in Food Technology, and Nutrition and Dietetics. Education is one of Centers of Excellence in the University. The college is located at the Albertus Magnus building.^[30]

The College of Science, which was founded in 1926, offers the Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Physics major in Instrumentation, Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics major in Actuarial Science, Microbiology, and Psychology. Both Biology and Chemistry are accredited by CHED as Centers of Excellence. The College also offered a degree in Zoology, but was later abolished. The College of Science has a Level IV accreditation from PACUCOA (the highest in the Philippines) and is located at the third floor of the UST Main Building.^[31]

The College of Architecture, which was founded in 1930, offers the Bachelor of Science in Architecture. Later on, after adding a fine arts program the college was called College of Architecture and Fine Arts. By the year 2000, the Fine Arts program was elevated to a separate college. The College of Architecture is housed at the Beato Angelico building. It is one of two Centers of Excellence in Architecture.

In 1933, the College of Commerce and Business Administration was created. College of Commerce offers the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with majors in Marketing Management, Financial Management, Human Resource Management, and Business Economics (not to be confused with the AB Economics being offered by Arts and Letters) as well as Bachelor of Science in Commerce major in Entrepreneurship. On 2004, the accountancy program was transferred to the new Alfredo M. Velayo College of Accountancy (see below). It is housed in the St. Raymund de Penafort building together with the Faculty of Arts and Letters. The Business Administration program is a Center of Development.^[32]

The Conservatory of Music, founded in 1945, offers the Bachelor of Music degree, with majors in Keyboard (Piano, Harpsichord, Organ), Music Education, Voice, Strings and Guitar, Woodwind, Brasswind, Composition Theory, and Conducting. Its facilities are located at the Albertus Magnus building. The Conservatory is one of the two Centers of Excellence in Music in the Philippines.^[33]

The College of Nursing was founded in 1946. It offers the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, which is a Center of Excellence. The college is housed in the St. Martin de Porres building, together with the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery and the College of Rehabilitation Sciences.^[34]

The College of Rehabilitation Sciences, founded in 1974, offers the Bachelor of Science degrees in Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech–Language Pathology, and the Bachelor in Sports Science degree. Like Nursing, CRS is at the St. Martin de Porres building.^[35]

The College of Fine Arts and Design was separated from the College of Architecture in 2000. It offers the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with majors in Advertising, Industrial Design, Interior Design, and Painting. It shares the Beato Angelico Building with the College of Architecture.^[36]

The Alfredo M. Velayo College of Accountancy was separated from the College of Commerce on November 2004. Named after one of its renowned alumnus, Alfredo M. Velayo, one of the three founding members of the auditing firm known as SyCip Gorres Velayo & Co., the college houses students who are enrolled in the Accountancy and Management Accounting programs. With the aid of its alumni foundation, the college is now housed in its own building that was inaugurated on June 2006.

The College of Tourism and Hospitality Management was separated from the College of Education on April 26, 2006. From an institute, the University has raised its level to a college in December 2008. It offers both the degrees; Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management and the Bachelor of Science in Travel Management^[37]

Institutes and departments[link]

The Institute of Physical Education and Athletics (IPEA) is an independent college intended for the elevation of sports and athleticism in the university. Situated at the UST Gym.

The Department of Military Science & Tactics (DMST) was later on integrated to the NSTP (National Service Training Corps) program of the University. It provides adequate learning in the military arts in preparation for Thomasians in entering into military Service. The ROTC Department is under the DMST.

The Institute of Religion (IR), since its foundation in 1933, has been the theology-teaching department of the University for the civil sciences. As one of the offices under the Vice Rector for Religious Affairs, the IR has been a prime mover in campus evangelization primarily through classroom instruction. Located at the heart of the UST Main Building, the site of IR's office symbolizes the directive of the Church that theology should be the core of the curriculum in Catholic institutions.

Postgraduate studies[link]

As early as the 17th century post-graduate programs have been offered in the University of Santo Tomas through its various Faculties and Colleges.

Faculty of Civil Law[link]

The UST Faculty of Civil Law was the first secular faculty, and hence the oldest law school in the Philippines. Although the Faculty offers the Bachelor of Laws degree, it is considered as a post baccalaureate degree, as it requires applicants to either have a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree. Civil Law resides in the UST Main Building.^[39] The Faculty of Civil Law has produced four Philippine Presidents and six Chief Justices of the Philippines. It also has a Legal Aid clinic named after one of its illustrious alumni, Chief Justice Roberto Concepcion.

Aspiring law students need to finish at least a bachelor's degree before being admitted to the Faculty. They must then maintain an average of at least 78 in their freshman year to be readmitted the succeeding year. The required minimum grade increases as the year level progresses (79 for the second year, 80 for the third year and 81 for fourth year). During the third year of stay in the Faculty and after finishing all the law subjects, the student is required to engage in an internship program of at least 200 hours before being admitted to the fourth year, wherein he will then be required to undergo an oral examination or revalida and at least two major examinations to be able to complete the whole program. Upon graduation, the student will be qualified to become a bar candidate that will be eligible to take the bar examinations in the Philippines.^[39]

The Faculty is one of the top performing schools in the history of the Philippine bar examinations.^[40] It has produced four Philippine Presidents, three Philippine Vice Presidents, six Supreme Court Chief Justices, and several law deans in the country.^[41]

Faculty of Medicine and Surgery[link]

The UST Faculty of Medicine and Surgery was founded in 1871. Medicine and Surgery offers the Doctor of Medicine degree which is a post baccalaureate degree.

The national hero of the Philippines, José Rizal, studied here before moving to Madrid Central University to complete his studies. Graduates of the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery rank among the top scorers in the medical licensure exams, and the Faculty boasts a high passing rate overall.

In 2001, the Faculty adopted the problem-based learning method for use in the curriculum. This was highly controversial, as many professors complained that students were not learning the basic sciences adequately.^[42] Eventually, in 2003 the curriculum was changed again, this time to an innovate format which combined elements of both traditional (lecture-based) and problem-based methods.

The Faculty is known for giving its fourth-year students a series of written and oral exams known as the "revalida". In the oral exams, groups of three students each are questioned by panels composed of three professors on basic, clinical, and emergency medical sciences. Passing the revalida is a prerequisite to graduation.

The Faculty is a Center of Excellence.^[43] It has been consistently producing topnotchers in the annual national licensure exams for Filipino physicians and it is proud of its Level 4 National Accreditation for several years.^[44] It is also the alma mater of numerous Secretaries of Health of the Philippines,^[45] as well as several Presidents of the Philippine Medical Association, the national organization of medical doctors in the country.^[46] The Faculty was also ranked as the only Asian medical school to be in the top 10 list of foreign medical institutions by the U.S. Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates in 2007.

Graduate School[link]

As early as the 17th century postgraduate degrees were offered and granted by the various faculties in the University of Santo Tomas.

In 1938, the UST Graduate School was established to administer and coordinate all the graduate programs in the University of Santo Tomas. The Graduate School academic programs have grown to 90 course offerings, spanning about seven clusters of disciplines.

Today, the UST Graduate School is recognized as a Center of Excellence in several fields of the Arts and Humanities, Allied Health Sciences, Natural Sciences, and Engineering by the Commission on Higher Education.^[47]

Its programs in business, public management, and education were also recognized by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Fund for Assistance of Private Education (FAPE)- Evaluation of Graduate Education Programs (EGEP).

Student life and culture[link]

Events and traditions[link]

The UST Main Building illuminating the nights of December 2007

"VERITAS": the university supporting the "Search for Truth"

• Misa de Apertura (The Opening Mass for the Academic Year)
• The Thomasian Welcome Walk – (formerly The Rites of Passage) Freshmen pass under the historic Arch of the Centuries as welcome to the university life. The Highlight of the TWW, aside from the symbolic passing, is the Eucharistic Celebration. Established in 2003.^[48]
• The USTv Students' Choice Awards on Television – Established in 2005, is an award-giving body by Thomasians for Philippine Television that upholds Christian moral and ideals.
• UST Paskuhan – Primered by the Eucharistic Celebration, the Paskuhan is the Thomasian way of celebrating Christmas. It is one of the most awaited events of the year showcasing different performances from different student organizations, and live bands, which is complemented with an extravagant show of pyrotechny. It was December 19, 1991 when the first Paskuhan came about. Dubbed "Paskong Tomasino, Paskong Filipino '91", the event intended to reflect the Filipino tradition of "panunuluyan" through a procession from different colleges and faculties in the campus. It also featured a Holy Mass and an inter-collegiate lantern-making contest. The main highlight, however, was gift giving. A 14-foot (4.3 m) Christmas tree was erected at the UST Grandstand where Thomasians placed their donations for the victims of Typhoon Uring.^[49]
• UST Baccalaureate Mass, Ceremony of the Light, and The Sending off Rites
• UST annual Goodwill Tournaments for various sports for all colleges. (Football, basketball, swimming, volleyball, etc.)

Student organizations[link]

Athletics[link]

Gold and White are UST's school colors.

UST is a founding member of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) and of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.^[50] The varsity team, originally the "Glowing Goldies" but has since been renamed the Growling Tigers beginning the 1992–1993 season, have won the men's basketball title 18 times since 1938. The University also has representatives for all the UAAP events.

The women's teams are called the Tigresses, while the Juniors (high school) teams are the Tiger Cubs.

The University has won the UAAP Seniors Overall Championship a record 39 times, and are currently holding the title for the last fourteen years.

The official dance troupe, the Salinggawi Dance Troupe with the official pep squad, UST Yellow Jackets, has won the UAAP Cheerdance Competition for five consecutive seasons already.^[51]

In the 69th season of UAAP in academic year 2006–2007, the men's team captured the seniors basketball crown defeating the Ateneo Blue Eagles in two of the three games held.^[52] In women's basketball, the Lady Tigresses defeated the FEU Lady Tamaraws for the title.^[53] With the championship, the UST Growling Tigers ties the UE Red Warriors with 18 UAAP senior men's basketball titles, behind the league-leading FEU Tamaraws with 19. UST also won a senior NCAA championship, to bring the total to 19 men's championships.

Research[link]

The main venue of research in UST is the Thomas Aquinas Research Complex. The massive edifice named after the patron saint of the University is a semi-centralized system for the productive exchange of ideas among researchers in the fields of arts, humanities, science, technology, social sciences, and education. The following research centers can be found in the TARC:^[54]

• Center for Applied Ethics – established on July 1, 2002 under the administration of Rev. Fr. Tamerlane R. Lana, O.P., The Center was the flagship project of the University towards achieving its vision of becoming the "Center for Contextualized Theology in Asia by 2011."
• Center for Conservation of Cultural Property and Environment in the Tropics – envisions to be a leading center and prime mover in the promotion of Cultural Heritage in the Philippines by providing and developing professional and academic expertise in conservation and heritage management of cultural properties in the tropics.
• Center for Educational Research and Development – was established in June 1979, by Rev. Fr. Paul P. Zwanepoel. Through the years, the Center has evolved from being an academic arm of the various colleges in the university providing educational, research and consultancy services to a research-intensified unit thus, redefining the concept of the university faculty as producers of knowledge and information.
• Center for Intercultural Studies – was opened as the Chiang Ching-kuo Centre for Intercultural Studies in 1993 in the Main Building during the term of Rev. Fr. Rolando de la Rosa, O.P. as Rector of the University with Dr. Alfredo Co as the first Director of the Centre.
• Center for Research on Movement Science – naugurated on February 21, 2003,The Center for Research on Movement Science envisions itself to become an acknowledged expert in the country, in the field of research on exercise and human movement through the Human Performance Laboratory and the Biomechanics Laboratory.
• Research Center for the Natural Sciences – the venue for science and technology research in the University of Santo Tomas. Established in 1962, it was originally conceived as the University Research Center, encompassing both the cultural and the experimental sciences. However, in the succeeding years, it gradually assumed an orientation towards the natural sciences.
• Social Research Center – Established on December 1, 1979, Social Research Center (SRC) is the university's research arm for the social sciences.
• UST Psychotrauma Clinic

Other research centers[link]

• Archivo de la Universidad de Santo Tomas (UST Archives)
• Benavides Review and Training Center
• Center for Audiological Sciences
• Center for Creative Writing and Studies – aims to conserve, enrich and reaffirm the fertile foundation of Thomasian letters by nurturing the proper creative ecology that is meant to contribute to faculty development and excellence in literary and humanistic studies.
• Center for Drug Research, Evaluation and Studies
• Center for Professional Development and Consultancy
• Educational Technology Center
• Health Sciences Research Management Group
• John Paul II Center for Ecclesiastical Studies – the JPIIRCES defines research as "a creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge of humanity, culture and society—and the use of this knowledge to devise new applications." For the Ecclesiastical Sciences, "to increase the stock of knowledge" particularly means "to understand better, further develop and more effectively communicate the meaning of Christian Revelation as transmitted in Scripture and Tradition and in the Church's Magisterium" as well as to "shed light on specific questions raised by contemporary culture
• Miguel de Benavides Cancer Institute – envisioned to offer a multi-disciplinary professional medical service for patients needing cancer care. This will be from prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up aspects of cancer patients.^[55]
• Research Center for the Health Sciences – The Research Center for the Health Sciences (RCHS) is the University's flagship unit for the health sciences. It is the research arm of the Faculty of Medicine & Surgery (FMS). Its ultimate aim is to build research competency in the FMS to enhance its research competitiveness in addressing immediate national and global health problems and making a difference in promoting health and health equity.

University Research Office[link]

• UST Office of Research and Development

College-affiliated research offices/units[link]

• Marcelo G. Casillan Sr. Quadricentennial Research Office (at the Faculty of Arts and Letters)
• Dr. Hubert Wong, Learning Resource Unit (at the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery)
• Nursing Learning Resource Unit (at the College of Nursing)
• Graduate School Learning Resource Unit (at the Graduate School)
• Office of Graduate Research (at the Graduate School)
• Beato Angelico Gallery (at the Beato Angelico Building)

Publications[link]

UST Publishing House and UST Press[link]

The UST Publishing House (USTPH) was established in 1996. While it takes its inspiration from the four-century-old UST Press (founded in 1593), it is an entirely different entity. The USTPH, with the former UST Printing Office as its printing arm, is responsible for the publication of scholarly books, outstanding faculty researches and monographs, quality textbooks in all levels, artworks and designs, as well as other educational printed materials. Equipped with state-of-the-art printing machines from Germany and top-of-the-line computers from the United States, Japan, and other countries, the USTPH is envisioned to purvey extensively the creative and innovative outputs of the academe, not only within, but also outside the University's 21.5-hectare campus.^[56]

Academic and research journals[link]

• Acta Manilana, a journal for the natural and applied sciences
• Ad Veritatem, a multi-disciplinary research journal of the UST Graduate School
• Boletin Ecclesiastico, the Official Interdiocesian Journal of UST
• Education Journal, the official publication of the College of Education (ISSN: 0015-3021)
• The Compendium, the official student research publication of the Faculty of Engineering
• Journal for the Arts, Culture and Humanities, a journal of the Center for Intercultural Studies
• Karunungan: A Journal of Philosophy
• Papyrus, the Official Thesis Abstract Journal of the Faculty of Pharmacy
• Philippiniana Sacra, a publication of the Ecclesiastical Faculties
• Res Socialis, a journal of the Social Research Center
• Santo Tomas Journal of Medicine, a publication of the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery (ISSN: 0115-1126)
• Tomas, literary journal of the Center for Creative Writing and Studies
• Unitas, a scholarly publication for the arts and the sciences
• UST Law Review, a journal of the Faculty of Civil Law
• Philippine Journal of Allied Health Sciences, a research journal of the UST Center for Research on Movement Science (ISSN 1908-5044)
• The Currency, the Official Compilation of the College of Commerce and Business Administration
• UST College of Science Journal Book of Abstracts, journal for natural and applied sciences and proceedings of the UST College of Science (ISSN: 2012-354X)

Newsletters[link]

• Academia, the official international bulletin of the University of Santo Tomas
• Thomasian Sunscope, the official alumni newsletter of the University of Santo Tomas

Student publications[link]

University-wide publications[link]

• The Varsitarian, the University-wide official student publication.
• Montage, the official literary folio of Varsitarian
• Breaktime, the official magazine of the Varsitarian (comes out every summer)

College-based publications[link]

• The Accountancy Journal, the Official Student Publication of the Alfredo M. Velayo College of Accountancy
• The Commerce Journal, the Official Student Publication of the College of Commerce and Business Administration
• The Flame, the Official Student Publication of the Faculty of Arts and Letters
• The Aquinian, the official Student Publication of the University's High School
• Purple Gazette, the Official Student Publication of the Faculty of Pharmacy
• Thomasian Engineer, the Official Student Publication of the Faculty of Engineering
• Momentum, the Official Student Publication of the College of Science
• Nursing Newsetter, the Official Student Publication of the College of Nursing
• Voyage, the Official Student Publication of the College of Tourism and Hospitality Management

Alumni[link]

Two of the university's foremost alumni, Philippine national hero José Rizal and president Manuel L. Quezon, are honored by being displayed on each of the pillars on the Arch of the Centuries.

Persons affiliated to the university, either as students, faculty members, or administrators, are known as "Thomasians". José Rizal (National Hero of the Philippines), studied Medicine at UST, and continued it at the University of Madrid in Madrid, Spain. The University has produced four Presidents of the Philippines, namely Manuel L. Quezon,^[57] Sergio Osmeña,^[58] José P. Laurel and Diosdado Macapagal. It has also produced three Philippine Vice Presidents and six Chief Justices of the Philippine Supreme Court.

Philippine Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon and Philippine national hero José Rizal are honored by the University as they are displayed on the pillars of the Arch of the Centuries.

The UST Office for Alumni Relations build a four-story alumni center on the site of existing UST gymnasium; it is a multi-function building to hold events for the alumni and lodging services for visitors. The existing Olympic-sized swimming pool located nearby would be kept and refurbished.^[59]

The design was chosen from seven winners in a competition among students organized by the College of Architecture. Abelardo Tolentino Jr., an outstanding Thomasian alumni for Architecture, worked on the design to produce the final blueprint.^[59] The groundbreaking ceremony was held on February 4, 2010, after the unveiling of the University marker. The ceremony was attended by members of the UST Medical Alumni Association Foundation.^[60]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: University of Santo Tomas

• University of Santo Tomas - official website
• UST Miguel de Benavides Library - Central Library website
• UST Hospital - UST Hospital
• UST Museum - Museum of Arts and Sciences
• Santisimo Rosario Parish - Santisimo Rosario Parish
• Online E-book of Historical documentary synopsis of the University of Santo Tomas of Manila from its foundation to our day by Dr. Fr. Juan Sanchez y García, Santo Tomas University Press, Manila, 1929
• Online E-book of El tricentenario de la Universidad de Santo Tomas de Manila (1611-1911) (English: The 300th anniversary of University of Santo Tomas), published in Manila, 1912
•  "History of University of Saint Thomas". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913. 

v t e UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS Founded in 1611 • Manila, Philippines Academics Accountancy · Architecture · Arts & Letters · Civil Law · Commerce & Business Administration · Ecclesiastical Studies · Education · Education High School · Engineering · Fine Arts & Design · Graduate School · High School · Medicine & Surgery · Music · Nursing · Pharmacy · Physical Education & Athletics · Rehabilitation Sciences · Religion · Science · Tourism & Hospitality Management Miguel de Benavides Monument Athletics UAAP · UST Growling Tigers (Men's basketball) · Rivalry with La Salle · 2006 men's basketball team · Salinggawi Dance Troupe · Yellow Jackets · Filoil Flying V League · Shakey's V-League · Home and Away Invitational League · Tiger Pack Campus Arch of the Centuries · Botanical Garden · Buildings · España Boulevard · UST Hospital · Main Building · Miguel de Benavides Library · Museum of Arts and Sciences · Parks and Gardens · UST Publishing House · Quadricentennial Pavilion · Santisimo Rosario Parish · Streets · Thomasian Alumni Center Santo Tomasiana History · Timeline · Traditions · Quadricentennial · Internment camp · Rector Magnificus · Royal University Militias · Thomasian Martyrs · Thomasians Student life Aegis Juris · Alpha Phi Omega · Gamma Epsilon · Regina Legis et Juris · Teatro Tomasino · The Varsitarian · UST Central Student Council · UST Student Organizations Coordinating Council · UST Singers · UST Symphony Orchestra · UST Tiger Radio  Category

Links to related articles v t e International Council of Universities of Saint Thomas Aquinas Africa Universidade Católica de Angola · Ethiopian Catholic University of St. Thomas Aquinas · Universidade São Tomás de Moçambique · Catholic University of Nigeria Americas Universidad Católica Argentina · Universidad Fraternidad de Agrupaciones Santo Tomás de Aquino · Ohio Dominican University · Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú · Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra · Universidad Santo Tomás (Bogotá) · Universidad Santo Tomás (Chile) · Universidad Santo Tomás (Honduras) · Universidad del Norte Santo Tomás de Aquino · Saint Thomas University · Thomas Aquinas College · University of Saint Thomas (Texas) · University of Saint Thomas (Minnesota) Asia-Pacific Aquinas University of Legazpi · Australian Catholic University · Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomás · Sei Katarina Daigaku · Sei Tomasu Daigaku · Universitas Katolik St. Thomas Sumatera Utara Europe Catholic Institute of Higher Studies – ICES · Facultà di Teología di Lugano · Mary Immaculate College · Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas · Universidad CEU San Pablo · Universidad CEU Abat Oliba · Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera v t e Dominican colleges and universities in the Philippines Aquinas University Legazpi City Angelicum College Iloilo City Quezon City Colegio de San Juan de Letran Manila Abucay, Bataan Calamba City Dominican College Capas, Tarlac San Juan City Santa Rosa City Holy Trinity University Puerto Princesa City Siena College Taytay, Rizal Quezon City University of Santo Tomas Manila Santa Rosa City General Santos City  Category v t e University Athletic Association of the Philippines (2012–13) Adamson UniversitySoaring Falcons Ateneo de Manila UniversityBlue Eagles De La Salle UniversityGreen Archers Far Eastern UniversityTamaraws National UniversityBulldogs University of the EastRed Warriors University of the PhilippinesFighting Maroons University of Santo TomasGrowling Tigers High SchoolBaby Falcons High SchoolBlue Eaglets De La Salle Zobel SchoolJunior Archers Nicanor Reyes Eductl FoundationBaby Tamaraws High SchoolBullpups High SchoolJunior Warriors Integrated SchoolJunior Maroons High SchoolTiger Cubs Sports: Badminton · Baseball · Basketball · Beach volleyball · Cheerdance · Chess · Football · Fencing · Judo · Softball · Street dance · Swimming · Table tennis · Taekwondo · Tennis  · Track and field · Volleyball · Overall Related topics: Ateneo–La Salle rivalry · Men's basketball Final Four · Men's basketball Final Four results · La Salle–UST rivalry  Category v t e University Belt Universities Adamson University  · Arellano University  · Centro Escolar University  · De La Salle University  · EARIST  · Far Eastern University  · FEATI University  · Manuel L. Quezon University  · National University  · Universidad de Manila  · University of the East  · University of Manila  · Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomás  · Philippine Christian University  · Philippine Normal University  · Philippine Women's University  · Polytechnic University of the Philippines  · Technological University of the Philippines  · University of the Philippines Manila Colleges College of the Holy Spirit  · De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde  · La Consolacion College Manila  · University of Perpetual Help, Manila  · Philippine College of Health Sciences, Inc.  · National Teachers College  · PMI Colleges  · San Beda College  · San Sebastian College – Recoletos  · Philippine School of Business Administration  · Technological Institute of the Philippines

Coordinates: 14°36′35.5″N 120°59′21.5″E / 14.609861°N 120.989306°E / 14.609861; 120.989306

Santo Tomás, Spanish for Saint Thomas, describes numerous locations.

Places in the world[link]

• Argentina
  • Santo Tomás, Buenos Aires, Carlos Casares Partido, Buenos Aires Province

• El Salvador
  • Santo Tomás, El Salvador

• Guatemala
  • Volcán Santo Tomás

• Menorca / Minorca
  • Santo Tomas

• Mexico
  • Santo Tomás de Aquino Mission, in Baja California
  • Santo Tomás de los Plátanos, in México
  • Santo Tomás, Hidalgo

• Nicaragua
  • Santo Tomás, Chontales

• Peru
  • Santo Tomás District, Luya, in Luya province, Amazonas region
  • Santo Tomás District, Cutervo, in Cutervo province, Cajamarca region
  • Santo Tomás District, Chumbivilcas, in Chumbivilcas province, Cusco region
  • Santo Tomás de Pata District, in Angaraes province, Huancavelica region
  • Santo Tomás, Peru

• Philippines
  • Santo Tomas, Batangas
  • Santo Tomas, Davao del Norte
  • Santo Tomas, Isabela
  • Santo Tomas, La Union
  • Santo Tomas, Pampanga
  • Santo Tomas, Pangasinan
  • University of Santo Tomas
  • Santo Tomas Internment Camp

• United States
  • Santo Tomás, Texas

See also[link]

• Saint Thomas (disambiguation)

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta
Santo's mask
Ring name(s)	Santo (Saint) El Santo (The Saint) Santo, el Enmascarado de Plata (Saint, the Silver Masked Man) Rudy Guzmán El Hombre Rojo (The Red Man) El Demonio Negro (The Black Demon) El Murcielago II (The Bat II)
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight	210 lb (95 kg)
Born	01917-09-23September 23, 1917 Tulancingo, Hidalgo, Mexico
Died	February 5, 1984(1984-02-05) (aged 66)
Debut	1934 or 1935
Retired	01982-09-12September 12, 1982

Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta (September 23, 1917 – February 5, 1984), more widely known as El Santo (the Saint), was a Mexican Luchador enmascarado (Spanish for masked professional wrestler), film actor, and folk icon. El Santo, along with Blue Demon and Mil Máscaras, is one of the most famous and iconic of all Mexican luchadores, and has been referred to as one of "the greatest legends in Mexican sports"^[1][2][3] His wrestling career spanned nearly five decades, during which he became a folk hero and a symbol of justice for the common man through his appearances in comic books and movies. He is said to have popularized professional wrestling in Mexico just as Rikidozan did in Japan.^[3] Guzmán's son followed him into wrestling as El Hijo del Santo, or 'Son of Santo'.

Biography[link]

Born in Tulancingo in the Mexican state of Hidalgo, to Jesús Guzmán Campuzano and Josefina Huerta (Márquez) de Guzmán as the fifth of seven children, Rodolfo came to Mexico City in the 1920s, where his family settled in the Tepito neighbourhood.^[2][3] He practiced baseball and American football, and then became interested in wrestling. He first learned Ju-Jitsu, then classical wrestling.^[4]

Pro wrestling career[link]

Accounts vary as to exactly when and where he first wrestled competitively, either in Arena Peralvillo Cozumel on 28 June 1934, or Deportivo Islas in the Guerrero colony of Mexico City in 1935, but by the second half of the 1930s, he was established as a wrestler, using the names Rudy Guzmán, El Hombre Rojo (the Red Man), El Demonio Negro (The Black Demon) and El Murcielago II (The Bat II). The last name was a rip-off of the name of a famous wrestler Jesus Velazquez named "El Murcielago" (The Bat), and after an appeal by the Bat to the Mexican boxing and wrestling commission, the regulatory body ruled that Guzmán could not use the name.^[3]

El Santo[link]

In the early 1940s, Guzmán married María de los Ángeles Rodríguez Montaño (Maruca), a union that would produce 10 children; their names were Alejandro, María de los Ángeles, Héctor Rodolfo, Blanca Lilia, Víctor Manuel, Miguel Ángel, Silvia Yolanda, María de Lourdes, Mercedes, and the youngest child Jorge, who also became a famous wrestler in his own right, El Hijo del Santo (Son of Santo).^[3] In 1942, Rodolfo's manager, Don Jesús Lomelí, was putting together a new team of wrestlers, all dressed in silver, and wanted Rodolfo to be a part of it. He suggested three names, El Santo (The Saint), El Diablo (The Devil), or El Angel (The Angel), and Rodolfo chose the first one. On 26 June, aged 24, he wrestled at the Arena Mexico for the first time as El Santo, although he later was known simply as "Santo". Under this new name he quickly found his style.^[2][3]

One of Santo's greatest matches was in 1952, when he fought a tag-team known as Los Hermanos Shadow (which consisted of famed luchadors Blue Demon and the Black Shadow). Santo beat and unmasked Black Shadow in the ring, which triggered Blue Demon's decision to become a técnico, as well as a legendary feud between Blue Demon and Santo that culminated in Santo's defeat in a well-publicized series of matches in 1952 and again in 1953. Although they appeared together in a number of action/adventure films, their rivalry never really ended in later years since Santo always remembered his defeat at Blue Demon's hands.^[2][3]

Retirement[link]

By the early 1980s El Santo slowed down his in ring activities leading up to his inevitable retirement. His farewell tour was announced for August and September 1982. the first of three events took place on August 22, 1982 at the Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City. On that night El Santo teamed up with El Solitario to take on Villano III and Rokambole in a match that naturally saw the legends win. After the match Villano and Rokamble lifted El Santo up on their shoulders as he received the adulation of the sold out arena. The following Sunday El Santo appeared at Arena México where he teamed up with Gran Hamada to defeat Villano I and Scorpio, Jr.^[5] Santo's last match took place on September 12, 1982, a week before his 65th birthday.^[3] In his last match ever El Santo teamed up with Gory Guerrero who came out of retirement to reform "La Pareja Atómica" as they teamed up with Huracán Ramirez and El Solitario. Their opponents included one of El Santo's biggest rivals in Perro Aguayo as well as El Signo, Negro Navarro and El Texano. True to the legend of El Santo he won his last match and retired as the hero he always portrayed in the ring and on the screen. His retirement tour was also used to introduce Santo's son Jorge as the next generation El Santo as he was ringside at each show wearing the silver mask and being introduced as El Hijo del Santo.^[5]

Death[link]

Just over a year after his retirement (in late January 1984), El Santo was a guest on Contrapunto, a Mexican television program and, completely without warning, removed his mask just enough to expose his face, in effect bidding his fans goodbye.^[3] It is the only documented case of Santo ever removing his mask in public.^[2] Santo died from a heart attack (during a stage show he was putting on) on February 5, 1984, at 9:40 p.m., a week after his Contrapunto TV appearance. As per his wishes, he was buried wearing his famous silver mask. His funeral is considered one of the biggest in Mexican history as fans and friends flocked to see "el Enmascarado de Plata" (The Silver-Masked One) one last time. After his death, a statue of El Santo was erected in his home town of Tulancingo and other statues have been created since then.^[3]

Legacy[link]

The legend of El Santo lives on to this very day both inside and outside the wrestling ring. Santo's youngest son with his first wife, Jorge carries on the legend of the Silver Mask, wrestling as El Hijo del Santo wearing the silver mask, cape and outfit that is very close to what his father used to wear. While El Hijo del Santo is not as big an icon as his father he is considered a more technically proficient wrestler.^[6][7]

In the early 1960s a female wrestler called La Novia del Santo (Spanish for "the Bride of El Santo") worked the Mexican circuit. Under the silver mask was Irma González, a well-known wrestler who had promised her fiancé that she'd stop wrestling, but went back in the ring under a mask when she could not resist the draw of competition. La Novia got El Santo's blessing to use the name and is the only non-family member ever given the right to use the Santo name. Gonzáles only wrestled as "La Novia del Santo" for 7 months until she got married. Later on, a homosexual wrestler adopted the "La Novia del Santo" name but El Santo took action and put an end to the impostor's use of the name.^[8]

Recently one of El Santo's 25 grandchildren made his professional debut. After gaining some seasoning under different identities "??" began working as "El Nieto del Santo" (Spanish for "the Grandson of Santo"). El Hijo Del Santo took legal actions to prevent this as he owns all "El Santo" rights when it comes to wrestling, presumably because he himself is planning on letting one of his own sons use the "El Nieto del Santo" name. These days, the grandson of El Santo works as "Axxel" and only uses "El Nieto del Santo" as an unofficial nickname to avoid any legal issues. Axxel uses the same trademark mask, cape and trunk design as El Santo but has incorporated black trim and knee pads, presumably not to infringe on the legal rights of El Hijo del Santo.

Movie career[link]

In 1952, the artist and editor José G. Cruz started a Santo comic book, turning Santo into the first and foremost character in Mexican popular literature, his popularity only rivalled by the legendary Kalimán character. The Santo comic book series (four different volumes) ran continuously for 35 years, ending in 1987.

Also in 1952, a superhero motion picture serial was made entitled "The Man in the Silver Mask", which was supposed to star Santo, but he declined to appear in it, because he thought it would fail commercially. The film was made instead with well-known luchador El Médico Asesino in the lead role, wearing a white mask similar to Santo's silver one. A villain named "The Silver-Masked Man" was introduced into the plot at the last minute, thus the title of the film strangely became a reference to the villain, not the hero.

In 1958, Fernando Osés, a wrestler and actor, invited Santo to work in movies, and although Santo was unwilling to give up his wrestling career, he accepted, planning to do both at the same time. Oses was planning on playing the hero in these films, with Santo appearing as his costumed sidekick. Fernando Osés and Enrique Zambrano wrote the scripts for the first two movies, el Cerebro del Mal (The Evil Brain) and Hombres Infernales (The Infernal Men), both released in 1958, and directed by Joselito Rodríguez. Filming was done in Cuba, and ended just the day before Fidel Castro entered Havana and declared the victory of the revolution. Santo played a masked superhero-type sidekick to the main hero (who was called El Incognito) in these two films, and was not the main character (nor was he depicted as a wrestler in these 2 films). The films did poorly at the box office when they were released. Years later however, when Santo's film career took off, the distributors of these two films quietly added Santo's name into the titles. Most people feel Santo's film career really took off in 1961, with his third movie "Santo Vs The Zombies." Santo was given the starring role with this film, and was shown for the first time as a professional wrestler moonlighting as a superhero.

Santo wound up appearing in a total of 52 lucha libre films in all, two of which were just cameo appearances. The style of the movies was essentially the same throughout the series, with Santo as a superhero fighting supernatural creatures, evil scientists, various criminals/ secret agents and so on. The tones were reminiscent of U.S. B-movies and TV shows, perhaps most similar to the old Republic Pictures serials of the 1940s.

His best-known movie outside of Mexico is also considered one of his best, 1962s Santo vs. las Mujeres Vampiro (Santo vs. the Vampire Women), which was also featured in an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. In this movie, the production values were better, and there was an attempt at creating more a mythos and background for Santo, as the last of a long line of fighters against evil. It was an enormous success at the box office, and was one of the 4 Santo films ever to be dubbed in English. Some of these English films were imported to the United States through the efforts of K. Gordon Murray who changed the name of Santo to Samson for some of his releases. Santo's most financially successful film however was "The Mummies of Guanajuato" (1970), which co-starred Blue Demon and Mil Mascaras. Many Mexi-movie fans consider it to be the greatest luchador film ever made.

The Santo film series inspired the production of similar series of movies starring other well-known luchadores such as Blue Demon, Mil Mascaras, Superzan and the Wrestling Women, among others. Santo even co-starred with Blue Demon and Mil Mascaras in several of his movies. When Blue Demon invited Santo to co-star with him and Mil Mascaras in the "Champions of Justice" movie trilogy, however, Santo was too busy making other films to participate.

By 1977, the masked wrestler film craze had practically died off, but Santo continued to appear in more films over the next few years. His last film was "FURY OF THE KARATE EXPERTS", shot in Florida in 1982, the same year he retired from the ring. Santo officially retired from wrestling on Sept. 12, 1982 (a week before his 65th birthday). His last match was at the El Toreo de Cuatro Caminos in Mexico. All told, his professional wrestling career spanned a total of 48 years.

Santo appeared as a guest on Contrapunto, a Mexican television program and, completely without warning, removed his mask just enough to expose his face. It is the only documented case of Santo ever removing his mask in public. Santo died from a heart attack on Feb. 5, 1984, at 9:40 p.m. (about a week after his Contrapunto TV appearance). He was 66 years old. As per his wishes, he was buried wearing his famous silver mask.

Other media appearances[link]

Santo also became an animated mini-series on Cartoon Network in Latin America. On October 27, 2004, Cartoon Network released the first chapter of 5 shorts. Each chapter is about 2 minutes long, and they were shown weekly on Wednesday nights at 8:00 PM. There is also currently another Santo series in development at Cartoon Network Studios in Burbank. The mini series was inspired by Santo's classic movies. Santo fought against an evil scientist, Dr. Clone, who collected the DNA of Santo's previous foes and resurrected them to kill Santo and dominate the world.

El Santo also inspired the animated series Mucha Lucha and El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera. In Mucha Lucha he's called "El Rey", and it's represented as an icon of all positive things. In El Tigre, the character White Pantera shares much of El Santo's ever optimist attitude from the movies, but there's also a character named Silver Sombrero who is an exact copy of Santo, except he wears a large Mexican hat.

Santo is immortalized in the rockabilly band Southern Culture on the Skids' 1996 album Santo Swings!/Viva el Santo. Santo is often resurrected in Southern Culture's live performances when an audience member jumps onstage donning Santo's mask. The Latin ska band King Changó released an album titled The Return of El Santo. A Turkish actor portrayed an unlicensed version of Santo in the infamous bootleg Turkish film 3 dev adam. In addition the 2001 Canadian cult film, Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter, also features an unlicensed version of El Santo as one of Christ's monster hunting associates.

He also is referred by Mexican rock band Botellita de Jerez in their song Santo, where they told Santo's victories in the ring and in the movies as well as the big respect he got as a Mexican movie hero, in the song they parody songs like the Batman TV Series's theme along as some religious songs.

Santo filmography (in chronological order)[link]

• Santo contra el cerebro del mal (Santo Vs. The Evil Brain, 1958)^[9][10]
• Santo contra hombres infernales (Santo vs. The Infernal Men, 1958)^[9][10]
• Santo contra los zombies (Santo vs. The Zombies, 1961) aka Invasion of the Zombies (dubbed in English)^[9][10]
• Santo contra el rey del crimen (Santo vs. The King of Crime, 1961)^[9][10]
• Santo en el hotel de la muerte (Santo In The Hotel of Death, 1961)^[9][10]
• Santo contra el cerebro diabolico (Santo vs. the Diabolical Brain, 1962)^[9][10]
• Santo contra las mujeres vampiro (Santo vs. The Vampire Women, 1962) aka Samson vs. the Vampire Women (dubbed in English)^[9][10]
• Santo en el museo de cera (Santo In The Wax Museum, 1963) aka Samson in the Wax Museum (dubbed in English)^[9][10]
• Santo contra el estrangulador (Santo vs. The Strangler, 1963)^[9][10]
• El espectro del estrangulador (Santo vs. The Ghost of the Strangler, 1963)^[9][10]
• Blue Demon contra el poder satánico (Blue Demon vs. Satanic Power, 1964) (cameo appearance)^[9][10]
• Santo en Atacan las brujas (Santo in The Witches Attack, 1964) aka Santo en la casa de las brujas^[9][10]
• El hacha diabólica (Santo in The Diabolical Axe, 1964)^[9][10]
• Santo en los profanadores de tumbas (Santo in The Grave Robbers, 1965)^[9][10]
• Santo en el Barón Brakola (Santo in Baron Brakola, 1965)^[9][10]
• Santo contra la invasión de los marcianos (Santo vs. The Martian Invasion, 1966)^[9][10]
• Santo contra los villanos del ring (Santo vs. The Villains of the Ring, 1966) (Santo's last B&W film)^[9][10]
• Santo en Operación 67 (Santo in Operation 67, 1966) (Santo's first color film)^[9][10]
• Santo en el tesoro de Moctezuma (Santo in The Treasure of Moctezuma, 1967)^[9][10]
• Santo en el tesoro de Drácula (Santo in Dracula's Treasure, 1968) aka The Vampire and Sex (a separate adult-rated version)^[9][10]
• Santo contra Capulina (Santo vs. Capulina, 1968)^[9][10]
• Santo contra Blue Demon en la Atlántida (Santo vs. Blue Demon in Atlantis, 1969)^[9][10]
• Santo y Blue Demon contra los monstruos (Santo and Blue Demon vs. the Monsters, 1969)^[9][10]
• Santo y Blue Demon en el mundo de los muertos (Santo and Blue Demon in the World of the Dead, 1969)^[9][10]
• Santo contra los cazadores de cabezas (Santo vs. The Headhunters, 1969)^[9][10]
• Santo frente a la muerte (Santo Faces Death, 1969) aka Santo vs. the Mafia Killers^[9][10]
• Santo contra los jinetes del terror (Santo Vs The Terror Riders, 1970) aka The Lepers and Sex (a separate adult-rated version)^[9][10]
• Santo en la venganza de las mujeres vampiro (Santo in the Revenge of the Vampire Women, 1970)^[9][10]
• Santo contra la mafia del vicio (Santo vs. The Mafia of Vice, 1970) aka Mission Sabotage^[9][10]
• Santo en la venganza de la momia (Santo in the Mummy's Revenge, 1970)^[9][10]
• Santo en Las momias de Guanajuato (Santo in The Mummies of Guanajuato, 1970) (co-starring Mil Mascaras and Blue Demon)^[9][10]
• Santo en el misterio de la perla negra (Santo in the Mystery of the Black Pearl, 1971) aka The Caribbean Connection (this film was released in Spain in 1971, but was only released in Mexico in 1975)^[9][10]
• Santo contra la hija de Frankenstein (Santo vs. Frankenstein's Daughter, 1971)^[9][10]
• Santo en Misión suicida (Santo in Suicide Mission, 1971)^[9][10]
• Santo contra los asesinos de otros mundos (Santo vs. the Killers from Other Worlds, 1971) aka Santo vs. the Living Atom^[9][10]
• Santo y el tigresa en el aguila real (Santo and the Tigress in the Royal Eagle, 1971)^[9][10]
• Santo y Blue Demon contra Drácula y el Hombre Lobo (Santo and Blue Demon Vs. Dracula and the Wolf Man, 1972)^[9][10]
• Santo contra los secuestradores (Santo Vs. The Kidnappers, 1972)^[9][10]
• Santo contra la magia negra (Santo vs. Black Magic, 1972)^[9][10]
• Santo y Blue Demon en las bestias del terror (Santo and Blue Demon in the Beasts of Terror, 1972)^[9][10]
• Santo contra las lobas (Santo vs. The She-Wolves, 1972)^[9][10]
• Santo en Anónimo mortal (Santo in Anonymous Death Threat, 1972)^[9][10]
• Santo y Blue Demon contra el doctor Frankenstein (Santo and Blue Demon Vs Dr. Frankenstein, 1973)^[9][10]
• Santo contra el doctor Muerte (Santo Vs Dr. Death, 1973) aka Santo strikes again, aka The Masked Man Strikes Again" (one of only four Santo films that was dubbed in English)^[9][10]
• Santo en la venganza de la llorona (Santo in the Revenge of the Crying Woman, 1974) (co-starring boxing champ Mantequilla Napoles)^[9][10]
• Santo en Oro negro (Santo in Black Gold, 1975) aka La Noche de San Juan^[9][10]
• Santo en el Misterio en las Bermudas (Santo in The Bermuda Mystery, 1977) (co-starring Blue Demon and Mil Mascaras)^[9][10]
• Santo en la frontera del terror (Santo at the Border of Terror, 1979) aka Santo vs. the White Shadow^[9][10]
• Santo contra el asesino de televisión (Santo vs the TV Killer, 1981)^[9][10]
• Chanoc y el hijo del Santo contra los vampiros asesinos (Chanoc and Son of Santo vs. The Killer Vampires, 1981) (cameo appearance)^[9][10]
• Santo en el puño de la muerte (Santo in Fist of Death, 1982)^[9][10]
• Santo en la furia de los karatekas (Santo in Fury of the Karate Experts, 1982)^[9][10]

In wrestling[link]

• Finishing moves

• La de a Caballo (Camel clutch)^[3][11]
• Tope de Cristo (Diving headbutt)^[3]

• Signature moves

• Plancha^[3]
• Suicide dive^[3]

Championships and accomplishments[link]

• Empresa Mundial de Lucha Libre

• Mexican National Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[12]
• Mexican National Middleweight Championship (4 times)^[13]
• Mexican National Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Rayo de Jalisco^[14]
• Mexican National Welterweight Championship (2 times)^[15]
• NWA World Middleweight Championship (1 time)
• NWA World Welterweight Championship (2 time)^[16]

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)

Lucha de Apuesta record[link]

References[link]