Vernon Lattin

Lattin was born in Winslow, Arizona,[3] to Eli Voil Lattin and Betty (Rubi) Lattin. In 1720, his ancestors had moved from Spain to a farming village in what was then called New Spain, and is now New Mexico, which in 1821 became part of Mexico, and then in 1846 became part of the US.[4] He and his family moved to New Mexico when he was eight years old.[4] His single mother raised him and his two brothers.[4]

He attended the University of New Mexico (Bachelor of Business Administration, 1960; Master of Arts in English, 1965) and University of Colorado (Doctor of Philosophy in English, 1970).[5][6]

From 1965-1967 Lattin was an instructor in English at Wright State University, and from 1970-1974 he was Assistant Professor of English at the University of Tennessee. He was next at Northern Illinois University, where from 1974-1977 he was coordinator of communication skills and English, from 1974-1981 he was Associate Professor of English, and from 1978-1981 he was director of the Center Latino and Latin American Studies.[7][6] From 1982-1988 he was associate vice president of academic affairs at the University of Wisconsin, and from 1989-1992 he was Provost and Professor of English at Arizona State University.[8]

He was president of Brooklyn College from 1992 to 2000.[9][10][11]

Lattin is the co-author of Tomas Rivera, 1935-1984: The Man and His Work, Bilingual Review/Press (1988).[12] He also authored Contemporary Chicano fiction: a critical survey; Studies in the language and literature of United States Hispanos, Bilingual Press/Editorial Bilingüe (1986).[13]