Ronald Hilton
Encyclopedia
Ronald Hilton was a British-American academic, reporter and think-tank specialist, specializing in Latin America
and, in particular, Fidel Castro
's Cuba
.
Ronald Hilton was educated at Oxford University and at the University of California at Berkeley and became a US citizen in 1946. He launched the Hispanic American Report in 1948. He was an academic expert on Latin America who helped to uncover the CIA’s clandestine preparations for the Bay of Pigs Invasion
of Cuba
in April 1961. He spent most of his long working life at Stanford University
.
During a research trip to Guatemala
in 1960, he learned that a group of Cuban exile
s were training at a secret camp (which everybody there seemed to know about) for their ill-fated attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro
’s regime. Hilton was the main source when the left-wing weekly The Nation
broke the story in November 1960.
The invasion went ahead anyway a few months later, after the Kennedy administration succeeded in persuading the New York Times (NYT), that had decided to follow up the Nation story, to delay publishing its own investigations.
Hilton later published a series of articles about Castro’s (1959) revolution
in the Hispanic American Report that were written by Herbert Matthews
and which the NYT had declined to publish because it felt that Matthews had grown too close to the Cuban leader.
Hilton founded the World Association of International Studies
(WAIS) in 1965, a global political, economic and religious forum, after resigning as the Director of the Institute of Hispanic American and Luso-Brazilian Studies (Bolivar House), which he had founded earlier at Stanford University. Hilton continued in his post as the Professor of Romanic Languages at the Stanford University until he retired at the mandatory age of 65.
In 1970, he launched the World Affairs Report, that continued publication until 1990 and became an on-line publication afterward. He became a Visiting Fellow of the Hoover Institution
at Stanford in 1987. Currently the World Affairs Report is the on-line publication of the World Association of International Studies, continuing Hilton's work.
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
and, in particular, Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
's Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
.
Ronald Hilton was educated at Oxford University and at the University of California at Berkeley and became a US citizen in 1946. He launched the Hispanic American Report in 1948. He was an academic expert on Latin America who helped to uncover the CIA’s clandestine preparations for the Bay of Pigs Invasion
Bay of Pigs Invasion
The Bay of Pigs Invasion was an unsuccessful action by a CIA-trained force of Cuban exiles to invade southern Cuba, with support and encouragement from the US government, in an attempt to overthrow the Cuban government of Fidel Castro. The invasion was launched in April 1961, less than three months...
of Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
in April 1961. He spent most of his long working life at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
.
During a research trip to Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
in 1960, he learned that a group of Cuban exile
Cuban exile
The term "Cuban exile" refers to the many Cubans who have sought alternative political or economic conditions outside the island, dating back to the Ten Years' War and the struggle for Cuban independence during the 19th century...
s were training at a secret camp (which everybody there seemed to know about) for their ill-fated attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
’s regime. Hilton was the main source when the left-wing weekly The Nation
The Nation
The Nation is the oldest continuously published weekly magazine in the United States. The periodical, devoted to politics and culture, is self-described as "the flagship of the left." Founded on July 6, 1865, It is published by The Nation Company, L.P., at 33 Irving Place, New York City.The Nation...
broke the story in November 1960.
The invasion went ahead anyway a few months later, after the Kennedy administration succeeded in persuading the New York Times (NYT), that had decided to follow up the Nation story, to delay publishing its own investigations.
Hilton later published a series of articles about Castro’s (1959) revolution
Cuban Revolution
The Cuban Revolution was an armed revolt by Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement against the regime of Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista between 1953 and 1959. Batista was finally ousted on 1 January 1959, and was replaced by a revolutionary government led by Castro...
in the Hispanic American Report that were written by Herbert Matthews
Herbert Matthews
Herbert Lionel Matthews was a reporter and editorialist for the New York Times who grew to notoriety after revealing that Fidel Castro was still alive and living in the Sierra Maestra mountains, though Batista had claimed publicly that he was killed during the 26th of July Movement's...
and which the NYT had declined to publish because it felt that Matthews had grown too close to the Cuban leader.
Hilton founded the World Association of International Studies
World Association of International Studies
The World Association of International Studies was founded by Ronald Hilton in 1965 as the California Institute of International Studies at Stanford University's Bolivar House. WAIS membership is by invitation only...
(WAIS) in 1965, a global political, economic and religious forum, after resigning as the Director of the Institute of Hispanic American and Luso-Brazilian Studies (Bolivar House), which he had founded earlier at Stanford University. Hilton continued in his post as the Professor of Romanic Languages at the Stanford University until he retired at the mandatory age of 65.
In 1970, he launched the World Affairs Report, that continued publication until 1990 and became an on-line publication afterward. He became a Visiting Fellow of the Hoover Institution
Hoover Institution
The Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace is a public policy think tank and library founded in 1919 by then future U.S. president, Herbert Hoover, an early alumnus of Stanford....
at Stanford in 1987. Currently the World Affairs Report is the on-line publication of the World Association of International Studies, continuing Hilton's work.